Maintenance Guide For A Lush Southeast Lawn

Most lawn maintenance chores coincide with the mowing season. If you live in Florida, lawn care can be a year-round task. Luckily, most other Southeast gardeners are able to take a break during the winter. Yet, no matter how many months of the year you tend the yard, proper lawn care is essential to grow lush, green turf in Southeastern US states.

Cutting the grass at the right time and correct height is the first step toward a beautiful lawn, and it’s something many homeowners overlook. The temptation to cut the grass on a schedule or clip it too short can damage the turf. It may help to view the lawn as a garden composed of thousands of grass plants. Just like the prize roses in the flower bed, proper “pruning” results in healthier plants.

To maintain a lush lawn and prevent southern lawn weeds from overtaking the yard, it’s recommended that no more than the top third of grass blades are removed when mowing. Thus, if you have a species of grass which needs cut to a 2 inch (5 cm) height, the optimal time to cut the grass is when it’s no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) tall. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always fall on Saturday afternoon.

The proper height to cut the lawn will depend upon the species of grass in your yard. Grass seed for southern lawns can be either warm-season or cold-season species. Warm-season grass perks up later in the spring and grows best during the hot, dry summer months. Cool-season species grow best in the spring and fall, but go dormant and may die during Southeastern summers.

Your local extension agent is your best source for information concerning which type of grass to plant or how high to cut the species of grass you already have. These professionals can also assist with soil tests. The results can