A beautiful lawn requires proper care. If you have a recently planted lawn, you’ll probably have to pay close attention for a while to figure out how to help it thrive. Below, Sean Fong, president of Hawaiian Turfgrass, offers a few expert tips for maintenance.
WATER LESS
Frequent watering leads to shallow, drought-vulnerable roots.
“If you water every day for five minutes at a time, your lawn will be green, but that kind of schedule promotes a shallow root zone,” says Fong. “Instead of watering daily for five minutes, it’s better to water every third or fourth day for 15 or 20 minutes. Longer soaks promote deeper roots!”
SHARPEN YOUR BLADES
Whether you’re using a reel or a rotary mower, make sure you mow with sharp blades.
“A dull blade can lead to disease and stress out the plants,” says Fong, “so having sharp blades helps in every aspect.”
Dull blades actually tear grass, leaving jagged edges with openings for pests of all kinds. Consider sharpening your blades a couple times each year, and having extras on hand.
WEED WHACKERS ARE FOR WEEDS ONLY
“Consider a landscape blade instead,” advises Fong. “It’s almost like a weed whacker but instead of a string at the end, it has a circular blade that goes back and forth.”
Sometimes called power rotary scissors, landscape blades create clean, sharp cuts.
LEAVE THE CLIPPINGS WHEN YOU MOW!
The practice of leaving grass clippings saves both time and money — you don’t have to bag the clippings, and you don’t have to buy the bags, either.
“Also, the clippings act as fertilizer,” says Fong. “They might be unsightly at first, but they’ll dry up and mulch in a few days. If you remove the clippings with bags, you’ll have to supplement with fertilizer more often.”
FERTILIZE PROPERLY
“A lot of lawn fertilizers are high in nitrogen, which makes grass green but also makes it grow faster,” says Fong. He generally recommends balanced-nutrient fertilizers with low nitrogen content, like Triple 8 with micronutrients, for his Turfgrass clients.
Now through the end of February, Hawaiian Turfgrass is offering gorgeous Tifgrand Bermuda grass at $1.75 per foot. Chosen by Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers as Hawaii’s Best Lawn Installation Company for 2020, Hawaiian Turfgrass offers complete turnkey lawn services: site prep, irrigation, delivery and installation. Call 371-0527 or visit hawaiianturfgrass.com to order and arrange for pickup or curbside delivery!
HAWAIIAN TURFGRASS
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
CONTACT 371-0527
ADDRESS 94-840 Lanikuhana Ave., Mililani
WEB hawaiianturfgrass.com
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