The Importance of Maintaining Your Lawn

If you’ve got a big yard - or even a small yard - it’s critically important to keep it neat and tidy, especially the lawn. Of course, we’re not talking about precision cuts or artful topiaries here, but there are some basic maintenance tasks you should be doing on the regular to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful. Even in the winter, you need to keep up with your lawn maintenance as much as possible. 

Here at New South Tractor in Newton, North Carolina, we’ve put together this guide to help you understand the basics of lawn maintenance and how you can make your job easier and more efficient. And enjoyable! And if you’re in the market for equipment or gear for your farm or yard, please come visit our dealership. We also serve customers in Asheville.

Mowing

During the growing season, it’s important to keep your lawn mowed to cut down on weeds, invasive insects like fleas and ticks (this is critical if you have pets), and other undesirables. As the weather changes, so will your mowing frequency. North Carolina has a wide variety of climate patterns across the state, and each of them will require different mowing strategies. Basically, the more it rains, the more you need to mow. The trouble, of course, is that when it rains, you can’t mow. That’s why you need to come up with a good strategy for mowing - taking advantage of good weather days to keep your lawn from getting out of control.

Weeding

Invasive weeds can tear through your yard like wildfire before you’ve even realized they’re there. Dandelions, in particular, are tenacious little beasts, and you absolutely must keep them under control lest your entire yard become a dandelion field. Get yourself a dedicated weed-eater to whack away at the weeds coming through at the edges of your yard. For weeds that are deep in your lawn, you should remove them by hand, and make sure to get the roots. You can also use commercial weed sprayers, but be careful - some of them are deadly to pets, so if you have a dog or cat, make sure you buy a product that’s safe for your furry friends. 

Aerating

Winter can bring frost, which can seal your soil and prevent fresh air from penetrating the surface. This can cause a problem during the next growing season. The best thing to do is before the first frost, work on aerating your lawn, getting it ready to go when the weather improves. There are tools and equipment you can use to aerate your lawn - do your research to determine what will be best for your own particular yard.

Other Winter Tips

As we get further into winter, it’s important to keep an eye on a few specific things. If you find yourself walking in your yard a lot, and there are particular patterns and places where you walk, you need to watch out that you don’t damage your yard. Try not to spend too much time walking in the same place in your yard; that way, your lawn will come up nice and fresh in the spring. 

If there’s a deep freeze, you might try chipping away at ice that has accumulated in the lower spots in your yard. Doing this will help your yard weather the winter more successfully. 

Of course, as fall goes into winter, there are always leaves and other debris to manage, and you should spend some time working to clear this debris before the weather gets too nasty to work outside. Too many leaves on a lawn can rot and smother your lawn. 

Good lawn maintenance is key to keeping your yard looking healthy all year round. Come see us at New South Tractor if you have any questions or need gear or equipment, and we’ll find you what you need.