Myths about lawn care

​So much wrong information about lawn care is tossed around all over the internet. We decided to put together a list with the most known lawn care myths.

1. Use spiked shoes to aerate your lawn.
   For your soil to be aerated it needs to be aerated o at least 5% of its surface to alleviate a compacted grass. Spiked shoes can’t do that! We suggest to just rent a core aerator call Atlanta Landscaping Matters pros.
2. You can save more water by using the garden hose instead of a sprinkler system.
   Actually it is the opposite!  You can lower your water bill with almost 20% just by installing a more advanced water system can conserve the water due to the smart technology they have like rain sensors, moisture sensor and other sensors that can regulate the watering time and preventing watering when not necessary for example after a period of heavy rain. Sprinkler systems distribute the water on the lawns surface without leaving patches out or over watering some area. Not knowing the moisture of the soil you can overwater easily resulting in brown patches and of course a higher bill.
3. It’s ok to water your lawn any time of the day.
   Wrong! There are actually 2 periods in a day you should not water your lawn. The hottest part of the day, when the sun is up and shining will result in evaporation of the moisture due to the sun while watering in the night will promote the growth of the fungus and mildew. The proper time to water your lawn is early in the morning, usually before 10 am.
4. Water your lawn every day.
   Not the best idea! The idea is to let the grass grow deeper roots. This is obtained by infrequent and deep watering.
5. Cut your grass short to reduce the frequency of mowing. By doing this you actually damage your lawn as you expose the roots to the hot sun but also encourage the weeds that are more resistant to hot weather to grow bigger and stronger.
   Following the 1/3 rule will help you keep your lawn green and healthy by providing shade to the roots and avoid the grass to turn brown.
6. You need to collect your grass clipping. Grass clippings are beneficial for your lawn as they are mostly water and they break down quickly. A good idea is to mulch those clippings and use them to feed your grass.
7.  Rake the leaves on your lawn because they will smother the grass! While this is partly true in the case when the layer of leaves is thick, it’s not the case when the layer of leaves is moderate to light. They can be mulched back by using the lawn mower and chopping them in small pieces back into your lawn.
8. Seeding is done in spring! Not necessarily! While some type of seeds does need to be planted in the spring, there are some that need to be planted in the fall, to establish themselves before the summer heat. Read the instruction on your package before wasting time, energy and money.
9. All types of grass seeds are the same! There are several varieties of grass seeds and all of them have different requirements when it comes to where to plant them, how to water them, the cutting length and the proper time to plant them. While some plants might light sunny areas, others do better in shaded areas. While some grass can be cut shorter other need to respect the 1/3 rule.
10. You don’t need to fertilize your greens! Proper fertilization will encourage healthy grass.

If you have any other questions related to your lawn, you can contact Atlanta Landscaping Matters- Peachtree Corners for any of them and we will be more than happy to answer them.