Keep the Grass Greener

Maintaining a Healthy Sacramento Lawn

Keep the Grass Greener
Maintaining a Healthy Sacramento Lawn

Spring is almost here, and with the promise of warmer weather comes thoughts of being outdoors more often.  Now is the time to outline new landscaping plans.  Because the landscaping is visible to everyone, you want to make sure that the overall design is something you will be happy to look at, and have others look at, year after blooming year.  For the best landscaping results start with a healthy stretch of ground cover.  Think of the grass as the blank canvas you will splash with color.  If you work with a ragged canvas, the end product will always have that undertone.

With patchy grass, seeding the area is often sufficient.  Many homeowners have foregone the effort to have the perfectly homogenous lawn (for environmental and financial reasons) and supplement what grows naturally.  Grass seed is often best planted in early spring or fall, in more moderate temperatures. Like any flower or plant, different grass varieties are suited for different climates and situations.  Your local nursery will be able to advise on the right grasses for your area.  And consult your neighbors to find out what has grown well for them.  Consider your specific landscaping plan to decide where you should have sun, shade, or a sun/shade combination grass.  Measure the square footage of your planting area and look at the seed packaging to determine how much to buy.  Follow the planting and watering directions to ensure the fullest growth.  And while you might be itching to mow that new grass, it is helpful to let it grow to seed occasionally (you will see the seed heads at the top of the stalks) to naturally re-seed itself.

If there is very little or no grass in your yard, laying new sod is a good option. The appeal of using new sod is that you instantly have a growing green area where nothing was the day before.   Sodding is not complicated, just physically demanding, and can be a do-it-yourself project if you have the stamina.  Measure the area you want to cover and order the sod from a local nursery, landscaping company or sod farm.  Prepare your soil to accept the sod – thoroughly till the area, then give it one final leveling with a rake.  Lay the first sections of sod against an edge such as a driveway or flowerbed wall and work outward from there.  Laying sod is like putting together a big puzzle.  The tighter the pieces fit together, the better the final picture will look.   Once all the sections have been laid you will need to compact the sod with a roller, which you can rent from many home centers.  New sod will need daily watering for the first week and regular watering throughout the growing season to ensure that the roots grow downward toward the moisture.  Mow the new lawn about one month after planting.

Whether you start with seed or sod, with the proper care you should see a healthy grass cover year after year.