Everyone wants their lawn to resemble the perfectly manicured blades of a ballpark i.e. vibrantly green, perfectly patterned, etc. If you have always assumed that you must be a professional to achieve the lawn of your dreams, it is worth noting that you are wrong since just about anyone can do it with the right information and advice.
Steps for Keeping Your Lawn as Beautiful as a Ballpark
Before you make your lawn as beautiful as a ballpark, you must first have a lawn worth striping. There are some important ingredients to every success and to stripe your lawn to perfection, it is important to first prepare your grounds.
- Pick Your Grass Carefully
Grass is not a one size fits all. It is important to know your region and choose the right grass seed based on where you live. It is also important to think about how you plan to use the lawn. Do you have pets and/or children that will regularly be playing on it or is its purpose primarily curb appeal? Talk to your local garden center to find out which grass is best for your location.
- Feed as Needed
The vast majority of homeowners tend to over water their lawns, which is more harmful than good. A simple way to determine whether the lawn required watering is to push a screwdriver into the grass. If it easily enters the dirt, your lawn has enough water already. If you find it hard to get the screwdriver into the ground, it is time to water it. It is advisable to fertilize your lawn at least once every year. However, setting 4 times a year schedule for fertilizing it helps achieve optimal health.
- Measure Out the Grass
Maintenance crews for professional sports fields are meticulous about the height of the grass since it ensures a uniform look. It is advisable to maintain a lawn height of about 2 inches. You should not cut more than a third of the grass height at a time to reduce damage. So, try mowing when the grass has a height of about 3 inches.
- Replenish as Needed
Grass is a natural carpet, capable of cleaning and repairing itself. It is equipped to withstand several elements but it is still impacted over time. If you have started noticing that your lawn is sparse in some areas or not lush and full as you would like, it could be time for adding more seed.
Spring and Fall are the best times to plant new seed since the temperatures are moderate. However, reseeding can be done throughout the year. The important thing is to avoid drastic changes in temperature and water regularly but moderately to give the seed more time to absorb moisture as well as build roots.
Striping Your Lawn
How Does Striping Work?
The effects of stripes that you see on a ballpark is simply light reflecting off grass blades. Blades that bend towards you appear dark while those that bent the opposite side appear lighter. You can see some of the same effect with regular mowing. Creating patterns simply takes it one step further. You need a roller or a striping kit for the mower to get the blades to bend. You can buy a striping kit online or build one yourself.
How to Stripe Your Grass
Striping is done when the grass is green and beautiful. The steps below should help you stripe your grass as you please:
- Arm Yourself with the Proper Tools
The right equipment can help take a lawn from looking just well-manicured to professional. When it comes to choosing a mower, avoid jumping straight to the models that pick up grass clippings. Letting the clippings decompose in the lawn adds to its overall health. If you mow regularly, the shavings will be small and less noticeable. Another great trick for cleaning up the lines and defining our yard is to add an edger to your arsenal.
- Pick a Pattern
It is important to decide on the pattern that you would like to create before you start mowing. It can help to make a sketch of how the pattern you choose will fit your lawn’s layout. The possibilities are virtually limitless, but diamonds, checkerboards, ad stripes are the most popular patterns.
- Watch Where You Move
Unless you are creating a wavy pattern purposefully, ensure that you carefully mow in a straight line. Start by mowing parallel to your driveway or sidewalk. To keep mowing straight, look about 10 feet ahead while mowing instead of at the ground right in front of your mower.
Once you reach the end of a row, lift your mower deck as you turn, and then mow in the opposite direction next to the previous pass. If you wish to form a checkerboard, mow your lawn once more at 90 degrees to the first mowing. The final step is to mow a strip around the lawn’s edges.
- Intensify the Stripes
The mowing will create the basic pattern, but the next step is what professionals do to ensure that their patterns are more pronounced. The secret is to further bend the blades of the grass, which you can do using a lawn roller. If you don’t own a roller, you can always hire one. Get back over the mowing stripes and roll the grass in the same direction you mowed and you will definitely see a dramatic difference.
If you want to keep your lawn as beautiful as a ballpark, you should follow the tips provided here. To recap everything: ensure that you choose the right grass for your lawn, ensure that your lawn is regularly fertilized, and maintain it at the right height.
When it comes to striping the lawn, choose your pattern, use a roller to create the desired pattern while watching your step. Finally, if you are unable to do anything described here, you should consider hiring a professional lawn care service to help you achieve the lawn of your dreams.
