Lawn Care 101: How to Seed, Feed, Weed, Mow, and Water Your Lawn

If you’re new to the process, lawn care can feel like an overwhelming task. There’s a lot to think about between seeding, feeding, pest control, mowing, and watering. However, once you break each step down and take them one at a time, it’s not as much work as you might think. 

The key to having a beautiful lawn is yearly maintenance and consistent care. With the right tools and a little effort on your part, caring for your lawn can be done in a few simple steps. 

In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about lawn care. All it takes is five simple steps for thick and luscious grass. We’ll cover:

1. Seeding
2. Feeding
3. Pest Control
4. Mowing
5. Watering

Let’s get to it!

What is the Best Way to Take Care of My Lawn?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there are a few things you’re going to need to maintain the overall health of your lawn. For starters, you need the right kind of seed for where you live. 

For instance, the best grass seed for sandy soil is turfgrass like tall fescue, Bermuda grass, and bentgrass. On the other hand, the best grass for Florida is carpetgrasses like St. Augustine or bahiagrass. 

Of course, you can also skip this whole process and go with artificial grass. However, even the best artificial grass can’t compare to a well-cared-for lawn, which is why we recommend you follow our 5-step process.

1. Seeding

Once you’ve chosen the grass that’s best for your region, it’s time to seed your lawn. Begin by dethatching your lawn. With a garden rake, rake your grass to remove the underlying layer of dead grass and debris that prevents water and air from reaching the soil. 

Then, reduce soil compaction by aerating your lawn. A core aerator will poke holes in the soil to loosen it and make it ideal for grass growth. 

With that complete, it’s time to seed. If your lawn is in pretty good shape already, you’ll want to overseed, which means to spread seed over the entire area evenly. For bare patches, you can spot seed by loosening the soil with a rake, spreading the seed, and packing it in with the back of your rake.

2. Feeding

The next step is to feed or fertilize your lawn. To determine how much fertilizer you need, measure the square footage of your lawn. Then, use a drop spreader to feed your lawn evenly.

It’s vital you don’t overfeed your lawn, so be sure to follow the directions on the package. Even the best organic lawn fertilizer can be unhealthy for the grass if you use it incorrectly.

For the best fertilizer for grass in the summer, keep in mind the chemical balance and watering schedule so you don’t scorch your lawn. However, it’s better to feed your lawn before the weather becomes too hot. Ideally, it would be best if you started working on your lawn in early spring. 

3. Pest Control

Another thing you may need to do is treat your lawn for insects and other pests. If left untreated, bugs can kill the grass you’ve worked so hard to grow. 

There are many different kinds of insect killers available, but most of them contain toxic chemicals. If this is a concern for you, some of the best lawn insect killers use natural ingredients that are even pet- and child-safe.

4. Mowing

If you’re wondering how to mow a lawn, it’s fairly simple, but there are some guidelines to keep in mind. For one, it’s crucial to cut a length that’s right for your particular grass. In general, you should cut cool-season grasses taller and warm-season grasses a bit shorter. If you’re not sure, remove one-third the length of your grass blades. 

It’s also important to only cut your grass when it’s dry, as mowing a wet lawn can cause damage and result in uneven cuts. Plus, when the soil is too moist, the mower may rip some of your grass from the ground.

If you’re on a budget, you’ll want to find the lawn mowers under 200 dollars to get the job done. In contrast, the riding lawn mower for rough terrain will be a bit pricier but much more robust. You’ll want to consider horsepower, too, especially when looking for riding lawn mower for hills. 

5. Watering

The last step is watering your lawn. Most lawns need around one inch of water each week. You can use a rain gauge to ensure you don’t overwater your lawn and put your sprinkler system on a timer to be as efficient as possible. 

Of course, if you have a small lawn, you may not need a sprinkler system. The best sprinkler for a small lawn could be a budget system or sprayer. For minor watering jobs, expandable hose stretches anywhere you need it to, then stows away. The hose nozzle can help you target specific areas while watering, including your veggie garden.

How Can I Improve My Lawn Grass?

With the above steps for general lawn care in mind, there are a few tricks of the trade that can help you improve your lawn grass. For instance, one way to give your lawn a clean and precise look is to use edging around its borders. You can use bricks, stones, or metal edging.

In addition, keep in mind that you should not be mowing your lawn more frequently than every two weeks. It can also help to minimize shady spots that can encourage weed growth by removing low-hanging branches from nearby trees and water your lawn less frequently and more deeply. 

Is It Worth It to Hire a Lawn Service?

Tackling lawn care on your own is time-consuming and can lead to lackluster results. If you can afford it, hiring a lawn service is convenient, safe, and many companies guarantee results. Overall, the pros of hiring a lawn care service generally outweigh the cons. You may even find that using a professional service saves you money in the long run.