A New Year's Resolution You Can Keep... For Your Yard

New Year's is always great for a fresh start. So while you make pledges to exercise more, eat better, perhaps even attend church more regularly, don't just think about fresh starts for yourself. Remember last summer when you let your lawn go brown in May? Remember, when it became an eyesore in the neighborhood compared to everyone else's green grass. Yeah... it might be nice to not let that happen again - nothing quite dampers a home's appearance like an ugly lawn.

While getting that nice lawn back is a bit of work, it's achievable. So start planning now so your grass is green and healthy come spring. Here's some tips:

• Aerate: Did you water your lawn only to find that it still died out in the summer heat? Get it aerated in the spring. Aerating essentially consists of using a machine to poke small circular holes in your lawn. In turn, this allows more oxygen, water and nutrients to get to your grass roots, which means less watering and more growth. You can call us here at EMI, Garden Escapes or another professional to perform these services or rent a machine and do it yourself. It also helps break up thatch.


• Get on a fertilization plan: It's recommended that you fertilize your lawn four to five times a year. Make your schedule around the holidays. Lay down your first spread in early spring and then fertilize around Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and a final fertilization prior to winter. This helps your lawn grow and stay healthy year-round.


• Water responsibly: It's always best to water during the early morning and early evening hours. This is the period where the wind is typically lightest, meaning that the sprinklers find more of your lawn and water isn't blown about by the wind elsewhere. It's also the time of day when the sun isn't hot, meaning that water is able to soak into your lawn and not dry up as fast. Also be sure to be mindful of the weather forecast as nothing has quite the effect on a lawn like rainwater - and all the nutrients in it - so turn off your sprinklers when rain is predicted to save on your water bill. You can also buy a rain sensor for this purpose.


• Smart planting: Give your lawn and landscaping a bang every spring by planting tulip bulbs this fall. The bulbs will give way to beautiful tulips to help you ring in spring and nice weather every year after they're planted.


• Smart mowing: As you're mowing your lawn, be sure not to cut too short - this can stunt growth. For this reason, it's advised that you cut on high settings so you're never taking more than one-third of a blade of grass off. It's also advised that you mow in different patterns each times. This ensures that your lawn doesn't grow a particular way and prevents wear patterns.

Have a great New Year from all of us here at Environmental Management, Inc!