Why the Lawn Face? Fun Facts and Lawn Care Tips

April is National Lawn Care Month and we want to share 10 fun facts and 10 fun tips about lawns and caring for them. With these facts you will not only appreciate your lawn more, but also learn how to take your lawn game to the next level. No more lawn face, it is time for your lawn to show that fresh cut, pearly green smile. 

Fun Facts About Your Lawn

1. A 50×50 foot area of healthy lawn generates enough oxygen to supply a family of four.
2. Lawns are 3x more productive at producing oxygen than trees. 
3. 1 acre of grass produces more oxygen than 1 acre of rainforest.
4. Using turf instead of concrete on road embankments reduces traffic noise by 200%.
5. Eight healthy lawns have a cooling effect similar to air conditioning needed to cool 16 homes.
6. There are about 10,000 different species of grass worldwide.
7. Lawns trap about 12 million tons of dust annually.
8. Lawns reduce runoff, the average golf course receiving one inch of rain absorbs 4 million gallons of water.
9. Well maintained turf grass can increase the property value of a home by 15-20%.
10. Various species of grass are found in bread, whiskey, and beer, some of our favorite things!

Lawn Care Tips

1. Make sure your mower blades are sharp. Sharp blades prevent the grass from tearing which can result in brown tips 
2. Aerate! Compacted grass does not grow well. You can even use a garden fork by pushing it into the grass about 3-4 inches and gently rocking it back and forth. 
3. Smart irrigation saves about 15-20% on your water bill and has sensors that determine how much water your lawn actually needs.
4. Water in the morning or later in the evening. This helps prevent large amounts of water from evaporating.
5. Different species of grass have different needs. Talk to a professional to ensure you are using the right fertilizer, at the right time, in the right amounts. Do not over apply fertilizer and pesticides!
6. Leave your lawn longer in the summer (~3.5 inches when cut) to help prevent drought. 
7. Cut your lawn short before the winter to prevent vole/mice damage (~2 inches).
8. Fertilize when rain is in the forecast or water in your fertilizer so it gets down to the roots.
9. Thatching your lawn pulls out valuable organic matter and is not recommended except for in extreme cases.
10. The best time to sow grass seed is late summer to early fall when the temperature is more consistent and many competitive weeds are at the end of their life cycle.

 Give Vande Hey Company a call today to set up your lawn care package! With our help there will be no more lawn faces, only pearly green smiles you can show off to your neighbors.

Sources: Vande Hey Company Professionals, National Association of Landscape Professionals, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, International Society of Agriculture