How to Mow Your Lawn Properly, Eliminate and Prevent Weeds Naturally & Other Yard Tips
by www.SixWise.com

Late summer is a prime time for yards to become out of control ... weeds have had plenty of time to pop up and propagate, grass is growing at its peak, and bugs are out in full-force.

Now's the time for you to show your yard who's boss, and after honing up on the tips that follow, your yard won't know what hit it.

Do You Think You Know How to Mow?

It's a no-brainer, you might think. Take out the mower, run it over the grass -- done! But not so fast. Did you know that close to 80,000 Americans are injured badly enough by lawn mowers each year that they require hospital treatment -- and countless others who think they know how to mow leave unsightly missed spots, revealing their mowing naivety?

So don't let your pride get in the way. Read through these tips, and use them to get the cut lawn your neighbors will covet:

• Make sure your lawn mower is up to speed and that, in particular, the blade is sharp. A dull blade will damage your grass, making it unattractive and susceptible to disease.

• Don't go too low! Grass that's less than two inches high may not be able to get the nutrients it needs from the sun.

• Keep to a schedule. A regularly cut lawn will thrive, but if you skip a few weeks realize that you can't cut more than one-third of the blade of grass at a time without harming it. So if your lawn is very long, mow it a little, wait a few days, then mow it a little more.

• You don't have to pick up the clippings. Letting them naturally mulch your lawn is actually beneficial (unless you are cutting off more than one-third of the blade, in which case the clippings may smother the lawn).

Are Weeds Taking Over Your Yard?

It's time to fight back, using all-natural methods of course. (The last thing you want to do is douse your outdoor living space with toxic yard chemicals.) Fortunately, the following non-toxic methods are all very effective at killing weeds (and are totally harmless to you as well):

• Pour boiling water on them (this works best for weeds in driveway cracks and sidewalks).

• Pull them out by hand.

• Spray them with vinegar (be careful not to spray plants you want as it will kill them too).

• Apply mulch, it will help to keep weeds away. For even more weed prevention, put a barrier such as newspaper or paper bags underneath the mulch.

More Simple Yard Tips

There's always more to learn when it comes to caring for your yard. Here are some of our favorite tips:

1. To give trees the deep watering they need, hammer a plastic or metal pipe into the ground, then let the hose trickle directly into the pipe. This helps the water reach the deep roots.

2. In hot weather, water flowers at their roots. If you get the leaves or flowers wet, the evaporation can dry out the plant.

3. The best time to water in hot weather is early morning. Watering at mid-day will allow most of the water to evaporate before it gives the plants benefits.

4. To keep soil from splashing out of containers when you water them, line the top with small rocks or marbles.

5. When you're done using small garden tools, stick them into a bucket of sand. This stores them, keeps them clean and prevents rusting.

6. You can aerate your lawn easily by wearing cleats when you do your yard work.

7. To fertilize your plants naturally use crushed eggshells or even the water from boiled eggs. Certain plants like roses, evergreens, hydrangeas and gardenias also love coffee grounds.

Recommended Reading

15 Easy Landscaping Tips to Add Appeal and Value to Your Home

The Most Natural Spaces in America's Busiest Places: A Guide to the Top Natural Areas in the Largest Metro Areas

Sources

SafeNaturalTips.com

eHow.com