Want the Best Lawn on the Block? Follow These Simple Steps

By John Deere
Photographs courtesy of John Deere

Across the country, warm weather has finally arrived and it’s time to get into a mowing routine. A recent survey from John Deere proved that 92 percent of homeowners agree a nice lawn increases the value of your home, and 30 percent admit to lawn envy. Turn heads as one of the best lawns on the block with some simple tips to ensure your lawn stays beautiful year-around:

• Mower Maintenance – Sharpen the mower blade at least once a year, inflate tires to the model’s recommended pressure, and replace belts and spark plugs according to the recommendations in the operator’s manual.
• Mowing Time – To reduce stress on your lawn, mow in the morning or late afternoon to avoid mid-day sun when temperatures are highest.
• Proper Cut Height – Follow the one-third rule, which is never cutting off more than one-third of the grass leaf blade during one mowing.
• Moisture – Do not mow when the lawn is too wet. Wet grass is more likely to clump and damage the lawn, rather than disperse evenly to return nutrients to the soil. 
• Strategic Feeding – Cool season turf (if you live in the northern half of the U.S.) should typically be fertilized in the fall and early spring.  Warm season turf (Southern states) should typically be fertilized in the spring and summer.
• Water Wisely – Water the lawn in the mornings, It’s generally better to do one long watering that allows the water to reach deeper into the soil, than to do several short waterings.

Need help keeping track of your mowing, seeding and feeding schedule? Download an app like John Deere’s MowerPlus app to log hours and distance mowed, mowing patterns, maintenance intervals, and how often you feed or water the lawn. If you happen to own a John Deere mower you can also access your owners manual and see step-by-step maintenance procedures right from your phone.

For more tips and tools to help you keep your lawn green this season, visit JohnDeere.com/Residential2016.

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