Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.  However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. As always, I choose to only review products that I feel are beneficial to my readers and my family.

This weekend my hubby, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and dad all teamed up to finish putting our fence up.  It’s looking great.  Our new gate is supposed to come in the mail this week meaning this project is about to come to a close.  I can’t wait because that means we can then work on greening up our lawn as it needs some serious help after last year’s drought.  In fact, Goose has agreed to take me to Home Depot to shop tomorrow night and I can hardly wait (seriously, he must have found the right girl because Goose and Home Depot are nearly inseparable).  We love playing outside without shoes in the summer, so I am looking forward to the possibility of soon walking barefoot on a beautiful outdoor bed of soft green carpet.

In preparation for our trip I’ve been doing some research on lawn care and have realized I have a lot to learn in the lawn care department.  Goose usually takes care of the lawn but with last year’s drought, the lack of water killed at least a fourth of our grass in the backyard, resulting in a lot of dirt patches.  So, his usual lawn care techniques (aka mowing the lawn and fertilizing on occasion) are going to need a little extra help this year making this Home Depot project an unexpected blessing.

In preparing for our trip to the the Home Depot tomorrow, I’ve gathered a few tips to help us choose the products that might work best for us.  Our backyard has two large asp trees meaning that half the day the lawn is in the shade.  While great for play, this is not always the best for growing grass.  So far we’ve used Fescue under the trees but with the lack of rain last year and limited watering days the Fescue began to die giving us our current patchy yard.  In other places, where the sun reaches the ground for longer spans of time, we have Bermuda grass.  While great in the summer, it still appears dead and could use a good bit of fertilizer and weed control product to get the dandelions under control.  Thus, here are a few tips and tricks that will be guiding our search tomorrow as we venture to get some new grass seed and fertilizer.

5 Tips for Choosing Lawn Fertilizers and Grass Seed:

1. Lawn fertilizer builds dense turf and crowds out rust weeds.  As such, best lawn care practices include fertilizing your lawn in late spring/early summer and again in the late summer/early fall for optimal results.
2. There are two types of lawn fertilizer to choose from:  water soluble and water insoluble.  While there are several things you want to consider when comparing the two, the sum is that water-soluble dissolves quickly creating a greener lawn quicker while the water insoluble dissolves slowly thereby avoiding any possible side-affects to normal soil life and is thereby considered gentler on grass.  Water insoluble fertilizer usually costs more but can often save time in maintaining your lawn.
3. Consider an organic fertilizer, if possible as they are better for the environment and often produce a denser carpet than most other choices.  That said, keep in mind that it usually works best in warm moist seasons which for us here in Oklahoma is virtually non-existent.  Warm, yes.  Moist, occasionally yet.  Warm and moist together?  Not so much.  So, we probably will be better off with another choice.

   

4. If planting new grass, consider whether you need a warm season or a cool season grass.  Warm season grasses grow best in hot weather and generally turn brown in the winter.  Cool season grasses, on the other hand, often grow fast but turn brown during hot dry weather.  Warm season grasses should be planted in the late Spring and cool season grasses should be planted in the late summer or early fall.
5. When considering grass seed, you will also want to consider varieties.  Overall, blends and mixtures provide better disease resistances and lawn uniformity.  Note:  Avoid varieties that declare “variety not stated” as this often indicates a poor quality product.  Also, check the expiration date before purchasing.  Seed past 10 months of the expiration date may not germinate.  Other numbers you may want to keep in mind when looking at the seed packaging:  a germination percentage of 75% or above, .05% or less weed guarantee, 0% noxious weed seed, and inert matter less than 2%. 

Just like we want the inside of our homes to have a warm, inviting atmosphere that draws people to our creator, so a well-maintained lawn provides that a positive first impression to area neighbors and visiting guests.  Not only that, it reduces soil erosion, assists in water filtration and improves air quality by absorbing dust and producing our much needed oxygen.  In short, maintaining your lawn is just one way we can be good stewards of what God has given us.

So that’s it for now.  Next week I’ll be coming back with part two of this 4-part series in which I’ll share about our date…er…trip to the Home Depot store and what we ended up choosing to do to maintain our lawn this year!  See you then!

 Looking at greening up your own lawn?  You may find these links helpful in your research as well:

• How to Choose the Best Fertilizer for a Green Lawn and Garden
• Lawn Fertilizer Buying Guide
• Grass Seed Buying Guide
• Garden Club Community Forum

 

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice, too.
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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters… Psalm 23:2