Do you have a yard? Do you keep it clean, maintained? I love the feeling when I’m relaxing in my garden’s swing and enjoying the aroma of nature in my own yard. Having a household is a hell of a work, but it also provides a significant reward for all of us who love the natural touch.
When I’m in my garden, I love to take off my shoes and socks and walk barefoot on freshly mowed grass. I bond with nature and relieve stress, gain energy and stay in balance. I love my yard and my garden. Wouldn’t give it away for anything.
The common misconception about yard maintenance in 2016 is that, only people who have the time and money can afford to have a rich and quality yard and enjoy the benefits that it provides. After a long day at work, taking and picking up kids from school and making dinner you don’t want to do more exhausting things. But there is a difference. When maintaining a yard, you’ll be healthier, both mentally and physically; the process will provide you with more energy and less tiring throughout the day.
Next, there are ways to make maintenance of the yard an enjoyable activity. On the market, you can find useful and affordable equipment that will make your yard look perfect without spending hours in it. And yeah, the energy. It might be an issue at the beginning, but you’ll gain more if you try hard.
This is the post for the folks who have a yard and aren’t feeling like decorating (or even maintaining) it. Guys, when you bond with the nature in your own small piece of heaven, everything in your life will start to change.
You only need to start and here’s what you’ll need:
The basics: Lawn Care
Planting a lawn takes time, planning and preparation. It includes watering, fertilizing, weed control, mowing as the primary maintenance practices and grass care encourages healthy lawns while lowering costs and resources and most importantly, benefits the environment.
For you particularly, it will provide a green surface to rest or meditate on, spend time with your family, play with your dog, or even lay at warm and lazy afternoons.
Watering
This is the most important step when creating a new lawn, so don’t forget to plan for watering needs before planting. Water deep and only once a week, will help roots to extend deeper into the soil. It can also prevent pests that will tend to attach dried and stressed out lawns.
When a lawn is newly seeded, you should water every day for five to ten minutes only and remember not to mow sodded lawn for at least ten days, until the grass begins to grow rapidly. The sprinkler on the image is your best friend. Here’s more info on getting the best sprinkler for your lawn.
Fertilizing
Most experts recommend that the best time for fertilization should be twice a year; spring and fall respectively. Besides timing, you should consider the type of fertilizer and how to apply it, since supplying nutrients that are deficient in the soil is very important. Here’s more info on fertilizing the lawn.
Weed control
One of the most common, but not always popular ways for weed control is certainly the use of pre-emergent herbicides. But that doesn’t mean that they are essential to a healthy lawn and there are many other ways and tools which you can use when the situation gets out of control. Such as weed eaters and more effective brush cutters for very thick and woody brushes in your lawn and yard. Try to prevent weeds before they gain a foothold in your lawn by growing a healthy grass at the beginning. Here’s more on getting a quality brush cutter.
Mowing
Mowing sets the stage for everything else in your newly established yard. It should be a weekly ritual, and it’s one of the most important maintenance practice. Proper mowing will increase the density of the lawn and will decrease negative effects such as weeds, diseases, and insects. Also, it will soften the grass, and make it feel amazing when you step on it barefooted. Here’s more on getting a lawnmower.
Are you considering trees in your yard?
Trees will provide shade and privacy, beauty and structure, and overall value to your yard landscape. After you picked and considered where to plant your tree, you should know how to take care of them properly, and you should enjoy them for many years to come. Follow these simple tips below on how to care for your trees to prevent any troubles.Check out a fine article on adding trees to your yard.
Water and nurture your trees regularly
It is crucial to carefully water newly planted trees for the first two years after planting. It should receive 15-20 gallons of water every seven to ten days in the summer and fall, especially when there isn’t enough rain. Make sure not to water every day in small amounts, instead, water slowly and in the center of the mulch ring, soak the soil deeply and allow it to dry before the next watering.
Mulch
Mulch is used to protect young trees from stress, prevents weed growth and keeps the soil moist. Also, it will protect the trunk from brush cutter which could injure the trunk and shorten its life. It is important to add the right amount of mulch around trees and to do it right because, too little mulch will not protect the tree and more of it will also do no good. And remember, even the most popular mulches will disappear over time, so check the mulch regularly and begin the process when it becomes shallow.
Pruning
The best preventing maintenance a young tree can receive is certainly pruning and it is critical to encourage them to develop a strong and lasting structure. You should keep in mind that not every tree needs pruning every 2-3 years. However, it is best to prune your trees lightly and remove the dead, broken branches which are rubbing against other branches.
It could be difficult to prune large trees and even small branches can be positioned quite high on, so the best way to remove and cut them is to use a pole saw for the safest and best results. Take note that small branches can be quite heavy, therefore the right tools will ensure your own safety after all. Here’s more on picking the best pole saw for your trees.
Don’t neglect your yard
One of the biggest reasons people don’t get interest for the yard in the first place is neglection and the yard becomes ugly. When given the opportunity, certain weeds become resistant to climatic conditions and will rapidly take over your yard. The work involved to take care of overgrowth situation greatly depends on its size and what kind of plant took over the site.
It is not impossible, but it takes work and the right tools to give your lawn a facelift and to make your life easier in this task. You should determine these tools by researching the kinds of plants in the problematic area, or if the situation is not that bad then simply use herbicide to get rid of the overgrowth.
Here are some steps and the list of things that you will need:
- Shovel : Use it to dig out the roots of all large shrubs. Use the shovel under the roots all the way around the root ball, tilt it back and forth to loose the root from the soil.
- Chainsaw : An electric chainsaw can be a great asset for maintaining a yard that has suffered from years of neglect. It could be especially handy when removing the largest plants and shrubs growth. Its multifunctional value is amazing. Here’s more on choosing the best chainsaw for your tool arsenal.
- Lopping shears : Use it to cut branches that get in the way, which you can’t reach with the chainsaw or pole saw. They are very efficient for the bushes and stubborn branches.
- Hand-operated shears : For smaller branches.
Your yard – your reflection. Your oasis.
Whether we want to admit it or not, the look of your yard speaks about you. Is it neat or not, full of flowers or only with trees, decorated with garden statues and sculptures or children’s slides and swings. Having a yard provides a variety of outdoor activities.
Having barbecues with friends and family, a glass of wine on a hot summer night while watching the sunset, reading a book on fresh air or place where your children can safely play outside the house. Having trees is the next step and benefit. Trees produce oxygen which is essential for living beings and the recovery of the ozone layer.
