Your lawn and the first impression of your home

I remember when I was a little girl, I took biology in school and the teachers scared us to death about walking around barefoot.  They said we would get some dread disease that we could pick up by stepping on sidewalks and lawn that had icky stuff that would come in through our pores or cuts on our feet, etc.

Unfortunately, because of this, I never walked around barefoot on my dad's beautiful Kentucky Blue Grass lawn.  He took great pride in maintaining his lawn.  Back then, edgers weren't popular (or at least we didn't know about them) and we actually trimmed around the flower beds, driveway and walkway by hand with a little scissor.  I can't even imagine doing this now.  All I ever wanted was a nice lawn.  And now, my husband and I spend a small fortune (not really- about $55/treatment - 9 per year) to keep our Bermuda Grass weed free and thick.  I don't walk barefoot on it either!

I cannot believe the difference in my lawn!  When I bought my home as a foreclosure, the lawn was thin and I had more weeds than lawn.  Once Monty and I got married, he talked me into a lawn service and I just can't believe the difference!

Walking around my neighborhood the other day, I found lots of lawns that had lots of weeds.  I don't think folks realize how easy it is to maintain their lawns.  If  they would just do the following:

• put down a pre-emergent treatment in the fall (this treats weeds before they sprout) and again in the early spring (when the grass is still brown).
• put down a post emergent once any residual weeds come up.  There are products you can use when the grass is still brown and all that's green is the weeds and another when the grass is mostly green and there are weeds still in the lawn.
• fertilize twice in the summer, once when the lawn greens up and again in late summer.
• 1-2 inches of water per week.  Water deeply - 15 mins at a crack doesn't do anything.  Put a clean tuna can in the path of the sprinkler to measure how much water is getting to that area.
• Get a soil sample - do this through the extension office - it's easy to do and it only costs $8.  This will tell you whether you need lime.  If you have Bermuda grass (which most of us do), it likes lime!  But save your money, don't do it unless you need it.
• Oh! and don't cut it too short - you only want to scalp it early in the season - maybe the first cut.  After that, leave it about 2 inches high.  This helps it not burn up when we get dry spells.
• (please note - a lot of the products are weed and feed products so you accomplish two things at once).

I was a consultant for Scott (lawn products) last year.  They make good products with no fillers (that means each granule has everything your lawn needs from that product) and it's hard to hurt your lawn by improperly applying the product.  MAKE SURE TO READ THE LABLES!  Some products are not safe for some lawns - when in doubt, speak to an employee in the garden center or call the manufacturer of the product you are thinking of using.

But whatever you choose - professional applications or DIY - it makes your house look so good.  You might have a nicely painted home with neat window treatments and nice shrubs, but a bad lawn looks like you went out with stains on your clothes.  Just my opinion. But, I know when I take buyers out to look at properties, they really appreciate a nice lawn.  Landscaping does contribute to the value of your home.

And, again, if you have a Bermuda lawn, once it gets the nutrients it needs and the weeds are gone or dying, it takes over and fills in.  It won't take it long to get the upper hand and reward you with a beautiful carpet-like grass.