Getting that perfect lawn doesn’t require magic or even toxic fertilizers. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is! Read our 5 simple tips and you’ll be on the road to a perfect lawn that will make your neighbors green with jealousy!

1. Getting Rid of Yellow Patches

Those yellow patches you see on your lawn are usually just the result of a low spot, which means the dirt there is lower than the rest of your yard. These spots appear after a heavy rain, and the grass suffocates in the standing water. You can try spreading a layer of compost over the spot to raise it up to the level as the rest of the lawn. You should soon see new grass start to sprout. But what about yellow patches from our beloved pets? There is a few things you can do to fix this problem. You can water the area thoroughly after your dog has urinated on the spot, or you can add regular household sugar to the patch. The high carbon in sugar neutralizes the high nitrogen in dog urine. Just throw a handful of sugar over the spot and you should soon see new grass start to grow!

2. Don’t Cut the Grass too Short

Grass cut short responds by growing faster. Don’t cut more than a third of the grass’ height at one time. If you cut any deeper, you’re damaging the grass, and will take a few mowing cycles to recover fully.

3. Leave the Clippings

Don’t bother raking and bagging the clippings – leave them where they fall. The clippings will fertilize the soil, and if you cut your grass often, they’ll be short and work their way back into the grass without leaving a mess.

4. Don’t Mow a Wet Lawn

You should never mow a lawn while it’s wet because the water will compact the soil and then the roots won’t be able to breathe. The grass will die and you will start to see bald patches on your lawn.

5. Water Well, But Infrequently

If you water your lawn daily, it encourages shallow roots and will waste water. Here are 3 ways to check if your lawn needs watering: the grass has a blue tinge, the soil resists when you push a screwdriver into it, and footprints on the lawn remain compressed.

6. Getting Rid of Weeds

The best way to get rid of weeds is to grow thick grass. By taking care of your lawn and observing it closely, the problem can resolve itself. If you only have a few weeds, simply pull them out.

7. Don’t Water Your Grass at Night

The best time to water your grass is pre-dawn or early morning. Watering at night doesn’t let the grass dry out before the dew falls, and prolonged moisture puts your grass at risk for disease.

Photos: Call Northwest, Speciality Lawn Care GA, Go Mow.

Weeds. Every yard has them. They are stubborn, pesky, and ruin your lovely lawn and flowerbeds. Buying generic weed killer from the store isn’t exactly the safest way to go about getting rid of weeds, as they are full of toxic chemicals. Keep your family and pets safe with these 5 easy solutions:

1. Boiling Water and Salt

This is the easiest and cheapest method. Simply boil tap water in a pot and add a cup of salt. Mix until the salt has dissolved and pour over any weeds. Be sure not to get it in contact with other plants, though, as this will kill anything that grows.

2. Weed Killer Spray Recipe

This spray is sure to kill any weeds it comes in contact with! Simply add 4 oz of lemon juice to 1 litre of apple cider vinegar. Pour into a spray bottle and spray thoroughly onto weeds.

3. Baking Soda

Since baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, it’s extremely deadly to weeds. Simply sprinkle a generous amount over weeds, and avoid other plants or grass.

4. Dish Soap

Dish soap breaks down weeds and makes them vulnerable to the sun’s rays. Add 6 tbsp of dish soap to a spray bottle and fill it with water. Spray this mixture onto weeds on a sunny day when the sun can help dry them up.

5. Fire

Another method that is widely used is burning the weeds with fire. Sometimes this method has to be done several times before the weeds are completely gone.

Photos: Dobies, Craftsy, Organic Gardening.