I Came. I Saw. I DIY Failed.

DIY fails happen to the best of us. Especially when it comes to lawn care. We feel it’s great to have a healthy ‘I can do anything’ view on life, and the new obsession with reality DIY shows have added fuel to the ‘I reckon I could do that’ tendency, but, DIY should come with a warning label.

WARNING: THIS PROJECT WILL BE

• More time-consuming than it looks on an episode of ’60-minute makeover’
• Harder than the YouTube tutorial help video
• Difficult - there’s no hiding the fact, it’s going to be tricky – to remind you, whole professions exist for the purpose you are DIY-ing. People have trained for years on what you plan to learn and do in an hour
• If you’re planning on taking care of your own lawn, be careful to avoid a few common mistakes that could jeopardize the look and health of your outdoor space. 

DIY Fail: Over Fertilising 

Over fertilising is one of the quickest ways to kill your lawn. Fertilising the lawn is a good thing but excessive or careless application can cause quite a bit of damage to your lawn. Applying too much DIY fertiliser when moisture levels are too low, causes a fertiliser solution to stick to the grass leaf and ‘suck’ moisture out of the grass causing a brown straw like burn. If that wasn’t enough, applying fertiliser evenly by hand is very difficult resulting in patches of dark grass areas and dead areas. You may well end up with a lawn which looks worse off than when you started!

Instead: Call a GreenThumb expert to analyse and advise on the best treatments for your lawn. Leave it to the experts and you’ll be on your way to a healthy, dense turf that maintains a deep green colour and gives weeds a run for their money.

DIY Fail: Mowing Too Short 

Just a little off the top, and we mean it! ‘Scalping’ a lawn — mowing off more than 1/4 of the grass’ height — is the number-one lawn-care mistake that homeowners make. Doing this sends grass into shock, which leaves the lawn prone to outbreaks of weeds and disease.

Instead: Stick to the 1/4 rule — Never remove more than 1/4 of the grass blade length at any one time and watch your grass flourish. The more often you mow — and the less grass you remove with each mowing — the thicker and healthier your lawn is likely to become. Remember to mow when the grass is dry. The blades will be upright and less likely to clump when cut. Avoid mowing in the heat of the day to prevent heat stress on your grass and yourself. Finally, change the mowing pattern each time you mow. Grass develops a grain based on your cutting direction, tending to lean towards the direction you mow. Alternating the pattern allows the opportunity for all grass species to grow.

You Don’t Have to Do it Yourself!

Sometimes, if you’re unsure about what to do, it’s just easier to let the professionals handle it. That’s where we come in! Think of all the time you’ll be saving with a professional service. We tailor your service plan solutions to meet your lawn’s unique needs throughout every season of the year. Request a quote today