Mowing grass is one of the most important things you can do to improve your landscape’s appearance and doing it correctly can even help it stay healthier. VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City has some tips for keeping your mower in optimal condition to keep it from damaging your grass. Storing and maintaining your mower properly can help it last longer and cut better throughout the summer months resulting in a more beautiful, healthy lawn.

The most obvious tip is to read and follow instructions in the mowers owner’s manual. Each machine operates a little differently and the manual will help ensure you keep your machine in the best condition. However, not everyone keeps their owner’s manual or some have bought a used machine that came without one. Following are some standard hints that work for most machines to help keep them in good condition.

Always run out or drain the gasoline tank in the fall. Use fresh gasoline each spring. Old gasoline often causes problems with the mower starting.

Cleaning the machine throughout the year can prevent clogging and caking. Spraying undercarriage with a hose or using a brush or scraper to clean out already stuck on grass can help the blades run smoother.

Check oil and filters. Oil that is dark or has debris should be replaced immediately. Remove the drain plug beneath the mower and drain into pan or bucket. Replace the plug and refill with the correct type of oil for your specific machine. Filters that are clogged should be replaced immediately. Otherwise, replace yearly to help the mower use gasoline more effectively.

Spark plugs can also be replaced yearly. Simply unhook the wire and remove the plug with a socket wrench. When replacing the spark plug, be sure not to over tighten or the mower may not start.

One of the best tips to keep the mower cutting its best is to keep the blade sharp. Mowing over sticks, rocks and even just grass can wear on a blade causing it to rip the grass rather than cut it smoothly. This opens the lawn up to disease and pests. Keeping a sharp blade will also provide a more even appearance without damaged, yellowed tops on the blades of grass.

All of these things can be done yourself or by getting a professional tune-up. Most or all are part of a standard tune-up by a mower repair shop. A professional can also provide additional diagnostics for problems you may be having or hints for your specific machine to keep it running its best. Insuring that your mower is in peak condition will, in turn, insure that your lawn can be in peak condition.

Weed eaters or weed whackers can vastly improve the neatness of your lawn. Mowers can’t always get into tight corners, near fences, or around trees and shrubs. Weed eaters can. Here, VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Utah will explain more about using weed eaters to give you a professionally groomed appearance on your landscape.

Weed eaters are best suited for smaller areas such as edges where lawns meet sidewalk or gravel; around poles, decks or trees; and in small or tight corners. They don’t offer a height guidance so using them to cut a large patch of lawn, rather than using a lawn mower, could create a choppy, uneven appearance.

Weed eaters can also be used to edge around sidewalks or flowerbeds by turning it sideways. Line it up with the edge needing trimmed before pulling the throttle. Lower the weed eater until it cuts the correct amount off the edge and move slowly down the line, keeping the edge in line with the weed eater.  Use caution and appropriate safety gear including safety glasses.

Don’t use weed eaters in rocks as the nylon string could snap and need to be replaced when it comes in contact with hard objects. Also, don’t weed eat before mowing. Achieving a uniform height would be much more difficult. Instead, mow first, then use the weed eater to match the height, starting higher than the mow height to insure you don’t accidentally cut the grass too low. For best results, hold the weed eater at about a thirty degree angle from your body.

When replacing the string, be sure to use the correct size and follow the instructions for your specific weed eater. Otherwise, you could end up with a very tangled mess or a damaged machine.

These small machines are generally easy to operate and can vastly improve the quality of your lawn’s appearance. Weed eating requires a little more work than simply mowing but can increase the professionalism of your landscape enough to be worth the extra effort.

Lawns and gardens can take a beating. Foot traffic, insects, climate, and even some other critters can wreak havoc on once beautiful landscaping.  Many mammals can cause significant damage to plants as well as bring fleas and diseases to an area. A few of these mammals in the Salt Lake City area include deer, rabbits, gophers, skunks, mice, and raccoons.

Deer can cause some of the most significant damage to your landscaping because they not only feed on a variety of plants but also rub their antlers against tree trunks and trample vegetation.

Rabbits are exceptionally damaging to vegetables and grasses as well as shrubs and berry bushes. They also gnaw on smooth barked branches and plastic irrigation lines. They feed mostly at night, making it difficult to catch them but leaving a trail of destruction to find the next morning.

Ground squirrels or gophers inflict much the same damage as rabbits but also create mounds when burrowing underground. These mounds can not only make a beautiful lawn look terrible but can cause root damage and problems when mowing.

Skunks can cause a lot more problems than just their terrible scent! They will roll back sod or dig small indentations looking for grubs. They also will eat berries or even pet food. They will often make their home under porches or decks. These animals carry some pretty nasty diseases as well, including rabies.

Mice in all their varieties can be a nuisance. Because of their small size, they can get into and out practically anywhere. They eat and store a variety of food. They also cause destruction to other materials such as paper, clothing, and upholstery that they find desirable for building a nest. Gardening can become difficult with a strong mouse population because they feed on both seeds and grown plants including grass and even trees.

Raccoons often destroy buildings to acquire shingles, insulation, or boards for building their home. Like skunks, they will also nest beneath porches or decks. They typically eat foods from the garden just before harvest time but will also roll up sod to find insects. They can carry many diseases which can be spread to humans.

There are different ways to help prevent these animals from causing problems in your home. Insure garbage is placed in a container that closes securely. Place bird feeders where only birds can get to. Water sources can attract pests, especially during drought conditions. Be mindful of fountains, ponds, and even pet water. Certain fences can keep out many of these animals but not all. Repellents are also an option but can cause problems with pets and often have an undesirable odor. Insure you choose the appropriate repellent and follow any instructions.

VIRIDIS Lawn Care in Utah wants to insure that you have the very best landscaping you can have. Learning common pests and ways to control them can help you prevent much of the damage these animals can cause, leaving you with the beautiful lawn and garden you deserve.

Call VIRIDIS Lawns Today!

Lawn grasses grow old and lose some of their vigor and brightness. No matter how much fertilizer or water these lawns receive, they can continue to look lackluster. Sometimes, patches will die or brown. Often, the overall lawn will simply thin out and weeds will creep in.  Other lawns look great in the cool of spring and fall or in the heat of summer but fail to produce the same beauty during the other seasons.  VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City has an easy tip to help you repair both of these scenarios if they’re happening to you.

Reseeding or over seeding helps restore new life to an old and tired looking lawn.  It can also introduce new varieties of grass that thrive in different conditions than the current variety growing in your yard. This is only acceptable if over half of the lawn is still living. Beyond that, replanting the lawn is necessary.

Over seeding is simply spreading new grass seed over an existing lawn. Fall is the ideal time for reseeding so long as you spread the seed early enough that it germinates and begins growth before a killing frost. The soil is warm but the air is cool, perfect conditions for new grasses to grow. The seeds are also less prone to being choked out by weeds or already established grasses once the fall air cools.  If frost hits early, spring is the next best time for reseeding. Although the soil is usually cooler, it is a better time than midsummer when the heat makes it difficult for new seedlings to thrive.

Before seeding, mow your lawn lower and remove clippings to help the seeds reach the ground more easily and evenly.  Dethatching may also be necessary if it has built up. Aeration can also be helpful to reduce soil compaction and insure the seeds have place to grow. A soil amendment can also be used but be sure to not put more than ¼ inch or it could kill your grass. Soil testing can help determine any additions your soil needs to reach a neutral PH. Soon after seeding, fertilizer can be used to help speed germination.  Ground should be kept moist for 1-2 weeks or until the seeds have grown to 2 inches tall.  This will go against normal watering schedules of deeply and infrequently but only lasts until the seeds are established. Water just to keep the soil moist or you could rot the seeds.

This simple tip of over seeding, if done correctly, can add years of beauty and health to your old, tired lawn and help it maintain that beauty throughout all the warm months.