Lawn Care Cheat Sheet

For some, lawn maintenance is a chore. For others, it’s an art. No matter where you land on that scale, a job worth doing is worth doing right. If you want to have a pristine lawn this summer, we have all the information you need to keep your grass perfectly groomed and green. Read on to discover essential lawn care tips, and learn how helpful a compact tractor can be.

7 Essential Lawn Care Tips

Creating the lawn you’ve always wanted might be easier than you think. While it’s tempting to get caught up in complex maintenance tricks, if you follow the fundamentals you’ll set yourself up for success. Here are seven essential tips to ensure a strong, healthy lawn.

Know Your Grass

Lawn care is rarely one-size-fits-all. In fact, there are dozens of different grass types in the United States that will vary based on the region and climate you live in. Those who live in Northwest states like Washington and Oregon want a more cold-tolerant grass like bluegrass or ryegrass. In states like Texas with hot summers, a more sun-tolerant grass like Bermuda or Bahia is ideal.

Use the Right Equipment for the Job

For typical homes in the city or suburbs, a push or walk-behind mower is usually a safe choice. However, once your property expands beyond a half-acre, it’s time to consider an upgrade. A sub-compact tractor like the Yanmar SA Series has numerous advantages.

To start, it will help you avoid hours working in the sweltering summer sun. On top of that, its size is just right to navigate tight spaces and store easily in a garage or shed. Finally, a tractor equipped with the right attachments can help with infinitely more landscaping tasks than a standard lawn mower.

Water for the Conditions

One of the biggest questions around lawn care is how much to water. Many people just turn on the sprinklers and hope for the best. In reality, watering should be catered to the specific conditions of your property and grass type.

Lawns with lots of shade won’t require as much water as those in direct sunlight. Similarly, lawns with sandy soil should be watered more often than those with high clay content. To help you determine what’s right for your land, these are some watering best practices:

Check the root depth of your lawn with a shovel and water until the moisture in the soil reaches that depth.
Apply water gradually instead of quickly so it is thoroughly absorbed and not being wasted as runoff.
Follow the footprint test to see if your lawn has enough water. If you walk on the lawn and footprints still remain after an hour, it’s in need of irrigation.
Water in early morning or late evening to maximize efficiency and minimize loss due to evaporation and wind.

Mow Consistently

An inconsistent mowing schedule can throw your lawn into disarray. A general rule of thumb is to have no more than 1/3 of the grass height removed at any single mowing. Should you miss a mowing and the grass is longer than usual, still follow this rule and then cut the grass to its normal length a few days later. Inconsistent mowing can shock your grass and lead to higher chances of disease, insects, and weeds.

Choose the Right Height

Different grass types also have different standards for ideal length. At the very minimum, your grass shouldn’t be shorter than two inches, no matter the variety of grass. Going lower than that can cause decreased drought and heat tolerance. Once you’ve identified your grass type, do a quick search to find out what length is best for your property.

Change Directions

It’s easy to fall into routines and always mow in the same pattern. Surprisingly, this isn’t so good for your lawn. When you repeat the same direction over and over, your grass is trained to grow that way. Over time it can start to grow at an angle and the soil gets packed down, creating ruts where the tires have been running. Avoid a rough or shaggy looking lawn by changing up your pattern with each mow.

Aerate & Fertilize Seasonally

Over time, the roots of your lawn can become tightly compacted and need a little room to breathe. Aerating makes small holes in the lawn that allow oxygen, water, and fertilizer to get deep into the root structure. Further, a regular schedule of fertilizing in the spring and fall will provide additional strength to help your grass thrive.

4 Lawn Care Tractor Attachments

When you add a compact tractor to your arsenal of lawn care equipment, you’re getting so much more than just a mower. Here are four of our most helpful tractor attachments for managing grass and other vegetation on your property.

Finish Mower

Ever wondered how golf course grass is always perfectly manicured? The answer is a finish mower. Engineered for speed and precision, this attachment connects to the rear of the tractor and can effectively maneuver through a wide variety of terrain.

Rotary Cutter

Sometimes when you have a large property, it feels impossible to keep up with overgrowth. The rotary cutter attachment will change the way you work, quickly eliminating anything growing where you don’t want it to. With tough, single-spindle rotary cutters it can clear miles of brush with ease.

Landscape Rake

Maybe you don’t even have a lawn yet, but want to clear some land for grass. The landscape rake will become your best friend thanks to its ability to transform rough or rocky ground into the perfect place for planting. The rugged teeth will remove debris and help you spread topsoil in no time.

Quick Hitch

The versatility compact tractors offer for lawn maintenance only gets better with the Yanmar Quick Hitch. This essential piece of equipment allows you to quickly change three-point hitch attachments without any tools, grease, or grime. Even better, it’s compatible with all of our mowing and vegetation management attachments covered here.

Connect With Yanmar

Lawn care is just one of the many tasks you can tackle with the right tractor. Whether you’re a complete beginner or are in the market for a new model, the Yanmar Customer Experience Team is here for you. We’ll do everything from locate the tractor you want at a nearby dealer to help find the best cash rebates. No question is too big or small, so don’t hesitate to connect with us today.

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