Avoid 5 Spring Lawn Care Fails

As this year's winter finally ends, homeowners will be faced with the same challenge they are faced with every single year: how does one keep a healthy, dark green lawn looking its best?

(FreeDigitalPhotos.Net)

Unfortunately, many homeowners will make mistakes that set back the health of their lawn and they don't even know it.

"When it comes to having a nice lawn, ironically the lawns worst enemy is the person who thinks they are helping,” says Thomas Kelly, founder of BeeSafe Lawns. “Tinkering too much is a terrible thing when it comes to lawn care.”

With that in mind, avoids these pitfalls when caring for your lawn this spring:

1. Don't Jump the Gun

Right out of the gate, it's important to know that more isn't always better. The inclination is to load up the lawn with products that the lawn doesn't really need. Your lawn is experiencing one of its most healthy phases about two weeks after it breaks dormancy. Both roots and shoots are growing at a tremendous pace and sometimes doing too much can interfere.

2. Don’t Over-Water

One of the worst things to happen to even the best lawns is the introduction of an unlimited supply of water. The rule of thumb is that you should water three times per week for 40 minutes per zone only when rainfall is not present. Remember the saying, “April showers bring May flowers”? If it's raining, resist watering.

3. Don’t Bag Your Clippings

Your lawn wants to be fed naturally. Mulching the clippings back into the soil creates an additional source of nutrients, especially nitrogen and the goal of any lawn care program should be to reduce inputs.

4. Don’t Over-Fertilize

Your lawn needs about half as much fertilizer as the fertilizer companies lead you to believe. The more you apply, the more your lawn will require even more to stay healthy.

5. Hold Off on Seeding

The temptation is hard to resist. Those bare spots that were filled with crabgrass last year are bare again this spring. The commercials on the radio are telling you to plant seed now. The truth is, fall is the best time to seed and 90 percent of the time new seed won't make it through the summer.

Source: BeeSafe Lawns
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.

5 Ways to Increase Curb Appeal, Value

(Family Features)—Whether you're planning to list your home for sale soon or you're simply working to maintain features that attracted you to the charming abode in the first place, careful attention to curb appeal is a must.

In the real estate world, the saying to avoid judging a book by its cover does not apply. The exterior of your home sends an important message about its character, and even its value, making people eager to see what is inside. This first impression sets expectations for the entire property for potential buyers, appraisers and even your guests.

Keep your house looking young and inviting with these five home care tips:

(Image via FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

1. Look at the landscaping. Curb appeal is about the whole picture your home presents, which includes your lawn, shrubs and features such as flower beds and rock gardens. Keep grass neatly trimmed and prune vegetation for a well-kept look. Also give your home a thorough look from the street. Are trees or shrubs obscuring an appealing architectural detail? Does vegetation dwarf your home, making it seem small? Would a pop of color from some flowering plants add to the overall look?

2. Beware of dingy dirt. Because you see your home every day, you may not realize the exterior has become dull with a layer of dust and dirt. An adjustable pressure washer will let you wash siding, garage doors and shutters without stripping paint as well as delicate items such as glass top patio tables. Then switch to the high flow mode, which delivers up to five gallons per minute for extended reach to clean second story windows, eaves and gutters or to blast away hard-to-reach cobwebs and insect nests.

3. Update with paint. If a thorough washing leaves a ho-hum look behind, it may be time to revisit your home's exterior color scheme. Even modest adjustments, from pale beige to a deeper tan, for example, can completely alter the look. Or, focus on adding color to the trim, door and shutters if new, all-over color is out of the question.

4. Wash where you walk. The favorable impression created by impeccable landscaping and a fresh, clean facade can be swept away in an instant if sidewalks, driveways and patios are unsightly. Skip the messy buckets and brush, and instead reach for a high pressure, high flow pressure washer such as those featuring Briggs & Stratton's POWERflow+ technology, which include adjustable pressure and flow as well as power-soaping detergent tanks to let you clean tough stains then quickly wash them away with a single machine.

5. Dote on the details. Decks, fences, mailboxes, birdbaths, gazebos and other decorative features all factor into your home's exterior image. Thoroughly clean these items, repair any loose or broken pieces such as fence slats, and apply a fresh coat of paint or stain, if needed.

Source: www.powerflowplus.com.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2015. All rights reserved.