First impressions are critical, whether of people, homes or gardens. Lawns are major features in gardens. When looked after well, they can be beautiful. If neglected, they make the rest of the garden and the house attached to it, look dreadful.
There is usually only one chance to impress a prospective buyer. A buyer’s eye will automatically focus on the lawn and how it enhances the property.
The secret is to have as uniform a surface as possible in terms of grass height, density and color. It also has to be able to resist a certain amount of traffic over it from adults, children and pets.
Preparation Time
Lawn preparation is a long-term project. A sudden house sale doesn’t provide much time to sort out an ailing lawn. This is the time to call in a local landscape gardener to lay some quick growing turf.
When time is not so pressing, sit down and decide what kind of lawn you would like. You need a robust, perennial grass species that re-grows every year without problems and requires little maintenance. Don’t be shy of asking the advice of local gardeners or garden centers. They can also give you tips about the soil types in your neighborhood.
If you are planning to sell your property in about a year’s time, you can establish a new lawn. Choose the correct time of year to start the job. The best times for laying a new lawn in temperate climates is in early autumn or early spring once the night frosts have gone.
New lawn
Dig out the whole of the lawn area and remove all large stones and weeds. Cover the area with some special lawn soil. Rake over and tread around the area. Leave the soil fallow for a couple of weeks to allow any weeds to grow through.
After a couple of weeks, the weeds should have grown a few inches above the surface. Kill off the weeds with a good overall weed killer. Allow the weed killer to flush away for a week. Apply a good general fertilizer and rake well into the surface of the soil.
When the soil is moist, sow half of the lawn seed from left to right across the lawn area. Follow this by sowing the remaining half from top to bottom. Rake the seeds evenly into the soil.
Make sure that the lawn area is moist until the seeds germinate. Spring and autumn rains usually solve this problem. Water the ground in the evenings during hot, dry weather. Most lawn seeds will germinate within two to three weeks, although there are some faster growing varieties that can produce seedlings after one week.
When the grass has grown to at least three inches high, it’s time to make the first cut. After this, mow every two weeks or so until the grass thickens so that you can keep it at about one inch in height.
Use a spade to cut sharp edges around the lawn and trim the grass edges with a trimmer or garden scissors. By the time your first buyers come to inspect the property, your lawn will look perfect.
About the author: Francesca is a gardening enthusiast with an interest in property and real estate. She writes on behalf of Green Thumb.
Photo credit: Laura Leavell