Lawncare Myths You Can Stop Believing

Everyone wants their lawn to be three things. They want it to be beautiful, they want it to be shimmering green, and they want it problem-free. However, you can't just stare at your lawn and will it into a state of beauty. You have to work at it in order to get it the way you want. With work comes learning. And when it comes to lawns, there is a lot of information out there. Some of it is good. And some of it is, well, you'll see. 

In spite of the literal library of lawncare available to everyone via the internet, there are nevertheless a good amount of myths that have stuck around like a resilient weed. As such, it can often be difficult to separate lawncare myths from reality. We all want to take care of our lawns, but the ways we go about doing so may be causing our lawns more harm than good.

You'll no doubt recognize a lot of these myths. You may even be doing a few of them. Well, it's time you stopped believing these 15 lawncare myths because they are, in all actuality, totally made up. 

It's a commonly held misconception that you need to bag all of your grass clippings and remove them from your yard as a method of preventing thatching. Thatch occurs when grass becomes so covered by debris that everything beneath said debris withers and dies. However, as it turns out, thatch is mostly composed of roots, rhizomes, twigs, stems, and stolons – not grass clippings (via Good's Tree and Lawn Care).

Grass clippings are made primarily of water. They will very easily break down and return their nutrients to the grass if properly mulched. If the trimmings are all bunched up into a big pile, they are going to take longer to break down. This is the only instance where they could be considered to have thatching properties. However, unless the grass you're mowing is really wet, your lawn mower will do the job of mulching the clippings right back into the lawn.

If you have a large yard and find yourself with excessive clippings, mix them into your compost. They are naturally high in nitrogen and can really get your compost cooking. If you have chickens, they will consider a large pile of fresh lawn trimmings to be a veritable feast, so long as they aren't too long. These are great alternative ways to up-cycle your grass clippings, and they all go back towards benefiting your yard's ecosystem.

Watering the lawn daily is an American pastime. It's something we all watched our parents and neighbors do while we were growing up. We figured it was just a ritual of suburban life that needed to be observed and copied when we reached adulthood. We're telling you now, however, that you were sold a false bag of goods. Don't water your lawn every day. It does not need it.

Much in the same way people think that they need to water their gardens daily, so too do folks believe that they need to water their lawns for 15 minutes every single day. This is not nearly enough time for the water to reach the roots, making it totally counterproductive and somewhat unnecessary. Your lawn only needs 1 to 1.5 inches of water in a given week in order to survive.

Obviously, if you're experiencing a dry season, watering is going to be necessary to keep your yard from drying out. However, it is going to take a lot longer than 15 minutes to create 1.5 inches of water in a single watering. In this instance, watering twice weekly for over an hour is totally acceptable in order to keep your lawn looking as fresh as possible. Any more than this is completely unnecessary and may even be banned depending on town regulations.

There is a notion out there that your soil needs to be constantly aerated in order for it to remain healthy and not become compacted. First and foremost, if the earth beneath your feet is compacted, you aren't going to be seeing much, if any, grass growth. It is very difficult for grass to grow and thrive in compacted soil. Therefore, if you've already got grass, chances are that your soil is decently aerated. For small areas of compaction, you could use a pitchfork and poke holes. For larger areas, it's best to hire pros who use machines. 

What you shouldn't do is walk around with spiked shoes. This is an answer that folks seem to think works, but their efforts are fueled by irony. The fact of the matter is that walking through your lawn with spikes on your feet is actually going to create compaction, not relieve it. The pressure exerted by your foot pressing into the dirt is going to negate any effect the spikes may have on the soil. You're just pushing down on the dirt instead of making it loose and allowing it to breathe properly. 

Plus, there is the fact that any aeration you do get will not be enough to fix the compaction. At least 5% of the soil's surface will need to be aerated in order to do this. Spiked shoes will not get you even close to that amount. 

When you look closely enough, you'll see that not all grasses are the same. In fact, there are several different types of lawn grasses that are grown all throughout the United States. There's Kentucky bluegrass, bermudagrass, bentgrass, fine fescue, ryegrass, St. Augustine, zoysiagrass, and many others. Each flourishes in different environments and, therefore, requires different types of care in order to thrive.

Let's take Kentucky bluegrass as an example. This is one of the most popular types of grasses in the northern United States. It thrives in relatively cool climates and requires average watering in order to stay soft and build thick turf. It's relatively low maintenance. Bermudagrass, on the other hand, requires a lot of maintenance. Watering, mowing, and fertilizing are all important in order to keep this grass as green and shimmering as possible. Bermudagrass thrives in warmer climates and is a favorite among Southerners as a grass for golf courses.

You can identify your grass either by referencing guides or talking to a landscaping professional. Once you put in some study, you'll be able to see where they differ in terms of blade length, thickness, color, and texture. Now that you've identified your particular variety of grass, you'll be better able to take care of it.

This one will yield a mixed reaction from folks. On the one hand, yes, consistently fertilizing a yard with every chemical under the sun is probably going to have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. After all, if a fertilizer is not safe for people and pets to walk on after it is spread, why on earth would it be okay to use it in the first place? However, there are some theories that suggest otherwise.

Natural Green Systems states that the roots system and the grass itself are sufficient at filtering out any types of bad things that would make their way into city waters, which will then make their way out into the area's native waters. However, according to Occupational Health and Safety, fertilizing with chemicals can cause damage, over time, to the ground water. So, you should probably seek an alternative. 

There are so many all-natural or purely organic fertilizers that are going to be much better for your lawn and the surrounding environment in the long term than any chemicals are going to be. Ground shells, bone meal, all-natural compost, and animal manure are all going to get the job done just as well and with fewer negative side effects than with chemical stuff. So no, depending on what you're using, fertilizing is not bad for the environment.

While it is true that you don't want to be mowing your lawn at high noon under the blazing sun, you also don't want to be mowing too early in the day before the grass has had time to dry. Wet grass is incredibly difficult to mow and can cause a lot of problems that could have easily been prevented with patience.

When grass is dry, it's much easier to cut because there is no moisture around to cause the trimmings to cling together. Much like water brings flour together to form a dough, so too does water on grass create clumps. These clumps will begin to clog up your lawnmower blades, causing uneven trimming, and could potentially leave large clumps of thick, wet mush in your yard. Plus, if your mower gets clogged, you'll then need to wait a while in order to safely unclog it. Don't be sticking your hand anywhere near blades that are still hot or if the mower engine is running.

Instead, all you need to do is wait a few hours for the sun to do its job and dry out the grass. If you don't want to mow at noon, wait until you get home from work or mow the lawn just after dinner as the sun starts to go down. The dew won't have formed yet, and it won't be so sweltering that you will potentially find yourself dehydrated and exhausted. Those two things are never a good combination.

Dandelions are one of those weeds that can be downright difficult to control. Difficult still is the attempt to remove the seed source of these perennial weeds. It is a fruitless affair. Not only do the seeds spread with a good wind, but the taproots of the dandelion can extend as deep as 8 inches into the earth. Plus, there are just far too many of them to make that job even remotely possible, especially in the spring.

Removing dandelions in the spring right when they flower and before they have a chance to become tufty white lawn lollipops might seem like the right option. However, doing this doesn't actually deter them in the way you might think. Yes, you're taking them away, but you are also removing a vital part of the ecology of your lawn. Dandelions may be a broadleaf weed, but they still feed birds, and people for that matter.

What you should be doing instead is focusing on building up your turf and making it incredibly strong. The thicker and stronger the turf, the harder it will be for weeds like dandelions to break through. So, whatever methods you have that work for the health of your lawn, keep it up. The healthier the lawn, the less you'll have to worry about weeds and such.