Cheap tricks for a lush lawn
SEATTLE -- Between weed killers and lawn care services, you can spend a lot of green, trying to make your lawn look lush. But there are ways to handle lawn care for less.
"What's better than going out on a sunny day on your lawn and digging out dandelions?" said gardening pro Marianne Binetti.
Binetti says when it comes to dandelions, a screwdriver works better than a weed killer.
“When you dig out the dandelion, removing tap root and aerating lawn by letting oxygen and water go down deep,” she said.
And for a lush-looking lawn, a ruler makes a measurable difference.
“When your lawn gets three inches high mow the top third, so it's only two inches high. Let it grown longer, our lawns in the Northwest are different than everyone else. A higher lawn is going to shade out the weeds,” said Binetti.
And don’t rule out slow-release organic lawn food because of the price tag.
“The big beauty of organic lawn foods (is they) improve soil over time. So the more you use it, the less you'll need it,” Binetti said.
Rather than hiring a lawn service, Binetti suggests you over-seed, even top soil right on top of the old lawn. If you have a level lawn with clean edges, people probably won’t even notice your weeds.
"What's better than going out on a sunny day on your lawn and digging out dandelions?" said gardening pro Marianne Binetti.
Binetti says when it comes to dandelions, a screwdriver works better than a weed killer.
“When you dig out the dandelion, removing tap root and aerating lawn by letting oxygen and water go down deep,” she said.
And for a lush-looking lawn, a ruler makes a measurable difference.
“When your lawn gets three inches high mow the top third, so it's only two inches high. Let it grown longer, our lawns in the Northwest are different than everyone else. A higher lawn is going to shade out the weeds,” said Binetti.
And don’t rule out slow-release organic lawn food because of the price tag.
“The big beauty of organic lawn foods (is they) improve soil over time. So the more you use it, the less you'll need it,” Binetti said.
Rather than hiring a lawn service, Binetti suggests you over-seed, even top soil right on top of the old lawn. If you have a level lawn with clean edges, people probably won’t even notice your weeds.