If only some myths were true, like unicorns. And broken Oreos have fewer calories.
Hang on to those happy thoughts, but when it comes to lawn care myths, it’s better to dwell in reality.
Let’s shatter some myths and share some facts to get you that healthy green lawn in your imagination.
Watch Out For These 10 Lawn Care Myths
1. Mowing Short is a Good Idea
Mowing short is tempting, right? Then you won’t have to mow again as soon. We see your reasoning here.
But mowing short actually hurts your grass.
When you mow, you’re removing a portion of the leaf surface that creates food through photosynthesis. Take off too much, and you’re starving your grass.
Taller grass helps a lawn grow thicker and stay greener. Mow too short, and the soil heats up, helping pesky weed seeds to germinate.
No more than a third of the grass blade should be removed during a single mowing.
2. One Application of Weed Control Gets Rid of Weeds
Wouldn’t that be great? No such luck. Funny how lawn care myths in Minnesota are as plentiful as weeds.
Applying weed killer isn’t a one-time thing. It needs to happen multiple times a year. Different weeds grow at different times throughout the seasons.
Pre-emergent weed control is designed to target the weed seeds before they sprout, and is especially crucial to prevent crabgrass control.
Post-emergent products will kill weeds once they already exist.
Battling weeds is a year-round effort. That’s why you get five visits throughout the year in our comprehensive lawn care programs.
3. All Lawn Fertilizer Is Basically the Same
Nope, that is another one of the common myths about lawn care. Always opt for granular lawn fertilizer, which is more expensive than the liquid stuff, but it breaks down slowly, giving you consistent benefits from fertilization.
Look for blends that also contain organic nutrients, which give your lawn that beautiful, deep green color and help your soil.
You’ll get premium professional-grade formulations of granular fertilizer from RainMaster. Not every lawn fertilizer service offers this.
4. Weeds Die Right Away
This isn’t a John Wick movie. Typically, you’ll start to see weeds curl up and die 7 to 14 days after we treat them.
But every weed-killing product works at a different rate, and some weeds take longer to vanish than others. Then there are some weeds that won’t be fazed by any selective control materials.
Extra-stubborn weeds might take a month to die back.
Some real tough customers like clover or Creeping Charlie take multiple applications of weed killer and a couple of months to go away.
Patience, please.
5. Collect Grass Clippings for Healthy Grass
Good news here. Save yourself some work and skip the bags. Those grass clippings can head right back to the soil as mulch.
The bits of grass fall down to the soil level where they’ll begin decomposing, acting as a natural fertilizer.
6. You Can Easily Aerate Your Lawn Yourself
If you’re thinking about these wacky shoes with spikes, that’s a big no.
And you should even think twice before renting an aerator. Think you’ll just take the rental for a quick spin around your yard and call it an afternoon?
There’s more to it than that.
When you wrestle with a lawn aerator all day, your body gets pretty beat up — especially if you’re not used to doing outside work. It really rattles your bones.
If your lawn is really compacted, you’ll be disappointed with your DIY results. The tines might not even pierce the soil. Or you might have to do two passes with the aerator, which is twice the work and time.
And honestly, the cost difference between renting an aerator and hiring a pro to do it might not be that much, especially if you have a small yard.
7. Spring is the Best Time to Seed Your Lawn
Some lawn care myths actually make sense. Spring is a time of new growth. Things are sprouting.
But in most cases, It’s really better to hold off spreading that seed until fall.
Sure, if you have some bare spots you’re really itching to fill in, it’s ok to seed in the spring.
But here’s why fall is the best time to plant grass seed:
- That great spring pre-emergent that prevents crabgrass also kills grass seed. So you can’t seed and prevent crabgrass at the same time.
- In the spring, the air is filled with all kinds of dastardly weed seeds blowing around, just looking for a nice cozy place to land — like your freshly aerated soil.
Pro lawn care tip for Minnesota and Wisconsin: For fall planting, shoot for mid-August through mid-September. Plant too early, and the hot temperatures will make it challenging. Plant too late, and freezing air or frost will jeopardize your seedlings.
8. It’s Important to Rake Your Leaves
It’s true that a thick layer of leaves can smother your grass if left for too long, but if your yard isn’t an actual forest, you can chop those leaves up with your mower and they’ll become nutritious mulch for your lawn.
That’s right. We just told you that you don’t have to rake. It’s so much fun when busting lawn care myths makes people happy.
9. All Grass Seed is the Same
This lawn care myth is so wrong it practically gives us a headache.
We know, seed all sort of looks the same in the bag. But it isn’t.
That image you have in your head of uniform, thick, green grass is probably not what’s in that bag of cheap grass seed piled up in the aisles of the home improvement store. It may contain weed seeds and undesirable grasses.
It’s absolutely worth it to pay more for premium grass seed. Be picky.
10. All Lawn Care Services and Their Programs are the Same
THEY ABSOLUTELY AREN’T. (We only use all capital letters when it’s really important. Or when our shift key is stuck.)
Here are a few key factors that separate us from our competitors:
- At RainMaster, you get lawn care services that focus on your lawn’s total health, with programs that start deep below the soil’s surface.
- You get an experienced, skilled team, which includes pros with horticulture degrees and decades of experience. While most people who work in the lawn care industry are seasonal, we hire our team members on a full-time, year-round basis. Then, we invest in them, providing training and education. You’ll see the results of all this in your beautiful, healthy lawn.
- When we apply grub guard to your lawn, it won’t kill bees like the cheaper products most other companies use. Let’s all do what we can to help the little guys.
- Some lawn care companies boast about the number of visits they offer. That’s not what really matters. At RainMaster, we care about the quality of visits to your lawn. We assess your lawn, then create a program that will help it thrive.
Bust Those Lawn Care Myths with RainMaster in Eau Claire, WI & Minneapolis
Bye, lawn care myths. Hello, thick, healthy green lawn.
Let’s create a custom nutrition plan for your lawn, so the roots will be nourished, the soil packed with nutrients, and your grass so thick and healthy, lawn weeds will have a tough fight ahead.
At RainMaster, you choose from three different levels of lawn care programs, based on the results you’d like, how fast you want to see results, and your budget.
- Luscious Lawn is a high-end, proactive program that will promote amazing lawn care results. This is the program to choose for the quickest and best results, particularly if your lawn needs a lot of help.
- Terrific Turf, a mid-level option, is our most popular program to grow a thick, green lawn and deal with most challenges.
- Healthy Habitat is a basic plan that includes the elements you need for a better lawn.
When you’re ready to put your trust in us, we can’t wait to meet you — and help you make the best choices for your lawn.
Ready to retire those lawn care myths and use actual facts to grow a beautiful lawn? Request a quote today! We’ll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy watching your lawn transform and stop worrying about it.
