A backyard is a good space to relax and spend time with friends and family, but it can be difficult when the space is void of a lawn and other vegetation. Without landscaping and a lawn, your backyard area can feel like a Mars landscape with dirt, rocks, and the sun's hot energy baking down upon you. When you plant and grow a lawn, it can transform your backyard into a cool and inviting space. Here are some tips and recommendations to help you successfully install and grow a new lawn in your yard.
Install an Irrigation System
One of the first things you will need to help you grow a lawn in your yard is to install a lawn irrigation system. Having the system in place before you place your lawn will prevent damage from occurring to your new lawn during installation.
There are many types of sprinkler systems you can choose from for installation, from surface sprinkler sets to in-ground systems controlled by an automatic programmable timer. Depending on the size of your lawn, you may consider installing an in ground system to cover a larger space so you don't have to space and rotate mobile sprinklers. An in-ground system also makes it easy to mow your lawn, as you won't have to move and replace any above ground sprinklers, which can cause your watering patterns to become uneven.
Using an automatic irrigation system in your lawn will give your lawn a regular watering pattern and full coverage to your yard to prevent dead spots, but it is important to water appropriate amounts. It is recommended that your lawn needs approximately one inch of water each week to keep it healthy, and more if the weather becomes extremely hot and dry. And it is more beneficial to your lawn to set your irrigation system once or twice each week instead of more frequently. This less-frequent watering pattern with your irrigation system will promote your lawn to grow deep, drought-resistant roots.
Remove Weed Growth
It is also recommended to remove any weed growth in your yard before installing your lawn or planting your lawn seeds. You can accomplish this by treating the weeds to a broad-spectrum herbicide, which will kill all vegetation growing in your soil. And you can plant your lawn once all the weeds are dead because most herbicides poison the weeds by traveling from the surface of their leaves, down through to the roots. This is important because the herbicide won't poison the soil, just the weeds.
You may also want to remove the top layer of soil from your yard and replace it with screened soil to remove any existing weed seeds. Weed seeds left in your soil will germinate once you install your lawn and begin watering it. To learn more, contact a business such as Hydrotech Irrigation Co.
