How Can I Reduce The Time Consumption Of Lawn Maintenance?

Do you have a fast-growing grass type in your yard?

Do you live in a region with a colder climate?

Would you consider swapping parts of a grassy lawn with ground cover plants or tree islands?

Do you have native plants in your yard?

Does your lawn have curvy edges?

Do you have mowing strips installed?

Slow-growing and low-growing grasses can save you enormous amounts of mowing time. They require the same care in other respects—watering, fertilizing, dethatching, and monitoring for pests and diseases—but they require mowing much less frequently. You should, of course, choose grass appropriate to your climate. Some of the slow-growing grasses that can grow in cooler climates are 'Glade' Bluegrass, 'Hounddog' Tall fescue, 'Olympic' Ryegrass, 'Pennant' Ryegrass, 'Adventure' Ryegrass, 'Arboretum' Bluegrass, and 'Bonanza' Ryegrass.

Slow-growing and low-growing grasses can save you enormous amounts of mowing time. They require the same care in other respects—watering, fertilizing, dethatching, and monitoring for pests and diseases—but they require mowing much less frequently. You should, of course, choose grass appropriate to your climate. Some of the slow-growing grasses that can grow in warmer climates are Buffalo grass, centipede grass, zoysia grass, and 'Adelphi' Bluegrass.

Ground covers can take the place of grass in many areas of your yard. They will look as good or better than a well-maintained lawn, but they won't require as much work. Low growing species of ground covers are bugleweed, carpet bugle, English ivy, ground ivy, pachysandra, Creeping thyme, myrtle, and violet. Tree islands not only make a large yard seem smaller, but they also decrease mowing time. Plant easy-to-care-for trees and perennials that tolerate partial shade to make life, and garden chores, even easier.

Plants that are native to the area where you reside require less water and less care than exotic or non-native plants. There are plenty of native options that look very similar to some of the most popular landscaping plants and that will cut your maintenance time.

Mowing around curves takes much longer than mowing in a straight line. You can cut your maintenance time significantly by making all the edges of your lawns straight. First, measure the edge of your lawn and set stakes and strings to mark a straight line. Use an edger or sharp spade to cut 6-inches deep along the line. Holding the edge of the lawn in place, pull soil away from the cut. Install a plastic edging strip in the cut and backfill soil to secure it.

Mowing strips cut maintenance time. Rather than having to stop to lift plants that are drooping over the lawn edge, you can simply run the lawnmower wheel along the mowing strip. The blade will miss the plants and you will be able to do the job faster. The other advantage to mowing strips is that they are attractive. They give a finished look to a yard. For best results, choose a material that will complement the house or other hardscaping elements in your yard.

Having a sprinkler system on a timer will save time you would spend watering your yard and will even save time over going outside to turn on the sprinklers, monitor their watering, and then shut them off.