Avoid These 4 Mistakes With Lawn Care In 2025

Many homeowners want to have a green lawn surrounding their homes. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also adds value and a real sense of pride.

However, as many homeowners and professional gardeners will tell you, achieving the perfect stretch of grass is not always as easy as it seems. Many people make basic mistakes when caring for their lawns, which can lead to an unhealthy, patchy, and overall unattractive look.

Not to worry, however, as knowing what not to do is crucial for taking the right steps! Here, you will be walked through five key lawn care mistakes that you need to avoid to help keep the grass around your home looking its greenest.

1. Mowing Too Short

A common mistake that many people make is aiming to mow the lawn too short. It can seem that cutting the grass in your garden or your front yard will help to reduce the frequency of mowing, but it can actually weaken your lawn. Shorter grass will struggle to photosynthesize, which will leave it vulnerable to heat stress as well as weeds and pests.

To avoid this, stick to the one-third rule. Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass height at a time. Keeping grass slightly longer, around 2.5 to 4 inches will help to shade the soil and retain moisture. Many riding lawnmowers and push mowers will have the option for you to alter the height of the blades, making this a simple step to take before you begin mowing.

2. Overwatering or Underwatering

Overwatering can drown the roots, as well as cause grass-based fungal diseases, and even promote shallow root systems, leading to patchy growth. Underwatering can lead to dry or brown patches, as well as grass that can easily be torn up. Many people opt for about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week on their lawn, including rainfall. Try to water deeply, but not frequently, as this will help to encourage deeper root growth and will help the grass to dry before nightfall, which will prevent diseases.

3. Ignoring Soil Health

If your soil does not have the right pH or nutrient balance, even the best-maintained lawn will struggle to thrive. Try to conduct a soil pH test to determinenutrient levels. Aim to aerate your lawn annually as this will relieve compaction, which can suffocate roots and stop growth. It may even be worth adding compost or slow-release fertilizer based on your soil needs, as this will help to keep the grass growing healthy and strong.

4. Fertilizing at the Wrong Time

To keep your lawn green, you need to fertilize it, but if you do this at the wrong time, it can actually cause more harm. Many people aim to apply fertilizer during the peak of summer or late in the fall, but this can stress the lawn and waste nutrients. You will need to know the grass type you have to get this right and, for cool season grasses, aim to fertilize in the early spring or fall. If you have a warm season grass, try to do so in late spring or summer.