In reality, a well maintained lawn does not only pay itself back in the pleasure it gives but also in esthetical value- that literally translates into economic value. A well landscaped home has and maintained lawn can add a significant price value over a house with no landscaping.

This difference usually ranges from 5.5 percent to 12.7 percent depending on the type and quality of landscaping. In Lincoln Nebraska with Home Median Prices of $183,000 that translates into an extra average value of $10,065 to $23,241 to your home value.

.

If you’re going to end up paying for it anyway you might as well get it done well.

Watch out. If you don’t do it yourself the City of Lincoln Weed Control Bureau might just do it for you and send you the bill. According to city ordinance that might just happen if it passes 12 inches height!

Check out more City Codes.

.

Lawn Care and gardening practices in Lincoln are based mostly on Climate Limitations. According to NOAA’S National Climate Data Center for the winter months of December, January and February over the last 30 years Lincoln averages at the 7^th coldest major city in the U.S.

Being located on the Great Plains away from moderating influences of large bodies of water or mountains, Lincoln has a highly variable four season continental climate, meaning summers are hot and humid with much rainfall and thunderstorms and winters are cold and relatively dry averaging 25.9 inches a year.

The average season for freezing temperatures starts on October 5 and may continue until April 25, thus giving a average 162 day growing season.

Best suited Grass Varieties for Lincoln Ne

So how do you choose the right turf grass for your lawn? Picking the right type of seed is critical for the Success of your Lincoln Lawn. Although there are dozens of lawn grass varieties only a few will withstand Nebraska climate. The same also applies to all your garden varieties. A good resource to understanding climate limitations is the USDA Agriculture Research Service.

As you can see in the Nebraska Growing Map the State of Nebraska has 4 climate regions including 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b with winter lows ranging between negative 10-20 f.

Therefore, Cold Weather Varieties such as Kentucky Blue Grass and Tall Fescue will root best and also survive our cold winters to return and thrive again in spring.

The best the best time to seed cool season grasses in Lincoln is between August 15^th and September 15^th to take advantage of fall growing cycles and prepare for winter and the next season.

Kentucky Blue Grass

Kentucky Bluegrass is a very popular Lincoln variety cool season grass that is well adapt to our cold winters. The positive with Bluegrass is that it is very hearty and very fast grower.

Its downside is that it is not very shade tolerant favoring at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Furthermore, Blue Grass needs moist soil and should be well watered in hot summer month, otherwise it will quickly brown. It should be maintained at a 2- 2.5 inch mowing height.

Tall Fescues

Another Cornhusker turf grass favorite is Tall Fescues. This hearty blade thrives on lots with plenty of direct sun (6 to 8 hours is perfect) although it also quite shade friendly.

The tall fescue has slender dark green blades, and has a relatively long germination period of 3-4 weeks time. Therefore over seeding should take place in the beginning of lawn growth cycles (early spring and early fall).

It is recommended to maintain mowing height of 2 – 3 inches depending on lawn thickness.

Bentgrass

Some Bentgrass varieties have become another Nebraska favorite. This short Blade favorite is used in greenways, golf courses, and residential houses across the state due to its esthetic qualities, durability, fast germination time (1-2 weeks) and moderate watering and fertilization needs.

It should be ideally maintained at 1/4 – 1/2 inches mowing height.

Ryegrass

Annual Ryegrass is another local favorite do to its quick germination period (2-3 weeks) and its general tolerance of rough conditions including heat, drought, shade, high usage and more. It is also boasts a thick body making it a prime chice for lawn establishments, filling in thin lawns and more. The main downside with Annual Ryegrasses is that they don’t maintain as pretty of a green coat as other popular varieties.

Buffalograss

The main downside with Buffalo grasses are that they tend to grow and establish slowly, leaving them exposed in the process to weeds and other disease. But on the upside, once they are well established, Buffalo Grass becomes the ultimate option for a drought tolerant lawn, able to withstand daylong sun, heat and altogether use while maintaining a beautiful green sheen with little maintenance.

Dollar Spot 

Dollar Spot is one of the most common leaf tissue diseases that plague Lincoln lawns. Usually occurring between June through September, Dollar Spot affects all varieties of cool-season turfgrasses (most commonly Bentgrass and Kentucky Bluegrass). Getting rid of the straw colored patches that occur will usually require fungicide treatments.

Tip Blight Asochyta

Another Leaf Tissue Disease frequently seen in Lincoln and mostly affecting Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue. The disease will usually brown the grass from the tips down. It is best treated with healthy lawn care practices such as early morning watering, seasonal aeration, and regular mowing to encourage healthy growth.

Brown Patch

Brown patch is another common root born disease that mainly affects Tall Fescue Grass varieties in the summer months. It is recognized by the circular patches of browned and reddish hued grass on your lawn.

Brown Patch is usually addressed by aeration and over seeding with a fertilization program.

Frog Eye

Frog Eye, or Fusarium Blight is a common turf or root born disease mostly affecting Cool Season Grasses typical of the zone such as Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue. It is easily recognized by large circular redish brown streaked affected areas in the grass with a healthy green inner circle (thus giving the name frog eye).  This disease can easily be addressed with fungicide treatment plans.

 Summer Patch

Summer Patch is another common root born disease usually occurring in summer months. It usually occurs in areas of full sunlight and areas that receive a lot of pedestrian wear and tear. This problem can be addressed with fungicide treatment and also protection of turf from unwanted foot traffic.

One of the most frequent questions we are asked is how many times a year should the lawn be mowed, and with good reason. Mowing frequency and grass height are the most important aspects for a healthy lawn.

In the Nebraska Climate it is usually recommended to begin mowing in spring when natural growth is reoccurring. The general rule of thumb is never to remove more than 1/3 of the grass height in a single mowing. Therefore if your grass variety is optimal at 2 inch height you should mow it when it reaches 3 inches.

In Lincoln Nebraska that usually means every 4-5 days in spring, every 1-2 weeks in summer and once a week in fall until winter sets in and the lawn naturally stops growing again. Special attention should be put on the last mowing and late fall lawn cleanup.

More on Lincoln Ne Lawn Mowing Services

The general rule of thumb when mowing a lawn is never cut more than a third of the height in one cutting. Not only does it dull the lawn machine blade it also weakens the grass roots.

Mowing frequency is therefore determined by the natural grow cycles and favorable and optimal grass height for your lawn grass variety.

Optimal mowing heights for Kentucky bluegrass and Tall Fescue (which are local favorites) should be at 3 inches tall leaving an optimal 2 – 2.5 inches height after mowing. Bentgrass should be maintained at 0.5 inch. 

Generally speaking, grass should be maintained higher during the hot summer months and shorter towards the fall and beggining of winter. 

Deciding on Sod or Seed is a complicated question best decided for each case separately. But practically speaking, seed is much less expensive than sod, not only to purchase but also to install or plant.

Seed Costs Usually Range between $6 to $10 per 100 square feet breaking down to roughly $.08 per square foot. Sod costs on the other hand will usually run between 28 to 45 cents a square foot.

But if time is a factor and you need a new lawn now, Sod Installation is definitely the solution for you.

More on Lincoln Ne Sod Installation

The last mowing cycle is a very important one. It will determine the health of your next spring lawn. Here are some useful tips:

Fertilize. Apply fertilizer with a spreader towards the end of fall. This will help regrowth in the upcoming spring.

Aerate the Lawn in the fall. This will help your lawn absorb nutrients and air.

Reseed in the beginning of the last growing cycle of fall.

Clean up. Do not forget to rake the leaves and clear the lawn of any clutter that might be buried and forgotten on the snow. Maintaining a clean lawn throughout winter will help the new spring growth to thrive.

Avoid excess lawn use. Stick to flagstones and pathways, even the strongest grass will leave trail marks from recurring use in winter

When contracting a Lincoln Ne Lawn Care Service besides receiving all commitments in writing, you want to make sure that your provider is licensed, allowed and qualified to use pesticides, and fully insured.

Professional lawn care prices differ depending on many factors including lot size, number of monthly visits, other services included, property location and more. For a accurate estimate and price it is always best to contact us. Even so, if you are interested in an idea of average prices for Lincoln Lawn Care Services for 2019, Check out our Recomended Price List and Estimated Cost List.

As stated the main factors in pricing are based on lot size that also reflects in work time, machinery and equipment needed gas costs for mowers, etc.