Cultivating Your North Central Texas Lawn

A Homeowner's Manual on How to Make and Maintain a Beautiful Lawn

North Central Texas, with its hot summers and sometime-irregular rainfall, poses quite a few challenges to a homeowner in maintaining a healthy, lively lawn. But the very sight of an emerald carpet is not so impossible to attain with a little know-how and the right set of tools. This tutorial will suggest ways to care for lawns in this area, including the proper use of lawn rollers, brush cutters, rear tine tillers, and leaf vacuums.

Knowing Your North Central Texas Lawn

The key to effectively caring for your lawn here is knowing the type of grass and soil you have. Popular turfgrasses for North Central Texas are Bermudagrass, Zoysia, and St. Augustine…

Bermuda: A warm-season grass that thrives on drought and heat resistance and other rugged weather conditions. It is aggressive in growth; fast covering can be a plus, but encroachment into flowerbeds can be somewhat of a disadvantage.

Zoysia: Another warm-season grass that has become popular: it develops deep roots, is drought tolerant, grows densely at a carpet-like texture, and grinds mower blades to a nub because of its coarseness.

St. Augustine: One popular warm-season turfgrass with thick, blue-green blades. Some varieties are shade-tolerant, but in general, St. Augustine requires more water than Bermuda or Zoysia.

North Central Texas soils are often characterized by expansive clay, sometimes called “Blackland Prairie” soils or “black gumbo.” These soils will swell when wet and shrink when dry, which can affect drainage and even become a menace for foundations. Understanding this aids you in managing your lawn for soil compaction and drainage.

Seasonal Strategies for a Thriving Lawn

Summer (June – August): Sustaining the Green

Summer in Texas is extremely hot, which means you have to be very careful.

Soil Management: Weekly mowing should continue. Water bermudagrass about 1 inch per week, either by rainfall or irrigation. Water deeply and infrequently so as to encourage deeper root growth.

Fertilization: Continue to apply fertilizer as necessary, usually 1-4 times during the active growing season for bermudagrass.

Weed Control: Summer days are still great for applying postemergent herbicides to control existing weed populations such as crabgrass and dallisgrass.

Brush Cutters: When eradicating patches beyond your regular mower’s reach, such as overgrown fencelines, ditches, or areas around trees, a brush cutter comes in handy. These heavy-duty machines deal with thick grasses and weeds and can even take on small saplings (depending on the blade, up to 2 inches in diameter). Always wear personal protective gear (long pants, safety glasses, ear protection, gloves, and sturdy boots) and look for potential hidden obstacles in the area. For hard-to-wipe-out brush, do multiple passes, beginning from the higher part and working your way down.

Fall (September – November): Preparing for Winter

Mowing: During the fall, go about raising your mowing height gradually to encourage deeper root growth as the grass goes into its dormancy period.

Fertilizing: The last nitrogen cannot be given any later than 4-6 weeks before the first historic frost.

Vacuuming Leaves: This is when the name leaf vacuum becomes worthy of its title. Along with tidying up your yard much faster than you could via raking, most leaf vacuums shred the leaves to create mulch to enrich the soil or protect garden beds. This mulched material prevents thatch buildup, ailments, and pests that could harbor within leaf litter. With the stomach vacuums dry, vacua in the direction the leaves flow naturally.

Grandpaw’s Tool Shed: Your Local Advantage for Equipment Rentals Near Fort Worth (and Beyond!)

Located conveniently in Eastland, we’re proud to serve the North Central Texas region east of Fort Worth. Choosing Grandpaw’s Tool Shed for your equipment rentals means you get:

Reliable and well-maintained equipment: Our JLG scissor lifts are regularly serviced to ensure peak performance and safety.
Expert advice: Not sure which lift is right for your project? Our friendly team can help you choose the perfect aerial lift rental for your needs.
Convenient local service: Skip the hassle of dealing with far-away rental companies. We’re right here in Eastland, ready to serve you.

So, whether you’re a contractor in need of a 26ft scissor lift rental for a commercial project, a business owner looking for a 10ft lift for maintenance, or anyone in between needing reliable equipment rentals near Fort Worth (specifically to the east!), Grandpaw’s Tool Shed is your trusted partner. Contact us today to discuss your scissor lift rental needs and let us help you elevate your next project!