Eight late-summer maintenance to-dos for a healthier, more attractive lawn

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Canton, Mich.— RepairClinic.com®, the trusted online store for replacement parts and free how-to repair help for outdoor power equipment, home appliances and heating and cooling equipment, today shared maintenance tips for homeowners to keep yards and lawns healthy and attractive.

1. Properly care for outdoor power equipment.

“Late summer is a stressful time for lawns due to increased foot traffic and dry conditions,” said Jeff Linderman, RepairClinic.com outdoor power equipment and landscaping specialist. “The condition of outdoor power equipment has a more significant impact on the health of a stressed lawn than most people realize. Make sure you’re following the equipment owner’s manuals’ maintenance instructions. Regularly check the equipment for damage and changes in performance. Troubleshoot and repair equipment as needed.”

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2. Sharpen or replace the lawn mower blade.

Dull blades tear grass, rather than cut, creating a ragged lawn with a widespread yellow hue. Look for dents and other signs of damage on blades. Replace when any damage is detected. Sharpen the lawnmower blade(s) when they get dull, which can be every couple of weeks for large lawns or professionals or once a season for a typical homeowner.

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3. Water wisely.

Resist the urge to water frequently when a lawn develops a brown, dry, lifeless appearance.

“In most parts of the U.S. and Canada, it’s best to water lawns just once weekly but for a long period of time to allow for deeper saturation,” said Linderman. “It’s a common mistake to water frequently for short periods of time. This keeps the root system closer to the surface, making the lawn more vulnerable to diseases and pests.”

4. Collect and recycle grass clippings or leave them as a natural lawn fertilizer.

5. Plan for fall lawn fertilizer application.

Spring and fall are the ideal times for fertilizer application.  Summer fertilization may do more damage than good by burning the lawn. Some fertilizer formulas may promise to make a brown, lifeless-looking lawn green again but after a few weeks, the lawn may show signs of distress with burn marks where the fertilizer was applied.

“Take the time now to determine what your lawn needs before purchasing the fertilizer formula to be used in the fall,” said Linderman. “Purchase a soil test kit (available for $10 at garden centers) to determine what nutrients your particular lawn needs in a fertilizer formula. A local university horticulture department or extension office can provide additional information.”

6. Don’t mow the lawn too short.

Taller grass is healthier grass.

“In late summer, many homeowners have mower fatigue,” said Linderman. “They may cut the lawn too short, in hopes of reducing the remaining number of mows in the season. As a general rule, especially important during the dry, late summer, is to never mow more than one third of a blade in a single mowing.”

7. Turn bare-patch areas into pathways.

It may not be worth the time or effort to fight bare patches caused by extreme shadiness or heavy foot traffic. Consider installing stones or wood chips to create a pathway in the affected area instead.

8. Stock up on maintenance products.

Purchase oil, replacement air and fuel filters, spark plugs and other products now to save time when prepping lawn mowers, edgers, string trimmers, chainsaws and other equipment for off-season storage.

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RepairClinic.com® makes fixing things easy for millions of people. Founded in 1999, it is North America’s trusted online store with replacement parts for major household appliances, outdoor power equipment and heating and cooling equipment. Free repair resources including more than 1,800+ how-to videos empower people to fix stuff on their own. One million parts for 160 brands are stocked at its 86,000-square-foot facility in Canton, Michigan. It offers a generous, no-hassle 365 Days. Period.® return policy. In-stock parts are guaranteed to ship the same business day. For more information, visit RepairClinic.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Contact Jody Lamb, Public Relations Manager, at JLamb [at] RepairClinic.com.

All quotes from this release may be attributed to Jeff Linderman, landscaping and outdoor power equipment specialist, RepairClinic.com.

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