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From lawn care and planting a garden to refinishing wood furniture and installing a composite deck, here are great tips to improve your yard.

    Lawn Care

    To have a healthy lawn, it’s important to:

    • Determine how much sun and shade your lawn receives.
    • Check to make sure your lawn slopes and drains properly.
    • Conduct a soil test to find out the pH and nutrient levels.
    • Choose grass that’s suited for your local climate and conditions.
    • Make sure your lawn receives about 1” of water a week.
    • Aerate your lawn once a year.

    Healthy lawn

    Mowing Grass

    When mowing your lawn:

    • Keep mower blade sharp so it makes a clean cut.
    • Set mower to the proper cutting height for your grass.
    • Cut only about 1/4 of the grass blade each time.

    Find out more at Lawn Mower Maintenance.

    Weed Prevention

    A healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds. The type of weeds you have can give clues on how to improve your soil, for example:

      • Clover: Indicates low nitrogen levels.
    • Dollar Weed: Grows in overly wet soil or lawns with poor drainage.

    When pulling weeds by hand, be sure to get all the roots so they don’t grow back. When applied carefully a broadleaf herbicide can be used to kill weeds in nongrassy areas like planting beds or walkways.

    Find out more at How to Control Weeds in Your Lawn.

    Mulching around hydrangea plant

    Planting Tips

    Here are some planting tips to help your garden grow:

      • When planting gardens and foundation beds, till up and add amendments and nutrients to the entire bed, not just the area around each plant.
      • Loosen up or cut the roots on rootbound plants before planting to help the roots grow and spread.
      • Compress the dirt around newly planted plants to the same consistency as the surrounding soil.
      • Plant plants at the same depth they were in the container.
      • Give newly planted plants plenty of water for the first month or so until they’re established.
      • Mulch around plants to hold in moisture and keep the temperature even.
    • When planting in pots, use a quality potting soil and put a thin layer of foam packing peanuts in the bottom of the container to keep the soil from washing out of the bottom.

    Find out more at How To Plant Container Grown Trees and Shrubs.

    Danny Lipford and Julie Day-Jones refinishing outdoor wood furniture.

    Cleaning and Staining Outdoor Wood Furniture

    Before refinishing outdoor furniture or a wood deck, clean the wood with a product like Flood Cleaner/Brightener to open up the pores and remove any dirt or discoloration. After allowing the wood to dry, stain with a semi-transparent wood stain to seal and protect the wood.

    Find out more at How to Clean and Stain Outdoor Wood Furniture.

    Trex Enhance composite deck and railings

    Installing a Composite Deck

    Composite decking is a popular, low maintenance option for decks that’s made from a combination of wood fibers and plastic polymers. When replacing a wood deck with composite decking, make sure the joists and other framing under the deck are in good condition so they will support the composite decking.

    Trex Enhance is a DIY-friendly composite decking that resists fading, staining, and mold and is made from 95% recycled content. Enhance decking is easy to cut and drill using standard tools. Trex Hideaway hidden deck fasteners allow you to put the decking down without visible screw holes to mar the appearance.

    To complement the look and low maintenance of a composite deck, replace wood with composite railings, such as Trex Transcend railings and spindles.

    Find out more at Replacing a Wood Deck with Composite Decking.

    Check out Around the Yard for more spring and summer tips and projects.

    Other Tips from This Episode

    Tool Handle Pipe Extension

    Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
    Tool Handle Pipe Extension

    To provide more leverage for loosening bolts or pipe fittings, slip a piece of pipe over the handle of a socket wrench or pipe wrench. This trick can also be used with hammers to make pulling nails easier. (Watch Video)

    DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer

    Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
    DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer

    DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer from Bayer Advanced kills all types of grass and weeds on sidewalks, patios, and driveways and prevents grass or weeds from coming back for up to six months. DuraZone Weed & Grass Killer is available at The Home Depot. (Watch Video)

    Gutter and downspout

    Ask Danny Lipford:
    Choosing Guttering for Your Home

    Gutters and downspouts are available in vinyl, aluminum, steel, and copper; with aluminum being the most common gutter material. Gutters and downspouts come in several sizes, with larger sizes providing better drainage and clogging less than smaller sizes. (Watch Video)

    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Danny Lipford

    Danny Lipford

    Founder

    Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

    Learn More