A Common Baking Essential Is The Secret To Growing A Lush, Healthy Lawn

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It's every yard owner's dream to maintain a lawn full of lush green grass all summer long. Unfortunately, it may be more challenging to get your grass to grow in shadier areas or if you live in a much drier climate where water is scarce. You can certainly invest in a grass alternative to create a beautiful lawn, if that works for you. But if you want to cultivate a rich, natural lawn, there is actually a surprising object found in most kitchens that can help. A standard baking essential, the tin pie plate, might be the secret to growing a healthy green lawn.

Your lawn requires a specific amount of water in the summer. That amount is approximately 1" to 1½" per week. If you're experiencing a drought, live in a drier climate, or just are not receiving as much rain as usual, you may want to water your lawn more frequently during the week to encourage grass growth. While there are many uses for tin pie plates around your lawn and garden, you can also use them to help you know just how much watering you need do to achieve the best-looking lawn in the warmer months. They are reasonably inexpensive, and you can purchase them in bulk, like these Waytiffer 9" Pie Pans (10pack).

It's no secret that watering your lawn properly is the primary key to achieving a lush, green yard. However, excessive water can be detrimental to your lawn. While it's common sense that lawns need water, many people don't realize that too much water can cause the soil to become too compact and attract pests and fungal diseases, turning the lawn yellow and soggy — in fact, it's a common mistake people make when watering their lawns. Whether you water by hand or use a sprinkler, tin pie plates can be particularly helpful in figuring out how much water is reaching your grass.

To achieve this, simply place a few pie plates at various locations in your yard. Measure and collect the amount of rain water, sprinkler water, or hose water in those plates over a period of time. Then, compare it to how much your grass needs to receive in a given week. Depending on the season, the amount of water needed varies slightly. You only need about 1" in the spring and fall. But during those summer months, your pie plates should accumulate closer to 1½ " per week — be it from rain or your sprinkler system. A rain gauge, such as this JMBay Outdoor Rain Gauge, and a calendar to track rainfall are other items to help you determine whether your grass is getting enough water.