7 Top Tips for a Fabulous Lawn

A lush, perfectly manicured lawn doesn’t happen by accident. Some people invest inordinate amounts of time to keep their grass looking healthy and green. However, the good news is, through a few simple steps, you can help your lawn look its best. Here are seven winning strategies for even the most time-strapped gardeners to keep their lawns in top condition.

1. Aerate

As well as water and sun, grass needs air to thrive. Lawns that are exposed to heavy footfall are vulnerable to becoming compacted. That’s why it’s important to aerate your lawn regularly to enable water, air, and nutrients to penetrate deep into the soil and reach the roots of the turf, which will help it flourish.

Aerating the lawn is particularly important in spring and fall because it provides room for roots to grow and encourages the decomposition of thatch, that layer of dead grass and organic matter that accumulates around the base of the live grass. Aeration essentially involves poking thousands of holes into the ground. This is easiest to achieve when the ground is moist. You can use either a gas-powered aerator or a manual tool.

Be sure to make several passes over each section of lawn to ensure it is adequately aerated. Dry dirt plugs can simply be left on the lawn surface for a few days, then passed over with the mower next time you cut the lawn.

2. Water

It is rarely necessary to water your lawn every day, except in the hottest, driest of summers. In fact, frequent, light watering can actually do more harm than good because it encourages the turf to form shallow roots and ultimately weakens your lawn.

Grass actually is healthier under slightly dryer conditions, and overwatering is a surprisingly common problem, particularly for those who use a sprinkler system. It is more effective to water deeply, less often. Occasional water coaxes the roots to push down deeper underground, helping the lawn to grow more robust and enabling it to cope during hot weather.

If you’re using a sprinkler system, watering twice a week for 20–30 minutes should be ample. Avoid watering between 11 am and 3 pm to reduce evaporation. Watering at night should also be avoided since this encourages fungus and mold.

3. Cut

The root systems of many grasses are as long as they are tall. A healthy height to mow your lawn is around 3 inches. Many people fall into the trap of cutting their lawn too short, hoping to maximize time in between mows, but this can weaken the lawn and makes it susceptible to disease. As a general rule of thumb, you should not remove more than 1/3 of the lawn’s height at once.

A wet lawn can be incredibly time-consuming to mow and will repeatedly clog the mower. Always mow on a dry day. You should also ensure that the mower blades are sharp, and alternate mowing directions and patterns for a more even lawn.

4. Fertilize

Make sure to fertilize your lawn periodically to keep it in tiptop condition.

The right choice of fertilizer depends on the grass type. Cool season grasses should be fertilized generously in fall and lightly in early spring, while spring is the optimum time to feed warm-season grasses, just as they come out of dormancy.

After you’re done, be sure to store the fertilizer carefully. Keep it somewhere out of reach of pets and children, in a dry, secure spot — you want to avoid moisture getting in and causing it to clump.

5. Reseed

Grass needs to be replenished and replaced over time. Early April is a good time to sow seed to keep your lawn thick and healthy. Prior to sowing, mow the lawn a little shorter than usual.

It’s important to choose the appropriate seed for your needs, whether you want a lush expanse of green as a backdrop for your garden, or a more robust surface capable of withstanding pets, children’s ball games, and foot traffic. Before seeding, it’s a good idea to cast a thin layer of enriched soil across the lawn’s surface. Apply this in a light covering so that the existing lawn easily peeks though; then, sow your seed over the lawn.

With grass seed, as with many things in life, you do get what you pay for. Premium grass seeds often provide more even coverage and sprout faster, resulting in a thicker lawn that is easier to keep looking full and lush.

6. Weed

Be vigilant with weeds — it’s far easier to spot-control weeds as they emerge rather than try to rescue a lawn overrun with them. Act quickly to kill or manually remove perennial weeds, before they flower and spread seeds all over your lawn.

7. Dethatch

A little thatch built up at the base of the grass does no harm, and can even be beneficial, but too much prevents air and water from reaching the live grass.

When thatch approaches an inch in thickness, it should be removed. A thatch rake is fine for smaller lawns, while a power rake makes it easier to cover larger areas.