How to Get the Greenest Grass on the Block

Grass gets its green color from the chlorophyll it produces through photosynthesis. Nitrogen, found in the soil, helps the lawn produce chlorophyll and grow. Soil rarely has enough nitrogen to support healthy green-looking grass; therefore, gardeners must apply fertilizers to create the greenest grass on the block. Improperly applying fertilizers will result in your lawn having a high weed population or brown grass. It is important for gardeners to use the right amount for lush grass growth.

Rotary spreader
Fertilizer
Lawn mower

Instructions

- 1
  Pour your fertilizer into a rotary spreader. Use 5 lbs. of fertilizer with an N-P-K amount of 10-6-4 in April or when the grass has come out of dormancy.
- 2
  Water the lawn with 1 inch of water to keep the nitrogen from burning the grass. Avoid fertilizing late in the day, because wet grass blades and cool nighttime temperatures encourage fungal diseases. Also, fertilizing in the heat of the day can dehydrate the lawn.
- 3
  Mow your lawn when it reaches 4½ inches in height. Remove one-third of the grass blade. By allowing your grass to grow to 3 inches, you provide more surface area for the grass to absorb sunlight for photosynthesis.
- 4
  Distribute your lawn clippings over the yard in a fine layer. Grass clippings decompose and contribute extra nutrients to the soil. However, clumped up grass clippings reduce the amount of sun hitting the lawn.
- 5
  Water your lawn with 1 inch of water a week to keep grass blades green and prevent saturating the soil. Saturated soil leads to fungal diseases, which cause grass blade discoloration.

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