Basic Lawn Maintenance

Thatch Removal

• A layer of dead and living organic material between your grass blades and soil, thatch blocks nutrients from the grass roots. Before you fertilize your lawn, you must remove excess thatch. The timing depends on the type of grass you're growing. Warm-season grass varieties such as bahia, centipede, zoysia and Bermuda grass should be de-thatched in the spring if their thatch layer is thicker than a half-inch, according to Kansas State University Extension. Cool season grasses like fescues, ryegrasses and bluegrasses may be de-thatched in the fall. To check your layer of thatch, cut a triangular piece of grass in the lawn and measure your thatch layer. Rent a de-thatcher to remove your thatch build-up.

Fertilizing

• Fertilize in the spring with a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Typically, gardeners can apply a pound of nitrogen to their lawns regardless of the grass type. Water the lawn after fertilizing to prevent burning the grass blades. Wait two to three weeks for your lawn to green up or come out of dormancy before fertilizing it. Fertilizing a dormant lawn results in encouraged weed growth, because the dormant grass cannot absorb nutrients.

Watering

• Water your lawn in the morning. Wet grass blades combined with cool nighttime temperatures raises the risk of your grass contracting a fungal disease. Generally, your lawn needs about an inch of water each week. However, certain grass types such as Kentucky bluegrass need 2 inches of water to remain green. Place 2-inch-high tuna cans in the yard to help you determine how much rainfall your grass receives. Supplement by watering if necessary.

Mowing

• Sharpen your mower's blades each year at the beginning of the growing season. Dull blades may inflict wounds on the grass, which allows fungal diseases to enter. Every grass type needs be kept at a certain height to ensure strong root systems. For example, zoysia grass needs to be kept at 1/2 to 1 inch tall, according to Maryland Cooperative Extension. Avoid ever taking off more than 1/3 of the grass blade to prevent harming the root system.