How to Take Care of a Green Lawn

Set up a regular watering schedule. Lawns need water but not as much as many think. Ideally, a lawn should be watered every two to three days and only about 1 inch of water is needed. In extremely dry climates, watering every day may be a necessity, but most lawns are fine with twice weekly watering. Watering at dawn or at dusk will ensure that your lawn and the soil get the most amount of water without evaporation.

Dethatch your lawn yearly. Grass clippings, although good natural fertilizer, can accumulate on your lawn, making it more difficult for grass to grow evenly. Dead leaves and other organic material can also create thatch underneath your grass. If you have a large lawn, you may need to rent a motorized dethatcher. Otherwise, a handheld dethatcher should be sufficient.

Aerate the soil yearly. Lawns that are not watered properly or see a high amount of foot traffic can become compacted. The soil under the grass hardens and makes it difficult for the grass to thrive. If your lawn sees extremely high foot traffic, you may even need to aerate twice yearly, once in the spring and again in the fall. Handheld or even sandal aerators will work for most regular sized yards. However, large yards would benefit from a mechanical aerator.

Avoid overmowing. Setting your lawn mower on the lowest possible setting will clip your grass down to the bottom and you won't have to mow as often. However, this practice makes it difficult for grass to thrive, particularly in dry areas. While it will require more frequent mowing, grass should not be clipped to less than 2 inches in regular climates and 3 inches in dry climates.

Feed your lawn. If you aren't fertilizing your lawn twice a year, it may not have the nutrients it needs to thrive. Grass clippings, as mentioned earlier, make a great natural fertilizer and help reintroduce nitrogen back into the soil. To avoid thatch, only allow clippings on your yard every few months, or in spring and fall. If you prefer a spray fertilize, this application should be done early in the year to prevent burning and again in fall before grass goes dormant.