Recommended Lawn Maintenance Routine

Watering

• The amount of water needed for a healthy lawn depends on the grass type, season and climate. Generally, most lawn grasses benefit from watering once or twice weekly during cool, dry weather, and watering every other day during hot weather. Provide enough water to moisten the top 6 inches of the soil -- the root zone of the grass. Watering in the early morning allows the moisture to slowly soak into the soil without evaporation, but the excess moisture evaporates off the grass blades quickly in the morning sun so fungal problems don't develop.

Mowing

• Lawn grass remains healthiest when maintained at a 2 1/2- to 3-inch height. Allow the grass to grow tall enough so removing one-third of its height reduces it to the 2 1/2- to 3-inch range. Grass doesn't need mowing when it's dormant and not growing, which is winter for warm-season varieties or summer for cool-season types. Keep the lawn mower blades sharp to avoid damage to the grass and to ensure even mowing. Allowing grass clippings to remain on the lawn replenishes the nutrients in the soil, so there's no need to rake or collect the clippings.

Fertilizer

• Grass primarily needs nitrogen to grow well and remain green. Fertilizer requirements depend on your soil and grass type, but generally most lawns need feeding when they are actively growing. Cool-season grasses benefit from spring and late summer or early fall fertilizer applications, while warm-season grass require feeding from spring through summer. Begin fertilizing in spring when growth resumes, applying a 3-1-2 ratio lawn fertilizer at the rate recommended on the package. Apply the fertilizer every two months, except during dormancy periods during hot weather, through fall. Warm-season grass usually require a no-nitrogen winter fertilizer for fall applications.

Seasonal Maintenance

• Thatch, a mat of dead and living plant material, that builds up thicker than 1/2 inch requires removal. A dethatching or power rake pulls up the old thatch but you don't need to do it frequently -- only when the thatch becomes a problem. Lawns can also benefit from aeration. A core aerator pulls up plugs of soil so moisture and oxygen can penetrate to grass roots. How often you should aerate depends on your soil type, so you may need to do it once a year in spring or only every few years. Treat weeds each year, when they become a problem. Apply preemergent herbicides in late winter or early spring before the weeds begin growing, and use post-emergent herbicides during the summer growing season.