How to Care for a Cool-Season Lawn

Cool-season lawns made of fescues, bluegrass, bent grass or rye grass need regular fertilizer, consistent moisture and frequent mowing to stay healthy and beautiful.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Garden Hoses And Attachments
• Hose-end Sprinklers
• Lawn Aerator
• Lawn Fertilizers
• Lawn Mowers
• Lawn Seed
• Drop Spreader

1. Mow the lawn when it reaches one-third higher than its recommended mowing height. Leave the clippings on the lawn - they'll add nutrients and organic matter as they break down.
2. Fertilize with a fertilizer that has a high amount of nitrogen every six to eight weeks in spring and fall. Avoid fertilizing during the hot months of summer (grasses naturally grow more slowly then and don't need the fertilizer).
3. Water to supplement rainfall. In dry summer areas, most cool-season lawns need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Water deeply two to three times a week.
4. Aerate every year or two. Aerating increases oxygen to the roots, improves water penetration and reduces thatch.
5. Control weeds, insects and disease if necessary.

Who Can Help:

• Find Prescreened Landscaping - Maintenance of Lawn & Trees Contractors at ServiceMagic.com

Tips & Warnings

• Planting the right lawn grasses for your area is one of the most important ways to keep your lawn healthy.
• You can rent a power aerator at a local rental yard.
• A well-maintained lawn usually has few problems. If you see any signs of disease or insect damage, get help identifying and controlling the problem from an experienced nurseryman.
• Overwatering and overfertilizing can damage your lawn, waste valuable resources and cause pollution.