How to Make Your Lawn Greener Without Hiring Lawn Care Professionals

A little bit of effort can make a lawn beautifully green.

Achieving a lush, green yard may take a bit of time and effort without the help of lawn care professionals, but it's worth it to get your lawn looking its best and keep it that way. Spending the extra money to have professionals achieve this for you isn't necessary in order to get excellent results.

Things You'll Need

• Nitrogen-based fertilizer
• Lawn spreader
• Hose and sprinkler
• Grass rake
• Grass seed
• Lawnmower

Instructions

1. Water your lawn every week when it is actively growing. Most lawns only need about 1 ½ inches of water each week. Over-watering wastes water and doesn't benefit your lawn.

2. Rake the lawn to dethatch it if there is a buildup of old lawn clippings, debris and roots on the surface of the yard. Work a grass rake vigorously to get all the dead matter out, but not so much that you damage the lawn. You don't want to pull out any of the growing grass, only dead and compacted matter. Dethatching cuts through the thatch and helps the grass get air, water and nutrients.

3. Fertilize your lawn with a good, all-purpose fertilizer. Use a lawn spreader set to the fertilizer manufacturer's recommended distribution level to apply a 11-2-2 or 16-4-8 fertilizer blend. Cover the entire lawn area with fertilizer and water as per the manufacturer's directions.

4. Seed any thin areas of your lawn with either the same type of grass you currently have, or with a type that is compatible with your lawn. Spread the seed with the lawn spreader, covering all thin or dead areas. Set the spreader to the level indicated on the seed package for distribution. If you have a lot of trees, use a type of seed that grows well in shade for best results.

5. Mow your lawn on a regular basis. Don't let it grow too long between cuttings, as it can take necessary nutrients from the lawn if you cut off too much of it at once. Leave it about 2 to 3 inches long when you do mow.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure your lawnmower blades are sharp to get the best results when mowing. Always make sure your lawn spreader is dry before filling for best results.

• Only fertilize when your lawn is actively growing, since adding fertilizer at other times will not benefit the grass. At those times the excess runs off and can pollute nearby lakes and streams.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension; The Lawn Fertilizer Toolbox; Laurie E. Trenholm et al.; October, 2010
• University of Illinois Extension: Importance of Proper Mowing
• All About Lawns; When Should I Dethatch?; Dawn West; August, 2006
• All About Lawns; How Do I Dethatch?; Dawn West; August, 2006