How to Have the Thickest, Most Beautiful Lawn

Spring

• 1

  Evaluate your yard in early spring to choose the best grass variety for your growing conditions. Consider sunlight, activity levels and how much time and money you have to fertilize and water your lawn. Cornell researchers note that Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass need lots of water and nitrogen fertilizer, while tall and fine fescues tolerate drier environments and fewer feedings. Fescues also grow better in shady yards, though fine fescue doesn't stand up well to high foot traffic.

• 2

  Place dry soil samples from your yard in a sealed plastic sandwich bag. Send the samples to your local cooperative extension for analysis on levels of nutrients, including phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and organic matter. Amend soil with nitrogen or other enhancers that your cooperative extension recommends.

• 3

  Apply pre-emergent herbicides containing flumioxazin or pendimethalin in late March or early April to keep crabgrass, goose grass and other weeds from growing and competing with your lawn for sunlight, water and nutrients.

• 4

  Sow grass seeds over your lawn to perk up existing turf and fill in bare spots. Time your sowing based on soil temperature. Grass seeds germinate when soil reaches 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 inches of the surface.

• 5

  Apply post-emergent herbicides with glyphosate or dithiopyr to perennial broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions, as soon as they begin growing. Control smaller infestations by hand.

• 6

  Mow your lawn beginning in late April, or when grass is 4 inches tall. Mow turf to 3 inches, and do not remove more than one-third of overall height in any mowing. Cutting grass below 3 inches promotes weed growth, because shallow lawns let sunlight reach the soil. Taller lawns crowd out and control weeds, according to the Colorado State University Extension.

Summer

• 7

  Feed your lawn for the first time in early June. Apply a fertilizer with 70 percent slow-release nitrogen and 30 percent water-soluble nitrogen. Use 1 lb. of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of grass. Feeding grass earlier could encourage excessive growth, which causes a buildup of dead grass, or thatch, that keeps fertilizers and water from reaching roots.

• 8

  Water your lawn beginning in early summer, or when rainfall drops below 1 inch per week. Water slowly to prevent runoff.

• 9

  Apply pesticides in midsummer. Signs of lawn pests include patches of thinning, dying grass and chewed blades. Common pests include armyworms, billbugs, lawn moths, sod webworms and white grubs. Pesticides with natural and botanical compounds, such as Bacillus thuringiensis, azadirachtin, imidacloprid and pyrethrin, control pest outbreaks with minimal environmental impact. Apply on and around brown spots.

• 10

  Aerate your lawn in August. Rent a core aerator from your neighborhood home and garden store. Run the machine over the turf to punch holes in the lawn and pull out cores of soil. Holes improve circulation of air, water and nutrients, while dried cores serve as organic topdressing.

Fall

• 11

  Rake your lawn in September to remove dead grass building up on top of soil. Raking up thatch keeps water and nutrients flowing to your lawn's roots.

• 12

  Sow grass seeds on bare spots in September to fortify your lawn going into the cooler months.

• 13

  Rake up leaves once a week starting in October. Leaving dead foliage on your lawn can suffocate grass and encourage mold growth.

• 14

  Feed your lawn in October, after you mow for the last time. Apply fertilizer containing 70 percent slow-release nitrogen and 30 percent water-soluble nitrogen, using 1 lb. of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of grass.

• 15

  Fertilize your turf one last time around Thanksgiving, using the same 70-30 slow-release feed, with 1 lb. for every 1,000 square feet. Your lawn will go dormant for the winter, and have food stores for spring renewal.