Growing a greener grass lawn for the barefoot days of the season is attainable. Simply integrate these tips into your current lawn care routine for grass that’s greener on your side of the fence.

Incorporate Good Grass Mowing Techniques

• Keep you mower blades sharp throughout the season. Dull blades rip the grass tips instead of cutting. This makes the lawn look off-color and promotes disease problems.

• Don't mow too much at once. As a rule of thumb, never mow more than 2 to 3 inches of grass off of the top at any time. This reduces the stress on the lawn.

• Never mow your lawn closer than 1’’ from the ground. You will inevitably “scalp” areas that are uneven and cause many more problems. As a rule, mow closer in spring and fall (1-2”) and taller in summer (3”). June and July are months where disease can strike overnight in a lawn. Mow your lawn frequently during this period.

Keep Surface Care Top-of-mind

• Get rid of leaves on your lawn promptly. Letting leaves collect and lay on your lawn for extended periods can cause thin spots or even completely kill an area. Large Maple leaves lay flat and are particularly troublesome.

• Occasionally rake your lawn. Not only does this pick up dead matted grass, which may harbor diseases, it can also help prevent mushrooms. Sticks and twigs can work into the soil if not raked. These organic objects create a catalyst for mushroom development above ground when conditions are right.

• Avoid walking on wet lawns as much as possible. Do not drive on your lawn, if you can avoid it. Periodically aerating a lawn in the spring or fall is a good idea or you can use the co-polymer sprays that change the way soil particles are held together. This eliminates compaction and the lack of oxygen in the soil. Amending the soil when the lawn was seeded with Structure is ultimately the best approach to combating compaction.

Utilize Earl May Lawn Treatments

Some treatments are best put on a lawn that doesn’t show any signs of what you are treating for. Such is the case with Crabgrass Preventer and Grub Control. It pays to invest in these two types of products each year.

• Crabgrass is much easier to prevent than to try and control when it is started. Earl May's Crabgrass Preventer controls more than just crabgrass, it will control other weeds as well.

• By the time you notice that grubs are eating your lawn, it could be too late. At that point you may need to start all your lawn all over. Earl May’s Season Long Grub Control products will also control some insects that affect your trees and shrubbery if it is applied near the base of these plants.

To learn more about our Crabgrass Preventer, check out our blog post. Other lawn care posts can be found here.