Fertilization

• Fertilizer needs to have contact with the soil in order to be absorbed. Many yards have a thick layer of thatch, a layer of dead and living organic material in between the soil and grass blades. Thatch locks in moisture and insulates your yard rom cold, but it also makes the absorption of nutrients placed on top of the grass difficult. Check your layer of thatch. If you have more than half an inch you need to remove it. To remove thatch, use a rake or a power rake to pull up the organic material.
  
  When to apply fertilizer to your yard depends on what type of grass you are growing. Start the fertilization routine for warm-weather grass in the spring. Cool-weather grass should be fertilized in the late fall to stay green throughout the winter. Avoid fertilizing before you grass has come out of dormancy. Weeds that are more adaptable to winter conditions will spread over a lawn without the competition of grass.
  
  You can choose a fertilizer that is high in phosphorous to help your grass green up. Once you start seeing signs of life, switch over to a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. Stop fertilizing in the late summer months.
  
  

Mowing

• Many people enjoy short grass for its manicured look; however, it can cause damage to your grass' root systems, which leaves your grass susceptible to pests and fungal diseases. According to Cornell University, you should avoid cutting your grass more than a third of the blade. For example, if you want a lawn that is an inch tall, cut it every time it grows to 1.5 inches. That type of high-maintenance lawn care will keep you mowing every other day.
  
  Mow your lawn to three inches for an optimal height for competing with weeds and establishing healthy roots. To have a 3-inch lawn, you should mow when it gets to 4.5 inches--about every five days.
  
  

Watering

• Lawns need one inch of water each week during the summer. This means that if you get half an inch of rainfall, you should make up the other half with watering. You can place a rain gauge in your yard to help you determine how much water your grass has received. A coffee can can make a rain gauge if you dump the water out each week. Refrain from watering at night, because it promotes fungal diseases.