What's your lawn style?

Whether you dread lawn care or you are a lawn enthusiast, we’ve got free tips for a safe and healthy lawn from turf experts.

Top tips for success

Low maintenance lawn care

• Mow frequently to crop weeds before they set seed
• Make multiple passes when mowing and leave grass bits on the lawn for natural fertilization.
• In spring or fall, use an upright weed puller for easy removal of broadleaf weeds and add seed to bare soil. These have a tap root and multiple wide leaves in a circular pattern that crowd out grass.
• Let your lawn go brown to save the most time, money, and water.
• If you do only one thing besides mowing, overseed by adding grass seed over the entire lawn at least once a year in spring or fall to help it outcompete weeds.

Medium maintenance lawn care

• In early spring, use an upright weed puller to remove weeds that shade or overgrow the grass when they are small, and soil is soft and avoid weed killers all together.
• Keep grass at about 3 inches and mow frequently in spring.
• Mulch mow: make multiple passes and leave grass bits on the lawn as natural fertilizer.
• If you want, add a slow-release fertilizer in the fall.
• Rake out (dethatch) dead grass and weeds and aerate every few years.
• Consider letting the lawn go brown to conserve water, but this may invite more weeds.
• If you do only one thing besides mowing, overseed by adding grass seed over the entire lawn one or two times a year in spring and fall to outcompete weeds.

High maintenance lawn care

• Rake out (dethatch) dead grass and weeds annually.
• Apply grass seed (overseed) to your entire lawn in spring and fall.
• Use a slow-release fertilizer in spring and fall.
• Mulch mow: make multiple passes to leave small bits of grass to add natural fertilization. Then rake.
• Keep grass at about 3 inches and never cut more than one-third of the blade off to avoid disease.
• If you use chemicals, always read the label, and use minimally by spot spraying.
• Do not spray pesticides onto pavement, use a flat head shovel to remove weeds.
• For best results, an in-ground programmable irrigation system with a rain sensor is recommended.
• Calibrate your watering system to deliver ½ to ¾ inches of water 2 or 3 times per week without running off onto the pavement to encourage deep rooting. (See Watering Resources below).
• Consider a water-saving, drought tolerant variety of grass best for your area’s climate.
• Aerate at least every two years.