Lawn Care Methods

• A lush, green lawn needs care and attention and plenty of water.hose on lawn image by Coralie Palmeri from Fotolia.com
  
  Sooner or later, a neglected lawn will likely fall prey to weeds and brown or yellow patches. Keeping a lawn green and lush is not difficult, but it does require regular maintenance. Even a lawn that has deteriorated significantly is greatly improved with a concerted effort. The work you put into your lawn is more than repaid by the resulting emerald green turf, which will attract wildlife from earthworms to hungry birds.
  
  

Spring Maintenance

• In spring rake the lawn with a wire rake to remove all the dead matter that has accumulated during the winter. Aerate the lawn by sticking a garden fork into it every 4 inches to a depth of 6 inches. You can buy a mechanical aerator for this task, like a garden roller with spikes.
  
  

Improving the Soil

• Twice a year, in the spring and fall, spread a top dressing of organic material on your lawn. Compost is the best material to use; the optimum amount to spread is 1 to 2 inches. Use a special lawn spreader, or simply shovel the compost on and spread it evenly with a garden rake. Another way to improve the soil is to let the grass cuttings remain on the lawn; they will rot down and return nutrients to the turf.
  
  

Watering

• Lawns are thirsty, and, if not regularly watered during hot, sunny weather, they will soon turn brown. If there is little or no rain during the spring and summer growing seasons, water every four or five days with a sprinkler. Ensure that the grass is soaked but not waterlogged. Lawns do not need watering in the fall and winter.
  
  

Removing Weeds

• Weeds like dandelions, creeping buttercup and yarrow can overwhelm a lawn. Garden stores sell specialized lawn herbicides to control weeds; follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you want to avoid herbicide use, pull weeds by hand, completely removing the roots.
  
  

Adding Fertilizer

• Lawns love nitrogen, and garden stores stock slow-release fertilizers specially formulated to add nitrogen through the garden season. Fertilize the lawn in spring, as the growing season starts. Apply fertilizer according to the instructions on the packaging.
  
  

Lawn Repairs

• Bare patches can appear in a lawn where there is a well-trodden pathway. Fix them by cutting out a square 3 inches deep and slightly larger than the patch, and fill with a piece of turf. Alternatively, dig up the bare patch to a depth of 4 inches, and fill it with compost mixed with grass seed; don't disturb the area for at least two weeks.