It might seem hard before you start, but achieving and maintaining a lush, green lawn can be quite easy once you know what to do. If you check for excessive thatch, water sufficiently, mow correctly, test the soil, and use lawn fertilizers properly, the grass will be greener on both sides of the fence (and maybe even a little greener on your side).

Here are some things you can do to get your lawn greener and lusher during the spring and summer months.

Deal With Thatch

Thatch is a naturally occurring layer of primarily dead grass that lies on top of the soil of your lawn: It comprises of stems, stolons, rhizomes, and roots. If the thatch layer is more than 1/2 inch thick, it can be unhealthy for your grass and should be removed through a process called dethatching.

If your lawn’s thatch buildup is right around 1/2 inch, you have a minor lawn thatch problem that is relatively easy to deal with. A thick layer (3/4 inch or more) calls for a core aerator or a vertical mower. Both can be rented from your local rental center, and are very user-friendly.

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Give Adequate Water

In dry climates, an irrigation system is necessary for growing grass successfully. But, in the misty Pacific northwestern United States, it is understandable if you choose to let mother nature do the watering.

Cost is often a primary factor when considering an irrigation system but keep in mind that an irrigation system may save you money in the long run because it is more efficient than other ways of watering.

Whichever method you choose, your grass must have enough water consistently to remain green and healthy. While overwatering can lead to its problems, an under-watered lawn lacks the vigor and resilience to compete with weeds and diseases, not to mention staying green.

Feed to Control Weeds

We know we have to fertilize the tomato plants in our gardens or the houseplants on our window sills, but it’s easy to overlook the necessity of spreading fertilizers over our grass.

Fertilizing your lawn goes hand-in-hand with lawn weed control. As your grass takes in the fertilizer’s nutrients, its root system will expand and cover any bare spots.

Weed seeds count on those bare spots to take hold, and by filling them with grass you’re reducing the potential for weeds. Ideally, thanks to your fertilizing and other maintenance efforts, you’ll get to a point where your grass is so healthy that it crowds out most weeds.

You may also opt to feed your grass and control weeds simultaneously, using a “weed and feed” fertilizer, food for grass, and poison for weeds. These fertilizers can typically be applied only twice a year.

Test Your Soil

A pH imbalance can affect a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients. All the fertilizer in the world will be meaningless if a wrong pH shuts off a plant’s ability to feed.

• Check your soil’s pH to make sure it is not too acidic or if it has enough acid content.
• You can check pH with kitchen supplies, soil testing strips, or a pH meter.
• Grass should be slightly acidic, trending toward neutral (6.5-7.0).

Follow a Fertilizer Schedule

Lawns, like any other plant, need fertilizing and care year-round. Follow these steps to ensure a greener yard.

Apply in Stages

Always read the package labels carefully before applying, know what kind of grass you’re working with, and pick the brains of the staff at local garden centers or extension services. You generally should apply lawn fertilizers in four stages, though the exact dates will vary from region to region.

Winterize Your Lawn

Never forget your grass when you winterize your yard in autumn. It’s not difficult to remember which fertilizers to shop for now because they contain “winterizer” in the product name. These products help your grass build a deeper root system to weather the winter. Closely study the label of a winterizer bag before buying to learn the NPK content, aiming for an NPK of 25-5-5 (or thereabouts), because nitrogen application in the fall is crucial for year-round success.

Use Compost

Compost has a myriad of benefits for any and every lawn. Keeping your grass well-fed with compost has a better chance of crowding weeds out (and avoiding pest invasions, too).

You’ll have to resort to good, old-fashioned hand-pulling on the weeds that do emerge. If you choose this route, water the area first since weeds come out of wet soil more easily than out of the dry ground.

Mow at the Right Height

According to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, cutting the lawn with a mower set at a proper height can save you from having to bag your grass clippings, even if you don’t own a mulching mower. They suggest you mow dry to 3-3.5 inches tall; never mow shorter than 2 inches or remove more than 1/3 of the leaf surface at any one time.

Cutting only an inch at a time means more frequent cutting, and you’ll have to sharpen your mower blade more often. But the result is a healthier lawn fed by nutrients you would otherwise be hauling away. Cutting the lawn (similar to “pinching” other garden plants) stimulates growth, increases thickness, and makes the grass sturdier.

Note that with mulching mowers, you don’t need to be quite so careful about the height at which you cut the lawn since the grass clippings are shredded up more finely.

It’s not good to cut your lawn too short since it can stress it out, especially during hot weather.