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1. Water your lawn in the early morning. Watering in the daytime is wasteful as more water is lost to evaporation. Do not over water - it damages the lawn more than under watering.
2. Let the clippings stay on the lawn. The nutrients in the grass will gradually be leached into the soil and fertilise the grass. Even better is to use a mulching mower which chops up the clippings, which will then be hidden in the grass. This also saves having to rake the lawn and dispose of the clippings.
3. Fertilise once or twice a year. There is no need to fertilise more often than this. It's a good idea to fertilise in the fall to help promote growth the following Spring.
4. Use a slow release fertiliser that is water insoluble. These types of fertilisers won't burn the lawn and the slow release allows the nutrients to be absorbed by the as they are needed. Sulphur coated urea, natural organic fertilisers or methylene urea are good choices and should contain about 40 - 50% nitrogen. Faster acting fertilisers can be washed away during rain storms or after watering. Not only is this a waste but it can cause pollution of the water courses.
5. Check out the weeds. Dandelions growing in the lawn are a good sign that the pH is too high as they grow best at around a pH of 7.5. When you see dandelions it is time to add some sulfur. If you see clover it's a sign that the soil is lacking in nitrogen so it is time to add a slow release nitrogen fertiliser.
6. Use corn gluten to control weeds. Corn gluten is a non toxic byproduct of corn processing and kills weed seedlings. In addition it adds nitrogen. A single application will reduce weed growth by as much as 60%.
7. Minimise the use of herbicides or pesticides. A healthy lawn needs a variety of micro-organisms. pesticides and herbicides indiscriminately kill both good and bad organisms. If these chemicals have been used on the lawn in past seasons then it will take some time for the micro-organisms necessary for a healthy lawn to recover.
8. Instead of using pesticides on weeds use vinegar and spot treat the weed growth. This is very effective on dandelions and plantains but can burn the lawn so treat the weeds only and keep away from healthy grass. Pulling out all of the weeds, including the roots, is also effective.
9. Rake up any fallen leaves and use as a mulch or add to a compost bin for a rich humus for the garden.
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