Keeping a lawn looking beautiful all year does not need to be complicated as long as you maintain it. Not all yards are the same and require different care. It is important that you know your yard, what type of grass you have and some of the basic fundamentals to lawn care.

1. Cut the grass higher. In southern states, the good height for grass is 2 ” inches and in northern states it is 3 ” inches. It is recommended that you do not cut off more than one third of the grass at one time; it will put undue stress on the grass. The extra green delivers more nutrients to the grass roots and helps them to grow deep. The taller grass also keeps the sun off of the soil to help preserves its water.

2. Mulch the clippings from the grass. Many people believe that by leaving the cut grass on the lawn, it will smother it. This is just not so. Grass clippings are 10% nitrogen, which is the main component of fertilizers. Leave the grass clippings on the lawn to decompose and return nitrogen to the grass and supply the grass with most of the food it needs. By cutting the grass often, you will not have a big layer of clippings piling up.