Lawn Maintenance Tips for a Healthy Yard

The key to a healthy, green lawn is just below the surface—soil. Grass stores and receives almost all of its moisture and nutrients from the soil, so lawn care tip number one is this: To get the best look and feel for your yard, start from the ground up.

What’s the Best Soil for Healthy Lawns?

The ideal lawn soil can vary based on the type of turf grass you have but should always contain a balanced mixture of water, air, minerals and organic matter. Robust lawn soil is made up of:

45% to 50% minerals
25% water
25% air
2% to 5% organic matter

The most fertile soil is top soil. This soil starts at the surface and reaches down about 10 inches underground. These 8 to 10 inches of top soil contain the highest amount of humus, or organic matter. Humus is where turf grass gets most of the nutrients needed for development and growth.

How Does Soil Affect Lawn Health?

Good soil is responsible for many of the aspects that lead to a healthy lawn and less lawn maintenance, such as:

Improved tolerance for droughts
Deeper, stronger root systems
Better capacity to hold water
Less need for frequent fertilizer applications
Advanced nutrient storage and release
Enhanced resilience against disease and insects

Think Long-Term Lawn Maintenance: Soil Grows With Your Lawn

A plant’s life cycle—along with worm, insect, microorganism and animal activity—constantly generates better soil. As turf grass shoots, roots and leaves grow, die and decay, they form new, quality soil over time—all you have to do is keep your lawn well-maintained and healthy in the meantime.

This is why older lawns often have good top soil with a defined profile. Unfortunately, in most urban locations, many properties are stripped of their top soil for use by construction companies elsewhere. This leaves turf grass to take root in the less nutritious subsoil. Most urban soils are also compacted during construction, so they drain poorly—especially if they’re high in clay. Time, proper lawn maintenance and regular nutrition will help rebuild healthy soil.

Done correctly, mowing stimulates growth to replace lost shoots and leaves. Mowing also boosts density and root development, reducing weed invasion. When lawn maintenance is done incorrectly, grass can become thin and weeds can ruin your outdoor escape.

General Lawn Mowing Tips

Use a sharp blade
Avoid mowing wet turf
Alternate mowing patterns to avoid compaction or wear
Set mower at the highest setting
Never mow more than one-third of the leaf blade in a single mowing

How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn?

A lawn grows at different rates at different times of the year, depending on weather, species and management. Mow as necessary, not according to a preset schedule, and always follow the “one-third” rule to maintain active root growth.

his simply means mow frequently enough so that no more than one-third of the leaf blade is removed during a single mowing as that may stunt root growth. So, if your desired lawn height is 3 inches, mow when grass grows to 4 to 4 1/2 inches tall.

Maintaining Your Mowing Equipment

[Infographic: Seasonal Mower Maintenance Chart]

Every lawn maintenance plan requires irrigation. Whether supplementing rainfall with a garden hose or an automatic sprinkler system, grass is 75% to 85% water—it’s your job to keep it in that range. Your reward for this basic lawn care? A space for creating memories.

Do You Really Need to Water Your Lawn?

Watering your lawn is part of lawn care basics because it helps keep grass alive. Proper watering transports nutrients, organic compounds and plant food to your grass. It helps keep the turf cool through evaporation and improves your lawn’s tolerance against wear and foot traffic by boosting the plant cells’ firmness. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, watering helps during seed germination and boosts soil health in order to improve thatch decomposition.

How Much Water Does Turf Grass Need?

Most turf grasses require approximately 1 inch of water each week, whether it’s naturally (rainfall) or manually (irrigation). Watch weather patterns in your area to see how much rain is falling and make up any natural water deficiency with manual watering. You can also install a rain gauge in your yard for lawn maintenance accuracy as reported rain totals often cover larger areas, not hyperlocalized areas.

Lawn Care Tips for Watering Your Grass

Water deeply rather than frequently, moistening soil 4 to 6 inches below the surface
Soil has enough water if you can easily push a screwdriver into it
Early morning watering is best so as not to attract lawn diseases
Evaporation is a lawn maintenance concern when watering during midday heat
Water prior to signs of drought stress (wilted, bluish-gray grass that leaves footprints)
Stop watering at first sign of puddling and wait until water is absorbed before resuming

Lawn Maintenance Problems: Dealing With Drought

When it comes to lawns surviving long periods of drought, preparation is key. First, the amount of time your lawn will survive without water depends on the type of grass you have. Most types of grass can survive with minimal amounts of water for many weeks—even in hot, dry weather. If the lawn goes too long without water, it will shut down, stop growing and go dormant. Before that happens, it’s time to call TruGreen®.