1. Proper Watering
Your lawn needs at least 1 inch of water per week. This can come from rain or irrigation.
*Tip - Put a rain gauge in your yard to keep track of how much water is hitting your lawn.
2. Correct Mowing
The height and frequency of your mowing are paramount to your healthy lawn. All lawns should be cut once per week during the growing season. This encourages it to thicken up and helps prevent you from ever taking off more than ⅓ of the grass height at a time.
*Tip - Homeowners should cut Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede at 2”. Fescue and St. Augustine should be cut between 3-4”.
3. Add Organic Matter to Your Fertilizer
This will increase your lawn's ability to hold nutrients and water. It will also provide food for the microorganisms living in your soil. These microorganisms help break down nutrients so that the lawn can take them up to use for energy.
4. Pre-emergent Weed Control
Properly timed pre-emergents will prevent many weeds from growing in your lawn. Using a pre-emergent at the right time limits the amount of chemicals you need to use and also keeps the lawn weed-free. Dying weeds leave unsightly spots in the lawn, so do this early before the weeds begin to grow.
5. Post-emergent Weed Control
Some weeds can not be prevented. When they show up, treat them as soon as possible. If they are young, they will die easier and not leave a big unsightly dead spot on the lawn.
*Tip - For most weeds, you can get a good three-way product from Home Depot or Lowes, like Bayer Southern Lawn.