“Weed control is more than making a pretty yard. Weeds compete with grasses for water and nutrients,” says Walheim. “A well-cared-for, vigorous lawn will resist weed invasions.”

Below are the five steps to keep your yard in top shape for weed resistance:

1. Mow high – Mow the upper end portion of the required height for the type of your grass encourages deeper roots and better heat as well as drought tolerance because the grass helps shade the soil to reduce evaporation and it maximize the soil moisture content. With this, the need for frequent water could be minimize. Mower should be set at 11/2 inches high for common Bermuda; 1 inch high for hybrid Bermuda; 3 inches high for tall fescue; 21/2 inches for Kentucky bluegrass; and 21/2 to 3 inches for St. Augustine.

2. Water properly – Water the soil thoroughly down to its depth of 6 – 8 inches to prevent shallow root system, It is important to wet the soil properly so they could absorb the water very well. To check for its thorough absorption of water, insert a rod or screwdriver into the soil; it will stop when it reaches dry dirt.

3. Fertilize at the right time of year - This is one of the most important step. This depends on the type of grass. Fall or spring for cool-season lawns and late spring and early summer for warm-season lawns. But be aware of the insects that might ruin your grass like grubs that eat grass roots.

4. Aerate and dethatch - Remove small cores of soil as it is necessary for better water and penetration of nutrients.

5. Kill weeds – Buy such product that would be best for your lawn and try to know what kind of weeds you have in your lawn so you could have the right protection for your lawn against weeds. And learn to follow instructions properly.

Source: Lawn Care

Spring, Summer

- Only apply not more than 1 pound nitrogen that is fast release per 1,000 ft. only in single application.

- Conduct soil test inorder for you to determine grade and amount of fertilizer you will be using.

- For healthy growth of your lawn, a 1 inch of water weekly would be best.

- Warm season lawns should be fertilized from early spring until late summer.

Fall

- Use only slow release nitrogen whenever possible especially on sandy soils.

- To establish deep roots and help crowd out weeds in the spring, a cool season lawns should receive most of their yearly fertilizer in the early fall.

Winter

- Before you fertilize the areas overseeded for winter color, wait until warm season grass becomes dormant.

In General, Use only the exact amount required for your lawn’s square footage. To avoid striped fertilizer pattern ia grass, try using a rotary spreader that helps apply fertilizers evenly. Then try to spread the fertilizer in two directions for each application, and apply fertilizer to dry grass and water very well after applying. Sweep up any fertilizers that is spilled on paved areas and save for later use But do not use the leftovers fertilizer on trees, shrubs, annuals or perennials. A lot of nitrogen on these plants stimulates stem and leaf growth and decreases flower and production of fruits.

Source: Fertilizing Lawn

* Garden Hose, Grass Seed Or Sod & Shovel Or Trowel are the things you will need for the procedure.

1. Depending on the kind lawn maintenance you have, If it is highly fertilized lawn its soil already contain more concentrations of nitrogen. Usually female dog urines is not more highly potent compared to male dogs. But females do urinate all at one spot thus causes a lot of problem.

2. Upon seeing your dog urinating on your lawn, try to discipline him and water the area he urinated thoroughly even after few days to wash off any damage it will

3. In case the damage is there already, try to dig out the damaged turf and water very well to dilute the excess nitrogen.

4. Reseed or resod the spot.

Tips:
Urine damage has nothing to do with acid, so canine dietary supplements that alter the urine’s pH have no effect on the “burn” spots.

Source: Ehow.com

Looking upon our lawns makes us feel good. But we should always be aware of the important things we should learn to help keep our lawn in good condition and be conscious as well of the following signs or warnings we can see in our lawns:

Here are the visual signs your lawn will send when it needs special care and attention:

1. Bare spots that never seem to grow back

2. Plenty of weeds that refuse to go away

3. Grasses in patches from other people’s lawns

4. Yellowish ‘dead’ spots from pet’s eliminations

5. Worn out areas from high traffic

6. Anemic-looking areas under trees

7. Strange moldy growths

8. An overall look that says the lawn has seen better days.

These are the problems you should be aware of when taking care of lawns. You need to know the causes and he prevention of it provided one should seek the advice of a lawn expert to provide proper care and restore the health of your lawn.

Source: isnare.com

Sod Web Worms
also known as lawn moths, are usually ½ an inch to an inch long. They infest turf grasses and a major problems of most lawn owners. These insects are usually dormant during the daytime, but feed on your grass during the night resulting in brown patches in your lawn. Among the grasses where these insects are most prevalently found are bluegrass, bent grass, buffalo grass, and zoysia grass. During the summer if they are allowed to reproduce and continue to feed on your grass.

Fire Ants
These red ants may just be ¼ inches long, their bites can be very painful and dangerous, when suffering from many bites . so many homeowners want to rid their property of Fire Ants. They can build up colonies that are one or two feet high, housing thousands of these Fire Ants. Controlling the spread of these Ants can be very difficult as thousands can be killed and more will still appear in coming weeks.

Mole Crickets
They are small brown insects which are about 1 inch long and often infest turf grass areas. are usually the states who have to battle constantly with Mole Cricket infestation from North Carolina to Texas and parts of southern New Mexico. Mole Crickets are especially damaging for golf course owners as they eat the grass blades from the root up so that it must be replanted. Now, these insects do not eat much and thus, only large populations will prove damaging in most cases.

Scale Insects or Coccoidea
Scale Insects are very small insects that are parasites of many plants and a very difficult problem to have as their small size makes them hard to detect and exterminate. These insects are also known as Coccoidea.Coccoidea
These pests are parasites of many plants and fees on the natural sap that plants produce. Once Coccoidea insects find a plant, they usually become immobile and fees off the plant for the remainder of their life. Apart from their small size, adult scale insects can be especially tough to exterminate has they are often invulnerable to pesticides due to their covering. Pesticides are often only effective against young scale insects who have not yet developed their coating but these insects are always moving and thus can be difficult to detect.

Japanese Beetles
The Japanese beetle is a small beetle, just greater than ½ an inch long, which have come to the US from Japan. They are destructive to grape vines, rose bushes, and many other plants. These beetles are not dangerous to your family or your lawn, but can ruin gardens in a matter of weeks if not controlled. The best way to control this pest is the use of beetle traps. Japanese Beetles are weak fliers and thus often fall when flying, especially when they make contact with an object. These beetle traps emit a scent that attracts the Japanese Beetles and once these beetles make contact with the trap, they fall into a pit and cannot escape. Pesticides to control the growth of Japanese beetles can also be used but many people prefer to have organic gardens and thus steer clear of the use of chemicals to exterminate pests.