Introduction

Few things make a home look as spectacular as a lush, manicured, emerald green lawn. Aside from making your neighbors green with envy, a fabulous lawn is also the grand, comfortable stage for many of life’s most treasured moments, from summer birthday parties, to a lazy neighborhood cookout, to junior’s first game of catch with dad. But just as a gorgeous lawn enhances your home, one that has some obvious shortcomings will detract from the look of a house—and the neighborhood in general. A weed-strewn, scraggly, patchy lawn or a sickly plot of grass can bring down the value of the home it’s connected to, and it makes outdoor activities less enjoyable.

There’s simply no reason to put up with a less-than-wonderful lawn. Dense, healthy turf doesn’t materialize by accident. It’s the result of timely feeding, watering, and regular maintenance. Conscientious lawn care not only creates a luxurious carpet of grass, it is also your first and easiest line of defense against weeds, insects, disease and other lawn problems. Preventing them from occurring is always easier than dealing with them after they rear their ugly heads.

That’s why we’ve laid out all the basics of lawn maintenance in this book, including exactly what you need to do to keep your lawn healthy, and when you need to do it.

Of course even the most meticulously tended lawns occasionally have an outbreak of weeds, a problem with grubs, or even a small patch of dollar spot fungus. After all, you can’t entirely control nature. So we’ve also included a comprehensive “Lawn Problem-Solving Guide” in this book, ensuring that you always have the right solution for whatever problem crops up.

Keeping ahead of lawn problems and on top of your lawn’s needs entails just a little diligence and the right knowledge and advice. It’s not hard. You provide the watchful eye and few hours on weekends, and these pages will serve up the information you need to create a verdant, rich green lawn that you and your family can enjoy with pride.