There is no doubt that Americans have a love affair with green lawns. Even in the arid climates of Arizona and Southern California, gardeners struggle against nature to preserve a perfectly green carpet. And it is no wonder that lawns are so popular. A well-maintained lawn complements a garden's flowerbeds and softens the edges of brick walkways or cement sidewalks. Lawns also figure prominently in late summer family barbecues. For those of us that live in the city, even that small square of emerald green grass can remind us of more tranquil meadows of the quiet countryside.

Essentially anyone with a small patch of dirt can have a lawn. But not everyone will have that picture perfect lawn. Lawn cultivation is a near science these days - particularly with new strains of grasses and highly specialized fertilizers. As a gardener, you must take into account the role your grass will play in your landscaping plans, this climate, and your personal tolerance for lawn maintenance. Ignoring these basic facts might find you spending large amounts of money planting a lawn that will quickly die because it did not meet your needs.

Your lawn can be the kind you dream about - lovely and lushly green - if you understand a few simple facts about how grass grows, what it needs in order to thrive, and how the climate influences the timing of the various things you do to help. Maintenance is not nearly so complicated as you might think, considering all of the products offered for use on grass these days.

How to Care for Your Lawn Easily

The most important things to do for your grass are to feed it, mow it, and get rid of the weeds. All of these interrelate. Good mowing and fertilizing help with weed control because weeds cannot push into thick turf. You will have an easy time with maintenance matters if you do the basic things correctly.

How To Get Rid of Your Weeds

A weed, so far as a lawn is concerned, is any plant that does not blend well with grass. It sticks out like a sore thumb. A new lawn can be expected to have many - unless the soil was sterilized - for weeds arise from dormant seeds present in almost all soils. Some will disappear in time as the grass crowds them out, or because they cannot persist under regular mowing. Still others are rather easily controlled with modern weed killers. So, all in all, the situation may not be as alarming as it appears at first glance.

Control by use of weed killers is generally quite effective in this area. The best time varies somewhat with the location and kind of weed. Usually weeds are most susceptible to chemical control when they are growing vigorously, which usually means when weather is warm and there is ample moisture. Spring or autumn is a good time to go after most broad-leaved weeds in our lawns. There is less chance of injuring lawn grass if a weed killer is not applied during extra hot days. Summer drought may toughen weeds, too, so they become less susceptible to regular amounts of the chemical.

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