Lawn care involves a combination of simple daily and weekly tasks that you can do yourself, or get a little bit of help from a landscaping professional. Our nine tips on maintaining the perfect lawn between landscaper visits will keep you at the top of your lawn game.

1. Mow Grass Weekly

The first tip to a beautiful lawn is regular grass mowing. Mowing your lawn at least once a week during the spring and summer seasons is a standard lawn care routine. Depending on the climate and the weather conditions, you may need to adjust and mow more or less frequently.

The time of day you mow is also important. Some experts recommend mowing lawns in the early evening to keep the grass moisturized. Additionally, be sure to cut only about one-third of the grass height each time you mow.

2. Use a Sprinkler in the Morning

The next key ingredient to a healthy lawn is adequate water. It’s not necessary to water your lawn every day unless you have new grass seeds growing. The ideal watering schedule is about two or three times a week.

To get the most out of your watering routine, use a sprinkler that covers the entire area of the lawn. Time for your watering to occur in the early morning, between 6 and 10 AM. Watering during the middle of the day or at night may not produce the best results.

3. Customize Your Grass for Performance

For new properties and areas where the lawn needs a complete overhaul, it’s possible to customize the type of grass for optimal performance. There are many different grass varieties that are popular for lawns. Some, like Bermuda grass and Kentucky bluegrass, don’t require as much maintenance.

Grass varieties also perform differently depending on your region’s specific climate and rainfall amounts. Be sure to choose the right grass for your climate zone. A lawn professional can help you with customized recommendations for a new lawn.

4. Add Fertilizer to Your Lawn Maintenance Routine

To get that “grass is greener on the other side of the fence” look, you will also need to add fertilizer to your lawn care routine. Fertilizing a lawn is an easy do-it-yourself project for homeowners, the only supplies you’ll need are a lawn spreader and a high-quality fertilizer that meets the requirements of your grass variety.

There are two types of spreaders, a drop spreader and a broadcast spreader. Drop spreaders are best for small lawns and broadcast spreaders are ideal for larger areas. Lawn fertilizer Before fertilizing, you’ll need to water your lawn a few days in advance to prepare the soil. Then, you’ll need to get your spreader ready. Fill the spreader with an appropriate fertilizer product from a home improvement or gardening store. The packaging for the fertilizer should give directions about how to adjust the settings on the spreader.

Then simply walk along the perimeter of the lawn to fertilize and feed your lawn. Fill in the middle of the lawn with the fertilizer and properly dispose of the remaining product when you are done.

5. Invest in Weed Control

Keeping weeds out of your lawn is a challenge for most homeowners. A few principles of basic lawn maintenance may help stop weeds from getting out of control. Weekly mowing, fertilizing, and deep watering of your lawn are three things you can do to help keep the weeds away.

Some of the most frustrating weeds are broadleaf weeds and crabgrass. These weed species are notoriously hard to kill, so you may need to get professional landscaping services to control them. In the early spring, a lawn care professional may carefully apply a precise formula of herbicide that kills the weeds but avoids damaging your lawn.

6. Train Pets to Use a Small Area

Your dog may be impacting your lawn in a negative way. Backyards that have pets often have yellow or dead spots in their grass. These are the areas that dogs are probably using to relieve themselves, and it can be an eyesore in an otherwise healthy lawn.

There is a way to keep your dog from ruining your hard work and beautiful lawn. Just as you taught your dog to go to the bathroom outside, it’s possible to train them to relieve themselves in a specific area of the lawn. Set aside a designated area in your yard for your pet to use, preferably a shady and hidden spot. Start by using a leash and reward them when they use their new bathroom space.

7. Get Your Soil Tested

Keep your grass looking amazing year after year by learning about your yard’s soil. Using fertilizer, watering, and mowing usually produces great results, but some lawns are stubborn. If you still have trouble maintaining a pretty yard, consider getting your soil professionally tested.

A soil test will give you answers about the health of your soil and what you need to do for a better lawn. These tests show the pH balance of the soil as well as the nutrient levels in the dirt.

8. Reseed Thin Areas of the Lawn

If some parts of your lawn look great and other areas are patchy, it’s time to do some reseeding. Lawn spots that are overgrown with weeds may also need reseeding. Start the reseeding process by killing all weeds with a powerful herbicide.

Then, choose a hardy grass seed variety that thrives in your climate zone. Rake and aerate the soil to prepare it for seeding. Finally, spread the seed with your spreader, fertilize and water every day until your grass grows to about two inches.

9. Maintain Your Mower

The last tip for a perfect lawn is to put some care and attention into your lawnmower. Your lawnmower is the hardest working tool in your shed when it comes to a good-looking lawn.

Make sure the blades on your lawnmower are sharp. A professional sharpener helps with this potentially dangerous project. Every time you use your mower you should clean out the undercarriage to prevent rust and keep it running smoothly. Get a yearly tune-up from a lawnmower professional to help maintain a solid performance.