Mowing high - that is, keeping your lawn a bit long - will produce stronger, healthier grass with fewer pest problems. A lawn's ideal length will vary with the type of grass, but many turf grass species are healthiest when kept between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 inches. You may have to readjust your mower - most are set too low.



When mowing, the advice often offered is that you should remove lawn clippings or they'll make thatch.

According to research, thatch is often produced more by the misuse of strong fertilizers and pesticides than by clippings alone. Thatch is a layer of dried grass clippings that builds up on the soil surface. As long as this layer is less than 1/2 inch (2.7mm) it's harmless and in fact has some of the same benefits as mulch returning fertility to the lawn. A healthy soil biota can easily decompose the normal amount of clippings to keep the thatch layer from building up. But earthworms, which perform much of this task, are especially vulnerable to popular lawn chemicals.

However, all grass forms a layer of dead plant material, between the grass blades and the soil. When this has built up to a greater depth than the safe zone, raking the lawn or using a machine that slices through the thatch layer to break it up can reduce it. Sprinkling a thin layer of topsoil or compost over the lawn will also help.

For a healthy lawn, mow frequently. Short clippings are tender and rot quickly. Set the mower blade high -- thicker lawns shade out weeds. Adjust the pH to 6.5 to 7.5, the range preferred by most grass species.

Get your lawn in shape for summer by first aerating and then fertilizing it. Aeration is the removal of small cores of soil from your lawn, which helps to break up compact dirt and packed mulch. Even more important, these holes allow vital air, water and fertilizer down to the root area. You can purchase a machine for this task or hire one from your machine hire dealer.

One easy way to aerate your lawn is by wearing a pair of shoes that have spikes on the soles. Pads containing spikes that simply fit under your shoes are available from garden centres, but if you have a pair of golfing shoes (with steel spikes) then these are ideal. Wear them when you spread the fertilizer. Most lawns need to be fertilized every year, because they need more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than soils usually contain. These three elements are the primary ingredients found in most lawn fertilizers. It's important not to over-fertilize - you could do more harm to your lawn than good - and it's best to use a slow-release fertilizer that feeds the lawn slowly. It's also important to check the soil's pH. Grass is best able to absorb nutrients in a slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Acidic soil can be "sweetened" with lime; soil that's not acid enough can be made sourer by adding sulphur.

Watering properly will help your lawn grow deep roots that make it stronger and less vulnerable to drought. It's best to water only when the lawn really needs it, and then to water slowly and deeply. This trains the grass roots down. Frequent shallow watering trains the roots to stay near the surface, making the lawn less able to find moisture during dry periods.

For a healthy lawn, mow frequently. Short clippings are tender and rot quickly. Set the mower blade high -- thicker lawns shade out weeds. Adjust the pH to 6.5 to 7.5, the range preferred by most grass species. Fertilize only if the lawn really needs it.