Like most good things, achieving a bright green lawn takes some planning and work, all year round. It's not enough to take care of your lawn in spring when it's about to start growing. Good lawn care requires that you combine some essential elements-sunlight, water, mowing, and nutrients, in the form of fertilizer.

Controlling the amount of sunlight your lawn gets isn't possible for the most part, but there is one thing to watch out for. Sections of lawn that are overshadowed by your home, or heavy tree shade may need more special care, as they may not get as much sunlight as they need. If this becomes a problem, try trimming tree branches to open up the ground beneath them and allow your grass to get more sunlight.

If you're not sure about the composition of your soil, it's best to have it tested. The sand-silt-clay ratio of your soil, and the types of nutrients it contains, will affect the health of your lawn and the type of fertilizer you need to maintain that luscious bright green.

The perfect loamy soil is around 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. If your soil has a higher percentage of clay, it'll hold water more easily, and may cause drainage problems after heavy rains. On the other hand, a higher percentage of sand and less clay means the soil won't hold water well, and may need more frequent or deeper watering.

Ideally, you'll schedule weekly deep watering rather than more frequent light watering, to keep the lawn green and healthy. In most conditions, the lawn will need to be soaked to a depth of eight to twelve inches each time you water, but in hot climates, you may find that more is needed. If walking on your lawn leaves imprints in the grass, too little water is usually the culprit.

The height at which you cut your grass will also influence how healthy the lawn is, and how green it appears. Mowing helps keep your lawn healthy because it reduces the amount of work the grass' root system must do to keep the grass nourished. Mowing also helps reduce weed problems because frequent cutting helps promote thicker lawn cover.

In general, cool-season grasses should be kept at a height of around three inches, while warm-season grasses should be maintained at two to two and a half inches. However, you should never cut more than one third of your lawn's height in one mowing, as this can shock the lawn (due to the fact that you've significantly reduced its ability to photosynthesize).

Some experts suggest that the best time to mow is in the evening, as the sun's heat won't scorch and yellow newly-cut blades of grass.

Using the correct fertilizer-and the correct amount of it-is the single biggest contributor to maintaining a sparkling green lawn. Other factors such as water and mowing are important for health and color, but without the right fertilizer, your lawn will sulk and turn pale yellow.

Grasses need a number of different nutrients to thrive. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are the most important, but a plant can obtain these from air and water. The three macronutrients that are most important to plants, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, tend not to be available in soil in large amounts. Without the three macronutrients, a plant simply can't grow.

Depending on where you live, your soil may or may not supply enough of those macronutrients to satisfy your grass or plants, and that's where fertilizer comes in. In addition, if you mow frequently, your grass will need more of these essential nutrients, because frequent mowing will encourage it to grow more quickly.

For the most part, it's the nitrogen in the fertilizer you add that will give your lawn its rich green color. However, it's still important to choose a fertilizer with the right balance of macronutrients. Phosphorous, for example, is essential for new lawns, but established lawns don't need as much, and may suffer if they get too much of that nutrient.

If you would prefer to use organic fertilizers, try blood meal. This nitrogen-rich natural supplement is great for greening up established lawns (however, it's not suitable for new lawns). Just be sure to limit your application to no more than three ounces per square yard, and don't apply blood meal more frequently than once every three months. Blood meal is extremely rich in nitrogen, and too-frequent application is harmful.