Regardless of where you live, chances are you’ve seen a few lawns that look like they’ve taken a beating this summer, while other neighbour’s yards look as lush and green as can be. While maintaining a healthy lawn might seem incredibly challenging, especially during the summer, it’s actually surprisingly easy! It just takes a bit of work–but it’s totally worth it. Not only does it improve the overall appearance of your home, but a beautiful lawn also provides a space for your friends and family to enjoy. If you’re looking to improve the look and feel of your home’s outdoor space, read on to learn some tried and trusted lawn care tips.

Signs of a Healthy and Unhealthy Lawn: Let’s be honest: a lush and healthy lawn is a dream. By taking a bit of extra care now, it could save you a lot of effort later. Healthy lawns are less vulnerable to pests, weeds, drought, and other lawn care problems, which means you’ll save time (and money) not dealing with those issues. Unsure if you’re providing your yard with enough care? Signs of an unhealthy lawn include: weeds, dry patches or general dryness across the entire yard, fungal appearance, general discolouration, and bare patches. In comparison, you’ll know you’re taking proper care of your yard if it’s a nice dark green colour, which can be achieved by adequately watering and feeding it. Your grass should also be an appropriate height. Cut it too short, and you risk seeing underlying soil. On the other hand, letting it get too long makes it harder to discover pests and diseases. Additionally, your lawn should always be weed-free.

Lawn Care 101: Now that you know the difference between a healthy and unhealthy lawn, let’s dive into how to achieve grass your neighbours will envy!
Mow high - Keeping the grass taller improves the health of roots, and typically you should aim to cut your grass to a height of two to three inches. Keeping your grass this height will promote growth, prevent weeds, and discourage pests.
Watering - It’s critical to keep grass nourished with water, but avoid going overboard. Ensure your grass gets at least an inch of water each week and aim to water in the morning—preferably before 10 a.m.—as it’s cooler and winds tend to be calmer. This allows the water to soak into the soil and be absorbed by the roots before it can evaporate. 
Mulch the grass - If you bag all of your grass clippings, you risk losing valuable fertilizer that can help keep your grass healthy! By leaving grass clippings on your lawn, you can provide it with additional nutrients. A well-fed lawn grows in thick, crowds out weeds, and cools the soil, which helps it handle the heat. 
Aerate - It’s important to aerate in the spring and fall before top dressing or fertilizing. Aerating, which essentially loosens the soil, is critical to ensure roots can develop and helps water, air, and nutrients reach the roots more easily for healthy lawn growth. 
Fertilize - With constant cutting, your grass needs nutrients. Set up a consistent fertilization schedule applicable to your specific lawn and the season. The best way to determine the type of fertilizer you need is by doing a soil test, which will identify the nutrients your lawn is missing. Then you can purchase a fertilizer with an appropriate nutrient ratio. 
Overseed - As your grass matures, thinning and browning are normal—especially if you enjoy it and use it often. The best way to restore its appearance and vitality without starting over from scratch is with overseeding, or seeding over the top of an existing lawn. Overseeding is best done in late summer to early fall, and topdressing with compost or topsoil can be done at the same time. Begin the overseeding process by mowing your lawn on the lowest setting and bagging the clippings. Next, rake the lawn to remove any loose grass or debris, further exposing the soil to accommodate the new seed. Apply topsoil first, then seed over top and press or rake seed into the soil.
Check - Make sure to check on your lawn often to detect pests and other problems early.

Caring for Your Lawn in the Winter: Depending on where you live, the harsh effects of winter on your grass can vary, but this doesn’t mean you should ignore your lawn altogether! Completing regular maintenance work and taking proper care of your grass can help you prepare for a more favourable lawn come spring. Some lawn care tips to prep for the winter include:
Remove debris - Anything left on your lawn from previous months can result in soil degradation during the winter.
Rake leaves - Once fall ends and trees have lost their leaves, rake the entirety of your property to stop leaves from turning into thatch, which can prevent air, water, and nutrients from reaching the roots, resulting in bare spots in spring.
Remove moss and weeds - Once the leaves have been removed, deal with any remaining moss and weeds.
Aerate - Now that your lawn is free of anything obstructing growth, it’s time to aerate!
Apply a top seed - After you aerate, applying a thin layer of seed to the top of your grass will allow it to grow in evenly and reduce bare spots. Once complete, put all equipment inside and try to keep traffic on your lawn to a minimum during winter.

Caring for your lawn might take some time and effort, but the result is always worth it! By following these lawn care tips, you’re in great shape to end up with a luscious, healthy lawn!                                                                                                                                                                                -   Ainsley Smith, from Realtor.ca Blog