A few lawn care and lawn maintenance steps can keep your lawn green and healthy.

The first thing people see when they drive up to your home is your lawn. With some basic lawn care and lawn maintenance, you can make sure that people see a lush, green lawn instead of just a patchy mess. A good lawn can even increase the value of your home, so it is well worth the effort to keep it looking good. Here are a few lawn care and lawn maintenance tips to help you keep your yard healthy and green.

Aerating

Aerating your lawn is important for getting oxygen to the roots of your lawn, which the grass needs to metabolize the sugars it stores during photosynthesis. The extra oxygen that gets into the soil from aeration also helps the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. The best way to aerate your lawn is with a mechanical core aerator that actually removes small cylinders of soil from your yard. The aerating shoes with the little spikes on them are better than nothing, but they only push the soil farther down and compact it instead of removing it.

Weed control

The best way to control weeds in your lawn is to prevent them from taking hold. Keeping your lawn mowed to the proper height will keep your grass healthy and prevent weeds from getting started. Overwatering your lawn can stress or kill your grass, leaving your lawn vulnerable to weeds. A good fertilizer with a pre-emergence herbicide applied in the spring can also prevent weeds from taking root. Do not apply more fertilizer than the directions state or you can actually harm your lawn more than you help it. Proper lawn maintenance can stop weeds before they even have a chance to get started.

If you do get weeds in your yard, there are ways to remove them. If you only have a few, pulling the weeds by hand and removing the root will work. Also, a broad-leaf herbicide, which is designed to kill weeds but not grass, will eliminate weeds from your lawn.

Everyone wants a nice green lawn free of weeds. With a few simple lawn care and lawn maintenance procedures, such as mowing and watering, you can greatly improve and sustain the appearance and health of your lawn.