Grass care should really begin with the soil preparation where your new lawn is going to be.
Grass likes good conditions for healthy and vigorous growth just the same as you or me.
Regrettably for anybody wanting to have a good looking piece of grass to admire, as well as walk and sit on, this means plenty of hard work.
The ground we are going to place our lawn on should really be cleared of stones, other hard objects and weeds.
It is also necessary to dig in some organic matter to provide good drainage and growing conditions.
One must also check through the soil for weeds, insects and grubs that may damage the turf at some point in the future.
Once we have made sure that the ground is in the best possible shape, we will need to make sure that it is nice and level so that our lawn mower will not leave longer bits of grass in dips or just plain scalp and humps and bumps left proud of the main surface.
When the earth is ready for the grass and the area to be used is good and level, there is decision to be made.
Should we sow seed or get some top quality turf to lay? There are one or two things to think about now.
Can I pay for that top quality turf? It really should be the best available all our hard work in properly preparing the soil maybe wasted because low quality turf could have weeds already in it or perhaps the vendor did not dig it up correctly and the root system may be damaged.
If one likes the thought of sowing seed, when is the best time of year to sow it? Autumn is generally acknowledged to be the optimum because as we get cooler, and wetter weather there will not be as much need to water the seedlings.
There should also be less need for us to tread on our recently sown grass and flatten it.
It goes without saying that one must also sow the best quality seed that is suitable for the local climate and conditions of the garden.
One should not sow a bowling green type of grass underneath a shady tree for instance.
Having laid the turf or sown and brought on seed, we will eventually need to cut the grass.
This should not be done until out new lawn is well established, otherwise we may damage the grass.
Do not cut too close to the ground for the first few mowings as this too could cause problems.
Once the lawn is well established it may be an idea to not water it.
This is because if one waters the grass, the roots may not go deep into the earth.
If that happens that there is a drought, one could see a ban on hose pipes that will cause the grass to wither and die.
There are many proprietary weed and feed products designed to keep the grass looking fresh and green.
Normally only one or perhaps two applications will be required over the summer months.
There are also preparations that can be spread on the grass in the autumn.
Once summer is over, it is also a good idea to aerate the lawn.
This can be done with a specialist machine, or, just using a garden fork and muscle power.
Over the course of time pieces of dead grass known as "thatch" will build up.
This can be removed with a mechanical rake or by hand.
Keeping up with grass care will ensure that your lawn will always look good all through the year.