Learn the secrets on how to grow healthier, thicker and greener grass with our best grass growing tips.
How to Grow Greener Grass
Updated Aug. 21, 2024
Growing greener grass is surprisingly simple and easy. Anyone can do it if they’re willing to learn some basic lawn care facts and put in just a few hours of work throughout the year. I used to think growing a lush, green lawn had to be an expensive and time-consuming process. I keep it simple now, and my lawn has never looked better. Plus, I actually have time to enjoy it.
To improve the look of your lawn, start here with some pro tips from two landscaping experts – Osmar Castillero from Blades Landscaping Services and Matt Cameron from CMS Landscaping. You supply the labor, and we will supply the know-how so you can learn how to grow a greener lawn or simply repair it.
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Don’t Skip the Fall Fertilizing
Surprisingly, it’s much more important to fertilize in the fall than in the spring, when most people do it. Even after the grass seems to go dormant, the roots continue to soak up nutrients and store energy for the next growing season. Like watering, this is one of the most important favors you can do for your lawn. “Definitely don’t skip the fall fertilizing,” Castillero says.
Rather than feeding the lawn all at once, choose “slow-release” fertilizers. This type allows the lawn to feed over a longer period. These fertilizers cost a bit more but are well worth the added expense.
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Test the Soil PH Level
Grasses grow best in a soil pH level between 6 and 7.2. If the soil is too acidic or too alkaline, the grass won’t thrive — even if you do everything else right.
Collect one tablespoon-size sample a couple of inches under the sod in three different places in your yard and take the three samples in for testing at your local garden center. If it’s too high, treat the lawn with iron sulfate or sulfur; too low, use pelletized limestone. I was surprised to learn my soil’s pH was low. Adding lime quickly improved the health of my lawn.
Whoever does the testing will tell you what and how much to use to fix the pH. Applying the treatment is as easy as walking around the yard with a spreader.
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Use a Broadcast Spreader
Use a broadcast spreader — not a drop spreader to get a greener lawn.
Drop spreaders (the type that drops granules straight down) are notoriously tricky to use, so you could end up with stripes or checkerboard patterns on your grass. You’re much better off with a broadcast spreader, which spews out the granules at random for much more consistent coverage.
As a novice homeowner, I burned stripes in my lawn using a drop spreader to apply fertilizer. I switched to a more user-friendly broadcast spreader to avoid future issues.
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Water Deeply, but Not Often
The grassroots have no reason to grow deep if you water frequently and for short periods. Those shallow roots can’t reach deep soil nutrients or deliver the water when you skip a watering.
Instead, water the grass long enough to penetrate the soil 4 to 6 in. Exactly how long this will take will depend on weather conditions and your soil type. Heavy soils should be watered less often and less heavily but for longer periods of time. Sandy soils, on the other hand, can handle heavy, fast watering but dry out faster. In hot, dry weather, you may have to water every two to three days to maintain a greener lawn.
“Aim to give your lawn an inch of water a week,” Castillero says. To measure, place a pan or rain gauge on your lawn while watering.
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Attack Broadleaf Weeds in Mild Weather
Weed killer is most effective when applied while the plant is actively growing. The herbicide is absorbed through the leaves and then sent throughout the rest of the plant. “Spring is a great time to eliminate weeds,” Castillero says.
If the weather is too cool, the weed isn’t growing, so the herbicide won’t be absorbed, rendering the chemical less effective. If you wait until it’s too hot then the herbicide will stress the grass. The product directions will give you the best temperature range.
Also apply herbicides when rain isn’t forecast. A soaking rain will just rinse off the herbicide before it can do any good.
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Kill Crabgrass Before It Spreads
Once crabgrass sprouts, it’s too late. The key is to keep it from growing in the first place. Use crabgrass pre-emergent treatments to prevent crabgrass (and any other seed) from sprouting.
Apply preventer between the second and the third mowing. Crabgrass starts sprouting a few weeks after the grass greens up, so that’s generally just the right time.
A few years ago, I started using pre-emergent treatments in the spring. This stuff really works, and I no longer spend all summer pulling crabgrass from my lawn or walkways.
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Eliminate a Few Weeds One by One
Don’t treat your whole lawn for just a few weeds. That’s expensive, a hassle and ecologically unsound. If you have only a few weeds, pull them by hand or spray each one with a pump-up sprayer.
If left alone, even a few weeds can spread throughout your lawn. Make sure to remove them before they become a larger issue.
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Use Concentrated Liquid Weed Killers
Use concentrates whenever you can. For most liquids, you can buy concentrates and mix your own treatment with water. You’ll save about 70 percent of the cost of premixed.
Use a hose-end sprayer to kill a yard full of weeds. Dispensing concentrated liquid broadleaf killers is faster and more effective than using granular broadleaf killers. You just add the herbicide, dial in the right concentration on the sprayer lid and walk around the yard misting all the weeds.
You can treat an average yard in less than 20 minutes and be on your way to a greener lawn.
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Reseed Late in the Growing Season
For a healthy spring and summer lawn, reseed in the late summer/early fall. For more success, wait for the cooler, damper weather of late summer or early fall. It’s almost impossible to get seed to survive during the dog days of summer — in most regions, it’s simply too hot and dry. “You can get away with reseeding in early spring, but fall is definitely an ideal time,” Castillero says.
When reseeding, be careful not to apply too much seed. Aim for 15 seeds per square inch. If you exceed this, your lawn will be overpopulated with too many plants competing for nutrients and sunlight.
Once you reseed, water it twice daily for two to three weeks and don’t miss any days. Here is a list of native grasses to plant in your yard.
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Dethatch Infrequently
If you have thatch, it’s probably because you’ve been under-watering, over-fertilizing and/or consistently mowing when the grass is overgrown. “Excess clippings and debris can create problems like thatch buildup,” Cameron says.
Dethatching rakes up dead grass and old woody stems resting at the base of the grass leaves. While it can be necessary, dethatching comes at a great cost to your lawn because it tears up not only the grass but also the roots. “If you are following good lawn care practices, you shouldn’t have to dethatch often,” Castillero says.
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Mulch the Clippings
Instead of bagging when you mow, mulch them into the lawn instead. “Let the clippings fly if you are mowing regularly,” Cameron says, “They can be a great source of nutrients.” Clippings also form a mulch to help keep in soil moisture.
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Follow the Directions on Lawn Treatments
The directions are specific and incredibly important! It’s not only the concentration for fluids or the spreader setting for granules. Pay attention to the details like the rain forecast and what temperature ranges the treatments require.
Skip them, and you’ll either wreck your lawn or waste your time and money. “It is important to read the labels of materials you’re using carefully and have properly calibrated equipment,” Cameron says. Failing to do so can burn your grass.
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Never Overfertilize
Never over-fertilize in your pursuit of a greener lawn. Over-fertilizing is more likely to kill your whole yard in no time. And if you don’t kill it outright, it’ll turn yellow and take weeks to heal itself. “More is not better when it comes to fertilizer,” Castillero says.
Set your spreader at half the recommended dosage and treat the lawn twice from opposite directions. It’ll take twice as much hoof work on your part, but you’ll get a more consistent distribution.
Fill the spreader on the driveway, not over the thick grass. Or at least spread a tarp on the grass to catch spillage. If you have an accident, you’ll have a big dead spot in your lawn.
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Mow With Sharp Blades
Dull mower blades rip through the leaves, which stresses the plant. Instead, you want to slice them off cleanly. You can always tell a lawn that’s been mowed with a dull blade because it looks brown on the top. Get on your hands and knees, and you can actually see the damage. Castillero suggests sharpening your blades if you start to see signs of yellow or brown grass tips.
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Always Mow When Grass Is Dry
Don’t mow wet grass. You’ll leave giant clumps of sodden clippings where they’ll smother the thick grass beneath. Not only that, but it’ll also carpet the underside of your mower deck with a thick mat. “That’s my number one tip,” Castillero says. “Always make sure the grass is dry before you mow.”
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Aerate in the Fall
If you have heavy loam or clay soil, you should aerate your lawn each fall. Just before you fertilize, rent an aerator and aerate the lawn from both directions. It will help loosen the soil and allow the fertilizer to penetrate deep into the soil.
Cameron suggests aerating to alleviate compacted soil issues, reduce thatch and improve the ability of water, oxygen and nutrients to reach root systems.
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Cut the Lawn Short Before Winter
Give your lawn a good flat-top for winter. Just this one time each year set your lawn mower to 1-1/2 to 2 inches and clip it off. That’ll help retard mold during the winter.
All other times, you want your blades set to 3 to 3-1/2 inches. “Scalping the lawn may do damage to your turf by cutting to the crown of the plant, [but] in cooler months it’s okay to cut a little shorter,” Cameron says.
FAQs
Why is my neighbor’s lawn greener than mine?
Chances are good that your neighbor is regularly fertilizing and watering their lawn.
Can lime make your grass greener?
Yes. If your soil has a low pH, adding lime can produce greener grass.
About the Experts
Osmar Castillero is the owner of Blades Landscaping Services, a lawn care and maintenance company in Lowell, Massachusetts. He has over 10 years experience in the industry.
Matt Cameron is the owner of CMS Landscaping, a full-service lawn care and irrigation company in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Matt has 15 years of landscaping experience.
Originally Published: May 30, 2019
