Sod is great for an instant lawn, but it can cost 10 times as much as grass seed and require more labor to install. Watch this video for some helpful tips on how to go about planting grass seed or laying sod in your yard.

Related posts:

• What Is the Proper Mowing Height for Grass in Your Yard?
• Plants in Your Garden that Produce Seed for Birds
• How to Grow Grass in Shade

How low–or high–should I cut the grass in my lawn? -Rasheem

The proper height for mowing your lawn depends on the type of grass, the season, and the growing conditions. For example, bentgrass can be mowed under ½-inch, while tall fescues should be 3-4 inches high. Choosing the correct mowing height is important since:

• Proper mowing creates a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant lawn.
• It discourages undesirable grasses and weeds while encouraging your chosen grass type. For example, mowing fescue higher will discourage Bermuda grass which is low-growing.

Pointers for Setting Mower Cutting Height

• Shady grasses grow better if mowed a little higher.
• Raise the blade to the top of the cutting range for your type of grass (see chart below) during drought conditions in summer to reduce the stress on your lawn.
• Cut warm-season grasses at the lower end of the cutting range in early spring to remove dead blades.
• In general, cool-season grasses do best when cut as high as possible.
• Different varieties within the same grass type may vary as to the best cutting height, so try to identify the specific variety you have (such as ‘Zenith’ zoysia or ‘Empire’ zoysia), then check with a sod or seed supplier for cutting recommendations.

Recommended Mowing Heights for Lawn Grasses

The chart below gives general guidelines for grass cutting height.

Further Information

• Making Mowing Easier
• Proper Mowing Techniques
• Choosing Grass For Your Climate
• The Basic Grasses (Turfgrass Producers International)

Related posts:

• How to Control Bermuda Grass
• How to Winterize the Grass in Your Lawn
• When and How to Fertilize Centipede Grass

Brown spots in lawns are frustrating to deal with! Just when you think you’ve done everything right, suddenly there’s a patch of grass that’s dead or dying. There are a number of causes of brown spots in lawns, from insects to disease to human error.

To get to the bottom of the situation, you’ll have to do a little old-fashioned investigating. Here’s a checklist to help you determine the cause of brown spots in your yard.

Human and Animal Damage

Unfortunately, it’s very easy for us (and our pets) to damage lawns. Some common causes of brown spots include:

• Dull Mower: Dull mower blades tear your grass, causing damage and gradual death to the grass.

  Remedy: Sharpen your blades in fall and spring. After mowing, examine your grass to see if the mower is cutting cleanly.

• Scalping: If your mower blade is set too low or there are lumps in the lawn, it can cut the grass too short and cause damage.

  Remedy: Practice proper mowing techniques by raising your mower blades, and smooth out high spots by digging up the sod, removing some of the soil underneath, and replacing the sod.



• Chemicals: Gasoline, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides can cause dead spots if spilled. If fertilizer is applied unevenly or incorrectly, it can burn the grass. Even insect repellents can burn your lawn when sprayed on the grass blades.

  Remedy: Pour chemicals, fuels, and sprays on your driveway, not on your lawn, and follow application directions.

• Animal Urine: Dogs are the most common culprit, but large birds and other animals can cause urine spots, too. Urine usually causes your lawn to turn yellow in spots, sometimes with a bright green ring around the edges where the diluted nitrogen in the urine acts as a fertilizer.

  Remedy: Check out our article on How to Keep Dogs From Damaging Your Lawn for tips.

Take a sample of stems, roots, and soil for analysis.

Poor Growing Conditions

The conditions in your yard may be unfavorable for grass to grow:

• Poor Soil: Soil quality can vary in your lawn, and poor soil can occur in patches, causing brown, bare areas or moss.

  Remedy: Take a screwdriver and push it into the soil. If it doesn’t go easily, your soil is likely compacted. Try aerating and top-dressing to incorporate organic matter in the soil. When you aerate, take a look at the plugs, to see how the quality and texture of your lawn varies in different spots. Keep this in mind as you amend and improve your soil.

• Buried Debris: I once puzzled over a brown patch for weeks before finding an old piece of buried lumber under the grass.

  Remedy: While you’ve got that screwdriver handy, poke around a little to see if anything is underneath the sod.


Compacted soil.

• Erosion: Water tends to run off slopes, taking grass seeds and young shoots with it, and leaving bare ground or dried out areas behind.

  Remedy: Aerate your lawn to increase water absorption. If the slope is steep, consider building terraces or planting groundcover.

• Roots: Large trees or shrubs usually win the battle for water and nutrients. The area under trees is notoriously difficult for growing grass.

  Remedy: Consider mulching or naturalizing areas under trees and shrubs.

• Drought: Lawns need one inch of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. Dry, compacted spots are more easily drought-damaged.

  Remedy: Keep an eye on dry, sunny spots, especially if your soil drains poorly. If you irrigate, make sure your entire lawn is watered evenly.

• Dormancy: Cool-season lawns can go dormant during the heat of summer while warm-season lawns go dormant during the winter. If your lawn has a mix of grasses, you’ll have curious brown patches as some areas go dormant while others stay green.

  Remedy: Seasonal dormancy is normal, but make sure your lawn is healthy and strong to prevent unnecessary browning.

Brown spots caused by dormant Bermuda grass mixed with green fescue.

Common Lawn Diseases and Pests

If you’ve eliminated all the above causes, it’s time to move on to some of the more serious diseases and pests that plague lawn grasses. Some of the most common culprits are:

• Thatch: Thatch is a buildup of decaying grass blades that can build up so thick that it chokes out healthy grass.

  Remedy: Remove thatch if it is more than ½” thick.

• Grubs: Grubs are a common problem in mid to late summer, and most easily identified when your sod easily pulls back from the ground like a carpet.

  Remedy: Pull back a section of sod and inspect for fat, white curved worms. More than ten per square foot can cause lawn damage. Grub control products are available at your garden center.

• Chinch bugs: Chinch bugs are a common summer pest in warm-season lawns, especially in hot sunny patches beside driveways and sidewalks.

  Remedy: Inspect your lawn closely, and look at your shoes as you walk through the grass – you should be able to spot the small black and white adults. They’re resistant to many pesticides, but there are products available to target them.



• Other insects: Caterpillars and other pests can live part of their life cycle in lawns.

  Remedy: Watch your lawn closely – look for crawling and munching insects and for grass blades that look eaten. Also watch for birds and wasps feeding on these pests in your lawn.

• Fungal Diseases: Brown patch and other fungal diseases thrive in moist conditions, most often in midsummer (when nights and days are hot and humid) and spring (as snow melts). They may show up as circular or irregular brown spots, or you may notice a spotting or infected pattern on the blades or a generally dying/thinning out.

  Remedy: Increase air circulation and sunlight as much as you can, to make your lawn less inviting to fungus. Note the size and shape of the damage as well as the frequency of watering, fertilizer, mowing habits, and sunlight in order to diagnose the disease correctly. Take a sample of the affected grass (blades, roots, and soil) to your local cooperative extension office for analysis.

Further Information

• Lawn Diseases (North Dakota State University)
• Common Lawn Diseases (Cornell University)
• What Kind of Lawn Diseases May I Have? (All About Lawns)
• Fall Lawn Care Guide
• Spring Lawn Care Guide
• Summer Lawn Care Guide

Related posts:

• How to Keep Dogs from Damaging Your Lawn
• Summer Lawn Care Guide
• Fall Lawn Care Guide

I’m always fascinated to see lawns and gardens that break out of the conventional patterns, especially when difficult areas are transformed into something beautiful and useful. This homeowner has found a creative solution to a hard-to-manage area of his lawn: a putting green! Complete with chipping tee, flag, and sand trap, this project turns an otherwise difficult area of the lawn into a playground irresistible to golfers and guests alike.

Building a backyard putting green is an intensive DIY project, but it can be done with enough research and the right tools. The most important factors are location, topography, water drainage, tree roots, and underground utilities, along with the many choices of materials and accessories. The process is not unlike building a patio – you’ll have to remove sod, adjust the slope, compact a sub material, install the putting green turf, and finish the edges and seams.

Further Information

• How to Build a Putting Green in Two Days
• DIY Putting Green

If you have trees in your yard, you’ve likely encountered the challenges of trying to grow grass in the shade. Lawns have trouble in shady areas for several reasons:

• Most lawn grasses need 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. Shade-tolerant varieties can handle less, but no grass will grow in full shade.
• Sheltered, shady lawn grasses tend to be weak, spindly, and less able to recover from stress.
• In nature, survival is all about seniority, and mature trees and shrubs are stiff competition. The majority of tree roots are in the top few feet of soil, so lawns barely stand a chance under large established trees.
• As trees mature, the soil under them decreases in quality, and you can’t till or add soil without harming the tree.
• Trees shed rainwater, so the soil under trees tends to be drier than the rest of your lawn.
• At the same time, the areas under trees have less air circulation, which makes the area more humid and susceptible to disease.
• Leaf litter and pine needles can smother lawn grasses and often raise the soil pH.

Ways to deal with shady areas in your yard:

• Grass Selection: Certain grasses, like fine Fescue and St. Augustine, do better in the shade than others, and there are specific shade-tolerant blends available as well. Keep in mind that all grasses need some sun, so even shade-tolerant ones will need some partial sun filtering through the trees.


Try naturalizing shady areas.

• Naturalize: If you have deep shade, you really should consider giving up the battle. Naturalize the area with groundcover or add mulch and plant shade-loving plants. Don’t add too much soil, or you’ll risk damage to the tree roots.
• Thin Trees: Thinning your trees will allow more air and sunlight to penetrate under them.
• Leaves: Keep the leaves under trees raked to prevent the grass from being smothered.
• Mowing: Set your mower blades as high as possible when mowing shady areas to leave more of the grass blade for photosynthesis.
• Watering: Be sure shady areas get enough water, but water deeply and infrequently to keep disease at a minimum.
• Fertilizing: Use about half as much fertilizer in shady spots as other areas of the lawn.
• Herbicides: Don’t use chemical weed killers or any other product that could stress your lawn grass.
• Reduce Traffic: Consider adding stepping stones or pavers to keep foot traffic off the grass.
• Test Soil: Do a soil test to see if you need to adjust the pH of your soil.
• Overseeding: Apply extra seed as needed to thicken your turf.

Further Information

• Improving Lawns in the Shade (Purdue University)
• Grasses in Shade (University of Missouri)

Related posts:

• How to Control Bermuda Grass
• What Is the Proper Mowing Height for Grass in Your Yard?
• How to Winterize the Grass in Your Lawn

Sod can transform bare ground into a lush lawn in just a matter of hours. To keep it from wilting in the heat you should water the ground first and then sprinkle fertilizer to give it extra nutrition. Also make sure to keep it watered well in the first few weeks after installation.

To make taking care of your lawn easier and more eco-friendly, consider replacing your gas powered push mower with a rechargeable robotic lawn mower like the LawnBott. Propane powered string trimmers, like the LEHR Eco Trimmer are another way to make your yard greener. They both run without using gasoline and produce zero harmful emissions. Watch this video to find out more.

Related posts:

• Fall Eco-Friendly String Trimmer Giveaway
• Advantages of Rechargeable Cordless Lawn Mowers
• Green Eco-Friendly Resolutions for Your Lawn and Garden

Changing the way you mow your grass can save water by reducing the need for lawn irrigation. Here’s how:

• Use a mulching mower and blade. Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn will provide natural, organic nitrogen and help retain moisture.
• Don’t cut the grass too short. Set your cutting depth to leave 2½” to 3” of grass. Taller grass protects the stem from sunlight, makes a stronger root system, and reduces evaporation.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

It may be hard to believe, but even the way you cut your grass can be considered green. Here’s why. Your grass is 80 to 90 percent water, so to keep it healthy, you have to make sure it gets plenty H-2-O. If you can cut back on water usage just by some simple mowing techniques, then you’ve got a green lawn in more ways than one. To start with, make sure your mower has a mulching blade installed. Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn will provide natural, organic nitrogen and keep moisture in. Secondly, don’t cut the grass too short. Set your cutting depth to leave 2 ½ to 3 inches of grass. Taller grass will protect the stem from heavy sunlight and it makes a stronger root system. Plus, it means there will be less evaporation, so less water is needed to keep it healthy.

Related posts:

• Environmentally Friendly Landscaping for Your Home
• How to Choose Environmentally Friendly Furnishings for Your Home
• Summer Lawn Care Guide

It’s important to keep you lawn watered during dry weather, but timed sprinkler systems often cut on when watering isn’t needed. The Wireless Moisture Sensor from Vigoro uses a remote sensor to monitor moisture levels in the soil. It then relays the information to the timer to prevent it from cutting on unnecessarily. The Vigoro Moisture Sensor is available at The Home Depot.

Related posts:

• (695) Room with a View, Part 2
• Water-Saving Gadgets for Your Lawn or Garden
• Lutron Maestro Dimmer with Occupancy Sensor

Every year, our friendly neighborhood shade trees remind us that Mother Nature has a mind of her own, as the leaves begin to flutter down and cover the ground like a crunchy snowstorm. Left to their own devices, those leaves would form a dense mat under the tree, choking out competing plants and breaking down to provide nutrients back to the tree. It’s a brilliant system—if you’re a tree! But we homeowners—with our driveways, lawns, and gardens—find all those fallen leaves quite a nuisance.

Instead of sending your leaves to the landfill, consider recycling them to feed the plants in your garden. Leaves are a great, free source of nutrients and insulation for your garden if used correctly, and you can keep your lawn neat while still allowing nature to work its magic. Here’s how to make use of fallen leaves in your garden.

Mulch small amounts of leaves directly into your lawn.

Mulch Mowing

The easiest way to recycle fallen leaves is simply to leave them alone. Up to an inch or two of leaves can be mowed and left to break down in your lawn, adding nutrients and a bit of mulch to your lawn grass. Make sure your lawn mower has a mulching function and sharp blade, so that the leaves are thoroughly shredded and spread thinly.

Shredding Leaves

If you have large amounts of leaves, you can use them for other purposes in the garden, but they must first be shredded. Whole leaves (especially large ones) form an impenetrable, moldy mat that will suffocate nearby plants and make a mess. There are several ways to shred leaves:

• Lawn Mower: Mow over leaves while on the ground with the lawn mower and either pick them up with the bag attachment or rake up after shredding.
• String Trimmer: Rake up leaves and put them in a garbage can. Crank up your string trimmer and use it to shred the leaves while in the can.
• Leaf Blower: Use the shred and vacuum feature on some leaf blowers.
• Shredder: Run leaves through a commercial shredder.

Shredded leaves break down much faster.

Uses for Shredded Leaves

Once you’ve got a nice pile of shredded leaves, there are many great uses for them:

• Compost Pile: Add shredded leaves to a compost pile. Shredded leaves are a great source of carbon for the compost pile. Layer them with nitrogen-rich waste such as leaf clippings, and keep some extra on hand to sprinkle over messy kitchen scraps.
• Leaf Mold: Some gardeners like to process leaf compost separately to produce a super-rich mulch and soil additive called leaf mold.
• Container booster: Fill your planting containers about half-full of tightly-packed leaves, then add regular potting soil and plants. The leaves will break down slowly and feed the plant, saving on the cost of potting soil.
• Instant bulb bed: To create a bed of spring woodland bulbs such as daffodils, first layer shredded leaves and topsoil, then place a layer of bulbs, then cover with layers of leaves and topsoil to about 8”- 10” deep.

Leaves are great for suppressing weeds under shrubs.

• Mulch: Spread shredded leaves around shrubs, trees, flowers, and vegetable gardens to use as Mulch. I like to use leaves in areas that need deep mulch, such as back behind large shrubs where it’s hard to keep weeds under control. Since leaves tend to blow in the wind, you may find that your mulch migrates back into the lawn on windy days! If this is a problem in your yard, try sprinkling the mulch with water or adding a thin layer of regular wood mulch, pine straw, or topsoil on top.

• Garden blanket: Mound leaves around and over tender perennials and shrubs to provide extra winter insulation. In the spring, gradually remove the leaves to allow the soil to warm. You can also move containers of perennials and shrubs to a sheltered area and bank with leaves for the winter. Keep some extra leaves on hand to cover plants in case of a surprise spring freeze.
• Amend soil: Leaves are full of nutrients and very beneficial additives to both clay and sandy soil. Use leaf compost, or simply spread a thick layer of shredded leaves on your vegetable garden to be tilled into the soil. The leaves will break down slowly in the ground and substantially improve the quality of your garden soil.

Some gardeners even raid their neighbors’ leaf piles!

Leaf Recycling Tips

A few parting thoughts as you go to work recycling those leaves:

• Leaves are often acidic. Check your soil pH and amend with lime, if necessary, to keep the pH neutral.
• Avoid mulching with tree seeds, such as maple tree “helicopters” and oak tags. You’ll end up with a lot of sprouts to pull!
• Tougher leaves, such as oak leaves, are slower to break down. For this reason, you may choose to compost them separately or mix them in with other types, keeping in mind that some will break down faster than others.

Further Information

• Leaf Shredding (video)
• Leaf Compost (video)
• Tip for Bagging Leaves (video)
• How to Make Compost For Your Garden (video)
• How To Build a Compost Bin (article)
• Using Mulch In Your Garden (article)
• Allelopathic Plants: Nature’s Weedkillers (Earth Friendly Gardening)

Related posts:

• Fall Yard and Garden Maintenance
• How to Recycle a Christmas Tree
• How to Mulch with Grass Clippings