In some ways, maintaining a healthy, clean-looking lawn is a fairly straightforward task that most people understand how to approach. Regular mowing is needed to curb the overgrowth of grass and weeds. Frequent watering helps your healthy grass grow to a level that gives your lawn a vibrant green hue. Testing the fertility of your soil on a regular basis helps you understand the current condition of your lawn whether you’re on the right track in terms of caring for it.

Certain necessary aspects of adequately caring for your lawn, though, aren’t quite as simple or intuitive. Setting your lawn mower to mow high, letting grass grow tall, and leaving clippings behind, for example, may not be obvious steps toward a healthier lawn. These steps, though, are just one part of your overall path toward a more optimal lawn care plan that’s built to bring out the best in your residential green space.

All of these tasks are critical when it comes to optimal lawn care. That’s why in this blog post, we’re going to explain in further detail when you should test your soil’s fertility, why you should steer toward organic pest control options, the reasoning behind mowing higher and leaving clippings behind in your lawn, and why a professional lawn care service may be your best bet for getting all of this done the right way.

Know when to test your soil

Soil test kits are free and are your best bet when it comes to determining how much and what kind of fertilizer your lawn needs. Your fertilizer has a major impact on how your lawn will grow, but the risks go both ways, too: too little fertilizer and your lawn won’t grow as healthily as it should, but the same is true if you add too much. It isn’t just that the grass or other plants you want may fail to grow; you may end up feeding certain types of weeds instead.

You should test your soil every three to four years. Once you’ve identified the type and amount of fertilizer you need, follow the instructions on the package and apply it on a dry day in the fall to avoid potential runoff.

Choose organic options for pest contro