Lawn Care
If you're a homeowner, you probably know that one of the most labor-intensive areas of your home is your lawn. Keeping it beautiful takes work. During World War I, President Wilson's wife, Edith, kept a small flock of sheep on the White House Lawn to reduce the manpower required to maintain the grounds. But since we can't all have a four-legged lawn maintenance crew, the Web sites in this guide will help you become your own lawn expert.
Expand All Guide SectionsChoosing, Planting and Growing Grass
All grass is not created equal, and not all grass can stand up to the types of wear and tear ... read more »
Mowing and Watering Your Lawn
Mowing and watering your lawn are two regular lawn care tasks that require a little more finesse ... read more »
Solving Lawn Problems
If your green thumb fails you and your lawn develops problems, the Web sites in this section can help you diagnose the situation and possibly even fix what's wrong.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Your county extension agent (or Cooperative Extension office) may be able to help you identify and resolve some lawn problems. Extension offices aim to educate the public about agriculture, the environment and human health. Find your county's office using the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service Web site.
Dulcinea's Picks
For problem-solving Web sites …
Lebanon Seaboard Corporation
presents several articles on solving lawn problems, including dandelions, mold growth and crab grass. Don't miss the site's articles about fertilizer, root growth and lawn feeding.
Lowe's
explains how to repair bare patches of grass on your lawn. Learn when to perform lawn repairs, the procedures for fixing large or small bare spots and what to do after the repairs are made.
For weed control …
The University of Wisconsin-Extension
has assembled a great PDF pamphlet on chemical and natural weed control methods, and includes helpful illustrations to aid you in identifying potential weed invaders in your lawn.
This Old House
presents "The War on Weeds," an article that explains how to identify and eliminate weeds from your lawn. Specific tips are provided for removing eight common weeds.
For pest control …
The Environmental Protection Agency
has a collection of articles about integrated pest management, the safe use of pesticides and environmentally-friendly lawn care.
InsectIdentification.org
has helpful photos of the various types of insects you might find in your yard. Make sure to read the article about the helpful insects living in your lawn, so you don’t exterminate them by mistake.
HGTV.com
explains how to tell the difference between a mole or gopher problem in your lawn, and offers one potential way to get rid of them.
For message boards …
GardenWeb
has a message forum dedicated to lawn care. Complete the free registration process to post your own messages.
HGTV.com
has a "Lawns & Landscaping" message board where people can ask questions or post advice about lawn care. Read any messages you want, but free registration is required to post messages of your own.
Finding and Hiring a Lawn Care Company
If you're too busy to maintain your lawn yourself, or you'd just like to leave the work to the ... read more »
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
