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Men have had fights over it. It�s a battle of suburbia that has yet to be won. They all compete for the coveted prize with the best machines made by man. Lawn care has actually become a competition these days. Do you want a lawn to make your neighbors jealous for?

Lawns, yard, and grass: everyone has a name for that green space, but what it really is, is your own little piece of the earth. You own it, you take care of it, and you�re responsible for it. It needs you! And, you need it.

Our lawns have become a major player in our eco-system, after all it covers about 50 million acres in just America (2003 estimate). That means what you do is multiplied thousands of times over, every day in our country. So it's important that you do things right and stop flying by the seat of your pants just because that's the way you've always done it.

Besides keeping your house from sinking into some dark abyss, your lawn is an important part of our environment. Environmentally, turf grass reduces carbon dioxide emissions, mitigating the heat island effect commonly found in our urban environments.

Lawns also reduce energy consumption through its cooling effects and contribute to efforts to reduce global warming trends. Grass reduces soil erosion by holding the soil in place during heavy flooding. Just 2,500 square feet of lawn not only absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, but it also releases enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.

It can say volumes about your pride as a homeowner. It can say volumes about your lack of pride as a homeowner.

The truth is that if you live in a community that thrives on the way houses look � ala Stepford � then lawn care is important to you!

But what the experts say is true: grass and lawns are an important part of the environment. Let's face it: your turf grass, lawn, yard, or whatever you want to call it, is pretty cool. Not only does grass smell good when you mow it, but grass feels good to walk across. My kids like playing on it, and my dogs definitely like it for entirely different reasons. Grass looks pretty in the early morning with the dew sparkling across it, or in the fall when the first frost settles in.

The only thing all that lovely lawn of green grass asks is a little care, a little patience, and to be fed and groomed occasionally. Pretty much what your kids expect, except you'll never have to set up a college fund for your grass.

Believe it or not, some people feel that a beautifully manicured lawn is a hazard to the environment. They feel they are unhealthy habitats that consume not only time, but also precious resources

In actuality, a well manicured and well taken care of lawn can actually be a thriving eco-system that can help all sorts of living things thrive and grow. But this book isn�t really about that part of keeping a great lawn.

What we hope to do in this book is to help you realize your dream of having a beautifully manicured lawn by using the techniques and tricks that are used by professional landscapers.

Many times, there are people who believe that having a beautiful lawn requires the use of harmful fertilizers and other components that can damage the environment. The reality is that you can have a beautiful lawn without harming the environment.

Once you learn all of the particulars, we�re pretty sure that you�ll be amazed how you can achieve a beautiful front yard, back yard, and side yard � a beautiful lawn that your neighbors will be envious of.

What do you really need? Well, we�re going to show you. How do you take care of it? We�ll show you that too.

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You can have a beautiful lawn and get rid of all the critiques from those natural people. There are many, many ways to cultivate and take care of your lawn without compromising on environmental concerns or taking up a bunch of your time.

Experts agree that a great lawn can be a reality. How do you achieve that? Read on, dear friend, read on!

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

Just because it�s easier, let�s assume that you have no grass at all or that your grass is mostly dead and you need to start from square one. There are many, many people out there who have had their homes built and now are faced with a patch of dirt where grass should be.

If you�re like me, however, you may already have a lawn, but there are many, many dead patches all around the yard that need worked on. Well, we can work on that as well!

All you need to start with is a little grass seed and a little know how!

There are literally hundreds of grass seeds to choose from when you are trying to figure out what you want your yard to look like. Believe it or not, all of these various grasses can make your lawn look a different way.

What we�re trying to say is that grass isn�t just grass. There are different colors of green, different ways the grass lays, different ways the grass grows. Depending on what you�re looking for, choosing the right grass for your lifestyle and preference can make all the difference in having a lawn you can be proud of.

The first thing you need to do before choosing a grass seed is to prepare the land. If you have a bare patch of land, all that entails is to till up the area until you have a fine powder of dirt. Then till that area again until the powder is even more powdery. Then you can be assured you have a great place for your grass to grow!

What do you do, though, if you have patches that need to be filled in? Actually, you need to do much the same thing. Till up each piece of land until you have a very fine powder to work with.

In either situation, once you have the land tilled up, you�ll need to add in a little bit of fertilizer to make the ground more receptive to the seed it will be receiving. We�ll address specific fertilizers a little bit later, but you need to find one that will help you achieve your desired results.

Alright, you�ve got the ground prepared. Now what do you put
in it?

GRASS VARIETIES

You can�t just go to your local home improvement store and tell the clerk you need some grass seed. Sorry, but the process is much more involved than that!

How will you know which grass seed you need? Here are just a few varieties. How would you make the choice?

Fescue

Bahia

Bluegrass

Bermuda

Zoysia

Bent Grass

Centipede

St. Augustine

And that�s just a few of the varieties out there. Would you know which one you�d want to adorn your yard? Well, certainly not without a little information!

As we said before, there are literally hundreds of different varieties out there. How do you know which one is right for you? Well, we can�t choose your grass seed, but we can tell you the attributes of different varieties, and then you can choose for yourself!

First, though, consider what you�re looking for when it comes to your lawn and how to care for it. Are you wondering which grass is best for you? Here are a few considerations:

� Maintenance required: some grass species require more care than other, high maintenance grasses.

� Climate conditions: most grasses have a preference for specific climates such as humid, coastal, dry, and cool.

� Temperature tolerance: each grass performs better or worse depending on the average temperature range during the growing season.

� Drought resistance: some grass species are better suited quickly recover after going dormant during extended drought conditions.

� Shade adaptation: grass species are classified by how much or how little sunlight they need to maintain their health and vigor.

Wear resistance: this is a measurement of how well a grass species can recover from foot traffic.

Kentucky BluegrassNot every grass is good for every climate. Some species are good for shade, others are good for cold climates and still others perform better in extremely hot areas. The following is a list of the best readily available grasses for specific adaptations.
Best for shady areas

Fine-leaf Fescue: (cool season) does not tolerate traffic, drought resistant, shade tolerant. Some varieties are more disease resistant.

Tall Fescue: (transition zone) low maintenance that offers good drought resistance and better tolerates light traffic.

Bahia Grass: (warm season) is low-growing, requiring less maintenance, has a coarse texture, makes a thick turf that fends off weeds.

St. Augustine Grass: (warm season) tough, vigorous, thick, weed-blocking. Tolerates some shade, but requires frequent watering, mowing and fertilizing. Standout varieties include Better Blue, Delmar, Raleigh, and Seville.
Best in hot climates

Bahia Grass: (warm season) is low-growing, requiring less maintenance, has a coarse texture, makes a thick turf that fends off weeds.

Bermuda Grass: (warm season) fine texture that tolerates traffic. Vigorous and tolerates drought and salt. Does not do well in shade and tends to build up thatch. Standout varieties include: Cheyenne, Patriot, Tifgreen, and Tifway II.

Seashore Paspalum: (warm season) tolerates sandy soil, salt, and wet conditions. Holds up to drought and tolerates traffic.

St. Augustine Grass: (warm season) tough, vigorous, thick, weed-blocking. Tolerates some shade, but requires frequent watering, mowing and fertilizing. Standout varieties include Better Blue, Delmar, Raleigh, and Seville.

Zoysiagrass: (warm season/transition zone) slow-growing, dense grass, drought tolerant. Does better with frequent watering. Builds up thatch. Standout varieties include: El Toro, Emerald, and Meyer.
Best in cold climates

Fine-leaf Fescue: (cool season) does not tolerate traffic, drought resistant, shade tolerant. Some varieties are more disease resistant (Aurora)

Kentucky Bluegrass: (cool season) most common cool season grass and the hardiest for cold weather. Fine texture, fills in bare spots quickly, requires more mowing, does not do well in shady areas and does not tolerate salt. Standout varieties include Adelphi, Award, Baron, Midnight, Nu Destiny and Touchdown.
Best for drought resistance

Tall Fescue: (transition zone) low maintenance that offers good drought resistance and better tolerates light traffic. Standout varieties include Arid and Jaguar 3.

Bahia Grass: (warm season) is low-growing, requiring less maintenance, has a coarse texture, makes a thick turf that fends off weeds.

Bermuda Grass: (warm season) fine texture that tolerates traffic. Vigorous and tolerates drought and salt. Does not do well in shade and tends to build up thatch. Standout varieties include: Cheyenne, Patriot, Tifgreen, and Tifway II.

Buffalograss: (warm season) one of the few native North American grasses, is drought tolerant, but doesn't hold up to traffic. Turns brown when it gets hot and when it gets cold. Grows slowly.

Seashore Paspalum: (warm season) tolerates sandy soil, salt, and wet conditions. Holds up to drought and tolerates traffic.

Zoysiagrass: (warm season/transition zone) slow-growing, dense grass, drought tolerant. Does better with frequent watering. Builds up thatch. Standout varieties include: El Toro, Emerald, and Meyer.
Best in high-use/traffic areas

Perennial Ryegrass: (cool season and over-seeding in warm season areas) medium texture, handles traffic, handles drought conditions without a lot of additional watering or fertilizer. This grass does not do well in shade. It does mix well with other grass types.

Kentucky Bluegrass: (cool season) most common cool season grass and the hardiest for cold weather. Fine texture, fills in bare spots quickly, requires more mowing, does not do well in shady areas and does not tolerate salt. Standout varieties include Adelphi, Award, Baron, Midnight, Nu Destiny and Touchdown.

Bermuda Grass: (warm season) fine texture that tolerates traffic. Vigorous and tolerates drought and salt. Does not do well in shade and tends to build up thatch. Standout varieties include: Cheyenne, Patriot, Tifgreen, and Tifway II.

Zoysiagrass: (warm season/transition zone) slow-growing, dense grass, drought tolerant. This grass does better with frequent watering, and builds up thatch. Standout varieties include: El Toro, Emerald, and Meyer.
Best for low-maintenance requirements

Fine-leaf Fescue: (cool season) does not tolerate traffic, drought resistant, shade tolerant. Some varieties are more disease resistant (Aurora)

Tall Fescue: (transition zone) low maintenance that offers good drought resistance and better tolerates light traffic. Standout varieties include Arid and Jaguar 3.

Bahia Grass: (warm season) is low-growing, requiring less maintenance, has a coarse texture, makes a thick turf that fends off weeds.

Buffalograss: (warm season) one of the few native North American grasses, is drought tolerant, but doesn't hold up to traffic. Turns brown when it gets hot and when it gets cold. Grows slowly.

Centipedegrass: (warm season) coarse, fast-spreading, low growing and requires little fertilizer. Is not drought resistant and may turn brown in high heat. Outstanding varieties include Centennial, Oaklawn, and Tifblair.

Growing In Shady Areas

What do you do if you have a shady area that needs grass? Well, don�t fret! There are some types of grasses that are specifically designed to thrive in shaded portions of your lawn. Try a fescue in this case. However, you can still use general grass seeds as well in those shady areas, but you have to care for it properly.

Here are some suggestions:

Mow at the proper height and frequency for the type of grass.

Water the grass deeply.

Prune or thin nearby trees to permit more sunlight to the grass.

Consider mulch or shade-tolerant ground covers for densely shaded areas.

If you have heavily shaded areas in your lawn where the grass is thin, consult your lawn care specialist for recommendations on improving the lawn.

To find out which of the above best-of-breed grasses will work for you contact a local lawn care professional or contact your local county extension service. They will be able to tell you through trial and error which ones will work for your situation.

You also want to be careful about mixing different species together. For example, Fine Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass are both recommended for cold areas, but the two don't go well together in the same lawn. Fine Fescue is a bunching grass, while Kentucky Bluegrass is a spreading-type grass. You'll end up with clumps of fine fescue growing up out of your Bluegrass lawn and it will look just bad.

So, make your choice and get ready to start! How?