Congratulations! You just bought your first house and your first yard. Of course, you want to take good care of your new yard.  But right now, you might be looking at the lawn and wondering, “Where do I start?”

Don’t worry, we can help. Here are 8 tips that can help you maintain a healthy lawn:

1. Get a Soil Test

Healthy soil equals healthy plants. So, begin with a soil test to determine what amendments your soil does or doesn’t need. That way, your grass (and other plants) will get the proper nutrients to stay healthy.

Where to get a soil test: In Northern Kentucky, contact the Kenton County Extension Office.  In Cincinnati, contact The Ohio State University’s Hamilton County Extension Office.

2. Choose the Best Grass

In the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky region, your lawn must stand up to hot, humid summers and cold winters. The grass that handles both: a turf-type Fall Fescue. This cool-season grass has a deep root system and grows in a range of soils. 

However, this grass, like most fescues, grows in dense bunches, so it doesn’t spread. Plan on overseeding bare spots. 

3. Don’t Cut the Grass Too Short

Scalping the grass is a mistake that many lawn care beginners make. Cutting grass too short allows weed seeds to germinate and weakens grass by reducing root strength.

The best mowing height for cool-season grass is 2½  to 3½  inches. (The University of Kentucky recommends 3-4 inches for summer.)  In any season, use the “one-third rule” — don’t cut more than one-third of the grass blade to avoid plant stress.

Important: Keep your lawn mower blades sharp. Dull blades tear grass, making it susceptible to disease.

4. When and How Much You Water is Important

Your watering schedule may not be good for your lawn. Night watering, for example, doesn’t give grass a chance to dry and invites fungal diseases. For best results, water from 6-10 a.m., which reduces evaporation.

How much water? Cool-season grass usually needs 1 to 1½ inches per week, the University of Kentucky says. Split that into two waterings to encourage deep root growth. 

How to tell? Use the can method. Put three or four empty, clean 5- to 7-ounce cans around your yard. Water for about 30 minutes, then measure the amount of water in the cans.  From there, you can determine how long to water to reach the desired amount.

5. Fertilize Your Lawn on Schedule 

Your soil test acts as a guide for the amount and types of fertilizer your lawn needs. But when to fertilize?  One schedule for cool-season grass uses the “holiday” method:

Memorial Day (late May): This light feeding prepares your lawn for summer. (Don’t overdo nitrogen now; you risk burning the lawn come hot weather.) 

Labor Day (early September). This feeding helps your grass recover from summer stress and allows it to build deep roots.

Halloween/Veterans Day: This “winterizer” feeding helps the grass store carbohydrates for winter survival, and helps it green up more quickly in the spring.

A simple way to fertilize: Use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn. Mulched grass clippings recycle nitrogen into the soil.

7. Be on Guard for Pests

There are a couple of pests that can do serious damage to your lawn: grubs and moles.

Grubs, the larvae of scarab beetles (like Japanese and June beetles) kill turfgrass by eating the roots. To stop them, apply a preventative treatment in late June or July. 

Tunnels in your yard are a sign of moles. It was thought that moles signaled a grub problem. But killing grubs won’t chase off moles, as they prefer to eat earthworms. For effective control, use a bait they are attracted to or lethal traps.

8. Plan for Annual Maintenance

There are a couple of chores that should be done at least once a year: aeration and dethatching

Clay soil, which prevails in the region, tends to compact, making it hard for water, air, and nutrients to reach grass roots.  So, in fall or spring, rent a core aerator to remove plugs of soil from the lawn to relieve compaction. 

Thatch is a layer of organic material (usually dead grass) that accumulates between grass crowns and the soil. Thatch higher than ½ inch blocks water, air, and nutrients from grass roots, leading to pest problems.

For cool-season grass like turf-type Tall Fescue, dethatch in early spring or fall. For smaller lawns, a dethatching rake will work. For larger lawns, rent a dethatcher. 

Keep Ahead of the Weeds

The best way to prevent weeds is to have a healthy, thick lawn. Dense grass denies weed seeds a chance to germinate, and competes for resources with any that sneak through. But occasionally, weeds can be a problem, so preventative measures may be called for. 

The Ohio State University suggests this timetable to use pre-emergent herbicides:

For crabgrass, apply mid-March to early April.

Broadleaf weeds: Dandelion, Clover, and Plantain need a specialized pre-emergent. Apply in September.

Winter annuals: For Annual Bluegrass, Chickweed, and Henbit, apply late October to early November.

Important: Water to activate the herbicide. Don’t apply pre-emergents if you’ve overseeded or plan to overseed your lawn. The herbicide will prevent the seeds from growing.

Yes, it’s a lot, but …

Lawn care can seem daunting at first, especially if you look at your neighbors’ yards. But know that at one time, they likely were beginners, too. As you learn to mow, water, and implement schedules for various chores, lawn care will become routine. Before you know it, you’ll have a healthy lawn that you’ll enjoy for as long as you own your home.

Linda Wolfla-Thomas is a freelance writer and editor living in Indianapolis who bought and sold two houses before moving into her current one years ago. She often writes about lawn care and home improvement projects.