April showers bring May flowers...as well as a beautifully lush, green and healthy lawn. In order to maintain the look and quality of your lawn, following are several guidelines to keep in mind. On average, a lawn needs one to two inches of water per week; however, the actual amount your property requires depends on several variables, including: amount of rain; type of soil; air temperature; type of grass; relative humidity; degree of sun/shade; soil composition; amount of thatch. For best results, a lawn should be fertilized three times a year, late May, early September, and early December. Slow or controlled release fertilizers are recommended. These allow for a more constant feeding over a long period of time. You should apply one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. If the pH level is below 6.5, you should add lime to your lawn. Soil nutrients are more readily available to the grass plant at 6.5, making the turf healthier and slightly more drought tolerant. Since the soil in our area is naturally acidic, it is a good idea to check your lawn yearly. Pesticide use can threaten the purity of our ground water supply and should be used cautiously, and only when truly necessary. Many people use pesticides to prevent problems that might never arise. Closer evaluation of your lawn may allow you to forgo using pesticides. If a problem has been detected, utilizing the integrated pest management and mechanical practices to rid your lawn of pests, should be investigated. Finally, if using pesticides becomes the only alternative, choose the least toxic one for the specific purpose. It is also important to refer to the directions to learn when the pesticide is most effective.