The beginner-friendly guide to creating a lush and thriving lawn
With Lawn Care For Dummies you get the know-how you need to grow a great lawn, improve an existing lawn, or keep your lawn healthy. You'll learn all about the different types of grasses, including where they grow best and what they need to thrive. This book also walks you through the process of installing sprinklers and other irrigations systems, so you'll be set up for grassy success. Then, get advice on figuring out the maintenance schedule that works best for you—watering, fertilizing, mowing, dethatching, aerating, overseeding, and beyond. You also get insight into how to do all of this with an eye on minimizing water need and keeping the rest of the environment healthy.
- Create the best lawn for your climate and your personal lawncare style
- Optimize your upkeep with pro tips on when, how much, and how often
- Get troubleshooting guidance for damaged lawns, and get rid of pests, diseases, and weeds
- Improve the health of your lawn with easy-to-follow advice
This updated edition of Lawn Care For Dummies is perfect for the everyday lawn owner, soon-to-be owner, and DIY lawn care advocate looking to grow a better lawn without breaking the bank.
Introduction 1
Part 1: Designing Your Perfect Lawn 5
Chapter 1: Thinking about Design 7
Chapter 2: Lawn Climates, Big and Small 17
Chapter 3: Discovering Lawn Grasses 27
Chapter 4: Cool-Season Grasses 35
Chapter 5: Warm-Season Grasses 47
Chapter 6: Increasing Your Soil Sense 59
Part 2: Preparation and Planting 71
Chapter 7: Preparing Your Lawn Area for Planting 73
Chapter 8: Planting a Lawn from Seed 93
Chapter 9: Starting a Lawn from Sod 105
Chapter 10: Planting Sprigs and Plugs 117
Part 3: Maintaining Your Lawn 123
Chapter 11: Watering Lawns 125
Chapter 12: Fertilizing Lawns 147
Chapter 13: Lawn Mowing 171
Chapter 14: Aerating, Dethatching, and Renovating 191
Part 4: Tackling Lawn Problems 205
Chapter 15: Managing Weeds 207
Chapter 16: Addressing Insect Problems 229
Chapter 17: Tackling Lawn Diseases 247
Chapter 18: Diagnosing Other Lawn Problems 263
Part 5: Cultivating Sustainable Lawns and Landscapes 277
Chapter 19: Considering Lawn Alternatives 279
Chapter 20: Choosing and Caring for Trees in Your Lawn 299
Chapter 21: Planting a Wildflower Meadow 323
Part 6: The Part of Tens 331
Chapter 22: Ten Eco-Friendly Lawn Care Practices 333
Chapter 23: Ten Sustainable Landscape Features 339
Index 345
Suzanne DeJohn has more than 25 of years of experience writing how-to gardening content, in-depth science content for educators, and book projects, including Organic Gardening For Dummies and Container Gardening For Dummies.
The National Gardening Associations mission is to promote gardening to the public through educational materials in print and online at garden.org.
