10 basic tips to help your lawn stay green

1. Don't cut the grass too low: You really shouldn't have your lawn mower set to cut more than one-third the total length of your grass blades. So don't let your grass grow really tall before cutting it. Grass that's cut too low can dry up and die quite easily because you've cut into the crown of the plant.
2. Pour a little Epsom Salts on your lawn: Sound crazy? It's not. Epsom Salts are full of magnesium, which is for germination in your grass. Epsom Salts also have sulfur, which makes a good grass nutrient. Sprinkle the stuff on your lawn with a seed spreader, or mix it with water and spray. You'll need about two pounds of Epsom Salts for each 1,000 square feet of yard.
3. Rake up those leaves: That's right. It's Autumn. The leaves are falling by the bushel. And if you leave all those leaves (get it?), they will form a carpet over your grass and kill that grass. Next Spring, after the snows all melt, you'll have a brown, yucky mess instead of a nice, green lawn. So rake.
4. Water frequently: The water needs to sink down into the ground, at least 4 or 5 inches. Why? Because if the water doesn't, then the roots of your grass will not dig down and deep. This is important for healthy grass. The deeper those roots, the stronger the grass. Water near the surface just keeps the roots of the grass near the surface, and that causes weaker grass that's easy to kill by weeds. So, water often.
5. Not enough sunlight?: If you live in the city where there are tall buildings, or have a lawn anywhere that the grass won't get much shade, it is still possible to have a green yard. It just takes some thinking and a little work. For one thing, when you're seeding the area, don't drop as many seeds as you might normally. You want fewer seeds because you want less grass. Sound nutty? The truth is that you want less grass so the individual plants won't be competing against one another so much for what available light there is and for water. Also, don't cut grass in a shady area as often and try not to walk on the grass very much; this will help the grass to grow stronger.
6. Sharpen your mower's blade: Yes, you want a sharp blade on your lawn mower. This not only gives a neater, cleaner look to your yard, but it also does less damage to the grass. A dull blade will whack and tear grass, causing damage to the grass' blades.
7. Know your growing seasons: This is especially important for seeding and fertilizing. The types of grasses found in warmer climes are best treated in the early spring or summer. Grasses usually found in medium climes are best treated in early spring or late fall. In the United States the easiest way to know your climate is to look at a map. Most anything below Tennessee is a warmer clime and anything above not so much.
8. Water in the morning: Yep, the best time for watering your lawn is in the morning, especially before 9 a.m. Later in the day, and the water might evaporate too much and too quickly before having a chance to sink down to those roots. And definitely don't water in the hottest parts of the day, because this will only bake the roots of your grass.
9. What to do with those grass clippings: Raking up those cut grass clippings, or using a mower with a bagger, leaves behind a clean look, but it also denies certain nutrients to the lawn, especially nitrogen. But don't leave big clumps of grass behind, because that will kill the grass beneath.
10. Dethatching is important: Thatch is basically old grass and other organic matters that build up in the soil and around the roots of your grass. Getting rid of thatch can help your yard to breath better, and it also helps the grass' roots to grow stronger and take in more water. Dethatching is a bit of manual work, but it's well worth it, so head to your local lawn store and get a dethatcher. What does one look like? Kind of like a rake, but the sharp spines at the end of the dethatcher will be short and usually curving out and away from the handle.