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Soil preparation is most important! Your soil should not be too porous and not too clay-like. Amend your soil with either a humus or triple mix.

Mow your lawn as low as possible. This will remove old, dead winter kill and thatch. This allows sunlight to get to the soil and warm it up -- this is key to early green up. Then fertilize with a starter fertilizer and your lawn will be on it's way. Spring is also a great time to aerate.

Putting your sod to bed: after your last regular mowing (mow as short as possible), fertilize with a fall fertilizer low in nitrogen; water appropriately, then winterize your sprinkler system. Keep in mind you may have to hand water your lawn if the weather warms up, which is typical with our Texas weather.

• Check your sprinkler system for proper coverage, 100% head to head.
• Follow the on and off watering tips here in our information. Remember that your soil will only absorb a limited amount of water at a time, after 15 minutes the water gets wasted. On and off watering at least 3 times on your watering day will promote deep roots and a healthier lawn.
• As summer temperatures increase, raise the mowing height to 2 to 3 inches. It is also important to get watering done before the heat of the day; evening watering is not beneficial.

The million dollar question for many people is "when to fertilize?" To answer this question, you should consider these four factors: climate, grass type, the fertilizer being used, and how you want your lawn to look. For those of us who want our lawn looking its best, then it's a good idea to fertilize your lawn 4-5 times a year. Conversely, even if you don't want a good looking lawn, you should at least fertilize twice a year for your grass's sake. As discussed in the section on grasses, there are two types of grasses: Warm-Season & Cool-Season.

In order for a plant to grow and thrive, it needs a number of different chemical elements. The most important are: