The Dirt: Time to fertilize the lawn

By: Connie Nelson, Star Tribune
May 20, 2008

If you didn't fertilize your lawn last fall, you might want to do so now that the grass is actively growing. If you'd like to grow a "greener" lawn, consider a natural fertilizer that contains corn gluten meal, soybean meal, blood meal or feather meal.

Other ways to go green with your grass:

• Keep grass longer (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches) to encourage deeper roots, which help grass plants survive hot, dry weather.

• Leave grass clippings on the lawn, where they break down and add nutrients to the soil.

• Water deeply rather than often. (Most turf grass requires an inch of water per week.) But be sure to factor in rainfall when you're thinking about watering.