By the numbers

Ten things to do to your lawn

1. Mow the grass at the proper height: 2 to 3 inches for a bluegrass lawn.

2. Sharpen mower blades every six weeks through the summer for clean cuts.

3. Give the lawn an inch of water a week in quarter- to half-inch applications.

4. Fertilize in the early spring, early summer, mid-summer and early fall.

5. Use water wisely. If it rains significantly, turn off the sprinklers for a few days.

6. Check all sprinkler heads regularly to make sure they are operating properly.

7. Consider reducing the amount of lawn you maintain by using lawn alternatives or other plantings.

8. Core aerate your lawn at least once a year, preferably in the spring.

9. Every few years, top dress your lawn with compost to rebuild the soil.

10. If you have birch or aspen trees, give them extra water in the summer. The birch borer will hate you for it.

Five things not to do to your lawn

1. Don’t thatch lawns – it’s too hard on the turf and very few Inland Northwest lawns need it.

2. Use weed-and-feed products cautiously. Apply only where you see weeds. Remember, excess weed chemicals leach into ground water.

3. Don’t cut your lawn too short in the hottest part of the summer. It weakens the grass.

4. Don’t mow when the grass is really wet. Wet grass tears and looks ragged.

5. Don’t weed whack right up to the tree trunks in the yard. It damages the bark on the trees.

Five things to ask the lawn service

1. What kinds of certification and experience does the person have who is doing YOUR lawn? Ask for references of other work and check them out.

2. Is the lawn service properly licensed by the Washington or Idaho Department of Agriculture to apply lawn chemicals and fertilizers?

3. Is the company properly insured in case damage is done to your yard?

4. If the lawn service is going to maintain shrubs and trees, is the individual doing your work certified by the International Society of Arboriculture?

5. If they are applying weed, insect controls and fertilizers, will it be on an as-needed basis or as a blanket application regardless if need it?