How to Grow Greener Grass

Secrets for healthier, thicker & greener grass

Our staff expert tells you the six secrets for growing greener grass. You'll keep your lawn healthier, greener and thicker with a lot less effort.

Tip 1: Grass loves a neutral pH
Grass grows best when it’s growing in the “pH happy zone.” If the soil is too acidic or too alkaline, the grass won’t thrive even if you do everything else right. So collect one tablespoon-size sample a couple of inches under the sod in three different places in your yard and take the three samples in for testing. Some garden centers offer the service, or search the Internet for “soil testing” to find a place to send it.

Bonus: Five great ways to wreck your lawn »

7 Mosquito Repellent Tips

Keep mosquitoes from crashing your party

Try these seven simple ways to reduce mosquitoes in your backyard, both for the short term and long term. They include pruning, treating ponds, eliminating puddles, spraying and others.

Tip 1: Prune hedges and mow the yard to reduce shade
Hedges, bushes and tall grass provide shade that shelters mosquitoes. They need a place to get out of the heat and sun during the day, so the fewer shaded areas they find, the less they'll congregate in your yard. Keep the hedges and bushes trimmed, and mow the yard at least once a week. Mow or till weedy spots to minimize shade and to keep these marginal areas from becoming overgrown jungles. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Otherwise, you'll just drive the mosquitoes next door—and they'll come back often to visit.

Six more skeeter eliminating tips »

Weed Killer Tips

Wipe out your weeds in one hour!

Improve your lawn. Eliminate weeds and keep them away with minimum time and effort by choosing the proper herbicide and applying it in a timely way. This works for both grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds.

Targeting weeds
When my wife and I bought our house, the lawn was filled with weeds. Dandelions and ground ivy mostly, with a few generous patches of clover and thistles. I poured some weed killer into a dial-up sprayer, hooked the sprayer up to my outdoor spigot, doused the entire lawn, and an hour later I was done. Within a couple of days, the weeds were wilting, and they didn't grow back after I mowed them. Not bad for an hour's worth of weed treatment! - Brett Martin, editor.

Kill broadleaf, annual & perennial weeds all season »

Do you have a great tip to share?

We’re always looking for great tips and we’ll pay $100 for any we publish in The Family Handyman magazine. Submit your tip »