Thanks to All Green Pest Control and Lawn Care for contributing to this article.The weatherman knows that rain makes the grass grow. But only rapping weatherman know that good grass makes it rain, yo. Yup, turns out lawns aren’t just good-looking: Getting serious about your greenery can actually save you serious green. Don’t believe us? Below, five tips to make sure your lawn is working for you. And that Biggie song clearly wasn’t talking about grass, cuz mo’ money, NO problems.

1. The Grass is Always Greener…

Longer grass is happier grass, and happier grass is greener. For Kentucky bluegrass (the most common lawn type in Utah) that means three-inch grass in the dog days of summer. So give yourself a crew cut, but let your lawn be a hippie. Pretty soon it will be hugging trees and going green (literally).

2. The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Lawn Waterers

Get all Stephen R. Covey on your lawn and set a watering schedule.

• Be proactive about watering before the sun starts cookin’.
• Start with the end in mind and imagine how jealous your lawn-poor neighbors will be.
• Put first things first and make watering to a depth of 6 to 8 inches your top priority.
• Synergize your watering and fertilizing.
• Sharpen the saw (see #1).
• Seek first to understand your grass and then seek to be understood by it, checking environmental factors such as wind, heat, and other stressors before you water.

And if you water smarter, not harder, you’ll save money on your water bill as your grass gets greener: win-win.

3. The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Soil Best Suited to It

And you should do the same with your lawn. Different types of soil require different watering strategies. Sandy soil doesn’t hold its water, and it washes away foolishly when the rains come down and the floods come up. Do the right thing and water it daily or every other day, depending on temperature. Clay, on the other hand, stores water (think all pots in ancient societies everywhere) so you can water every other day or even every three. Make sure to loudly praise clay for its water retention so your sandy soil gets an inferiority complex, because hey, that’s motivating.

4. Manifest Green

You’ve read The Secret. Your lawn is green to the extent that you imagined your lawn being green (it’s even greener if you made a vision board full of golf courses). Oh, and you have to try, too. In other words, if you want a green lawn, set your expectations and work accordingly. Water often, test your depth weekly, and inspect those sprinklers! Or, if you want a brown lawn, pay no attention to any of this and just do whatever. Because when you settle for less, all your dreams come true!

5. Be an Aer-head

Nothing solves a problem like poking a million holes in it, and your lawn is no exception. It’s true: Soils need to be aerated regularly so rain can penetrate to the root. Sandy soils should be aerated once a year during the spring. Clay soils should be aerated two to three times. (If you already know you’re going to slack, at least do it once in the fall). Finally, a landscaping plan that actually holds water!*

*More dad jokes available upon request.

Want a cost-effective lawn-care plan? Contact the experts at All Green Pest Control and Lawn Care who contributed these tips, or find other great local landscapers on the KSL Classifieds app.

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