When you do all the things necessary to achieve a healthy and robust lawn, you also make your lawn incredibly attractive to one of its biggest enemies. Turf grass needs thick juicy roots in order to thrive. The healthier the roots, the more appetizing they are to grubs.

Nothing takes the fun out of an evening barbecue outdoors like a bunch of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. In addition to inflicting a painful bite, mosquitoes can transmit diseases. Because mosquitoes require water to breed, here are some practical ways to eliminate water sources in your yard: 

It Doesn't Have to Be an Uphill Battle

There's no doubt about it…crabgrass is a worthy opponent in the quest to keep your lawn looking its best. This very common turfgrass invader can seriously detract from the beauty and health of your lawn if left untreated. With proper treatments and good lawn care habits, though, crabgrass can be kept under control. The trick is to take care of the problem before the seeds get a chance to sprout.

Keeping your lawn thick, green and healthy means doing several things right. The most important is making sure there's enough moisture to maintain growth. This is especially the case with newly seeded lawns.

There's no magic to watering properly. It's really just a matter of ensuring that the water you do supply to your lawn, trees and shrubs is used efficiently.

As the Weather Gets Hotter, Don't Forget to Water 

Lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers need adequate water to thrive, and the summer months are the time to be especially aware of your landscape's watering needs. Remember that how often plants need to be watered is closely related to how deep their roots are. 

Did you know that your lawn can have a positive impact on your health and the environment. Here are just a few of the many benefits of keeping your lawn healthy: 

 The season can be saved with pre-emergent controls

The idea of concentrating on prevention, rather than cure, can easily apply to much more than humans. Prevention also plays an important part in the maintenance of your lawn. And one of the best ways to maintain your lawn's health is to practice Plant Health Care. 

Step towards a better environment, and a way to help your soil, too

We realize once again that there is no such thing as a free lunch. After enjoying the show, the performers fall down on us and leaf raking time is back. 

Ever laid eyes on a grub? If so, you know how ugly these pests are. Even uglier, though, is the damage they can do to your lawn. Grubs are the unfortunate offspring of beetles, such as June beetles and Japanese beetles, and they hatch from eggs laid in the soil. After hatching, the grubs (or beetle larvae) start feeding on turf roots. 

A well-maintained lawn can help to provide a healthier, more pleasant environment for you, your family and your community. Here are some interesting facts about lawns that you may not be aware of:

There are several ways to approach seeding depending on how big and how thin the areas are that need to be seeded, but there are three very important rules to follow no matter what kind of seeding you need. 

Every lawn in Georgia, new or established, is susceptible to a variety of disease. Promoting healthy growth is the best way to prevent a severe disease outbreak. Most common lawn diseases can be avoided by optimizing mowing and watering practices. Stressed grass is much more susceptible to disease than healthy grass. 

Fireweed is a nuisance weed that pops up every spring in Georgia. This rapidly growing weed has a shallow root system and germinates in the thatch layer of lawns. Although easily controlled by post-emergent herbicide treatments, pre-emergent treatments have no effect on this invasive weed. Proper lawn maintenance practices provide the most effective means of control. Weekly mowing with a sharp mower blade at the proper mowing height will minimize Fireweed infestations. Managing your thatch layer is also important. Compacted soil and improper mowing practices can lead to excessive thatch. Spring core aeration will relieve compaction and help manage your thatch layer.

Although warm season lawns are somewhat tolerant of the summer heat, cool season lawns can struggle with the heat, humidity, and periods of drought. Since Fescue lawns cannot spread and repair themselves like warm season lawns, they must be aerated and over-seeded to thicken and repair damaged areas.

Proper water techniques are often misunderstood. As a general guideline, lawns only need 1″ to 1.5″ inches of water per week. It's best to water 1 to 2 times per week early in the morning to achieve this goal. Watering for a longer period of time less frequently soaking the soil to a 6″ to 8″ depth will promote a deeper root system and improve drought tolerance. Short frequent watering will cause shallow rooting. Shallow rooting will lead to poor drought tolerance and increase disease susceptibility. Its best to water your lawn and landscape plants early in the morning before the sun rises. This will allow time for the water to soak into the soil before evaporation can occur. 

Having a quality lawn involves promoting healthy soil, adding plenty of the right nutrients, and using proper lawn maintenance techniques. Proper lawn maintenance is an integral part of having a beautiful, healthy lawn. 

Soil compaction and thatch build-up are two of the biggest obstacles we face in Georgia. Compacted soil restricts the movement of air, water and nutrients into the soil. This can lead to excessive thatch build-up.