You may simply

need to tweak your lawn care program to better serve the specific needs

of your lawn. Here are a few common complaints and suggestions for making

adjustments.

Weeds. A

healthy lawn is your best defense against weeds. As grass strengthens

and thickens, it actually helps prevent crabgrass, dandelions and other

weeds from growing by blocking out the sunlight and using up the moisture

that weeds need in order to germinate.

The way to

a healthy lawn is through its soil. The ideal soil for gardening contains

a mixture of sand, silt, clay and organicmatter. Also, the pH value, which

indicates the acid or alkaline level, should be neutral, or around 7.0.

You can test your soil with a pH kit available at garden centers.

To improve

the health of your soil, use a natural organic fertilizer. "Many

synthetic fertilizers release nutrients faster, while organic fertilizers

are better at releasing nutrients at the rate plants need them and may

add beneficial organic matter," says Stier. "Microorganisms

in the soil break down organic matter into a usable form by plants."

A healthy lawn

can take some time to develop. Until your lawn has reached this point,

you can still fight weeds naturally by mowing your lawn no shorter than

two to three inches and by removing any weeds you notice to prevent further

damage.

"Burning"

your lawn. Too little water and too much salt will cause your lawn

to turn brown and, in severe cases, can kill the roots. Chemically-derived

synthetic fertilizers can burn lawns if over-applied because they contain

a high amount of salts. Applying more synthetic fertilizer than the label

suggests can actually damage plants.

Follow the

directions on the package to avoid problems. On the other hand, if you're

worried about applying too much fertilizer by mistake, go with one that

has a low salt index.

"The natural

organic fertilizer Milorganite contains virtually no chemical salts, so

it won't burn grass or plants under any condition," says Mike Archer,

market development and research coordinator at Milorganite.

Heavy clippings.

Did your lawn grow so fast last year that you couldn't keep up? Compared

to fighting weeds and suffering from burned roots, a lawn that grows too

fast may seem trivial. But frequent mowings can wear on you and your summer

free time.

Lots of rain

may cause your grass to grow faster than usual, but another viable suspect

is the nitrogen in your fertilizer. Nitrogen, commonly the prominent nutrient

in fertilizers, promotes quick growth and dark green foliage. It is a

vital nutrient to plants, but too much can cause plants to grow prematurely.

"Synthetic,

water soluble fertilizers tend to release nitrogen faster than organics,

so the result is visibly green grass sooner," says Stier. "However,

forcing a burst of nitrogen is stressful to your lawn."

A plant's growth

should determine its use of nutrients, not the other way around. Look

for a "slow-release" or "water-insoluble" fertilizer

that releases nitrogen at rates needed by the plant. Generally speaking,

the higher the amount of slow release or water-insoluble nitrogen a fertilizer

contains, the closer its rate of release to the rate the plant can use

it.

Damaged

shrubs or gardens. When fertilizing their lawns, homeowners often

tend to spread the product too close to their shrubs and gardens. Many

fertilizers high in nitrogen are not recommended for these plants.

Shrubs and

vegetables typically require even less nitrogen than your lawn. If you

have more than just a lawn to care for, you might consider going with

a multi-purpose fertilizer that can be used on anything from lawns to

shrubs to flower and vegetable gardens.

Because natural

organic fertilizers release nitrogen at a rate appropriate to plant needs,

they can be applied to a variety of plants. Milorganite, for example,

contains 6 percent nitrogen by weight.

"Milorganite

is so safe," says Archer, "the only way it could kill a plant

is if you spilled a 40-pound bag on the plant and left it there for a

week. Even then, the lack of sunlight would be what killed the plant."

General

lawn care tips. Here are a few general lawn care tips to keep in mind

this spring.

Spread your

fertilizer evenly. Streaks and blotches will give away the spots you missed.

Do not mow

your lawn when it's wet.

Keep your

lawn mower's blade sharp to cause the least amount of damage to the grass.

Set mower to

correct cutting height (2 1/2 to 3 inches).

Mow often

enough so you never remove more than one-third of the lawn height each

time.

Do not allow

clippings to "bunch," suffocating the grass underneath.

If you didn't

get the lush green lawn you wanted last year, don't give up. It's almost

spring, which means you have another chance to make your yard the envy

of the neighborhood.

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