One of the hallmarks of spring in Iowa is the greening up of the lawn. Below are some resources to help manage that green lawn all season long!
General Care Guides for Lawns
- Spring Lawn Care
- Spring Lawn Care FAQs
- Summer Lawn Care
- Late Summer Lawn Care
- Late Summer Lawn Care FAQs
- Fall Lawn Care FAQs
- Fall Lawn Care (video)
- Fall Tips for the Lawn (pub)
- Turfgrass Management Calendar: Kentucky Bluegrass Lawns (pub)
- Lawn Care Calendar (video)
Mowing Lawns
- Mowing Your Lawn (pub)
- Mowing the Lawn
- Mowing FAQs
- Mowing Height
- Mowing Height in Summer
- Frequency of Mowing
- Mowing New Lawns
- Managing Grass Clippings
- When to Stop Mowing in the Fall
Watering Lawns
- Watering Home Lawns
- Proper Way to Water Lawns
- Best Time of Day to Water a Lawn
- Frequency of Watering the Lawn
- Watering a Newly Seeded Lawn
- Watering a Newly Sodded Lawn
- Is it Necessary to Water During Hot, Dry Weather?
- Watering Lawns During Drought Conditions
- Managing Drought Conditions over Summer
Fertilizing Lawns & Soil Health
- Lawn Fertilization (pub)
- Responsible Phosphorus Management Practices for Lawns (pub)
- Natural (Organic) Fertilization for Turf (pub)
- What Time of Year to Fertilize
- How Often to Fertilize
- Can I Fertilize a Dormant Lawn in Summer?
- Should I Apply Lime?
- Soil Testing Resources
- Turfgrass Biological Soil Health (pub)
- Storing an Open Bag of Fertilizer
Aerating the Lawn
- Core Aeration of Lawns
- Benefits of Aerating the Lawn
- When to Aerate the Lawn
- How to Aerate the Lawn
- Frequency of Aeration
Seeding & Sodding Lawns
- Seeding a New Lawn
- Establishing a Lawn from Seed (pub)
- Establishing a Lawn from Seed FAQs
- Turfgrass Renovation (pub)
- Fixing Thin/Sparse Lawns
- Overseeding a Lawn
- How to Overseed a Lawn FAQs
- Sowing Seed after Preemergent Herbicide
- Sodding a New Lawn (pub)
Types of Grass & Selecting the Right Species of Turfgrass
- Selecting a Grass Species for Iowa Lawns (pub)
- Grasses for Special Uses (pub)
- Factors to Consider When Selecting Turfgrass Species
- Turfgrass for Shady Areas
- Tall Fescue
- Zoysiagrass
Managing Problems in the Lawn
- Understand Thatch in the Home Lawn (pub)
- What is Thatch?
- Large Patches of Dead (or Brown) Grass
- Bumpy Rough Lawns
- Managing Surface Roots from Trees
- Managing Seedhead Development in Lawns
- Managing Waterlogged Soils
- Growing Grass in Shady Areas
- Removing Leaves from the Lawn
Managing Weeds in the Lawn
- Weed Control in Home Lawns (pub)
- Weed Control (video)
- Managing Perennial Grassy Weeds in the Lawn
- Managing Perennial Broadleaf Weeds
- Timing and Applying Broadleaf Lawn Herbicides FAQs
- Methods for Applying Herbicides
- Managing Herbicide Drift
- Weed Control After Seeding the Lawn
- Using Treated Lawn Clippings in Compost
Managing Specific Weed Species in the Lawn
- Crabgrass
- Creeping Charlie (Ground Ivy)
- Dandelion
- Nimblewill
- White Clover
- Violets
- Birdsfoot Trefoil
- Yellow Nutsedge (and crabgrass)
- Water Grass
- Moss
- Algae
Managing Disease, Insect, & Animal Pests in the Lawn
Diseases
- How to Prevent Turfgrass Diseases
- Fairy Rings
- Rust
- Snow Mold
- Powdery Mildew
- Summer Patch (pub)
- Leaf Spot and Melting Out (pub)
- Red Thread
- Anthracnose
- Dollar Spot
- Brown Patch
- Minor Leaf Spot Diseases (Ascochyta & Septoria)
- Slime Molds
Insects & Animals
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on April 22, 2022. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.