Lawn Care

The horticultural landscape includes the lawn, trees and shrubs, a vegetable garden or other ground covers: any plant materials used to enhance the aesthetic and the often-forgotten functional benefits of plants in the landscape. The lawn often represents the greatest area requiring water and other inputs. Unfortunately, lawns are often targeted as 'water wasters, 'environmentally unsustainable' and 'requiring excessive and unnecessary pesticides and fertilizers.' The majority of these misconceptions arise from improper management and misinformation.

The well-maintained lawn can and does offer benefits:

• mitigates runoff from storm events
• decreases soil erosion
• abates noise pollution
• dissipates the urban heat island effect
• increases property values, business opportunities and recreation

UNL Extension provides research based resources to assist you in doing the most to protect and enhance our water resources.

Extension NebGuides:

Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn Calendar
  PDF version (137 KB)
Thatch Prevention and Control
  PDF version (410 KB)

 PDF format requires the free Acrobat Reader.

Information presented within the lawn and landscape section of this Water Web site has been reviewed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Stormwater and Greenspace Team. Members include Mary Anna Anderson, Erin Bauer, Sarah Browning, Kathleen Cue, John Fech, Kelly Feehan, Thomas Franti, Roch Gaussoin, Clyde Ogg, Steve Rodie, Jim Schild, Dave Shelton, Richard Sutton and Kim Todd.