close up image of a lawn with weeds

What's that weed? Find out with the Landscape & Turf Grass Weed ID Tool!

patching weak spots in a lawn.  area without grass in a lawn, hand with bucket pouring soil on the spot

Keep weeds out - patch bard spots!

Flowering weeds are good for bees!

Cool Season grasses and broadleaf weeds

Sustainable Lawns

With more than 2.8 million acres of home lawns in New York State, what we do with our lawns matters. By cultivating a dense, vigorous lawn, you create an attractive environmental asset that will:

  • Provide a safe and fun place for outdoor play for people and pets of all ages.
  • Catch, filter and conserve surface water to reduces run-off of contaminants
  • Reduce soil erosion.•Cool surface temperature.
  • Capture and store carbon.•Filter air pollutants.
  • Reduce noise pollution.•Increase home selling price

Video: Make Your Lawn an Attractive Environmental Asset


How do we get a dense, vigorous lawn?

Seed Right

  • Did you know you could sow grass seed into existing lawns? Overseeding allows youto introduce better grass species, fill in bare patches, and reduce crabgrass infestations. Most seed labels will tell you the amount to apply if you are seeding a new lawn or overseeding.

Mow Right

Feed Right

  • Feed the roots by applying fertilizer in late summer or early fall! Good roots help lawns get through the winter, green up top growth in spring, and minimize pest and drought stress. Read the label to ensure you are applying the correct amount.
  • Pro-tip: Leave the bag off. Returning grass clippings reduces the amount of fertilizer needed.
  • Video:  Mulch Your Clippings and Leaves

Water Right

  • Cool-season grasses slow growth under mid-summer or drought conditions. They may even turn brown, but drought stress is rarely lethal. During active growth, lawns need no more than one inch per week. Too much water = disease, moss, and runoff.
  • Pro-tip: Let weather data help determine how much to water.

Brown Spots, Weeds, & Other Pests

Contact

Susan Beebe
Assistant Director/ Agriculture Issue Leader
skb11@cornell.edu
518-885-8995 ext. 2231

Last updated May 21, 2024