You know the lawn that everyone in the neighborhood admires? Growing it isn’t as hard as you might think. Allen Sarhangi, a retired agriculture professor and president of Urban Forest Landscape in Yorba Linda, Calif., offers these essential tips for a healthy lawn.

1. Ample water. To effectively irrigate your lawn, water needs to get 4 to 6 inches into the soil, which is the depth of the roots. Stick a sharp, hollow pipe at least six inches into the soil, then pull it out to see how deep the water is getting. Don’t overdo it, though—overwatering is just as bad as under-watering.
    
2. Easy mowing. Kentucky bluegrass and fescue are the most common lawn grasses grown in the U.S. They respond well to an easy mowing routine that removes no more than one-third of the leaf blade at one cutting. “If you keep your grass tall, you won’t have to water as often because the soil will be shaded,” Sarhangi says. Cut your grass every week during the cutting season and keep your lawnmower blades sharp. Otherwise, you’ll be tearing the grass instead of cutting it, which will create dry spots.
    
3. Fertilizer, as needed. If your lawnmower leaves fine, tiny clippings behind, don’t remove them. They provide natural fertilization, give your grass nutrients and help maintain your lawn’s color and density. If that’s not an option, Sarhangi recommends organic fertilizer because it provides nutrients for a longer period of time. However, it won’t work as fast as high-nitrogen chemical fertilizers, and it will cost a little more.

There’s an added bonus. If you take these three steps to keep your lawn strong and healthy, you’ll be less likely to wind up with weeds.