Caring for a lawn requires preparation, planning and maintenance. Before you even plant one seed, there are things you need to do in order to build a strong and healthy lawn. Long after the seeds are planted, there are things you need to do to keep that strong and healthy lawn.

Before You Plant

The health of your soil is just as important as the health of your lawn. The soil determines how healthy the lawn is going to be. Before you plant, you must assess the condition of your soil and take measures to correct any problems.

Soil amendments and conditioners are anything that you add to your soil to change the physical or chemical properties of the soil. Not all soil is ideal for growing a lawn, so amending or conditioning the lawn will help you to achieve the conditions you need for your lawn. For instance, if your soil is too sandy, you'll need to add an amendment that will help that sandy soil absorb more nutrients and water, like compost. If your soil is too sticky and thick, like clay, then an amendment like wood chips or bark will help make your soil have better aeration.

After You Plant

In order to combat weeds, you'll need an herbicide. Herbicides come in two different forms, pre-emergent and post-emergent. Pre-emergent weed killers fight weeds during their seed and seedling stages. Post-emergent weed killers fight mature weeds. For best results, use both kinds. A pre-emergent herbicide will fight most weeds before they begin and the post-emergent herbicide will fight any weeds that make it through to maturity.