Question
Long Island Gardener,
Hope all is well. I wrote to you several times and your feedback has been outstanding. I am the guy who rolled and rolled my soil, but was lucky and had my lawn grow in beautiful. I applied the organic matter like you told me after the grass started to come in. Over the winter, my grass has maintained its green color and it appears to keep filling in. I didn't think it would spread over the winter but it has because the grass has spread into my empty flower beds that line the length of my house. Bare spots are filled in throughout the lawn. I am excited for spring in hope to reap the rewards of my hard work(thanks to your advise). Here is my question, I want to do what's best for my lawn, and with out guidance, I will probably do something that is not necessary and will set my lawn back. Please prevent me from messing my lawn up? I want to put more organic matter down, because it seemed to work so well. Is this a good idea or did I do enough in the fall to just kick back and enjoy!

PS My children are joking with me that I am in love with the lawn.   Mike

Answer
Terrific news, my friend!  Although I should probably check back over the past questions to review the details of your earlier questions, I can't wait to tell you how good it is to hear that you were able to stick to the rules and reap all the rewards.

Organic matter works because it makes microbes happy.  A rich, diverse population fights crime and feeds the hungry -- on autopilot.  Compost and Humus support your friendly Soil Bio-flora and -fauna.  You can't feed them too much of this stuff.

To keep your Grass happy:

1. Mow, mow, mow your Lawn all Spring and Summer -- easy duzit in hot Weather (a little longer and less often -- but enough to keep Weeds from setting seed).

2. Water deep, long, and only when needed, the earlier the better.

3. Learn to love insects.  Even the naughty ones have a place in your Lawn -- Grubs are delicious if you're a Bird.  (There's a reason some people call food Grub.)  If your ecosystem is functioning, there will be some bad bugs.  Which means there will be food for good bugs.  Don't deploy WMDs upon the first sighting of creepy crawlers.  Or the second sighting. Or the third.  Hold your horses.  Carniverous insects are almost always GOOD for your Grass -- you can i.d. them by their jaws: if they look like they can grab or chop another bug in half, they're GOOD.

4. Make sure your local Birds are HAPPY.  They devour Weed Seeds and bad insects.  Birds like Water features, free Food, and places to hide from Cats.  Too many Earthworms?  Not enough Birds!

5.  Make sure your local Earthworms are HAPPY.  Rototilling, concentrated Fertilizing, and drying out their Soil makes them SAD.  Avoid those.

There are a few other things I might think of after I post this, but not to delay any longer, the last one I can think of is:

6.  Don't drive over, run on, or otherwise travel across your Lawn when the Soil is wet.  That includes Winter when snow is melting.  Moist Soil instantly compacts.  Un-doing that takes time, Ants and Earthworms.

And one for the road:

7.  Accept the LESS THAN PERFECT Lawn.  This is not a paint job on your house.  This is where you play.  This is the kids' swing set and tree house.  This is the field.  This is life.  A Dandelion here, a sprout of Purslane there, a patch of Clover, a path etched by the pitter patter of little feet doth make the most wonderful Lawn of all.

AllExperts and you, making the world a better place, one Lawn at a time.

Thanks for writing.  Keep in touch.