The lawn care business in the United States is a multi-billion dollar industry and Tooele County residents do their share to promote it. They want their own lawns to be attractive without having numerous pest problems. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for producing a good lawn, but this 12-step program will help you avoid or at least reduce most common pest problems in our area.

Like all plants, grasses need proper amounts of light, moisture and nutrients, and they are subject to several different pests, much the same as other plants. Not all lawns are affected by the same pests and some areas are more pest-prone than others. These are cultural practices that help prevent pests or reduce their effects.

Not all lawns need the same cultural intensity. Intensity depends on turf species or cultivars, lawn quality, lawn use and time, effort and money available for maintenance.

1. Select turf-grass species or cultivars adapted to the site and suitable for the intended use of the turf.

2. Ensure proper soil-establishment conditions, including adequate surface and subsurface drainage.

3. Establish the turf using proper techniques.

4. Water properly. The more often grass is wet and the longer it remains wet, the greater the chances of problems with disease occurring. During dry periods, apply enough water at one time to provide adequate moisture for a week. To meet this requirement, the soil should be wet six to eight inches deep.

5. Remove excess thatch in early spring or early fall when 1/2 inch or more has accumulated. Thatch is a tightly intermingled layer of living and dead stems, leaves and roots of grasses that develop between the layer of green vegetation and the soil surface. Too much thatch keeps water from penetrating the soil, makes some pest problems worse, and apparently prevents the grass from putting down a deep root system. Thatch is often an ailment of "good lawns." Grasses differ in their inclination to develop thatch and bluegrass -- our local favorite -- is the worst.

The best way to combat thatch is core aeration -- not power raking, which damages crowns and sets grass back.

6. Aerate low spots where water may stand.

7. Aerate compacted areas, using a hand corer or power machine. Coring is a form of cultivation involving the use of a hollow tine or spoon to remove soil cores that leave a hole or cavity in the soil.

8. Do not mow upright grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and fescues, too closely. Clipping grass to 3 1/2 inches or higher is recommended during the summer.

9. Mow grass often, so that no more than one-fourth to one-third of the leaf surface is removed at any one time. Mow the lawn throughout the fall until the grass stops growing.

10. Fertilize according to recommendations and a soil test. Recommendations vary with the grasses grown and their use. Underfertilized lawns allow weeds to invade. Overfertilization promotes fast, lush growth, especially in hot, humid weather or early spring.

11. Follow suggested disease and weed control programs for your area and grasses grown.

12. Do not plant grasses that are not adapted to your area. Be careful of seed mixtures that contain some "weed" grasses. Plant seed at recommended rates or seed with high quality sod.