Lawncare Tips from Pro Groundskeepers

Lawn and Order: Grass Tips from the Pros

Mike Boekholder didn't get any hits in last year's World Series. Nor did he record any strikeouts. But the Philadelphia Phillies' head groundskeeper is still a World Series champ. Read on for his tips on how to have an all-star lawn.

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MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins admires the work of a fellow professional at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

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Worried about weeds? Boekholder doesn't rely on any bizarre concoctions (corn gluten meal anyone?) to eradicate them, just a simple tip. "The best defense again weeds is a big thick lawn," he says. Regular watering, fertilizing and aerating will produce a healthy lawn, "so you don't have to worry about weeds." Of course, if your wife tends to the grass at home, as Boekholder's does, you wouldn't worry much about weeds either.

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A thick healthy lawn can also save you money. Here's how: a lush lawn will keep the ground much cooler than a yard full of burnt grass. A cool lawn means a cooler house. "Having a nice spread surrounding your house saves you more money on your AC than you'd ever have to spend on keeping your grass healthy," according to Boekholder.

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Before caring for the grounds at the University of Tulsa, Spin Martin spent most of his career working for the National Football League, including 10 years as the head groundskeeper for the Indianapolis Colts and five with the Carolina Panthers. That's where he discovered the perfect way to paint grass (Martin's experience working for the NFL inspired him to start his own field paint company, HD Sports Paint) and the perfect way to care for it.

Courtesy Spin Martin

Martin and his colleagues prep the end zone for the New York Giants. Martin worked on the fields for several Super Bowls, so if he can get grass ready for the most-watched television event of the year, he can certainly give you some tips to impress the neighbors.

Courtesy Spin Martin

Before you worry about weeds, Martin says, you should make sure your lawn is disease-free. The best way to ensure that is to get rid of the dew. "By knocking off dew with the hose or an irrigation system you can prevent your lawn from getting damaged. Dew is where disease starts," he says.

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When it comes time to plant grass, Martin has a trick that will prevent over-seeding and lawn-patchiness. Stuff your seed into a pantyhose stocking and drop it into a bucket of water. After 24 hours pull the stocking out, let the seeds drain and repeat twice. In three days, the seeds will be germinating. This will leave the seeds heavier and less likely to clump once watered. "This will also help your grass grow in seven days; otherwise it'll take 14 or 21," Martin says.

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Kurt Morrell, the director of arboretum, grounds and gardens at the New York Botanical Garden, is kept pretty busy by the more than one million live plants there. So when he goes home he approaches his own lawn as a type of therapy. But that doesn't mean he takes it lightly. "With two young boys and two large English Springer Spaniels I do obsess about my home lawn," he says. "My neighbors all enjoy admiring it."

John Peden

Wouldn't you be the envy of the neighborhood if your trees and grass looked as healthy as these at the New York Botanical Garden?

Muriel Weinerman