The long winter's night is over and it's time again to renew the lawn. Here are some easy, environmentally sound ways to produce lush, green grass without spending weekends doing it.

In early spring, get your lawn off to a quick start by setting your mower a notch lower than normal to remove surface debris and any damaged grass.  If you have a name-brand mower, you should be able to buy a special de-thatching attachment that will help open up the turf so it can receive more air, light, and moisture.

If you have bare spots—which you likely will—seed those areas with the correct type of grass. Check with your County Cooperative Extension agent or your local garden center if you don't know what type of grass you have. If appropriate, try some of the improved varieties that don't need as much fertilizer and are naturally disease-resistant. Some types don't even grow as fast.

Don't throw your clippings in the trash—they're valuable fertilizer. Use a mulching mower to return the clippings back into the turf as you mow. Toro Super Recycler mowers have special deflectors that produce a clean, "just-bagged" look even with tall, thick grasses. Toro also has a quiet, low-maintenance, overhead-valve engine that complies with the latest emissions regulations.

As the weather gets warmer, raise the cutting height of your mower so that you'll be cutting no more than a third of the grass blade at one time. This will produce a healthier lawn because taller grass promotes longer roots, which need less water.

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