Green with lawn envy? How to make the grass greener on your side of the fence

Does the grass look greener on the other side of the fence? When you peek at your neighbor's lawn, maybe it really does look better - more lush and healthier - than your own. If what you see leaves you green with lawn envy, you're not alone.

Homeowners spend about $40 billion a year on improving and maintaining their lawns, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's national home and garden survey. Undoubtedly, at least some of those invested dollars - and the hours of toil associated with them - still leave many homeowners dissatisfied with the results.

The secret to green, great-looking grass isn't how much you spend in terms of time or money, but how wisely you spend. Investing in improving the soil under the grass gives your lawn a good foundation, and can fix many lawn issues such as poor drainage, soil compaction and thatch buildup. These issues can deprive grass roots of water, nutrients and air.

Before wasting your time and money trying to improve your lawn, consider whether soil problems are standing between you and the lawn you long for. Here are some tips from the soil scientists at Outsidepride.com to help you create the lawn you crave:

Aeration gets to the root of the problem

You can dump as much weed killer and fertilizer on a lawn as you can afford, but if nothing reaches the grass roots, your efforts will be wasted. Grass roots require a certain amount of oxygen to thrive. Soil packs down over time, as does the organic matter (thatch) on top of it. When this happens, the compacted soil and thatch block water, nutrients and air from reaching plant roots. Or, the layer of compacted soil may not allow moisture to drain away from roots, leaving them to rot from sitting in water.

Aeration is one task where you can spend a lot of time and money and reap only frustration if you go the traditional route of either renting a mechanical aerator or hiring a professional to do it for you. Many homeowners are finding liquid lawn aeration is a faster, easier, cost-effective - and successful - alternative to mechanical aeration. LazyMan Soil Doctor, for example, combines liquid lawn aeration, dethatching, fertilizing and soil conditioning in an all-in-one, easy-to-use, spray-on liquid.

Simply spray the polymer mixture on your lawn and it goes to work aerating, dethatching, conditioning, and fertilizing soil. The product covers 100 percent of your lawn, is chemical-free, adds nutrients and amino acids, increases much-needed airflow and boosts the earthworm population underground. If you start out with decent topsoil, you can expect the first application to reach a depth of about 6 inches. Reapply one to two weeks after the initial application, and continue to apply, as needed, at two week intervals.

Tests show that in most cases surface water will drain away with a single application. The aerating elements that open up compacted soil (technically, polymers that react with water molecules) continue their work until they break down. Research also shows that thatch is reduced by half with three applications at four-week intervals.

Digging to the root of problems

To determine the health of your lawn's roots, dig several small samples from various spots around the yard. Does the shovel slide into the soil easily? You should be able to insert half the shovel into the soil without too much difficulty. If you can't, then you probably need to aerate and dethatch.

Fertilizing is your next critical lawn-care task; it replenishes the reserves used during dormant winter months and fuels the rapid growth phase of grass. A balanced fertilizer, like the 10-3-6 liquid fertilizer in LazyMan Soil Doctor, is biologically enhanced through the introduction of beneficial microbial species, and it comprehensively revitalizes soil health, plant nutrition, germination and plant growth.

Finally, water your lawn wisely. Once you have treated your lawn for problems with aeration and dethatched, fertilized and conditioned your soil, it is important to properly water your lawn. Avoid too much water and too-frequent watering. Water each area long enough to allow water penetration of about 7 inches. Do not water again until the soil has had a chance to become slightly dry.

A healthy root system requires ongoing care. Pay attention to your lawn instead of waiting for signs of poor health to show up on the surface of your lawn. A little prevention will ensure a beautiful lawn that leaves your neighbors - and not you - green with lawn envy.