I have a love-hate relationship with my lawn. On the one hand, I love the look of a long, emerald-green sward, aromatic with fresh-mown fragrance. On the other hand, I hate mixing pesticides, maintaining a mower, and unraveling the inner mysteries of an irrigation timer.

So, is a perfect lawn truly possible? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on your definition of perfection. In my book, perfection is having a flat green space where my family can romp and tackle each other without worrying where we fall.

In fact, an attractive lawn is always a product of preparation, observation, and perspiration. If you consistently follow the techniques I describe here, your lawn can be a year-round candidate for "Yard of the Month".

PREPARATION
Prepare to have a good lawn by deciding which grass is best suited for your site. Bermuda and Centipede lawns require full sunshine. Zoysia will grow in full or partial sun. Fescue is best for light shade or a mixture of sun and shade. Attempting to grow Bermuda in shade is an exercise in futility, so matching your lawngrass to your specific environment is paramount.

A grass plant is no different from any other plant. In order to thrive it needs a healthy root system plus adequate moisture and nutrients.

One of the biggest struggles we have in Atlanta is giving our lawngrasses a decent root environment. The best investment you can make before planting a lawn is to rototill a two-inch-thick layer of high-quality topsoil or organic amendment into your existing clay soil. Failing that, yearly aeration (in May for Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede lawns; in September and/or March for Fescue) helps keep the soil soft.

OBSERVATION
You observed the sunshine levels of your yard before you determined which grass to grow. It is no less important to observe how water affects your lawn. If water stands in one area for more than an hour after a rain, grass will not grow there. If water flows down a hillside at more than a crawling pace, grass will gradually disappear due to erosion. Divert or correct water flow before you plant or you will be guaranteed bare spots that will never thrive.

An old saying goes, "The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow." I strongly believe that you cannot have a good looking lawn without regular visitation to look for problems before they get out of hand. How often should you walk your lawn? Once between each mowing should be adequate. Look for weeds, thin spots, matted leaves, and anything else that indicates a problem. Identify and correct your problems immediately.

PERSPIRATION
A beautiful lawn is not an accident. Mother Nature will fight you tooth-and-toenail to have what she wants: a plot with many different kinds of plants, many of which you might call weeds. And lawn maintenance is not a random process. Research has proven that following certain rules will help your turfgrass thrive, to the detriment of weeds and diseases. Below are some common guidelines for preserving your lawn's health.

MOWING HEIGHTS
Remove no more than one-third of a turf's height at any one mowing.

• Centipede grass 1 to 1.5 inches
• Fescue 2 to 3 inches
• Rye grass 1 to 2 inches
• Seeded Bermuda grass 1 to 2 inches
• Sodded Bermuda grass.5 to 1.5 inches
• St. Augustine grass 2 to 3 inches
• Zoysia grass .5 to 1.5 inches

SEEDING RATES

• Bermuda grass 1 to 2 pounds per 1000 square feet
• Centipede grass .25 to .5 pound per 1000 square feet
• Zoysia grass 1 to 3 pounds per 1000 square feet
• Fescue 5 to 10 pounds per 1000 square feet

WATERING
Most lawns need approximately an inch of water per week during their peak growing season; although water restrictions allow watering every other day, lawns should be watered only once a week. The best time to water a lawn is in the morning, preferably before noon. This allows the grass to dry before nightfall, reducing the risk of disease.

If you manage your lawn properly this spring you and your family will have a more enjoyable landscape and life.

Walter Reeves is a lifelong Georgian, UGA grad and former county extension agent. He currently hosts the popular “Lawn & Garden Show” on 750 WSB-AM and “Gardening in Georgia” on GPTV.