It’s early Spring, and your yard is likely in need of a good fertilizing. With April showers are on their way, so the time to prepare for a lush, green lawn is now.

Many of us roll out the fertilizer, lay it down, give it a good soaking and that’s it. But there’s more to getting good grass—you need good soil, a decent amount of rain or water, sunshine and regular maintenance to get a top-notch lawn.

Get Prepped

Test the pH level of your soil before planting new grass; you can get a do-it-yourself kit from a hardware store, nursery or gardening catalog. This enables you to determine what grass seed to plant and which compounds you’ll need to add to grow healthy grass.

You’ll also need to assess the available sunlight in the areas where you plan to plant. If your lawn receives less than four hours of sun a day, pick a grass that does well in the shade (see below).

To prepare your soil, remove all weeds and roots and rototill at least six inches to loosen compacted soil. You can make this a part of your annual yard decluttering effort. Add loam and compost to the topsoil, pack it with a roller and then groom with a metal rake.

Select Seed

To choose the best grass seed, consider your climate, usage level (i.e., is your lawn for show or play?) and amount of sunlight. Common warm-weather grasses include Bermuda, Bahia and Zoysia grasses. Popular cool-climate grasses are bluegrass, ryegrass and bentgrass. Ask your local nursery to recommend a seed if you need help.

At this point, you can seed your soil by hand or use the hydroseeding method, which combines grass seed, water, fertilizer and mulch into a tank for spraying evenly over your prepared soil.

Perform Maintenance

Whether you are planting your lawn from scratch or reviving the lawn you already have, cutting, watering, fertilizing and weeding it will keep looking fantastic.

Mow it. Invest in a good mower; today’s mowers do a wide range of formidable work. Husqvarna has an all-wheel drive walk-behind mower that offers top-of-the-line quality and ease of use. Many brands offer features like spring-loaded height adjustment, responsive speed control, single-lever deck adjustment and below-deck shielding of the drive belt.

It’s usually best to mow only the top third of your grass to encourage healthy root development, discourage weeds and eliminate drying. Taller grass provides more ground shade. Ensure you are cutting the top third by raising your mower to the highest notch.

Water it. Many garden experts suggest weekly, deep waterings for lawns because more regular, shallow watering causes your seed to “drown” and leads to dried-out, brown areas in your existing grass (known as “thatch”). If you have a freshly seeded lawn, it’s recommended you water every day for five to 10 minutes. Once the seeds sprout, adjust the time to every day for 15 to 20 minutes. You’ll also want to take your soil into account. If you have sandier soil, it will dry out more quickly. Clay-based soils retain water longer.

Fertilize it. Apply a comprehensive fertilizer at least two times a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. It should contain common compounds like nitrogen and phosphates and micronutrients such as iron, copper and sulfur. Use either a drop-spreader for precise fertilization or a broadcast spreader to cover larger areas.

Weed it. The secret to fewer weeds is to maintain healthy grass that impedes weed development. Mowing as recommended above also helps because it lops off rampant weeds like dandelions and crabgrass before they spread their seeds. If you still have weed issues despite these efforts, try a natural herbicide first to eliminate exposure to pets and children.