Randy Bowers rakes his yard with his tree carving in the foreground at his home on Keithwood Drive in Valencia on Thursday. In addition to mowing, landscape professionals say homeowners can perform several maintenance steps throughout the year to keep their lawns looking healthy.

There's no one fix-it-and-forget-it solution for good lawn care.

It takes several steps spaced out over the year to keep lawns at their peak. But these are steps homeowners can take without too much hassle, if they know when to get outside.

As the weather and seasons change, so do the needs of a lush yard. Landscape professionals offer these tips to keep a lawn green all year.

Now through AprilAfter the melting snow, many homeowners will find snow mold on their lawns. For that, Bob Stirling of Stirling Landscaping in Center Township recommends urea fertilizer. Many yards alongside roads suffered rock salt damage, and he suggests gypsum to neutralize that salt."We always recommend a brisk raking in the spring," he said.Mary Jo Minteer of Agway in Butler Township said homeowners should do a soil test to measure the acidity of the soil and then choose an appropriate fertilizer. She said lime comes in a pellet form that is easy to spread, but that for lawns that are bigger than 5,000 square feet, there are spreaders to make the work easier."This time of year you need a fertilizer with a crab grass preventer," Minteer said.Stirling said, "In the next 30 days you should use a crab grass preventer. Crab grass will come and take over some lawns."Stirling said many lawns in the area are calcium-rich. A magnesium-heavy fertilizer will bring the pH level of the lawn close to a neutral 7.0, which is the perfect conditions for lawns."You get more bang for your buck," Stirling said.Meanwhile, shrubs and some bushes like soil to be a little more acidic.This year, homeowners will likely notice more damage from moles than in the past.A thick blanket of snow this winter insulated the ground and kept it from freezing. That allowed the moles to stay near the surface, digging holes and tunnels."A lot of people come in and their lawns are torn up," Minteer said.Barry Grote, a landscaper formerly with Allegheny Lawn and Golf in Cranberry Township, said in the spring lawns can be mowed as low 2-inches to remove all the dead grass. When the weather warms, he suggested raising the mower deck.

May through AugustWhen grass cutting season starts in earnest, a few more fertilizer applications are necessary.In May, a healthy lawn could use a fertilizer with a weed killer or dandelion killer, Minteer said. Weed and feeds work well if they are applied correctly, she said.The ideal conditions for fertilizer are a fleshly mowed lawn and then to let the lawn grow, including two days without rain immediately after the application."Mow first, then let it grow," she said.This is also the time of the year to trap Japanese beetles, which are the source of grubs.But, Stirling doesn't suggest trying to attract the insects to a resident's yard with a trap."Always buy a (trap) for your neighbor," he joked.He said the lawns baking in the long day's sun can get burned out."Lawns love some shade," he said.Because of that, he suggests planting some trees. They have the added benefit of providing comfort for the homeowner.In summer, during the heavy mowing season, Grote said the best way to get a great lawn is to sharpen mowing blades often."I sharpen my blades every other time I mow," he said.Additionally, he said, don't stick to a once-a-week mow schedule just for the sake of tradition. Many people use Saturday to mow, he said, but if rain and fertilizer are spurring growth, consider mowing on a Thursday.

September to freezeThe last two fertilizer applications should be done in the fall.One should be done in September and the last one after the final mow of the season, Minteer said.The fall also is a good time for specific type of grub control. By adding milk spore in the fall, homeowners can protect their lawn for 10 to 12 years.Minteer said there are two choices: a spreadable material and a material that is put on by the teaspoonful every three or four feet.Stirling said grubs enjoyed the same conditions from the snow as moles over the winter and could be a problem this year."They were protected by the snow," he said.So applying, grub control will solve both problems, he said. Eliminating the grubs also will eliminate the moles that feed on the grubs."If you take away their food supply, the moles won't be a problem," he said.Grote said modern grub control is safe if applied according to the instructions. Don't be afraid to ask questions about products when shopping at the store, he said.