Part of the fun of living in Orlando is the ability to grow a lush lawn in every season. Outdoor recreation is enhanced by a beautiful lawn. For the best looking lawn in your neighborhood, twelve months out of the year, follow these lawn care tips for Orlando homeowners.

- Keep your grass mown at the tallest possible height for the grass species in your lawn. Grass grows a root system that is directly proportional to the height of the grass plant aboveground. To encourage healthy root growth, and reduce the need for watering, keep your grass as high as is optimum for the species.

- Keep your mower blades sharp. Sharp mower blades have several benefits. First, you will use less fuel to mow the lawn if mower blades are kept sharp. Second, your lawn will look cleaner and greener. The "whitish haze" on newly mown lawns is caused by mowers with dull blades that tear rather than cut the grass. The incomplete tears dry up and turn brown, rather than healing cleanly and staying green.

- Get a soil test at least once a year and amend the soil accordingly. Soil test instructions and kits are available from your local cooperative extension office. A qualified landscape professional can also collect a soil sample and send it for analysis. Before spending money on fertilizer, it is a good idea to have a soil test. The nutrients your grass needs might be in the soil already, but unavailable due to soil pH or the lack of organic matter. (A common problem in the sandy soils of Florida.) You may need to adjust the soil type or acidity before fertilizing to get the most bang for your buck.

- Leave grass clippings on your lawn. Warm season grasses are prone to thatch problems, but grass clippings do not cause thatch buildup. If you remove no more than 1/3 of the grass blade at any time while you are mowing, the clippings will dry up and decompose quickly, adding precious organic matter back into the soil.

- Aerate in the spring or fall, but not during the summer. Aerating is both beneficial and stressful for your grass. During hot Orlando summers, aerating can cause unnecessary stress for the plants. A spring or fall aeration schedule will allow your plants to recover quickly from being sliced apart. For best results, top-dress with a compost/topsoil blend. This will help amend the soil and add organic matter, as well as counter the effects of soil compaction. Aerating is especially important for lawns that see a lot of recreational use.

- Water deeply and infrequently. Depending on the time of year, your grass will need more or less water. December-March, your lawn will need about 1/3 as much water as during the summer months. This is because the grass is mostly dormant and not actively growing. This watering technique will also help your grass plants grow deep roots, which will come in handy during a drought.

- Calibrate sprinkler heads. To be certain that your lawn is being watered evenly, check your sprinkler system. Put five straight sided cans or pans around your yard and turn on the sprinklers for a timed run. After the sprinklers cut off, measure the amount of water in each pan. If one contains more than the other, you need to re-calibrate the distance and overlap of the sprinkler heads, or check for leaks.

A well-maintained lawn can provide hours of peaceful relaxation after the work is done. For the healthiest lawn in Orlando, Florida, follow the above lawn care tips.