Responsible Lawn Care Practices Taking care of our environment is important to all of us. Homeowners can do their part by following environmentally friendly "Best Practices" for lawn care: Read the label—the information provided on all lawn care product bags, weed killer, fertilizer, and insecticides, is provided for your safety and responsible use. Leave your grass clippings on the lawn. Over a growing season, grass clippings will provide as many nutrients as one application of lawn fertilizer. An established lawn doesn’t need much phosphate. Use low or zero phosphate (the second number in the N-P-K) fertilizer products, unless you are starting grass from seed. Always use lawn fertilizers with slow-release nitrogen fertilizer on your lawn. Slow release fertilizers are also called extended release nitrogen fertilizer or controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers. If some is good, more is NOT better. Don’t spread that last ½ bag of fertilizer, weed killer or grub killer. If you end up with excess lawn care product, seal the bag and store it in the garage, out of reach of children and pets for the next time. Unless the directions for use tell you NOT to water, then water in all lawn care products as soon after application as practical. Sweep or blow back onto the lawn any lawn care products that you spill or scatter on driveways and sidewalks. A few insects will not damage your lawn. Use insecticides only when damaged areas appear, and then only in the vicinity of that damage. If you have only a few weeds, spot-treat them rather than applying a weed killer to your whole lawn. The best weed preventer is a thick and healthy lawn. Fill in bare spots and thin areas in the lawn with grass seed.