For many gardeners, summer wouldn’t be summer without a smooth expanse of dark green grass and the smell of freshly mowed clippings. But while it may be underfoot, grass is usually not understood.

Most lawns can survive with little or no fertilizer and people tend to over water and mow too short, explained Tom Cook, Oregon State University’s lawn care expert.

Water

“If you don’t mind a brown lawn, and a few more dandelions, grass can go all summer with very little irrigation,” Cook said during a phone interview from his Corvallis office. “Most lawns will green up again in the fall when the rains return.”