Ohio is full of pesky leaf munchers ready to ruin your prized plants. Every vegetable gardener faces pest issues from time to time, and learning how to manage the little leaf-munching menaces without using synthetic chemical pesticides is an essential step in growing a healthy, productive garden.

The Japanese Beetle is the most abundant and important landscape pest in Ohio. The adult beetles eat the leaves and flowers of over 300 varieties of plants.

Thatch is a compressed, light brown layer of organic matter that looks like peat moss and is located between the soil link and grass blades. If this layer becomes thicker, it will eventually stop air and water flow to the soil.

Watering the lawn is much more than running sprinklers at night or spraying your lawn with a hose. Water management is an integral component of a sound lawn care program.

Crass cutting is a weekly ritual for most home owners. Here are some things to remember to help you get the best out of your program and your lawn in the months ahead.

In order to achieve and maintain the beautiful, full lawn you desire, you should consider basic lawn care practices such as properly mowing, fertilizing and watering. It is also important to ensure that nutrients can reach the soil beneath your grass.