Our Bay: Growing Green - the proper way

With emergence of the warming sun at the onset of spring, there's an urge in many of us to try to rescue our sad, soggy, brown lawns.

But the steps homeowners take to achieve lush, green lawns - especially applying fertilizer - can end up doing more harm than good, sending streams of nutrient pollution running off into waterways and sometimes doing little to help the grass.

For years, Chesapeake Bay advocates have been urging homeowners to be more thoughtful about their lawn care. They advise getting a soil test, skipping fertilizer, avoiding weed- and pest-killing chemicals, watering less, letting the grass grow...