Summer is around the corner and for homeowners that means lawn care season is coming in hot. But before you lace up those New Balances and tune up the mower, here are a few tips from the man who has inarguably the best-kept lawn in Central Ohio—director of field operations for Huntington Park, Wes Ganobcik.

Don’t waste time using herbicides to prevent weeds—by June, they’re already growing. Use a post-emergent to kill what’s already popped up, if that’s your thing.

Clean up loose grass clippings and leaf debris from the fall so the lawn can breathe and rain can soak into the soil.

Run, don’t walk to the garden center for fertilizer—grass goes dormant during the summer’s heat (don’t we all?). Applying fertilizer now helps strengthen the plants’ roots so they can tolerate the strain.

Mow only when you need to. “Here at the ballpark, we’re mowing every day because we’re spoon-feeding it and pushing to grow out the wear and tear. On a home lawn … it’s not necessarily a frequency of calendar days but more gauging what the weather is throwing at you.”

Increase the height of the cut. Leaving more of the leaf blade intact protects the root system and prevents the ground from drying out as quickly.

Watering is only beneficial if you do it frequently and consistently.

Stock up on seed, but don’t plan on using it until Labor Day. Early fall is the best time for grass to germinate.