Want a major league lawn this summer? Back when our Minnesota Twins moved to their state-of-the-art outdoor stadium, Target Field, a local TV station profiled the hardworking grounds crew who keep the field in top condition. While you may not have a whole outfield to care for, many of the groundskeepers’ best practices are also good lessons for homeowners. Here are our pro tips for a great-looking lawn.

Your lawn will be a home run if you take care of it like the pros.

1. Get a Fresh Start

The Twins had the advantage of starting with a blank slate at the new park, allowing the grounds crew to build a great field from the soil up. If you’ve moved into a new home or are simply trying to rejuvenate a lawn after years of haphazard care, you may find that a complete reseeding is the best way to get the yard you dream of. At Great Goats, we can help by doing a soil analysis, removing dead plants, and selecting a grass and fertilizer that will flourish in your particular space.

2. Drainage is Key

Minnesota lawns take a beating from ice, snow, and rain. Every year, we’re treated to a few pictures of the Twins’ grounds crew shoveling snow off the field in an attempt to get it ready for play that evening. Target Field is actually built on a unique combination of sand and silt that absorbs water quickly and reduces flooding of the grass. Homeowners, too, need to consider drainage in any landscape project—no one wants to find out in the winter that their new patio is pushing water into the basement. Worried about doing it yourself? Consider having a professional flatten or regrade your yard to ensure that water is funneled away from your house.

3. It Pays to Maintain

Even when the Twins are on the road, the grounds crew is at the stadium conditioning the field. Lawn care might not be your full-time job, but you can take a page out of their playbook and make regular maintenance a priority. A little work now will save you from major work later. Staying on top of a couple of daily tasks (removing objects from the grass so they don’t create dead spots; watering on a smart sprinkler system) and a few weekly chores (weeding, raking, mowing) will keep your lawn looking great all summer.

4. Put on the Finishing Touches

Major league groundskeepers make those arrow-straight stripes through the outfield by dragging a giant roller behind their mower, and the Twins’ crew says drawing the chalk foul lines is a nerve-wracking task. The lesson for homeowners is that it pays to sweat the small stuff. Consider edging your lawn with a decorative border of flowers or wood chips to create a nice visual transition between grass and concrete. Or