Raking removes thatch and other dead organic material that smothers grass. Leave grass clippings on the lawn after you mow. This natural, free fertilizer breaks down easily and provides up to one-half the nitrogen and potassium a lawn needs to green up and thrive. Earthworms and natural organisms eat the clippings to provide a natural cycle of fertilizing and aeration. Even leaves can be left in place if they are ground up with a lawn mower.
Leaves also provide winter protection for tree roots.
Plant ground cover in difficult areas. Mulch exposed ground with wood chips, hay, or pine needles to keep moisture around plants. Increase activity in spent soil areas by top dressing them once in spring and once in fall with organic matter such as compost, leaf mulch, or peat moss. This makes plants healthier and more resistant to insects, drought , fungi, and disease. Lawns can survive with little or no fertilizer.