Under Orangetown the soil is a stubborn mix of clay and shale, the leavings of the Palisades, and Sparkill Creek drains off whatever the ground will not hold. Grass grown in that needs attention from the roots up. RINSE AND ROOT DEFENSE treats lawn care as work that happens below the surface as well as above it — cutting at the height that shades the crown, keeping thatch from smothering new growth, watching how water moves across a yard. A lawn that is thick at the base stays green further into a dry August. That is the whole ambition here: turf strong enough to look easy.