10 Tips for Spring Lawn Care
Rake your lawn….Those last oak leaves usually fall well after we stop raking. Now is a good time to clean them up. Raking will also help loosen your soil and new seeds will sprout easier. You won’t have to do this again until next fall, so be sure to get those hard to reach or neglected areas.
Aeration….You might not have to do this step every year. Loosening the soil dramatically boosts the root system of your grass and will help it stay greener later in the year.
Apply lime….In our region a good dose of lime is usually required to return our soil to neutral PH. A soil test will help you to determine how much is needed.
Overseed….Fill in those bare patches and thin spots. Strike fast, before the crab grass fills them up for you.
Fertilize… Use a slow release fertilizer when overseeding and follow up about 1 month later with a quick release version. Remember, more is not always better. Too much can lead disease or weed problems. Use a balanced fertilizer instead of just focusing on nitrogen.
Pre-emergent herbicide…This is a great way to kill crabgrass before it starts. Unfortunately most pre-emergents will also kill that grass seed you just sowed, so be sure to look for Tupersan which is safe for desirable grasses.
Post Emergent herbicide…A good broadleaf weed killer applied at the right time will greatly reduce the number of dandelions you will see later in the year. Just get to them before they bloom. If you can talk your neighbors in to doing the same, you will be on easy street all summer.
Tune up that mower….You might be surprised what the old machine can do with new oil, spark plugs and an air filter.
Revise your strategy….Change your system. Mow diagonally, mow backwards, or just vary your pattern from time to time to prevent your grass from permanently leaning in the direction of the cut.
Rest….You deserve a nice tall glass of lemonade after all that hard work!