Now that the weather has turned nice and temperatures are rising, it is time to get outdoors and spruce up your home with a little spring maintenance. There are many projects to accomplish, but don’t forget to take care of the lawn so it turns thick and green for everyone to enjoy all summer long.
Even though you cleaned up all the leaves and debris in the fall, there’s still work to be done now that spring is here. Before you break out the rake to clean up the leaves, old clippings, evergreen needles, and whatever else has accumulated over the winter, be sure the soil is well dried. Foot traffic and heavy raking a lawn that is still soggy can compact the soil and damage tender, new grass shoots.
Now that you have your lawn cleaned and raked, there are more things to do to help your grass grow and thrive. Here are some great tips from todayshomeowner.com
Seeding and Planting
In the spring, gardeners have to choose between weed control and lawn seeding. Pre-emergent herbicides prevent grass seed from sprouting too, so you can’t do both – the herbicide will be active for up to 12 weeks, which means you’ll miss the spring planting season.If your focus this spring is on filling in bare spots or establishing a new lawn, time your activities according to the type of grass:
Cool-season grasses can be planted as soon as the air temperatures get into the 60’s and soil temperatures are in the 50’s. Plant as soon as temperatures allow to give the seedlings a chance to get established before hot weather hits. Fall is a better time to plant cool-season grasses, so use spring planting for patching bare spots, and be prepared to keep your lawn well-watered during the summer.
Warm-season grasses can be planted when air temperatures are in the 70’s, soil temperatures are in the 60’s, and all danger of frost has passed. Late spring is the best time to plant warm-season grasses.Controlling Weeds
Spring is the best time to prevent weeds by using pre-emergent weed control, which works by preventing weed seeds from germinating. Your first application of a pre-emergent herbicide should occur just as the forsythia bushes finish blooming in spring – that should stop crabgrass and other weeds before they have a chance to grow.Both cool-season and warm-season lawns benefit from weed prevention in the spring. Pre-emergent herbicides work for about three months, so plan on a second application during the summer.
Fertilizing
The type of grass you have also influences when and how you should fertilize your lawn:Cool-season grasses: Resist the urge to heavily fertilize your lawn in the spring. Spring feeding encourages rapid tender growth that will struggle to survive the heat of summer, particularly in drought-prone areas. If your lawn is in bad shape, fertilize lightly in spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer. Save the heavier feedings for fall, when cool-season grasses are at their peak growing season.
Warm-season grasses: Fertilize in late spring as soon as the lawn “greens up” and begins actively growing. This is usually in April or May, after the last frost.Article Source: todayshomeowner.com
If you notice large brown patches in your lawn you may have an insect problem that will need to be dealt with fairly quickly to keep them from destroying the whole yard.
