So, how do you still ensure that you achieve your dream of having the most immaculate lawn in the entire neighborhood by next summer?
The answer is simple: Just take advantage of the spring season.
Let me explain.
Winter is bad news for lawns.
By the time your yard is emerging from the fog, so much may have happened.
- Your soil may be too compacted.
- Some weeds and diseases love wet weather and may have sneaked in.
- Your lawn’s soil pH may have turned acidic.
So, how battered is your lawn garden as it comes from winter?
- You may have an overflow of invasive plants to battle.
- Your garden may have more compacted soil meaning air and nutrients no longer reach your plant roots.
- Thatch could also have become a big problem so water and food are struggling to penetrate
- Your lawn may have developed some bare spots requiring replanting
Lucky for you, Spring is the best time to recover. Now, with things this bad, are your dreams still valid?
Very much!
All you need to do is to understand and implement my simple lawn care tips during spring. Since I ventured into gardening and landscaping, I have always used them. And they work like a charm.
Not only will your grass heal from the ravages of cold, but you will also prime it for healthier and bullish growth.
We look at them next.
Best Lawn Care Tips During Spring
Let me now take you through some of the activities that guarantee an adorable garden by the time summer comes around.
Raking
If your lawn has survived in good condition, then lucky you. All you need now is just to give it some light raking.
Besides, raking helps clear away any lingering debris, leaves, or dead grass that could block new growth. However, timing is everything. Always wait for the ground to dry out before starting to prevent damaging tender grass shoots emerging from dormancy.
Dethatching
While raking helps to break up some of the excess thatch that may have accumulated during the winter, a complete dethatching is required if your yard is teeming with thatch.
This is again best done during spring as it’s the peak growing season and right before aerating.
Aeration
If the soil in your yard is compacted, spring is the best time to aerate. A fork or a sturdy aerator should be enough.
If not sure about this problem, test your soil for over-compactness. Simply try to stick your garden fork into the ground.
If its tines don’t penetrate underground by at least 2 inches, consider your soil compacted and aerate.
Overseeding
By now your lawn is clean and healing from the stress it has received over the past months. It is now an ideal time to reseed those spots which are bare or brown.
Your seed will germinate as soon as you do it, and nicely fill in spaces with sparse or thinner grass. Of course, this drastically improves the looks of your grass.
Weeding
If you notice some weed grasses, you can apply effective herbicides. It discourages their growth. Another option, though cumbersome is to dig out all the weeds.
And always follow your maintenance regime to completely defeat weed grasses.
Top dressing
If your lawn is uneven, top dressing will help eliminate all high spots as well as low zones. For the best results, top dressing should only be done when your lawn is dry.
This also helps loosen thatch and aid drainage.
Fertilizing during spring
Fertilizer will help your lawn to grow thicker and greener. Timing is crucial so don’t do it too early or too late since early heat or lingering cold will stress the grass.
Unless you hadn’t properly fertilized in the fall, you may not need more fertilizer. However, warm-season grasses soak up nutrients faster and may need replenishment.
These include bermudagrass, bahiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, centipedegrass, and zoysiagrass.
Check out our list of non-invasive ornamental grasses for landscaping.
Deal with the Insects
If you struggle with fire ants, target them during spring. As long as you properly treat their mounds, they hardly survive during warm weather.
For other messy insects like mole crickets and grubs, battle them in the summer.
Crank Up Your Lawn Mower
Professionally mowing your yard is a fundamental part of the entire process. Both the frequency and mowing height matter in achieving the best health in your grass.
Don’t cut your grass too short or mow with a very low blade height as it harms your plants in the end.
In short, taller grass stands up to weeds better, has a higher heat tolerance, and helps soil retain more water thanks to its shade.
Finally, if you have problems mowing steep hills, you will need a mower purposed for hilly terrain.
Liming
Harsh, freezing winters may make the pH in your yard’s soil turn very acidic. And most grasses perform dismally in extreme acidity.
You can first measure the pH level using a reliable DIY soil testing system. If it’s highly acidic, spread lime over your garden to neutralize the acidity.
I don’t know if you recall it but acidic soil is loved by all the bad boys- weeds and moss included. On the contrary, fertilizers passionately hate it.
Feeding
Since your grass plants are growing like teenagers at this time, you need to ensure they remain well-fed.
Supply all the essential nutrients in sufficient quantities. After all, you can’t grow strong and healthy when starving.
What’s the best time to start work on your yard during spring?
Well, now that you know the treatment to give your yard, how soon should you start? February or March?
The rule of thumb is to wait for your lawn to turn dominantly green before doing anything. But again, you shouldn’t delay until it’s too late especially to apply an herbicide or reseed.
My point is that when it comes to the best spring lawn care, timing matters!
Also, check out our 10 Landscaping Ideas for Your Small Backyard.
Conclusion
So, those are my tips on how to prepare your lawn during spring. As you’ve seen, they are pretty direct but give amazing results.
And you don’t have to do everything at once. Start with what you feel is more important depending on the condition of your lawn.
Then proceed from there.
Ultimately, achieving a stunning lawn doesn’t happen overnight, but with the right steps in place, you can transform your yard into the envy of the neighborhood.
Spring is the perfect time to give your lawn the care and attention it needs, setting the foundation for a season of strong, healthy growth.