Soon, winter will come to an end and spring will arrive with its bright and beautiful weather. Now is a wonderful time to start planning your spring projects, among which your lawn is indeed an important one.
In the winter months, your grass, trees, and shrubs mostly lie dormant beneath a blanket of snow and ice, which can leave them weak and hungry. As the winter subsides, you would want to revive your lawn so that it becomes lush and healthy in the spring. If you are wondering how to get your lawn ready for spring, here are some spring lawn preparation steps to follow.
Steps for Spring Lawn Preparation
1. Clean Your Lawn
The first among spring lawn care steps to gear up your lawn for spring is cleaning up the twigs, leaves, and other debris gathered on your lawn over the winter months. Rakes are useful in lawn clean up but using air blowers is even easier. Any debris present in your lawn can get stuck in the mower and hinder the proper reach of fertilizers to your lawn.
2. Apply Fertilizer, Weed Killer, and Pre-Emergent
In early spring, go for a combination of fertilizer and pre-emergent. The fertilizer will feed your grass and the pre-emergent – a herbicide – will prevent crabgrass. Depending upon the pre-emergent used, it may be necessary to apply the two products again – in addition to a broadleaf weed killer – after six to eight weeks.
Most lawn care companies and several available lawn care blends provide a combination of weed killer and pre-emergent in one application that can reduce the time needed to apply them as well as the cost. Consult with your lawn care professional to achieve the best results for your lawn.
3. Mow Early and Often
A common mistake made by homeowners is mowing once a week only in the spring. If the grass grows too high and is then cut, the roots get stunted and so they are unable to reproduce properly. So, the right approach is mowing often enough to prevent from mowing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade surface at a time. This often requires mowing more than once a week over the first six weeks of spring, based on the weather. This will ensure a fuller and thicker lawn.
4. Aerate Your Lawn
Aeration can resolve the problem of compacted soil and is essential for a truly healthy lawn. The frequency of aerating your lawn depends on how your lawn is used and the type of soil.
The right time for aerating warm-season grasses is late spring to early summer. For cool-season grasses, the best time for lawn aeration is fall. However, if you didn’t aerate your lawn last fall, you can carry out the job in early spring.
5. Water Your Lawn
The lawn irrigation needs in the spring differ by region. For arid desert and mountain areas, lawn watering should be continued like it’s done in the winter. The irrigation frequency should be increased as temperatures rise, as spring winds form in the Southwest,and if there is a scarcity of spring rainfall in mountain areas.
In the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and North areas, spring rains usually provide enough moisture to awaken lawns. So, don’t get tempted to water your lawn in order to green up your grass. Allow the grass to green up naturally. Perform irrigation only if there is a lack of rains and there are signs of dehydration in the grass.
6. Overseed Your Lawn
Overseed to fill the thin or bare spots in your lawn. For warm-season grasses, the best time for overseeding is late spring. For cool-season grasses, the ideal time to overseed lawns is fall. However, in colder regions, you can get satisfactory results by spot-seeding small areas in the spring.
Perform an application of a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer when you overseed. Use a quick-release nitrogen feed after five weeks from overseeding.
Start Planning your Spring Lawn Care Schedule Now!
It is always good to have a solid spring lawn care plan ready in advance. AATB, a leading lawn care services provider in Iowa, will be happy to guide you in spring lawn preparation. Our spring lawn care experts are equipped with vast experience and have a proven track record of creating lush and healthy spring lawns.
If you are thinking about how to prepare lawn for spring, rely on us for professional spring lawn care services. Request a consultation with our spring lawn care company today!
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