Care and maintenance become a part of your seasonal chores if you own a lawn. Lawn requires your constant attention, but it is especially essential during the springtime to bloom in full glory for the summers. The great news is that you can bring your lawn back to life with little care and technique. You can incorporate lawn care practices into your life without much effort. Spring lawn care consists of growing techniques best for the weather and some regular maintenance practices.
A variety of professional options are available for you to choose from when going for lawn care. Although if you are a lawn enthusiast and want to stay within budget, here is your guide to achieving your dream lawn before summer approaches.
Spring Lawn Care 101: Key Practices
You can perform spring lawn care by gaining knowledge on your lawn type and practically implementing the right methods suitable for it. While it is that simple, you can still mess it up or see slow progress if you do not perform each step at the right time or go through them poorly. To avoid such mistakes and to get the best results yourself, these are the things you need to know and implement.
1. Clean up & Mow
Your lawn has gone through harsh weather. It needs a clear-up. Hence the first step after winter is picking up fallen leaves, twigs, debris, and branches. Once it is all cleaned up, the next step is to shape it up so that it has a boundary and an even surface to start up on. Start mowing the lawn high [1]; this means not going shorter than 3.5 inches. The benefit of mowing high is that your lawn develops a strong root system with drought tolerance.
Mow your grass in the opposite direction each time you mow so that it grows with a straighter grass blade rather than just flopping in one direction. Mow once weekly and when the grass is dry to avoid clumping following the one-third rule.
2. Fertilize the Lawn
Your lawn needs feeding after going through the scarce weather of winter to bloom in time for summer. However, fertilizing your lawn requires technique, so you cannot just buy and spread it over it, expecting great results. The key to great results is patience; hence you wait until the grass shows some growth. When you observe that, use an organic slow-release fertilizer [2] on the grass. This will save you the hassle of applying fertilizer during the season and protect your grass from burning and slowly strengthening it. To understand your soil nutrient requirements, you can get it tested to match the right fertilizer or get professional help.
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3. Watering
Watering is the most essential part of lawn care and is needed throughout the year. It is not as simple as it sounds, it takes a couple of watering rounds to mess it up, and you get a disease-infested lawn [3]. To avoid such a disaster, follow a watering routine. This means that water thoroughly at less frequent intervals as it is the best method for grass growth. Your area significantly affects the amount of water your lawn needs. If you have frequent rain showers, your soil retains moisture and needs less water. Overwatering results in root damage and weed growth. Water in the spring when your grass shows any wilting signs.
4. Overseeding
After bearing the harsh winter weather conditions, your lawn is inconsistent even in all areas. It requires assistance to grow grass in all the bald patches and to thicken the rest of the turf. The method to help with that is overseeding [4]. This is when you scatter more seeds than needed in the bald patches and throughout the area. The spring weather is best for these seeds to grow. You will see the result of growing green grass in just a few weeks. However, seeding the lawn in the fall is recommended as you cannot apply weed control or preemergent to newly growing grass. Although if your lawn has less than 50 percent grass, you can start seeding in spring. Before seeding, aerate the soil and retain its moisture for seed germination.
5. Weed & Pest Control
Each season has a variety of weeds and pests to deal with. During late spring, you encounter crassgrass weeds. To fight such weeds, you require a pre-emergent herbicide. Applying it two weeks before germination can save you from weed infestation in your newly maintained lawn. After saving your lawn from such weeds, you can hop on to post-emergent herbicide later in the spring to avoid grassy or broadleaf weeds that take over in summer.
Similar to weeds, pests are the bane for lawnmowers. They reach the green grass as soon as the weather starts warming up. Eatherworms, grubs, bugs, and moles ruin your weeks of hard work. Set mole traps and use pesticides to avoid them.
6. Aeration
Soil needs preparation to cultivate grass growth. Especially if your soil is compacted due to the harsh weather, winter will need to loosen up to absorb more nutrients, water, and oxygen for growth. Additionally, if you want to be overseed in spring, you must aerate so the seeds can germinate readily. Aeration prepares the soil for overseeding and fertilization, positively impacting grass growth. You can use a spading fork to poke holes in the ground, moving it back and forth throughout the soil. This will encourage better nutrient circulation in the soil.
Conclusion
Care and maintenance of your lawn is imperative in every season to replenish its health and beauty. Timely care in every season gives you the perfect-looking garden throughout the year. You start preparing your lawn in spring by catering to all its needs after the harsh winter period. This means that the land and soil are ready through cleanup, mowing, fertilizing, and watering. Then you move on to grass and plant growth for the lawn. This you eventually see full bloom starting in late spring to summer. For this overseeding, pest control, weed control, and aeration techniques are applied during the early to mid-spring period. Consistent maintenance during this time pays off well when you get a lush green thick lawn in summer for you to enjoy.
FAQs
1. What is the best height to mow in spring?
You should mow high in spring so the grass is not shorter than 3.5 to 4 inches. Ensure your mower is in the right setting and has sharp blades to give your grass a clean cut. It can develop a better root system and fight against weeds at this height.
2. What is the most essential first step of spring lawn care?
Fertilization is the most important step in green spring lawn care as it gives the spice the proper nutrients to grow grass. When the grass turns green and starts showing growth after a few rounds of moving, then at that point, you can add fertilizer to it. Fertilizing too soon can lead to weed infestation.
3. What to apply for optimal grass growth in spring?
To make your lawn lush green, you need a fertilizer, pre-emergent, and weed killer. This combination kills the threats to your lawn and gives it the nutrients it needs for growth. Many combinations of products are available in the market; hence you can get a pre-emergent weedkiller in one application, saving you money and effort.
4. How can grass disease be prevented in spring?
Grass diseases can become a part of any lawn if constant maintenance is not provided. To avoid these diseases, especially during spring, ensure you do not overwater the grass. Let it grow longer without mowing and fertilizing, and use antifungal products on the disease-infected areas.
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References
[2]https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/what-is-slow-release-fertilizer.htm
[3]https://www.fairwaygreeninc.com/improper-watering-promotes-disease/