Spring is just around the corner! Once the snow melts, it’s time to restore your lawn to its best. In this blog, we will go over our top 10 tips for lawn care in the spring:
1. Crabgrass
Preventing crabgrass is a prevalent spring lawn maintenance task. As soon as the snow melts, a crabgrass preventer can be applied. At the correct application rate, crabgrass preventer will last all season. Crabgrass begins germinating when soils are consistently 55 degrees. Even if temperatures reach this, it is still recommended to apply a crabgrass preventative because crabgrass will germinate all summer. Also, no worries if you are late to the application, as some products will kill crabgrass after it grows.
2. Broadleaf weeds
Creeping Charlie, Clover, Dandelions, etc., are often more apparent in the spring as the rest of the lawn greens up. Unfortunately, weed controls are not as effective in cool weather. The best weed control will occur in later May and June, so have some patience.
3. Fertilizer
Because of cool weather, lawns slowly take up fertilizer. This can make high rates of fertilizer in the spring a waste. Furthermore, high rates of fertilizer can cause environmental harm. There are slow-release fertilizer technologies that can protect spring-applied fertilizer. These fertilizers protect against fertilizer loss and keep it available for when temperatures warm up.
4. Raking
Raking matted brown spots from snow mold disease or voles can help encourage recovery. However, wait to rake. Raking too soon can remove live grass plants and slow down recovery. Wait until frost leaves the soil and the ground firms up. It would be best to rake out salt and sand along roadsides, driveways, and sidewalks.
5. Watering
Hold off on watering in the spring. Holding off on watering will encourage roots to go deeper into the soil to obtain water. This helps the lawn perform better during summer stress.
6. Test your sprinkler system
While you may not need to water yet, spring is a great time to fire up the irrigation system. Make sure to check for broken heads. Also, make sure to check coverage to make sure the sprinklers hit all areas of the lawn.
7. Seeding
Many homeowners get excited by the warm weather in spring and start seeding bare patches. The seed needs warmer soils to germinate. As a rule of thumb, seeding should not happen until mid-late May in the Twin Cities area.
8. Mowing
Mowing can start once the grass reaches a height that can be mowed. A good mowing height is 3-4 inches at this time of year. Mowing can help clean up debris left from the winter snow melt. When mowing, ensure the soils are not saturated with water to avoid rutting the lawn. Spring is a great time to work on your mower. Check and change engine oil, sharpen mower blades, and clean air filters, so your mower is ready for the season.
9. Dethatching
Often associated with spring lawn maintenance, dethatching typically causes more harm than good. Detaching removes dead grass material from the ground. This causes damage because it can remove healthy plants, the dead grass is a natural source of fertilizer and food for microbes, and it opens areas for weed seeds to germinate. We recommend against dethatching unless there is a documented problem with excessive thatch.
10. Enjoy the lawn!
After a long winter inside, don’t start working hard on the lawn immediately. Take some time to play and enjoy the warmer weather.
If you don’t know where to start with your lawn care this spring, give us a call! Our expert staff is committed to making your lawn healthy. Our guarantee is to tweak your fertilization and weed control to produce your desired lawn. Check out our website for more information!