Nothing makes a great first impression quite like a well maintained green lawn. It is not always easy to keep your yard looking healthy and vibrant, which is why people who can are always the envy of the neighborhood. But, some basic knowledge and a little bit of elbow grease is all that you will need to get the best lawn on the block for this coming season.
City square. Sprinkler system is watering the lawn.
So, let’s start at the beginning…
Grass Types
Your lawn care plan and prep will depend on the type of grass that you have. There are 2 kinds:
- Cool-season grasses have two times of growth – a moderate one in the spring, and then a larger burst of growth in the autumn. The grass goes dormant in the summer, so spring is an important opportunity to care for it.
- Warm-season grasses thrive in the heat and go inactive in the winter. They begin growing in spring, but don’t really get going until the middle of the summer.
Cleaning Up and Repairing Your Lawn
Please do not do any unnecessary lawn work in the spring until you have allowed the soil to dry out. Soggy soil and foot traffic or raking can cause damaged grass that won’t grow or look lush. When the soil is dry, carefully get rid of leaves, etc. Then, rake the grass to “fluff” it and help it to stand straight and tall. If you live in area where snowfall is common, be aware that remaining snow mounds can suffocate the grass beneath. This will nurture mold growth and kill the plant life. Spread out snow piles to help melting.
Weed Control
You can use pre-emergent weed control in the spring. This will help to stop the weeds before they start germinating. Both cool-season and warm-season grasses benefit from weed prevention and both should be done in the spring. Pre-emergent herbicides will continue to work for about three months. Plan on applying more at some point in the summer months.
Seeding and Planting
Gardeners have to pick between weed control and lawn seeding in the spring. Pre-emergent herbicides will also keep grass from growing and prevent grass seed from sprouting, so you can’t use those weed control products if you are planting seeds.
Cool-season grasses can be planted as soon as temperatures get into the 60s. In addition, soil temperatures should be somewhere in the 50s. Give the seedlings a chance to get growing and established prior to the heat of the summer. Fall is a superior time to plant cool-season grasses. Spring planting should only be for patching bare spots.
Warm-season grasses can be established when the temps hit the 70s, and soil temperatures are in the 60s. Late spring is the best time to plant, as the threat of a late frost is gone.
Fertilizer
When it comes to cool-season grasses, do NOT heavily fertilize in the spring. Spring feeding will create rapidly grown tender shoots which will die in the summer sun. Heavier fertilization should be done during the fall. Warm-season grasses, on the other hand, should be “fed” in late spring as soon as the lawn starts turning verdant – usually April or May.
Mowing
Cut your grass often enough so that you're only eliminating the upper bit of the blades of grass. This is less stressful for the grass and the smaller clippings decompose quickly and easily and become fertilizer (avoid bagging the clippings, allow them to nurture the soil.
Lawn Care Equipment Maintenance
Follow these quick steps to get everything into working order for the spring.
- Take out leftover gasoline that may be stale.
- Disconnect the piece of equipment’s spark plug. That way it is not dangerous to work on your mower.
- Take the blade off and sharpen it with a metal file.
- Drain the oil, if there is any.
- Clean the equipment and then reattach the blade if you removed it earlier.
- Replenish the oil tank with new oil.
- Switch the air filter.
- Put the spark plug back. It is recommended to install a new one, even if the old one still works. It is cheap and easy to change, so it can never hurt.
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