Spruce It Up: Prepare Your Lawn For Spring
Spring days and warmer temperatures are not too far away making it the perfect time to start planning how to prepare your lawn for spring. After months of lying dormant under snow and ice, grass is often weak appearing brown and tired. Thankfully there is hope, and we’ve put together eight ways to prepare your lawn for spring, so it grows back lush and emerald green just like last year.
Get Rid of Debris
After winter storms, lawns can be covered in twigs, branches, and leaves. All of which can smother the grass killing it before warm temperatures arrive. Too much debris can also cause issues with your lawn mower getting stuck in or dulling the blades the first time you use it for the season.
Apply Fertilizer
Grass is tired after a long winter, and one of the best ways to wake it up is by applying fertilizer. Fertilizer infuses the nutrients grass has been missing all winter into the ground allowing it to grow and giving it the energy boost it needs.
Apply Weed Killer Early
Weeds seem to be the only thing that can grow all year no matter what. Even after harsh winters, weeds can quickly take control of the yard. By applying pre-emergent crabgrass before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees, homeowners get better control of the weeds before they germinate and spread.
Aerate the Lawn
Aerating or creating holes in the lawn lets grass roots breathe and gives them access to water and nutrients it needs to grow deep and create a lush lawn. Aerating also helps with fertilizing and weed killer by making it easier for them to find their way deep into the ground.
Reseed Damaged Areas
It is common for grass to become damaged during winter snow removal. Fix unsightly patches by over-seeding now. Over-seeding works best after aerating your lawn.
Deep Raking
You may have already removed the leaves with an air blower, but raking or deep raking has additional benefits. Deep raking helps break up thatch that accumulated which prevents oxygen and sunlight from reaching grass underneath. Raking is also the best way to get rid of snow mold, gray webs or brown slime covering areas of the grass. Once you rake through it, it will dry after a few days.
Check Your Lawn Mower
Before using the lawn mower for the first time, be sure to complete some preventative maintenance. Inspect the blades, check the battery, and oil before using.
Contact a Professional
If maintaining your lawn is more work than you want to manage, contact a professional lawn care company that offers customized lawn care programs.
For additional information on our lawn care programs, contact the professionals at Perennial Lawn Care. We help New Jersey homeowners build the landscape they have always dreamed of through customized treatments.
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