Spring Lawn Maintenance
Lawn maintenance is important to do year round but no other time of year might be as critical as spring lawn maintenance. Follow our steps below for easy to follow spring lawn maintenance
Fertilize
Fertilization is essential to a healthy lawn. It staves off disease, makes your lawn greener and contributes to overall lawn health. The Spruce wrote about when to fertilize in the Spring. They said,
“Although spring fertilization is recommended as part of a complete lawn care program, applying it too early can throw off the whole program. When cool season grasses “wake up” in the spring, they enter a natural growth cycle when the root system begins growing and building carbohydrate (energy) reserves. Additionally, if you have fertilized the previous fall, especially late in the season, the slow-release function of the fertilizer will still be lingering, providing extra green up in the spring.
Fertilizing in the early spring is often encouraged by fertilizer companies and lawn care services but not by agronomists and turf specialists.
So, rather than fertilizing in the early spring, it is better to wait until the late spring, (late May/early June) just before the heat of summer begins and after the grass is growing robustly. This is preparing the grass for summer when it will begin slowing down carbohydrate production and begins utilizing the reserves. A good feeding of 3/4-1.0 lb of slow-release nitrogen will allow the plant to rebuild its energy (carbohydrate) reserves and ward off the stresses of summer, such as drought, heat, traffic, disease, and insects.
An IBDU or polymer-coated slow-release fertilizer can feed the grass for up to 12 weeks”
Regularly mow
To keep your lawn healthful, free of infestation and generally looking good it’s important to regularly mow. You want to make sure you don’t cut your grass too short though, as that can lead to less lush looking lawns. Leaving your grass longer allows the roots to grow healthily and the lawn to have that long, lush look.
Mowing regularly is a critical part of spring lawn maintenance.
Lay Grass Seed
It’s important to lay grass seed in the spring after the intense cold has gone - when the soil can reach about 54 degrees. Laying grass seed evens out any patches you may have and allows the lawn to look more uniform.
Scotts wrote about laying grass seed. They said,
“A high-quality grass seedwith a germination rate of 85% or higher can give your lawn the extra boost it needs to grow, literally, to its fullest potential. Patience is a virtue when it comes to seeded grass: wait until the new sprouts are at least three inches tall before mowing.
To specifically target bare patches, spot seeding with Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair products will do the trick — just be sure to water daily or as needed to keep the soil surface moist until the seedlings are at least 2 inches tall.
If you need to thicken up a thin lawn, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™. It contains everything you need (grass seed, fertilizer, and a soil improver) to help turn weak, thin grass into a thick, green lawn. Just be sure to water the lawn daily or as needed for the first 2 weeks after application.”
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