After a long, cold winter, it’s important to make sure your lawn is prepared to take on spring. If you properly maintain it during the winter and continue in the spring, your lawn will continue to look its best well into the summer. Follow these tips for spring lawn maintenance.
Inspect It
When the snow has melted away, it’s time to assess your lawn and address the problem areas immediately. These areas, if left untreated, can be much more susceptible to weeds and disease as time goes on.
Check for uneven ground, as this can cause unfavorable growing conditions for grass. Low ground spots cause poor drainage and high spots can be cut too close by the lawnmower.
Look for areas with too much soil compaction as well by sticking a garden fork into various areas of your lawn. If the fork can’t go in the ground deeper than 2 inches, the soil is too compacted and needs to be aerated to make it easier for grass to take root.
Reseed
Once you know your lawn provides favorable conditions for grass to grow, it’s time to take care of brown or bare spots that may have happened over the winter. Determine the type of grass that will grow best in your climate and spread the appropriate amount of seeds. Once you’ve planted the seeds, continue to give these areas some extra TLC to ensure these areas keep up with the rest of your lawn.
Fertilize
Once all the grass in healthy and growing, it’s important to make sure it stays that way. The right fertilizer will help your lawn look better than ever if used correctly. The best time to apply it is when the grass begins growing actively, so the time of year varies by region.
Herbicides can help discourage weeds if used correctly as well. Herbicides should be avoided in areas where you are trying to grow new grass since they can prevent seed germination.