The good news is that compared to the work you need to do (read mowing) during the summer months, spring lawn care isn’t as time consuming or as expensive.
Here are some pointers on the subject.
Raking
The first thing you’ll need to do for spring lawn care is raking. It’s not glamorous, and you probably think there’s no need to rake your lawn after raking leaves in the fall, but raking isn’t just about leaves, it’s also about controlling thatch, which used to be grass blades that died during the cold and formed together.
Thatch prevents the soil from receiving nutrients from fertilizer. Failing to remove it means wasting money on feed, only for it not to reach the soil and seeds themselves.
Preemergent herbicides
If you have a crabgrass problem, consider having fertilization and the application of pre-emergent herbicides go hand in hand in early spring. Pre-emergent herbicides, as the name suggests, approach weed control before seedlings emerge, instead of the usual after work.
These herbicides do this by applying some sort of inhibitor that stifles seed germination. And since crabgrass begins assaulting lawns in spring, when its seeds begin to germinate, the first few weeks after the snow begins to thaw is the perfect time for herbicide application.
Grub management
With spring fast approaching, overwintering white grubs will soon wake up and feed, working their way into the soil interface to find nourishment before they pupate. Grub feeding is usually at its highest in May and April, and you might notice other animals like skunks and raccoons foraging for grubs and damaging the turf.
As tempting as it is to eliminate grubs in spring, many professionals recommend against chemical applications for these pests during this time of the year. For starters, statistics show that grub management at this time has a small likelihood at success—any effort to use chemicals will certainly be a waste.
The best thing you can do is to rake your lawn and re-seed damaged areas. Wait until July and August, when the grubs are small larva, before turning to pest control.
Mowing
You may have heard someone tell you that it’s best to set your mower at a low height in order to get as much weed out as possible. However, this only makes your job harder, as lowering your mower height actually digs up the soil’s surface, increasing exposure to sunlight, and removing nutrients stored in leaf blades, leading to—you guessed it—faster weed growth.
Blue grass, fescues, and ryegrass, thrive at a height of 2-5 to 3.5 inches, while Bermuda, centipede, and zoysia are best kept at a stable 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
Fertilizing
Compost and mulching mowers are your best friends when it comes to fertilizing lawns organically in the spring. If you prefer chemical fertilizers, a good rule of thumb is to feed lightly in spring, and feed heavier late during the lawn—this applies to cold-season grasses like blue grass, fescues, and ryegrass.
Be sure to feed your lawn sensibly, as too much fertilizer in the spring can lead to diseases and problems with weed control. And if you remembered to fertilize your lawn late last fall, bear in mind that your lawn is still “digesting” that feed, so keep things light in the spring.
|__________________________________________________________|
home remodeling surprise
find out where it might go - new win
Helpful article? Leave us a quick comment below.
And please share this article within your social networks.
