Caring for your lawn in spring.
by Kelly A. Mellow
For many people a green and healthy looking yawn means everything. In fact you could say that you can learn a lot about a person by what their lawn looks like. While springtime is the most convenient time to shed off the winter coat and get down and dirty in the yard, you should consider prepping your yard in September. But if you live in an area that snows and whatnot, this might prove to be difficult. Luckily there are plenty of ways to care for your lawn in the spring.
Dethatching
To prepare yourself for spring lawn care you must start early. Around the 1st of September, and again around the 1st of April you should dethatch your lawn. Thatch is the layer of living and dead stems, roots, stolons, and rhizomes between the grass and the soil surface that can either be beneficial to your lawn or destroy it. A healthy later is about an inch thick and helps to limit weed germination, reduce water evaporation, and protect from frost damage. A little more than that, however, can prevent water, air, and nutrients from penetrating the soil, thus reducing root growth and causing drought stress. To get rid of the unhealthy portions of thatch, use a dethatcher, power rake or vertical mower.
Aeration
Ideally, aeration (the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or substance), should occur some time around September 1st. April 1st is a good time to do so again. A core aerator will pull one to two inch plugs of soil from the ground. This will occur every three to four inches. The plugs are deposited in the surface of the soil where they will break down and allow air into it. If done correctly, your soil will have about 50% of space, half of that containing air. It would be a good idea to mow the lawn the next day to shatter the plugs and allow the soil to cave in, filling itself. If you want to both dethatch and aerate, be sure to dethatch first.
Mowing
The most obvious step to lawn careis cutting the grass when it needs to be. If the grass starts to exceed 4 inches, it is time. If the grass is left growing much taller than that, it may sustain diseases and stress out the nearby plant life. For best results, wait until the grass has been dried out from dew or rain so that the grass is cut evenly and isn’t susceptible to diseases. It is also a good idea to sharpen your mower’s blades at least twice a year so that it leaves behind a clean cut.
Seeding
One of the first things to do in the spring to get a healthy lawn is to seed it as soon as possible. The beginning March is an ideal time to do so. The initial step here is to choose which seed is right for your soil. A “blend” of different varieties of the same grass will help protect your lawn from diseases. A “mixture” of different varieties will help your grass grow faster. Once you pick your seed of choice, rake the soil up to eight inches deep. Next you will want to add about five inches of compost or other organic substances. When seeding, concentrate on the areas that need it most using a slit seeder, if possible. If you are looking to thicken the grass, overseed at the rate of one pound of bluegrass seed per 1000 square feet. Once you lay down the seeds, rake them into the earth so that they take better. Lastly you will want to water the yard about twice a day.
Weeding
To prevent weeds such as crabgrass to grow, certain chemicals can be applied in early spring. April 1st is a good time to lay them down, with a reapplication around May 15th. For any crabgrass killers that you use, be sure to follow the instructions on the container carefully. Accidents may result in destroying your lawn or even injury to yourself. Another way to avoid crabgrass is to avoid crabgrass-fertilizer combinations because they stimulate shoot growth at the expense of the root.
Fertilizing
Laying down fertilizer in mid May is best for your lawn. During this time the roots of the grass is more apt grow thicker and deeper, which gives the lawn a better chance of surviving over the summer months. How much fertilizer you should apply depends on when you are laying it down. Just remember that moderation is the key.
Sodding
Sod is turf and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of this material that is made in a factory. Sodding can be done at anytime the ground is not frozen. When doing so, you must prepare the soil much like you would if you were seeding it. Once it grows, you should mow it when necessary.
Lawn care is a year-round duty, so of course it isn’t easy to do. But if you follow these steps, your neighbors will definitely think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
