Tips To Ready Your Lawn For Spring

Winter is still upon us in many parts of the U.S. but spring thaws will soon begin as the daylight hours begin to lengthen and the temperature warms up. Before you know it your lawn will be lush and green and ready for regular watering again. But to get your lawn ready for spring, here are some tips to make sure it will have a healthy upcoming year.

Get Ready for the First Mowing

Although it has been dormant over the winter, your lawn is still alive and using nutrients to stay healthy, so it will be ready for more fertilizer in early spring. Depending on your climate and if you have any snow on the ground, apply a first fertilizer anytime between February and April. This will provide your lawn's roots with the nutrients it needs to begin growing actively again and to supplement any deficits caused by winter's harsh weather.

When the weather starts to warm up, your grass will begin to grow again. Watch your lawn for signs of growth and you can prepare your mower and sharpen its blade so you are ready to begin to trim it regularly. When your lawn has grown two to three inches of new growth, mow your lawn during dry weather. And continue to mow each week or as it needs trimming. Try not to trim too much growth off at once, as this can stress and damage your lawn.

De-Thatch Your Lawn

As your new lawn growth emerges, look at the layer of thatch that is lying below the lawn. The thatch is the layer of dead lawn from previous seasons that builds up. Your lawn will need to have some amount of thatch to keep its root system protected and to replenish nutrients, but too much thatch can be bad.

Thatch that is too thick will prevent your lawn's roots from getting proper water and fertilizer you provide to it. You can hire a landscaping professional to check your lawn's thatch and they can de-thatch it if it is too thick. This will remove most of the thatch underlying within your lawn.

Fill in Bare Spots

Watch your lawn as it grows and fills in, as you might have some bare spots emerge. If any dogs have used your lawn for a bathroom spot during winter, or if your lawn has suffered from any winter disease or fungus, for example, your lawn may need some help for regrowth.

You can apply some new lawn seeds to the bare areas, being sure to loosen the soil to the area. You can also add peat moss to the soil to help hold in moisture. Make sure to keep the area moist until the new seeds germinate.

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