What’s the Best Way to Get My Lawn Ready this Spring?

It’s time to begin spring lawn maintenance after winter has passed to keep your yard looking its best a year ahead.

This guide teaches basic spring lawn care practices including the proper timing for raking and watering to help maintain healthy and beautiful grass.

1. Wait until after the spring thaw before walking or working on your lawn if snow has fallen to prevent grass damage.
2. Before you mow for the first time in the year, rake your yard to break apart clumps of matted grass and remove thatch. A layer of dead grass blades and roots together with leaves gathers between soil and live grass and blocks water and air from reaching the grass.
3. Spring tine rakes are recommended for the first rakes of the season.
4. Avoid raking when soil conditions are soft or muddy to prevent uprooting healthy grass crowns.
5. Core aerators remove soil plugs which allows air and nutrients to reach plant roots while reducing thatch and soil compaction.
6. Perform lawn aeration on cool season grasses during early spring or fall.
7. Perform aeration on warm season grasses from late spring through to summer.
8. Treat clay soil or high-traffic areas of your lawn to aerate them once every year.
9. The lawn needs core aeration every two to three years for optimal health.
10. Three weeks after grass begins to green or following two to three mowings apply spring fertilizer to your lawn. Applying fertilizer too early can feed weeds and cause fertilizer runoff.
11. Water your grass several days before applying fertilizer so the roots won’t burn. Choose lawn fertilizer that matches your grass type and climate while considering growth problems and follow instructions to prevent over-fertilization.
12. Use a crabgrass preventer together with early spring fertilization for controlling crabgrass problems. Refer to your product’s directions to learn the waiting period between crabgrass preventer application and weed killer treatment on your lawn.
13. To eliminate common or broadleaf weeds from your lawn you should use a weed and feed product during daytime temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Dampen your lawn with water before application but postpone if rain is predicted within the next two days to prevent washing away the product.
14. A lush and dense turf should push away most weed growth. To help the grass roots survive the summer heat you need to maintain shade over them. By following this step you will achieve even distribution and use the right quantity on your lawn. Check your spreader’s manual to identify the correct settings needed for use.
15. During each application of fertilizer make sure to walk in straight lines back and forth.
16. Review your product instructions to know the exact amount of fertilizer needed and the frequency of its reapplication.
17. Examine your lawn to find bare patches or areas lacking sufficient grass coverage. When you apply slow-release nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn also implement seeding. Reseed in early spring and fall.
18. Spring represents the optimal time to test your yard’s pH level because this season helps you determine if your soil has excessive acidity. Grasses grow optimally in soil with a pH range from 5.8 to 7.2 while acidic soil conditions tend to increase moss growth along with weeds and insect pest infestations.
19. To determine soil pH you can use a pH soil test kit or get in touch with your county extension agent who can test the pH of your soil.
20. Soil acidity in many areas of the country can be neutralized through lime application which improves grass ability to absorb fertilizers and nutrients from the soil.
21. Soil pH changes over time so you should test it every year until you achieve stable results. Testing the soil should happen every three years once your lawn becomes established.
22. The optimal periods to apply lime to a lawn that requires it fall and spring. Use the package instructions to apply lime according to your soil test results. Tip: If you plant grass during spring it will need extra water and summer maintenance including weeding. Fall sowing is less fussy.
23. Spring irrigation differs across regions. Your lawn needs 1 inch of water each week which can come from rainfall or through a spring lawn care schedule that uses either a garden hose or sprinkler system.
24. Prevent water evaporation by watering your lawn during early morning hours before 10 a.m. in late spring and summer.
25. When watering your lawn make sure to water deeply because this encourages grass to grow long roots.
26. Perform the lawn’s “spring back” test by walking across the grass and watching to see how fast the blades recover. Water your lawn when blades don’t bounce back quickly or appear wilted, curled or faded in color.
27. Before you start mowing make sure to perform necessary spring maintenance checks on your mower this includes changing oil and spark plugs. To achieve a clean cut during lawn mowing your mower blade must be sharp and remember to remove the spark plugs before performing any maintenance.
28. Start mowing your lawn when the soil has dried out enough to support it and when grass has grown tall enough to require cutting. Don’t mow too closely: Avoid cutting the grass too short because short grass reveals soil to sunlight which leads to weed seed germination.
29. Adjust the lawn mower setting to cut only the upper one-third of the grass blades. Leaving grass blades tall benefits root depth and health yet requires more frequent mowing.
30. Refer to your mower’s manual for guidance on settings that match your specific grass type.
31. In some regions mowing your lawn in early evening proves effective because temperatures drop at this time and the lawn has dried from any fog or dew. The mower won’t cut your grass evenly and clumps of wet grass can clog it when you mow in the rain or immediately after it rains.
32. Change it up each time you cut. By following this practice grass blades won’t bend continuously in one direction and ruts won’t develop.
33. When mowing, you should do so only as needed: not on a schedule. Most lawn owners mow grass during spring and early summer but reduce mowing frequency as the growing season progresses. Tip: Empty your lawnmower’s gas tank at season’s end to start next year with a full tank.
34. You can leave grass clippings on your lawn without any problems except when they start to form a dense thatch layer. Begin by removing clippings with a rake then proceed to dethatch your lawn where needed. Use a rake to gather grass clippings and place them into a lawn and leaf bag. Tip: Avoid putting lawn clippings in your compost pile if you treat your grass with chemicals.

By following proper lawn care procedures during spring you can decrease your maintenance workload throughout the rest of the year. Adopt these lawn care tips to maintain your lawn so that your grass stays a vibrant green.

Make sure you know the proper amount of grass seed or garden mulch you need by performing calculations instead of making guesses. Start by using a project calculator to determine the exact amounts you need. There are several project calculators online to help you determine your lawn’s grass seed requirements or your garden’s mulch requirements.