T&B’s Guide to Having The Best Spring Lawn In The Neighborhood

Springtime is a beautiful time of year, and there are endless wonders to be appreciated in the world around you. However, after you have admired the majesty of nature for a while, it will be time to get down to business and start preparing your lawn for the upcoming spring season. Here are some of the steps you should be taking in order to ensure that you have the best lawn in the neighborhood, or at least that you’re a solid contender.

Proper watering for Spring Lawn

A good rule of thumb is not to water your lawn until it actually needs the water. In the beginning of the season, watering is not a high priority, since there’s usually a good deal of moisture left over in the ground after winter. It’s also a good idea to hold off on watering because deeper roots help grass survive any droughts which might pop up later in the year. Another good rule of thumb is that if you can walk across your lawn, and you notice that the grass does not spring back up after you’ve walked on it, it probably needs watering.

Fill in any bald spots

Make sure that any bald spots or patches on your lawn are attended to by covering them with seed or sod, because if you leave them untreated, weeds will certainly take over. Make sure to prepare the soil properly before seeding or laying down your sod, and if necessary remove any weeds. If you’re seeding the area, sow your grass seeds and then cover them up with just a few handfuls of fresh top soil. If you have a larger patch that requires sod, make sure to cut a patch which fits the bald area and press it firmly down onto the patch. Either seeding or sodding will require good contact between the soil and your seeds or sod.

Manage weeds

The healthier your lawn is, the better it will be at fending off the advances of weeds. However, it’s almost inevitable that at least a few weeds will invade your lawn, and you’ll have to deal with these to make sure they don’t proliferate. If you have too many weeds to do it by hand, you could always try an organic herbicide. Just remember that weeds are in competition with your grass, so they will need to be pulled in spring before they spread or have a chance to go to seed.

Prepare your lawn mower 

It’s always a good idea to have your lawn mower serviced before the start of spring mowing. Have a good technician check the belts, spark plug, battery, air filter, and the starter, and you should also make sure that you’re starting out the season with a sharp blade. Before you have your first mowing of the season, make sure to rake your lawn so that leaves and twigs can be removed. It’s also a good idea to set the mowing height about 1/2 inch lower than normal for that first cutting, so that you can break up any debris which may have accumulated on your lawn.

Don’t bag clippings

A number of homeowners like to bag their lawn clippings so as to provide a very neat appearance for the lawn. However, your clippings are actually loaded with the nitrogen which lawns crave, and these clippings will quickly decompose, thereafter acting as a natural fertilizer. Instead of bagging and removing your clippings, let your mower chop them up and recycle them back into your soil where they can provide real value.

Hold off on fertilizing

Spring is not the best time to fertilize your lawn, because even though it will encourage rapid growth, that means you will have to mow sooner and more often. It will also give a pretty good boost to any weeds which are in competition with your lawn. The truth is, the very best time to fertilize your lawn is actually in the fall, but if you really must fertilize sooner than that, at least wait until after about your fourth or fifth mowing for the season.