The exhaustion you feel from Daylight Saving Time may also put some wind in your sails. The time change signals that winter is about to leave, ushering in spring! Time to put away the snow shovels and start putting your spring plan into action. Let the Spring Prepping begin!
What should you do when prepping your lawn for spring? Here are six tips to get your yard ready for summer?
Spring Prepping – Cleaning
First things first – time to assess the damage caused by the winter season. As soon as it’s warm and dry enough, take a walk around your yard and clean up debris. You should remove leaves, twigs, branches, acorns, and litter.
Inspect your soil, grass, trees, shrubs, and garden structures to see what’s growing back and which section needs the most attention. Create a plan to tackle it when the ground isn’t saturated, which can create further damage.
Rake the Grass
Thatch, the layer of dead turfgrass covering the soil and root system, needs to be tended to. No matter how vigorously you raked in the fall, don’t skip this step. Raking not only gets rid of the thatch covering, but it also stimulates the grass to start growing, if it hasn’t already.
Raking will also remove matted grass patches and snow mold, preventing new grass from reaching the surface.
Prepare Equipment
Time to bring out your summer yard items, like your tiller, string trimmer, and mower. Do any maintenance service needed and start up each item to make sure they’re ready for the season.
You may find your lawnmower needs new parts, or you’re out of string for your trimmer. Get these items together, so you’re ready to go for the next step.
Mow Early and Often
Once your mower is ready, it’s time to do the first mow of the year. Set the lawnmower at the highest setting and start cutting. If the mower is too short, you could stunt the growth or affect the color.
If you want a thick, lush lawn, mow every five days or so for the first six weeks of spring. This will encourage growth and spread, and you’ll thank yourself in the summer for the extra effort.
Fertilize or Seed
If you think you need to seed, you may want to hold off on fertilizing as it can prevent seeds from germinating. Depending on the type of grass you’re growing, it may not be the right time to seed. Once seeds start sprouting, you’ll likely see brown or bare spots filling in.
You can also set your mower to the mulch setting to let the clippings act as fertilizer, use compost, or apply mulch. If you already fertilized in the fall, there’s no need to do it again in spring.
Pull Weeds
If you don’t want crabgrass or other weeds to dominate your lawn, you may want to put in the work of pulling weeds. Now is the best time before they get out of hand. Spraying is best done in the fall, so if you haven’t already done so, you’re better off putting in the work by hand.
Let the Pros Handle It
If the thought of having to take care of your lawn and prepping for summer leaves you wishing you didn’t have to, we’re here to tell you – you don’t have to!
Rather than put in the work, call the 410-LAWNGUY (410-529-6429) in Gambrills, Maryland. We can handle all your lawn care needs, so you don’t have to. We take jobs big and small, so get on our calendar today before it’s too late.
