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| Nurture your lawn now for a vibrant and healthy lawn this summer. |
The first day of spring has come and
gone, which means that lawn and garden season is right around the corner. To
have a vibrant and healthy lawn come summer, you need to start nurturing it now.
Get your lawn into shape for the warm days ahead with this spring lawn care
checklist.
Rake dead leaves: If any leaves remain, rake them up now to perk up your yard for spring, and dispose of them with compost or yard waste. When damp, dead foliage can promote diseases. This simple action will drastically improve your yard's look and feel and get you excited for the lawn and gardening season ahead.
Trim perennials and ornamental grasses: Come spring, perennial plants and ornamental grasses can look bedraggled, with brown, dead growth making your yard look messy. Trimming this back not only improves the appearance of your yard, it gives room for the new shoots to grow. Clip grass shoots or perennial growth to a maximum height of 2-3 inches using hand pruners. As the new shoots grow in, they will camouflage the dead growth.
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| Reseed any areas that need it. |
Even out your turf: Winter can cause frost heaves, which leave peaks and valleys in your lawn. Top off any low patches with fresh turf and level out any hills to create an even starting base. Don't worry about any bare patches you're creating when you do this, as you'll fill them in presently.
Seed your lawn: Snow plows, shovels, road salt, and disease can damage and kill grass, leaving your yard bare. Inspect your yard and identify any damaged patches that need to be reseeded. Sow grass seed on these patches when the forsythia blooms in your area, scattering the seed by hand. Cover with a light layer of compost to improve insulation in the area.
Nurture seeded grass: To germinate, grass seed needs to be kept moist. Make a daily habit of watering your seeded lawn until the seed sprouts. Your grass seed bag should indicate how long the grass takes to sprout on average, which gives you a guideline.
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| Grass seed needs to be kept moist. |
Rake the lawn to prevent thatch: Certain types of thick grass -- notably Bermuda grass and Zoysia -- are prone to thatch or matting. This makes it difficult for water and nutrients to penetrate the soil, and can sabotage a lawn. Get on this early by raking the grass in spring to break up any mats that have formed, using a special grass rake or dethatcher.
Fertilize: Fertilizing restores the nutrient balance to your lawn so everything can grow its best. Fertilize in early spring to get your grass off to a good start.
For more home and garden tips please visit homechanneltv.com.