NewsHelp your grass develop in spring by giving it the lawn care it needs. A few basic activities can prepare your lawn to fight this year’s weeds, illnesses, and drought.
Spring Lawn Care Steps
Rake
Spring raking eliminates winter-killed leaves and grass. Dead blades contribute to grass thatch if left alone. Raking loosens snow mold-matted grass, which may suffocate fresh growth.
Remove dead grass using a spring-tine rake. Rake while soil is dry to avoid pulling up good grass tops.
Overseed
Overseed narrow lawns. Overseed warm-season grass in late April. Cool-season grass grows best in fall, although in colder climates, spring spot-seeding works well. Apply slow-release nitrogen while overseeding. Apply quick-release nitrogen five weeks after overseeding.
Learn about causes of bare spots in lawns, how to prevent them and how to treat them.
Aerate
Vital for a truly healthy lawn, aeration is the solution for compacted soil. How often you should aerate your lawn depends on soil type and how you use your lawn. Late spring to early summer is the right time to aerate warm-season grasses. Fall is the best time for cool-season types. But if you didn’t get to it last fall, you can tackle it in early spring. Learn the secrets behind aerating; and how to aerate properly.
Dethatch
Dethatch grass in spring. Early spring for cool-season grasses and late spring to early summer for warm-season grasses. Discover dethatching.
Weed
If Crabgrass is a problem in your lawn, apply pre-emergent herbicides to keep seeds that dropped last summer from germinating. Timing is critical for this application. Most product bags have application timing advice. Learn about application timing and tips for using pre-emergent herbicides.
Warm-season lawns need post-emergent broadleaf herbicides for perennial and winter annual weeds. 5 In 1 Weed & Feed or digging perennial weeds in cool-season lawns works. It destroys Dandelion, Clover, and Crabgrass. Post-emergent herbicides.
Fertilize
Apply spring grass fertilizer three weeks after grass begins greening (typically after two or three mowings). Applying spring lawn fertilizer early risks weeds and runoff. Too-early sprays cause luxuriant blade development before roots begin their spring growth surge.
Water
Regional spring irrigation demands vary. In mountain and dry desert settings, irrigate lawns as you have throughout winter, increasing irrigation frequency when temperatures rise, spring winds develop in the Southwest, and spring rainfall is limited.
Spring showers awaken lawns in the North, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest. Avoid watering to green grass. Only irrigate if rainfall are limited and grass is dehydrated.
Related Questions
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What is the first thing you put on your lawn in the spring?
Apply fertilizer, pre-emergent and weed killer.
Use fertilizer and pre-emergent to avoid crabgrass in spring. After six to eight weeks, use both treatments and a broadleaf weed killer. -
What kind of lawn fertilizer for spring?
20-5-10 bags contain 20% nitrogen, 5% phosphate, and 10% potassium. Filler material in the bag ensures fertilizer distribution. Spring fertilizer should be 20-5-10.
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What turns grass green in spring?
Fertilize Your Lawn
Choose the proper fertilizer to green your grass. Lawn fertilizer has nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They nourish grass. It remains green, robust, and powerful from the roots. -
Which fertilizer is best for grass?
Milorganite Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer
Slow-release fertilizers are beneficial for grass since they gradually release nutrients into the soil. -
What do you put down before laying lawn?
Remove stones and tree roots and loosen the soil foundation. Add 60–100mm of sandy loam or sand topsoil as needed. Before laying turf, fertilize with Lawn Starter. Lay the grass brick-by-brick, pushing rather than pulling.
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What to do before putting grass?
Fill low places, remove big boulders, and till compacted soil. Break the dirt into pea- or marble-sized bits to welcome the grass seed.