A Healthy Summer Lawn Starts With A Solid Spring Lawn Maintenance Plan

The snow has receded, the sun has that warming glow you’ve missed all winter long, and the bright green grass is finally starting to emerge.  Spring is here!  If you’re a homeowner, you probably look forward to spring as the time when you can finally start enjoying your backyard and lawn again. Whether it’s barbecues, afternoon games of catch, or simply lounging on your lawn that has your heart, you can’t start enjoying your lawn until you put the work in to get it ready for the warmer months ahead.

A healthy summer lawn is built by solid spring lawn maintenance. Winter can wreak havoc on your lawn, even if it seems healthy at first glance. Not only can it change the pH of your soil, but it can create conditions that attract weeds, pests and even disease.

There are several tasks including applying a solid weed killer for lawns and raking tasks that you need to do to prepare your lawn for spring - luckily, these lawn care tips won’t take long. You’ll be back to relaxing with a cold one in no time!

Clean Up

The first thing you need to do is tidy up! Pick up any branches or other kinds of debris like leaves or twigs. When you mow for the first time, you can also mow at a low height to break up debris. Set your mower about half an inch lower than normal and give it a quick once-over before setting it back to normal.

Raking

If your lawn is already in decent shape, you won’t need to do much more in the way of lawn repair than to give it a thorough raking once the soil has dried out. You may want to pay attention to problem spots, though, to make sure your lawn drains and grows properly during the season. 

For example, look out for uneven ground. Spots that are uneven - particularly those that are low-lying - will create poor drainage conditions. High spots, on the other hand, are easy to scalp with the lawnmower - something else you really don’t want to have to deal with.

Both of these conditions can cause your lawn to grow poorly, so make sure you take some time to rake or shovel away areas that are raised or depressed. Raking in the spring can also help to remove fall leaves and blades of grass that didn’t survive.

Not only that, but it helps remove matted clumps of grass that were caused by snow mold, a condition that can suffocate new growth. Try to rake when the soil isn’t muddy or soft to avoid pulling up delicate new grass.

Check For Compaction

Soil compaction is an incredibly common issue on most lawns - but particularly those that receive a high amount of traffic. Winter can really take its toll on a lawn when it comes to compaction, too. 

Soil compaction occurs when the soil becomes densely packed and it becomes a challenge for grass to take root. When this happens, it’s easier for more opportunistic, hardy plants like weeds to take over.

It can be difficult to tell if your soil is compacted without actually tearing up your lawn. Fortunately, there is one simple solution you can turn to. Simply insert a garden fork into the ground. If the tines can’t get two inches into the soil, that’s a telltale sign that you have some compaction to deal with.

You will need to use an aerator to remove tiny plugs of soil from the lawn. You can rent these from most garden supply stores or you can purchase one outright (although renting is the wiser choice for most people, since you’ll only use this appliance once a year).

After aerating, you may find that you still have issues with thatch. Thatch is a tangle of roots growing above the ground. Thatch doesn’t emerge in all types of grass but is more common in grass species that grow in a dense, spreading fashion, like zoysia grass and bermudagrass. 

If you have a severe case of thatch on your lawn, it will make it next to impossible for nutrients and water to penetrate through to the soil. You will need to purchase a special rake to break up the thatch (or rent a mechanized dethatcher) to get the job done.

Liming

Before fertilizing or overseeding your lawn, it’s essential for you to figure out whether your soil needs to be limed. Grass tends to like a neutral pH. If your soil is too acidic, you’ll have some issues with compaction and potentially moss developing on your lawn.

To neutralize the acid, add some lime (ground limestone). This will take hold gradually to amend your lawn. Check with your local county cooperative extension to find out how much lime you will need per square foot.

If your lawn is too alkaline, instead of acidic, rest assured - that can still cause problems. You shouldn’t be applying lime in this case but instead should seek solutions that will raise the acidity of your lawn.

Overseeding

Even if you already have a solid lawn growing, it’s important to overseed your lawn in the spring. Give your lawn a good once-over and take note of any areas that appear brown or bare. Overseeding will help fill in those unsightly spots but you do need to follow a few steps to make sure your seeding works to the best of its ability. 

First, do your best to figure out the soil conditions that are causing these bare or bald spots. Sometimes, it’s as simple a dog using one section of the lawn as his personal toilet - but in other cases, the cause of the poor growth might be more complex. 

You can purchase a basic soil test kit online or you can contact your local cooperative extension office to find out where to buy one near you. Sometimes, they’ll test your soil for you. Testing your soil will give you a good idea of which nutrients your lawn is lacking.

Once you’ve been able to correct the soil composition and have aerated your lawn, you can go ahead and purchase some seed.

Make sure you choose a grass type that is amenable to your local climate and your particular growing conditions. Not all grasses can grow in all types of the country, and some grow in different patterns that may or may not work for your current set-up. You also need to estimate how much sunlight your lawn gets to figure out the best grass type for your needs. 

Once you have your grass type in mind, figure out the size of the area that you plan to seed. Seed coverage is generally recommended in pounds per square foot. Buy your grass and then invest in a broadcast spreader if you plan on seeding a large area. If you’re only seeding a small patch, you can broadcast the seed by hand.

One more tip? Grass seeds generally germinate at temperatures around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t seed until the temperatures consistently hover around this level!

Fertilize

After you’ve planted your grass, it’s important that you don’t neglect it! New grass - as well as regular recurring growth - requires some TLC in order to be healthy. You’ll want to water your soil regularly to make sure your lawn grows sufficiently, particularly in dry climates or spells. You will also need to fertilize.

Fertilizing can be done once or twice per season, ideally with a low-nitrogen product that is a slow-release formula. The best time to fertilize is in the fall for a cool-season lawn (rye or bluegrass) or a bit later in the spring for warm-season lawns zoysiagrass and bermudagrass). Ideally, for warm-season grass, you will want to fertilize after you have mowed four times.

It’s important that you fertilize properly to encourage the growth of your grass and to discourage weeds from appearing. If not used properly, it can kill your grass. Usually, slow-release nitrogen fertilizer should be spread at a  ratio of 1 lb per 1000 square feet. Fertilize early in the season, just as grass is beginning to grow, because applying too early or late can stress the grass. You may need to water after applying it, too.

Apply Pre Emergent Herbicides

Pre-emergent herbicides are used to kill weeds before they can ever get a foothold on your lawn. You don’t always need to use these, but if you have a large weed infestation, you will want to use this kind of chemical before seeds germinate in the spring (and before you overseed with new grass seed).

You can’t use a weed killer for lawns in conjunction with new planting, because it will prevent all seeds from germinating and not just new weed seeds. You can spot-treat with an herbicide in small areas, but remember that the best way to prevent weeds is to encourage the growth of a thick, healthy lawn that repels weeds on its own. 

You can also opt for a post-emergent herbicide, which will help get rid of weeds after they’ve bloomed. These can be sprayed on broadleaf weeds in the spring but tend to be more effective in the fall.

Pull Weeds

If you don’t want to deal with a chemical herbicide, you have a few other options to combat weeds on your lawn. You can choose an organic herbicide where weeds are a problem, or you can opt for the simple old-fashioned method - pulling the weeds by hand. Hand weeding might not be an option for large lawns, but if you only have a few here and there, it’s a good way to get on top of the mess. 

Hand-pull weeds before they spread and go to seed. This can eliminate competition and get your lawn off to a great start.

Tune-Up Lawn Mowers

Before the busy summer mowing season arrives, make sure you take the time to tune up your mower. A little bit of maintenance now can save you some serious headaches later on. 

While there are other types of lawnmowers that you can buy, most ten to be gas-powered. Therefore, you’ll need to service your mower following a few basic steps. 

Begin by removing any gasoline from the prior year. It can become stale and cause rust - ideally, this is something you should do in the fall, before putting your mower away. 

Then, disconnect your spark plug so you can disable the engine for safety while you are working on the machine. Remove the blade and sharpen it with a metal file. A sharp blade is essential for a healthy lawn. Not only will it keep you safer and extend the life of your lawnmower, but it’s better for your grass, too. Mower blades that are dull tear grass instead of cutting it, which can make it more likely to suffer from disease. 

Next, you will want to drain the oil. Clean out any accumulated mud and grass in the equipment and reattach the blade that you shared. Fill the oil tank with fresh oil, and replace both the air filter and spark plug. This will help your lawn mower run more smoothly and at the optimal level of performance. 

When you do mow, make sure you are only doing so when the grass is about three or four inches tall. Don’t trim too short - you won’t want to cut off more than a half-inch at a time, as this can seriously stress the plant. Lots of people assume that cutting the grass super short is the best rule of thumb, since it reduces the frequency with which you need to mow.

However, mowing with a low blade height will not only leach valuable nutrients that are stored in leaf blades, but it exposes bare soil to sunlight. This can cause weeds to emerge. You don’t need to have a wild prairie growing on your front lawn, but you should try to keep your grass a bit taller. The taller it is, the better it will be able to compete with weeds, since it will have a stronger root system and heat tolerance. 

Plus, when grass is slightly taller, it will shade the ground and improve moisture retention. How tall you should mow your grass will depend mostly on the species of grass you are cultivating as well as how much sunlight your grass gets. Mow just often enough so that you are removing only the top third of the blades.

This will place less stress on the grass, and you can then leave the smaller clippings on the lawn. No need to bag the clippings, either! The grass is great for adding organic matter (and plenty of nutrients!) to the soil.

Enjoy The Backyard This Summer With A Solid Lawn Repair and Maintenance Plan

Of course, the list of chores you’ll want to accomplish before summer sets in doesn’t end here! You’ll want to engage in some other preventative maintenance, too. For starters, you’ll want to make sure you have all of the irrigation equipment you need on hand and ready to go. That means you’ll need some kink-free hosings, brass couplings, and drip lines, too.

Don’t forget to head to the local garden supply store to pick up a few lawn chairs, too. After all of this heavy-duty lawn maintenance, there’s nothing you’ll enjoy more than kicking back with a cold one - and enjoying how great your lawn looks!

Rebekah Pierce is a professional social blogger and has worked on several online publications including Citrus Sleep. Rebekah is an experienced content writer and copyeditor. You will find many of her works throughout CitrusSleep.com that cover a wide array of subjects including sleep education, natural, sleep products, electronics, fashion and many more. She is passionate about her work and family.

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