When decluttering your closets and vacuuming floors, don’t forget to spread the love outside to your defrosted lawn. The receding snow will likely reveal twigs, branches, leaves, rocks and possibly some forgotten Christmas decorations. Go around and collect them, or use an air blower to blast away the smaller stuff. A good cleaning will allow you to better assess your grass condition. Keep in mind, it’s easier to clean your yard before your lawn wakes up, starts growing, and “sweeps all the bad stuff under the rug.”
Raking is a good method for gathering small debris and it also stimulates your root zone. Don’t overdo it though. You don’t want to dethatch your lawn in our growing climate. Contrary to popular belief, you can maintain a healthy layer of thatch that will shade and protect the root zone, help maintain moisture in the soil, and return much-needed nutrients to the soil as the thatch layer composts. A brisk raking of your lawn will also get rid of fungi and mold growth, like snow mold, and alert your grass to coming changes in weather — this will accelerate the lawn’s reawakening.
You’ll want to get on this task as early as possible, typically mid-March to the early April to receive the best results. Fertilizing, which can be done with organic or chemical applications, should be applied at the appropriate rates to achieve the desired results. Put it on too light, and you will not build on the efforts you implemented in the fall. Overdoing it can cause disease and invasive problems, and that’s especially true if you don’t combine your fertilizer use with a pre-emergent herbicide.
The latter substance will help control weeds and crabgrass, which is an especially nasty plant to get rid of.
The most important step in starting the mowing season is to be sure your mower is in good working order and your blades are sharp. Sharp blades will cut your lawn, while dull blades actually tear the grass, making it susceptible to invasive diseases.
Once you encounter noticeable growth in your lawn, you should immediately schedule a date with your lawnmower for as soon as possible. If the grass gets too tall, it can interfere with its root development and crowd other blades that don’t grow at the same rate.
That said, this spring lawn care tip does not mean you should buzzcut your grass. Instead, follow the general rule of removing no more than one-third of an inch from the grass blade length, and do that every five days or so for the first six weeks of spring — this prescription will vary depending on the weather. Your result will be a more robust, evenly grown lawn.
The ideal height to cut your lawn during the mowing season is approximately 3”. This can be adjusted if you start to experience high heat and drought. Allow the grass to grow a bit longer to 3.25” or even 3.5” to provide more shade to your lawn’s root structure. There are very few instances that you should ever consider cutting your lawn at a height of less than 3”.
As a final way to prep your yard for spring before it hits full stride, take a close look at your surrounding trees and shrubbery. Trees can house dozens of dead, dying or damaged limbs, and you’ll need to get closer to know for sure. These branches can fall at any time, and they could damage your property and affect lawn growth if they’re left to sit.
Some trees and shrubs may provide too much shade for your lawn to thrive. Careful pruning of limbs and shaping of canopies can allow filtered sunlight through to better support your lawn.
A professional might need to tackle pruning, depending on the height and size of the affected trees. Make sure to look at your shrubbery, too, which can also experience dead limbs.
Shearer Patio & Landscape Services has been in business for almost 20 years in central Ohio, and we understand how to assist our clients and optimize your overall experience. If you want us to handle cleaning, tree trimming or another related task, contact us today for a free quote.