Spring Lawn Care Services
Spring is the time of year when enjoying the outdoors becomes attractive again. Lawns, patios and barbeques come to mind as the days get longer. When new growth shows on trees and lawns in the spring, proper care for the grass can make a big difference in how it thrives over the summer months. Since different types of grass and climates will affect the way the lawn grows, it may be a good idea to have a professional look at your lawn early in the spring so you are sure to take the right steps for a beautiful lawn and yard.
Even though you may feel enthustic to bring your lawn back to peak form, the best thing you can do is wait. Give your soggy or frosted lawn some time to dry out naturally. Hard raking and foot traffic can damage tender new grass shoots and disturb soggy soil. This kind of damage can take a month or more to repair itself. If there are small snow piles on different areas of the lawn, go ahead and spread them out so that they melt faster. Once the ground is dry, it is good to rake up dead grass, debris and leaves.
The spring is a good time to stop weeds before they start. A professional lawn care company can help you choose a pre-emergent weed control product. These herbicides stop weeds, especially crabgrass, before they start growing by blocking the seeds from germinating. They are effective for about three months so you will have to apply it again by the middle of summer. If your lawn is in need of new seeding, you will not be able to use the weed control, because it will stop the lawn seed from germinating too. Consult a lawn professional to determine if you need to seed your lawn or stop weeds.
If you have warm-season grass, the grass will start to actively grow and begin to look greener around April or May after the last frost. At this time, you can apply fertilizer. For cool-season grass it is better not to fertilize in the spring. If your lawn looks like it is dying, you can fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer very lightly. Heavy fertilizer should be applied in the fall for cool-season grass when it is at its peak growing time.
Controlling fire ants in spring is effective, but other insects such as mole crickets and grubs should be controlled during the summer. A local professional lawn care company will know the worst pests in your area and the right times to treat them.
Start mowing your lawn in the spring when it is dry and the grass has started growing. It is good to take only one third of the length of the blade at each mowing. A sharp lawn mower is essential so that the blades are cut cleanly and quickly and not ripped off. Tearing the grass blades can loosen the roots by pulling them up. Also, clean cut grass gives your lawn an even, neat appearance.