SPRING MAINTENANCE AND STORM REPAIR FOR A SUMMER-READY LAWN
- Step 1: Rake – Rake your lawn to remove dead grass, old leaves and any other debris that accumulated over the winter. Raking enables you to see any bare or worn areas that need attention, and it also increases soil contact when seeding and allows new young grass to grow more easily.
- Step 2: Aerate – Lawns that are heavily trafficked or buried under large piles of snow for a significant amount of time can suffer from soil compaction. You can hire a professional to aerate your lawn for you, or you can rent a core aerator, whose hollow tines will pull small plugs of soil out of the ground, allowing increased movement of water, nutrients and oxygen into the soil. Aeration can also increase the soil contact with seeds and promote new growth.
- Step 3: Seed – Spring is the ideal time to reseed thin or bare patches in existing lawns or to establish new lawn spaces. Seeding now to repair winter-damaged areas will allow the grass to grow in healthy and strong before summer, when the lawn will likely experience the heaviest use. Talk to a turf specialist at a garden store or your local university extension office to help you select the right seed for your area. The specialist will be able to identify a seed that is similar to your existing lawn, or suggest an alternative choice if you’ve experienced recurring problems. After you plant the new seed, water lightly but regularly to make sure the reseeded areas stay damp until the new grass grows in. For more detailed information on planting, see www.weseedamerica.com/planting.
- Step 4: Control weeds – If your lawn has been overrun with crabgrass or dandelions in the past, you may want to consider applying a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring before the weeds emerge. A healthy, lush lawn will squeeze out weeds, but a damaged lawn may need some help. Talk to a local garden specialist about which herbicide is right for your lawn and the best way to apply it. Herbicides can kill grass seeds, so if you’ve applied seed you’ll want to make sure you use a product that will not affect the new growth.
- Step 5: Tune up your lawn mower – Get ready for the first mow by giving your lawn mower an annual service that includes changing the oil, changing the spark plug, swapping out or cleaning the air filter, and sharpening the blade. Most lawns are ready to be mowed when the grass reaches a height of 3 inches, although newly seeded areas or recently overseeded existing lawns should be mowed closer to 2 inches until the new grass is established. Remember to mow with a frequency that allows you to cut less than one-third the height of the grass. An easy-to-follow rule is to let it grow no taller than 3 inches and cut it to no shorter than 2 inches.
“For most of the country, this is a good time to address winter weather damage and storm repair,” said Bryan Ostlund, executive director of Grass Seed USA, a coalition of American grass seed farmers. “Some basic repair and maintenance measures, such as reseeding bare areas, will help your lawn recover from the winter so it’s ready for you to enjoy when the weather warms up.”