Spring Lawn Care Tips

Spring is just around the corner, and with the warming temperatures and melting snow, it is almost time for you to start worrying about taking good care of your lawn. There are many things you can do to help improve the look of your lawn, from methods to mowing your lawn to using the right kind of fertilizer, to even ways to keep your lawn safe from creatures that live under ground. So keep reading and take note of the many methods and practices you can use to keep your lawn looking healthy and green all summer long.

With winter turning into spring, odds are you will not need to immediately water the lawn. The melting snow is more than enough for now. One of the first measures you should take is to aerate your lawn. Depending on the kind of soil you have, you will only have to aerate one or two times per year. If your lawn has dried or you live in a climate that does not receive much snowfall in the winter months, be sure to water your lawn thoroughly two day before aeration to allow grass tines to penetrate deeper into the soil. Depending on the size of your lawn, you may be able to bypass renting an aerator or hiring a lawn care service to perform the aeration for you. You can aerate your own lawn by simply walking across it while wearing shoes with spikes. Golf shoes are especially effective.

Another method of keeping your yard looking healthy is to make sure unwanted weeds aren't infesting your lawn. A very simple method of combating weeds in your lawn is to overseed. Overseeding your yard in the spring will not only guarantee you a lush, thick lawn throughout the entire summer, but will help to crowd any room for weeds to grow. If it is too late for overseeding and you are already seeing the weeds growing, a mixture of vinegar and water sprayed at the root of the weed will kill it, and allow you to easily pull it out of the ground by hand. If you do have to pull weeds by hand, water the lawn around the weeds to soften the soil. This both allows for easier removal of the weed while doing minimal harm to the lawn as a whole.

What if weeds aren't the problem? What if the problem is with nature's creatures? Well, there are ways to protect your lawn from them as well. Birds that like to prey on ladybugs, lacewings and other insects that will dwell in your lawn can easily be distracted by keeping a well-maintained bird feeder or bird bath nearby. Other, smaller creatures such as beetle grubs that like to feed on the roots of your grass and can leave patches of brown, dead grass on your lawn can be warded off by simply spraying insecticide on your lawn. Unfortunately long-term insecticide treatments can actually harm your grass, as the chemicals can be washed into the soil during a rainstorm or when you water your lawn. A safer alternative many farmers use nematodes, which kill the grubs while still in their larvae stage.

The easiest way to care for your lawn, cutting it, is also the most important part of your lawn care. If you just cut the grass without a care, you may actually do more harm to your lawn than good. The first thing you can do to help your lawn grow thick, as well as reduce the amount of herbicide you use, is to cut your lawn at a taller level. Between 2 ¾" and 3" is an excellent height to cut your lawn, as it will reduce the stress the summer heat can put your lawn through. The extra shade on the soil below also helps ward off the growth of weeds and crab grass. However your first and last cuts of the year should be shorter, between 1 ¾" and 2". In the spring months this helps to eliminate any fungus that has accumulated over the winter months, and in the winter this helps prevent the formation of such fungus.

Maintaining your lawn mower is also key to keeping up your lawn. Only mow your lawn when the grass is dry, and always cut with sharpened blades. Mowing when your lawn is wet or with dull blades can lead to ripping in the grass, and that can turn your lawn brown as the tips dry out. A final tip to help make your grass greener is to reuse the mulch from the freshly cut grass as a fertilizer. Spreading the mulch on your lawn after it's been cut helps to return the nutrients to the soil.

These are but a few simple steps you can take to ensure that you have the best looking lawn in town.

Scotts Water-Smart Fertilizer

Because water is such a vital and finite resource, it is essential that we conserve as much as we can. The dilemma is that our lawn needs water to grow lush and green. That is where Scotts new fertilizer formula comes in - Water Smart. The key to reducing your lawn's water usage is the root enhancing formula in the fertilizer that maximizes the absorption ability of your grass. Use Scotts Water Smart to do your part in preserving the environment and making your community beautiful.