It’s March and you’re feeling the need to get started on your spring lawn care. But bringing your lawn back to life after winter can be a challenging task. From seeding and aerating, proper spring lawn care consists of a range of responsibilities. In order to create a thriving, beautiful lawn, you’ll need to start early.
Include these five important tasks to your spring to-do list, and by the time summer rolls around, you’ll have a lush, thick carpet of green grass.
After being neglected all winter long, your lawn could use a thorough spring cleaning. With your rake and pruning tools in hand, fully examine your property and assess the state of your lawn. Look closely for any plants that didn’t survive and discard twigs and leaves that may be compacting the grass. Lastly, don’t forget to prune your trees and bushes as well.
Resist the urge to aerate in March. In Georgia, if the roots are exposed to freezing temperatures at any time it can drastically harm your lawn. It is best to wait until the first week of May when the ground temperatures reach a constant 70 degrees or more. This is when the warm season turfs like bermuda and zoysia are actively growing, so the turf will recover from the invasiveness of core aeration more effectively.
High traffic patches of lawn can become compacted and inhospitable to grass roots. In order to alleviate the compaction, manual or mechanical aeration is necessary when the time is right. This process involves perforating the soil with small holes to give the roots room to spread and allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the soil.
Preventative treatment is your best bet for a weed-free lawn all season. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide early to tackle weeds before they even sprout. If it’s already too late, try using a post-emergent herbicide designed to kill growing weeds. For an alternative, chemical-free weed treatment, try cornmeal gluten.
Check for any bare patches of ground and plant grass seeds. Planting grass in the spring requires a lot of watering and weeding during the hot summer months, so reseed in moderation. Also keep in mind that, once fall comes, you’ll most likely have to seed again.
Check the performance of your outdoor equipment before lawn season is in full swing and perform basic maintenance now. Sharpen blades, change the oil, replace the air filter, and take your machine for a professional tune-up, if necessary. Finally, make sure you have enough fuel on hand in time for the first grass-cutting of the year.
Always remember your backyard has dreams too, and it is our goal at Dogwood Landscaping to transform dreams into reality. If you have any questions about anything you have read or would like for us to assist you with your March To-Do List, please give us a call at 678-368-7000 or click here for more information about our services and how we can help you.