The less delay in addressing the needs of one's yard in the spring, the better one's chances are that they will have a satisfying and lush carpet of green as soon as possible. Therefore, spring yard clean up is vital.
Winters can be hard on lawns. Our up-and-down winter with fluctuating temperatures and varying from wet to dry to wet, again, is no exception. Even if customers cleaned up their yard before winter set in, there are always going to be additional leaves that need to be picked up to prevent fungus, rot, or disease developing in the lawn. Twigs and tree branches that have fallen during the winter should be picked up. If an owner's lawn has a lot of thatch in it, a good power raking in the spring will help pick up unwanted ground cover so that the grass that is about to sprout has a better supply of oxygen and will grow better, faster, and thicker.
If there isn't a lot of thatch in the yard, spring is a good time for aeration for the same reason-to loosen the soil and to be sure to provide the roots of the grass get plenty of oxygen and ready access to water and to the spring fertilizer owners should have applied to their yard.
One's first application of fertilizer should include a pre-emergent to ward off the germination of unwelcome seeds (i.e. crabgrass, fox tail, etc). If an owner had a lot of nuisance grasses popping up in the late summer, didn't get those grasses properly sprayed in the fall, or simply didn't treat their lawn with a pre-emergent the previous year, it may be necessary to use more than one application of pre-emergent to be sure to stop undesirable grasses from sprouting.
Be aware of any new bare spots that have turned up in your lawn since the fall. Those areas may need attention to assure a rich, plush green lawn this year. If fungus was a problem in your yard last year, even if it was treated, fungus can stay dormant and return the following year and it is best to spray the lawn early with fungicide before the fungus returns. New bare spots could also indicate that you had a pest problem late in the fall and that needs to be tended to as soon as possible. Always keep in mind that one of the best ways to keep weeds from popping up to have a thick, plush lawn of grass that chokes out any unwanted growth.
Although not actually a lawn care task, before the spring rains it is always a good thing to make sure one's gutters are cleaned out and ready to handle any good spring downpours for the sake of one's foundation around the house.
Author Resource:
John Kohler is the owner and founder of KohlerCare , a full service, licensed lawn care and landscaping company. John specializes in serving customers throughout Lincoln, NE. For more tips and information on lawn care and landscaping go to KohlerCare today.
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