How To Manage Your Lawn Care in the Spring

Nothing brightens up the exterior of your home quite like a lush lawn. Starting your lawn care in the spring ensures your grass will look great throughout summer. Explore our lawn maintenance guide to help make your grass the talk of the neighborhood this year.

Clean It Up

You will want to start your lawn maintenance routine by cleaning up any leaves or twigs that may have fallen during fall and winter. Focus on getting rid of as much thatch — the layer of dead grass lies between the green tops of the grass and the soil — as you can. Make sure to rake deeply into the lawn to get as much debris and thatch as possible. Rake everything onto a tarp for easy cleanup.

Aerate the Soil... If Necessary

Children and pets love rolling around in the grass. However, well-treaded soil will begin to compact and become firm over time. This highly packed soil can attract mold growth, which can ruin any of the spring lawn preparation you worked hard to complete. Denser soil will also make it harder for water and air to permeate, starving new grass. You can use a soil aerator to loosen the dirt before adding new seed or fertilizer.

Ideally, it is best to aerate the soil before spring since aeration also makes it easier for weeds to grow. But if your soil is highly compacted, it is still better to aerate your lawn in the spring than to skip it.

Fill in Bald Spots

No one wants a patchy lawn. There are two ways to fill in bald areas throughout your yard. The most common is to lay down new seeds. However, you generally want to do this in the fall so that the fresh grass will start growing by springtime.

If it is already spring and you want to quickly fill in spots, opt for laying down sod instead. Although it is more expensive and requires more work than seed, the sod will give you the appearance of a full lawn instantly.

Fertilize and Stop Weeds Early

Whoever said, “the grass is always greener on the other side” probably was not fertilizing their lawn! Early lawn care in the spring will lead to better results in the later months, like fewer weeds and fuller grass. In the first month of spring, fertilize and lay down preemergent — an herbicide that stops crabgrass from growing. Not only will you have a healthier lawn, but the grass will not have to compete with weeds for nutrients. You should then apply weed killer around two months later to remove any weeds that might grow around that time.

Only Take a Little off the Top

Once your grass begins to grow, you should continue your landscaping and lawn care by mowing early and often. Growing grass too high and then cutting it will stunt its growth in the coming months. You also want to be sure you are not cutting the grass too short. Cutting young grass too short will also hinder growth and dull its color. Try setting your mower to cut the grass around 4 to 5 inches high. This will allow you to manage your lawn without putting too much stress on the newly formed grass.

Keeping up with lawn care in the spring will undoubtedly lead to better grass, but there are plenty of other exterior changes you can make to bring life to your home. Explore Perry Homes’ gallery to find new inspiration for your home’s exterior!