Spring Lawn Care – Waking Up After Winter
Posted: Monday, November 29, 2010
by Mark Bartley
When spring arrives, the job of caring for your lawn begins with a close look at the lawn's condition. If the winter weather has placed a strain on the lawn, spring is the time to examine the health of your lawn and bring it back up to health to encourage vibrant new growth in time for summer. Ensure that your lawn is clear of any debris that may have built up over the winter months, including fallen leaves, detritus blown onto the lawn by winter storms and that any snow or frost damaged area are given special attention.
Once warmer weather starts to heat up soil temperatures you will immediately notice a fresh burst of growth from your lawn. Don't be tempted to get the mower out too soon or set it too low. For the initial mowing of the year you should set your mower blades slightly higher than normal. However, if you allow your lawn to get too high you may notice it will start to yellow as light is prevented from reaching the base of the turf.
In early spring if the weather is mild enough the lawn should be mowed to a height of around 1 inch, depending on the variety. This allows the grass to grow without too much stress and without damaging the important base of the blades. You can then reduce the height of the blades with each cut to around 2 centimeters as soon as the grass growth becomes more vigorous.
Feeding your spring lawn in spring
Spring lawn care should be all about getting your lawn back into a strong growing cycle as soon as possible and repairing any damaged areas as conditions allow. Feeding your lawn in spring is vital to promote lush, healthy growth. Slow release feeds are perfect as long as the weather isn't too wet. Spring lawn feeds will also contain a higher proportion of nitrogen to promote rapid growth of the blades, giving you a rich green lawn that's healthy and vibrant. It should also contain phosphorous and potassium to encourage healthy root growth.
Damaged areas of your lawn can be reseeded once the chance of any late frosts has passed. Again, a feed with high nitrogen content will encourage the grass to grow quickly, covering up any bald patches or areas of damaged lawn.
Weed control in spring
Unfortunately, your lawn isn't the only thing that grows rapidly in the spring. Weeds such as dandelions and daisies will be quick to colonise any lawn, so some of your spring lawn care should be to deal with these before they become a problem. Small amounts can be removed by hand weeding, but larger infestations may require the use of herbicides. As soon as you see the tell-tale signs of weed growth, the best way is to hand weed, making sure that you remove the whole of the root to prevent re-growth.
The initial weekends of spring can be hectic and full or work in the garden, but if you are careful to carry out your spring lawn care programme in plenty of time and you'll have a lush, green and healthy lawn throughout the summer.
Useful gardening tips are always part of Mark's reports. Mark writes on gardens and the outdoors for a selection of websites.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)It's nice to read an article that mentions spring and summer!
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