Spring Lawn Care Guide
The main purpose of spring lawn care is to get the grass through the summer. Cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and the fescues need to develop a strong root system in order to survive summer’s heat and dry conditions.
Ideally, our lawn care calendar should be from September 1 through August 31, and not April 1 through March 31. This would encourage nine months of cool-season growth before summer’s conditions. Thinking that lawn care starts in the spring only allows a couple months of growth before demanding environmental conditions.
However, there are several practices that you can undertake in the spring to make sure your lawn has the best chance.
MOWING
As soon as the grass needs cutting, mow it. Don’t wait. Most cool-season grasses should be cut at a 2- to 2½-inch height. This means mowing the lawn when it reaches 3 to 4 inches to avoid cutting off more than you leave. If you allow the grass to get tall before mowing, you run the risks of stressing the plants and encouraging diseases.
Also, avoid mowing wet grass as it encourages the spread of diseases and can lead to an uneven cut. If the grass is too tall, consider bagging or using a mulcher mower to limit thatch buildup.
Sharpen your mower blades. Sharp blades are essential. A sharp blade makes a clean cut. Sharpen blades at least twice a year.
FERTILZING
Early spring fertilizer applications should be avoided, if possible. Early fertilizers tend to greenup the lawn, which isn’t visually bad. However, adding nitrogen fertilizers tend to stimulate shoot development at the expense of root growth. Cool spring temperatures favor root growth more than shoot growth, which creates a denser and deeper root system for the turf. That deeper and denser root system means a better chance of survival for the summer, especially hot, dry conditions.
If, and that’s a big IF, you must fertilize in the early spring, do so at a low rate. Think about it ten times before finally committing. Typically, homeowners have applied about 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. This is probably too much.
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