If you focus on winter lawn care early on, it is a massive help when it comes to spring and the warmer weather comes around. So long as the grass is well-maintained and hasn’t succumbed to the harsh winter environment, a little TLC is all it takes for an emerald-green lawn come spring.
Inspect the Lawn Before Anything Else
Before you go Googling “lawn care near me,” it helps to inspect the lawn first. Winter can take its toll over three months, and the damage will be visible towards the end of the season. Look for bare patches where the grass is thinning and brown spots. These are the main areas of concern that will need the most work. But before you go ahead and begin work, ensure your lawn care equipment is maintained and up to the task ahead for an easier time as you work.
Prevent Winter Diseases
Grass is prone to disease under the right (or wrong?) conditions. Water is mostly to blame as disease often results from water logging. However, there are also other contributors, such as lack of sunlight and bacterial growth. Plants such as grass rely on chlorophyll for vitality. Ferrous sulfate (iron) can help stimulate the production of chlorophyll, especially when there is less sunlight than usual. It also helps strengthen the lawn and grass against any future diseases.
Pay Special Attention at the End of Winter
We all love gardening when the warmer weather comes around. But real spring lawn care actually begins toward the end of winter. Preparing your garden when the frost eases up a little helps provide a lush lawn by the time spring comes around. If winter is still damaging the lawn, take extra care to ensure there is minimal water. Remove any snow and break ice up into parts. Snow piles take longer to melt and will prevent the grass from getting its crucial first spring light.
Quick and Easy Spring Lawn Care
It’s all too easy to search for a “landscaper near me” because lawn care is a big task. But with some proper care and maintenance, your spring lawn will flourish with minimal effort:
- Using the correct height setting, mow your lawn as soon as the weather allows.
- Feeding throughout spring and summer helps keep the lawn strong and healthy.
- Deal with bare patches and thinning ASAP to prevent weeds from growing.
- Use a scarifier to remove thatch and other debris that harms the lawn grass.
- Aerate the lawn to help with drainage, compaction, and air circulation to the roots.
It helps to get to these tasks as soon as you can at the end of winter and the beginning of spring. This is when the ground is much more malleable, and the sun begins to shine again.
Create a Path for Reducing Lawn Foot Traffic
There are a few tasks you can get a start on towards the end of winter or the beginning of spring. But one of the best ways to a lush lawn that thrives is to prevent people from walking all over it as much as possible, including yourself. By creating walkways, the lawn is trampled less, resulting in minimal compaction, much less foot traffic, and better overall drainage. Having an expert mason lay down a stone pathway or something similar is an excellent design option.
Give the Lawn Some TLC
Excellent winter lawn care now leads to better spring lawn care in the future, and vice versa. A well-cared-for lawn begets itself, and it becomes easier to manage over time. There are some vital tasks as mentioned above. But for a lush lawn, there are also some other TLC tasks to rake your lawn to another level. It helps to rake up any debris as often as you can in spring and winter. Overseeding will also help fill out thinned patches and aerating remedies compaction.
Pay Attention to the Sprinklers
It’s necessary to water the lawn in summer as the strong heat and potential drought can damage the grass. But there are no guarantees in spring and winter. Winter can be sunny and dry, while spring can be cloudy and wet. So, you need to ensure the sprinklers are only spraying the areas that need it. Otherwise, you risk overwatering parts of your lawn. Overwatering causes water logging; a guaranteed way to cause a lot of damage to your lush, green lawn.
Summary
Inspecting the lawn at the end of winter helps with any spring lawn care to come. Easy tasks such as mowing, feeding, and aeration as soon as possible will help prepare the lawn for spring.
