10 Spring Lawn Care Tips from Award-Winning Landscaping Experts

Nothing completes the look of an outdoor area quite like a lush lawn. Here are the top 10 spring lawn care tips from the award-winning landscaping experts at Poynter Landscape Architecture & Construction.

How to Get a Perfect Green Lawn

1. Choose the Right Time

Timing is everything when it comes to gardens and lawns. Make sure you prep your space at the right time.

The best time to prep for a spring garden is in the previous fall, specifically after any final harvest but before the first freeze. This timing gives the ground time to settle and improve over the next few months. If prepping in early spring, the ideal time to start is after the last freeze so the ground is easier to work.

2. Rake, Dethatch & Mow

Next, clear the area of debris. This process typically includes raking and dethatching (removing thatch or accumulated organic matter), followed by mowing the lawn (with sharpened lawn mower blades for optimal results).

In the fall, a final mow about a week before first frost can reduce the odds of snow mold and other lawn diseases. In the spring, the first mow should occur when grass blades reach about three inches in height.

No matter when you mow, leave grass clippings alone. They act as a great natural fertilizer for your lawn.

3. Check Soil Quality

Conduct a soil test after clearing your lawn. Healthy grass loves phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. A lack of these nutrients in your soil means you need a fertilizer that is specifically designed to provide them to your lawn.

4. Aerate the Soil

Your lawn needs to breathe; aerate compacted soil to encourage strong roots. You can aerate the soil by hand with a garden fork or core aerator, or you can purchase or rent a power aerator to speed up the process.

5. Sow Seeds

Once you've aerated to prevent soil compaction, it's time to sow grass seeds. You have two primary options when it comes to seeding:

1. Reseeding, or completely removing dead grass and weeds, then planting new grass entirely.
2. Overseeding, or seeding over existing lawns to cover both bare spots as well as improve density of grass over non-bare patches.

Overseeding is a simpler process that works well for most lawns. Simply spread your grass seeds over your lawn with a drop or broadcast spreader, then water the lawn well.

6. Choose the Right Lawn Fertilizer

After overseeding comes fertilizing.

Choose the right fertilizer for the type of grass and soil you have. Warm-season grasses, such as Bermudagrass and Zoysia grass, for example, prefer slow-release fertilizers. Cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue, enjoy nitrogen-rich fertilizers.

7. Combat Weeds

Dandelions and other weeds can ruin the look of an otherwise stunning lawn. Using the right type of weed control can help keep these nuisances at bay.

There are two primary types of herbicides:

1. Pre-emergent herbicides, which prevent weed seeds from germinating in the first place. Applying in the fall helps prevent weeds like chickweed while applying in late spring/early summer helps prevent weeds like crabgrass.
2. Post-emergent herbicides, which kill existing weeds. It's best to apply these herbicides as soon as you notice weeds sprouting.

For a more natural method of weed control, many people opt for:

• Using boiling water
• Using vinegar solutions
• Manual weeding
• Mulching

8. Mulch

Mulching helps control weed growth, conserve water, and regulate soil temperature. It's a win-win-win for lawn care.

The best times to mulch are fall for plant protection and spring for weed suppression and soil temperature regulation. Mulch layers should be three to four inches thick.

9. Water the Lawn

Grass is a thirsty plant. A green, healthy lawn typically requires about an inch of water a week. Installing and maintaining an irrigation system like sprinklers can help lawns stay green without much maintenance on your end.

10. Hire Professional Lawn Services

Keeping lawns looking great is a lot of work and incredibly time consuming. When you want a great-looking lawn but don't have the time to maintain one, you can outsource spring lawn care to professionals.