Spring Lawn Care That Gets Your Yard Off To A Healthy Start
When the snow finally melts, you probably can't wait for your lawn to come back to life. Caring for your lawn properly in the spring can mean the difference between lush growth and a spotty appearance with weeds and bare spots. Here are a few things you can do to prepare your lawn for a new season of healthy growth.
Dethatch
Thatch is a layer of organic material that builds up on your lawn. It causes water to run off and it can keep nutrients from reaching the roots. It's also good cover for insects you'd rather not have in your yard. If you leave a foot trail when you walk across the yard, or if your lawn seems stiff and hard, it has too much thatch. Removing it every spring ensures your lawn gets the water and nutrients it needs for healthy root growth.
You can lift the thatch manually with a thatch rake, but that is a lot of work if you have a big yard. Instead, you can let the lawn service remove the thatch and aerate your yard with their lawn equipment. If you prefer to do the job yourself, you can rent a lawn aerator from a home improvement store. You can buy an inexpensive aerator that simply pokes holes in your lawn with a row of spikes, but it doesn't do as good a job…show more content… If you start early in the spring before weeds have a chance to spread, you may be able to pull out all the weeds by hand. If not, you can apply a weed killer and fertilizer combo that will kill off dandelions and other weeds while feeding your grass. Then you can fill in bare spots of grass with seeds, so new grass will grow and fill in the space. Sprinkle the seeds over bare spots liberally. You may even want to overseed your entire lawn. This will ensure thick growth that crowds out young weeds, and your lawn will be healthier too. Just rake the grass first, so the seeds can make contact with the soil. Then water the seeds and wait for thick growth to