Treating Weeds And Moss
Lawn weeds are a major headache that can stop you fully enjoying your lawn. A strong, healthy and well-fed lawn will be able to deal with weeds and moss far better than one that isnt fed and looked after properly.
But where weeds and moss are a problem you need to deal with them quickly. If you just have weeds but no moss, then you can quickly treat your lawn with a liquid lawn weedkiller. These products contain special ingredients that, when applied in accordance with the instructions, wont cause any damage to your lawn grasses but will control most broad-leaved weeds. If you only have moss but no weeds then there are lawn moss killers available, most will also contain a feed so it will green up your lawn as it kills the moss – bear in mind the moss will turn black as it dies so you may not want to do this just before a party!
Groom The Grass At The Beginning Of The Season
Dont be surprised if your grass looks sad and worn down when the snow clears. The winter is a harsh challenge for any lawn. In the early spring, lightly rake the lawn to help perk up the turf ahead of the growing season. As soon as the soil dries out a bit, carefully clear away leaves and dead grass using a regular leaf rake. This will break up any matted areas and improve airflow the surface of the blades.
Wait to begin raking until the ground has dried out and firmed up in the spring. If the soil is muddy, you risk damaging the grass by walking and working on it. Also remember to be gentle. The old grass and new growth are fragile, plus moist soil makes it easier to pull the blades out of the ground.
Adjust Wateringeven In The Spring
Should you start watering in May? Or can you water in March? How much water should you apply and for how long? Should you ever water at night?
The answers to these questions can help you protect your lawn from damage, prevent unnecessary weed growth, and help it grow into a beautiful, lush green carpet.
- What time of year to water: Obviously were not going to water in the winter. So lets fast forward to the spring. Watch the weather. If weve had a dry winter and early spring, theres no harm in turning on your sprinkler system. Lawns can quickly dry out, especially if New England is hit a by a drought early in the year. Once the top few inches of soil dry out, its difficult to impossible to apply enough water for your turf to spring back and green up.
- How much water to apply: This will largely depend on your lawn and the setup of your sprinkler system.
- What time of day to water: The best time to start watering your lawn is early morning. You should almost never water at night because it can promote disease. This, in turn, can stress and kill turf. The one caveat is if your lawn is truly struggling because of the heat, humidity, and high UVs. Cooling off your turf by watering a bit later in the afternoon/evening may be OK if its done sporadically and correctly.
Don’t Miss: Killing Clover With Vinegar
Which Fertilizer Should I Use In Spring
Feeding your grass in spring is essential to a beautiful lawn, but which fertilizer should you use? Heres what we recommend.
A lawn needs food to grow thick, green, and lush. The benefits of a well-fed lawn extend beyond good looks, though. When you feed your lawn throughout the year, it will emerge greener and stronger after the winter, can crowd out future weeds, and will be more resilient in the face of heat and drought.
To start the growing season off right and give grass the nutrition it needs to grow after a long winter, your lawns first feeding should be in the spring. Which fertilizer solution to use depends on where you live, what type of grass youre growing, and any lawn problems that might be present. Heres what we recommend.
If you live in the North:
Fertilize your Kentucky bluegrass, bermudagrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, or fine fescue lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action, which tackles three important tasks with a single application. First, it will give your lawn the nutrients it needs to get thick and green this spring, helping the grass establish deep roots so it will stand up stronger to heat and drought later in the growing season.
Then, 6 to 8 weeks after using Triple Action, apply Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food according to label directions to continue giving your lawn the nutrition it needs to keep growing strong.
If you live in the South:
Things To Do Now For A Greener Spring Lawn
A healthy lawn can be a great source of enjoyment for you and your family, and has the added benefit of making your home look appealing and well cared-for. Proper lawn maintenance is key to achieve that lush, green lawn we all covet, and fall is the time to get your lawn in order so it will winter well and be green come spring. Heres how!
Also Check: Does Lowes Rent Riding Lawn Mowers
Watering The Right Way
First Haircut Of The Season
Nows a good time to have your mower blades sharpened, which will give your lawn a clean cut. A dull blade tears grass instead of cutting it. Lawns also dry out more quickly with frayed ends, making it more susceptible to insects and disease.
Dont buzz cut your lawn now or throughout the growing season. Rule-of-thumb: only cut off one-third of a blade of grass in a single mowing. You can keep your lawn a little on the longer side, too. For example, lawn thats in the three-inch range has roots about the same depth. Deeper roots. Healthier lawn. Check to find the optimum mowing height for your variety of lawn.
Also Check: How Much Is Trugreen Service
Keep The Yard Clear Throughout The Winter
As youre wrapping up yardwork in the fall, be sure not to leave anything behind. Rake away all the leaves and put away sprinklers, hoses, garden furniture, yard toys and decorations. If something is left on the surface, the grass will get matted down during the winter months. With the added moisture of rain and snow, this can also make the perfect environment for pests and mold to sneak in and damage the turf or kill it.
How To Thicken Your Lawn
Gro-Sure has a wide range of lawn seed for all your lawns needs, including shady conditions, hard-wearing, fine lawns, or fast-establishing. Plus, our seeds have a bird deterrent coating to maximise your success. For best results sow in the spring from March to May, or in early autumn from mid-September to mid-October depending on weather conditions.
Read our guide on how to thicken your lawn below, or watch the video.
You May Like: Wild Violet Herbicide
Take Your Lawn Mower For A Spin
Give your lawn its first cut of the year
Your trusty best cordless lawn mower has most likely been out of action for a while. Now it’s time to dust off the cobwebs and wheel it back out of the shed, ready for the first mow of the season. But before you let it loose, there’s a few top tricks to bear in mind.
According to the RHS, your first mow of the year should be done using the highest setting you can then gradually decrease this over time. The team at Homebase adds that a good rule-of-thumb is to never cut more than one third of the length at a time. The RHS also says to never mow when it is frosty or damp this can compact the soil and damage the grass.
A final tip from RHS lawn expert David Hedges-Gower is to ensure your lawnmower has a sharp blade. This will also prevent damage and help the lawn’s uptake of nutrients and water.
After a bit more guidance? Check out our advice on how to mow a lawn.
Getting Ready For Spring Lawn Care
As your lawn responds to nature’s spring wake-up call, help prepare it for a year of healthy growth with the lawn care it needs to help it thrive. By tackling a few simple chores, you will prepare your lawn to defend itself against this year’s wave of weeds, diseases and drought.
Related Products
Anytime in early spring or fall
Use only on established lawns of the following turf types: Bermudagrass, centipedegrass, all varieties of St. Augustinegrass and zoysia.
Do not use on any other turf types: bahiagrass, bentgrass, ormond variety of Bermudagrass, buffalograss, carpetgrass, dichondra, fescue, kikuyugrass, ryegrass or seashore paspalum lawns.
Use 2.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet
Apply anytime – spring through fall at temperatures between 50 degrees F and 90 degrees F.
On established lawns without harming lawn grasses.
Do not use on Carpetgrass, improved varieties of St. Augustinegrass, such as floratam, dichondra or desirable clovers.
- 0.073% Dicamba
- 0.240% Dithiopyr
| Use only on established lawns of the following turf types: Bermudagrass, Buffalograss, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, fescue, seashore paspalum and zoysia. |
| Do not use on bahiagrass, carpetgrass, annual bluegrass , bentgrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass or dichondra. |
Read Also: How To Rid Lawn Of Clover
Spring Lawn Care Tip #4 Get Loose By Aerating
When it comes to getting green grass in the summer, I found that aerating your lawn in the spring is a big deal, especially around here. If you dont have someone that does it regularly for you, chances are theyll be a company walking around The Meadows in a few weeks to offer this service. You can also rent a machine at Home Depot or Lowes. Aerating helps promote air flow in your grass, but it also helps loosen the soil so your lawn can absorb more moisture.
Leave The Lawn Cut At The Right Height
Raise the mowing height slightly in the fall. Rooting depth is proportional to mowing height – the longer the leaves, the deeper the roots. Longer grass blades provide some insulation for the crown of the grass plant. However, if the grass is too long going into the winter, it will become matted, which encourages winter diseases such as pink and grey snow mould.
Read Also: What Is The Smallest Riding Lawn Mower
Crabgrass Is Lurking: How To Control It
Take a quick look at your lawn. Do you see bare spots? How about thin areas? This is cause for concern. Crabgrass loves weak areas of lawns where it can easily fill in and take over. Once established, this weed is difficultand often expensiveto eradicate, let alone manage.
Crabgrass is an annual weed that easily outcompetes cool-season grasses. Crabgrass seeds begin to germinate when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees or above for roughly five consecutive days. This wont happen until later in the spring.
Why is crabgrass so difficult to manage?
- Its a hardy weed that knows how to survive.
- A single crabgrass plant can grow upwards of 700 tillers and produce 200,000 seeds during its lifecycle.
- It can grow in almost any turf and landscape environment.
- It thrives in dry, sunny, hot climates when cool-season grasses typically go dormant
- It can survive low mowing . Cool-season grasses should be mowed between 3.5 and 4 inches year-round.
- It can withstand tremendous stress caused by foot traffic or machinery. Most cool-season grasses are much less likely to recover.
Apply The Proper Nutrients
For turf to grow deep roots and strong blades, its critical to provide it with the proper amount and type of nutrients. Fortunately, many of the 18 required nutrients are already readily present in most soil. As a result, we only have to worry about providing already-established lawns with the required amount of two macronutrients , which are typically not present in the soil in large enough quantities.
If youre growing a new lawn, we do recommend applying fertilizer that contains phosphorus because it stimulates early root growthsomething thats just as than blade development at this stage in the turfs life. However, Massachusetts regulates how and when phosphorus is used, so its important to follow proper protocols.
But theres more! While its important to consider the amount of fertilizer used, we must also consider the type of product and when its applied.
Read Also: Peat Moss Vs Straw
Should I Fertilize My Lawn In The Spring
Whether you have a newly seeded lawn or an established lawn, you should fertilize it during the spring growing season to keep the grass vibrant on the surface and healthy down into its roots.
Jonathan Green has been growing beautiful, dark-green lawns since 1881. We supply genetically superior cool-season grass seed and other lawn and soil care products to commercial sod growers and independent home and garden retailers in all areas of the United States where cool-season lawn grasses Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Fine Fescues are grown.
We employ the latest scientific technology and research to ensure that we have the best products on the market. All of our products are tested to make sure they will perform well on your lawn. The result will be a beautiful green, healthy lawn for you and your family.
How To Get A Green Spring Lawn Fast
Yesterday was St. Patricks day and the color green was on everyones mind. So, speaking of the color green, why not turn your yellow yucky winter lawn into a lush dark green fairway!?!
My husband Dan is a PRO when it comes to making our lawn a dark healthy green. I have heard it dozens of times from our friend and neighbors, How does Dan make your lawn such a DARK GREEN color!?! There are many important steps to maintaining a healthy lawn throughout the year.
Step 1: Helping your lawn revive from the winter starts with a good Fall fertilizer. At the end of the year he always fertilizes before the first freeze will do.
Step 2: When the temperature is on the up where ever you live, start by aerating your lawn in the Spring.
Step 3: On the same day that you aerate your lawn, put a good dose of Ever Green 18-5-0 fertilizer down on your lawn. Dan likes this brand because it has the right amount of iron and nitrogen to bring your lawn back to a lush dark green color quickly and safely. Dont hesitate to put an extra heavy dose as it will not burn your lawn this early in the season.
Step 4: Turn on your sprinklers to activate the fertilizer. In the early Spring its only necessary to water once every five days.
Step 5: Wait about 1 month and apply another good dose of the same fertilizer and your lawn will thicken up nicely and stay dark green for several months.
These pictures were taken yesterday.
Don’t Miss: How To Kill Wild Violet Weeds In Lawn
Spring Lawn Care Tips: How To Revive Your Grass And Get It Looking Tip
Discover our spring lawn care tips and get your lushest grass yet through raking, scarifying, mowing and feeding
ByHolly Crossley2021-02-15T13:10:00Z
Now winter is behind us, it’s time to discover our spring lawn care tips. After all, the early signs of spring are already starting to show, from the first flowering bulbs to the slightly lighter evenings. It won’t be long before everything bursts back into life after the quiet, dormancy period of winter.
For many of us, a luscious lawn is one of the most important features of the garden come warmer months. We all want picture-perfect grass that’s a beautiful shade of green lovely for lounging on, running across barefoot, or simply admiring from the patio. We certainly don’t want an eyesore of shabby, moss-filled, half-dead turf to be the focal point of our plot.
To achieve the former, preparation is key. And whether your garden is large or small, we’re here to help you on your way. So read on to discover our spring lawn care tips, from how to use your best lawn mower to advice on over-seeding, and more.
