10 Intrepid Tips for Taking Care of Your Lawn in the Spring

Maintaining your home’s lawn is not only important for aesthetics. A well-kept lawn also boosts your home’s curb appeal, which can increase your home’s value. Homes with an appealing lawn sell for 7% more than similar homes without curb appeal.

It’s time to start creating a lawn care plan to ensure your home’s curb appeal is always stunning. With spring right around the corner, homeowners should focus on a lawn maintenance plan for lawn care in spring. There are several lawn care tips specific to spring that every homeowner should know.

In the guide below, you’ll find our guide on how to develop a lawn maintenance routine starting in the spring. Continue reading to get it started!

1. Prepare a Lawn Care Routine in Advance

Don’t wait until the last minute to start devising a spring lawn care routine. You need to prepare one in advance so you can make adjustments to it when needed and stick to it. The best thing you can do is write it down or print it out, so you have a hard copy of the routine.

Start by writing out the routine you have in place right now. This routine might include the following:

• how often and how much water you apply to the lawn
• how often and how much fertilizer you apply
• how short you cut the grass

Use this information as an outline of your spring routine. You’re going to need to make changes for the new season. Start thinking ahead of some things you know you might need to change in your current routine to prepare for spring.

You should also be aware of any repairs you need to make to your lawn or irrigation system and make those repairs before summer arrives.

2. Switch Your Lawn Mower Settings

You want your lawn to grow healthy and strong during the spring. To do this, you may need to switch your current lawn mower setting. Adjust it to a lower setting and cut your grass short one time only.

Bag all of the clippings so the fresh grass that’s ready to grow can absorb all the sun and nutrients it needs. This process is also known as “scalping.” After this, you can then mow the grass to keep it around 3 inches tall and no less.

Keeping the lawn at this height will prevent weeds, such as dandelions, from getting the sunlight they need to thrive and stressing the grass. Be sure to mow the grass only when it’s dry.

3. Aerate and Provide Nutrients

Yearly aerations are essential for a healthy lawn. Aeration is when you provide small pathways through the soil, which allow nutrients, air, and water to reach the roots of the grass. If you do this before the heat of summer, then you can ensure stronger root growth.

Strong, deep roots can help your grass avoid the stress of drought that might occur over the summer. Do keep in mind that some lawns need to be aerated more than once a year and at different times of the year, depending on where you live. Always keep your local climate and grass type in mind before creating an aeration schedule.

4. Remove All Debris From the Lawn

At the start of spring, you’ll most likely notice some debris on your lawn. Leaves and sticks tend to fall onto the lawn during the winter season when garden life is dormant. You want to remove all of the debris from your lawn to not only improve its appearance but to improve its health as well.

Once all of the debris is removed, the grass will also benefit from proper watering, airflow, and mowing. You can use a rake to make the debris removal process a bit easier.

5. Increase the Amount of Watering

Temperatures begin to rise during the spring and into the summer months. During this time, your lawn will need increased moisture to prevent the stress of drought. There are a few ways you can increase your lawn’s water intake.

• ensure your sprinkler system is working
• install an irrigation system
• water up to 1 inch every 5-7 days (use an empty can to measure)
• water in the early morning to prevent too much water from being evaporated

Start this watering process once you notice signs of spring growth. At the same time, you also want to avoid overwatering, as this can lead to an increase in fungus growth and pests.

6. Remember to Fertilize the Lawn

Once your lawn begins to get its green color again, it’s time to start planning to fertilize. Applying fertilizer to your lawn in the spring can help improve its chances of strong growth during the hotter summer months. If you heavily applied fertilizer in the fall, then your lawn will only need light fertilization during the spring.

Lawn clipping and compost ran through a mulching mower are ideal organic fertilizers for your lawn. If your lawn didn’t receive fertilizer in the fall, then consider using chemical fertilizer in the spring. Chemical fertilizers are faster acting, but always be sure to use a spreader to ensure the fertilizer covers your lawn evenly.

7. Be on the Lookout For Insect Infestations

During the spring, usually March through May, you want to be on the lookout for certain types of insect infestations on your lawn. Different types of grass will be more prone to specific types of diseases and infestations. The first step is knowing what type of grass your lawn has.

The next step is knowing what to look for. For example, Bermuda grass often has fire ant problems and root rot when not maintained properly. St. Augustine grass might begin to have chinch bugs in June and gray leaf spots as well.

If you believe your lawn may be victim to disease or an infestation, then quickly contact a lawn care specialist near you. A professional can determine the cause of the problem and provide the right treatment.

8. Start Mulching

When you choose to use mulch on your lawn, you conserve water, protect the roots, prevent erosion, add nutrients, and more. There are several types of mulch, so it’s beneficial to do your research and know what kind is best for your lawn. You can find a variety of organic and inorganic mulch.

When applying mulch to your lawn, there are a few things to keep in mind.

• apply the mulch at least 6 inches away from your home’s foundation to prevent pests
• remove old mulch before applying new mulch
• two inches of mulch is ideal

You should also wait until warm spring air is in full effect before laying down new mulch. This prevents cold air from being trapped around the base of your lawn. Mulching in mid-late spring is best.

9. Test the Soil For Better Results

Testing your soil once every year is beneficial for your lawn. Once winter has come to an end, you should collect a sample of your lawn’s soil. To do so, grab a bag that can hold 1 pint of soil inside.

You should collect 5-10 soil samples throughout your lawn for the best results. Make sure you sample 4 inches into the lawn using a soil sample probe. Remove the top 1/2 inch of soil from the sample.

Mix all of the samples together and send them in for testing. Testing the soil tells you a lot about your lawn. For example, you’ll learn what nutrient deficiencies your soil has, what the pH levels are, and what the salt levels are.

After learning this information, you can then determine how to treat it to bring it back to proper health.

10. Clean Out the Gutters

There’s a lot to do to heal your lawn from the winter and prepare it for spring. While spending so much time outdoors working on the lawn, don’t forget to clean out the gutters on your home. During fall and winter, many dead leaves, twigs, branches, and other debris will fall from the trees.

Most of this debris lands in the gutters. When a home’s gutters are clogged, rain is unable to drain correctly, causing foundation problems and other problems for your home as well. Take a few minutes to grab a ladder and clean out the gutters while working on your lawn.

Lawn Care in Spring Is Essential, so Be Sure to Follow This Guide

As winter comes to an end and spring begins, new life is ready to thrive. To keep your lawn growing strong and healthy, follow all of the helpful tips listed in this guide above. Start preparing your routine for lawn care in spring in advance, and always take the time to research your specific type of lawn/grass.

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