spring lawn care

What you need to do to your lawn in the spring and how to gauge the right time for treatments.

Lawns are a standard for every American Garden. If you are in the northern tier of the country you will grow grass types that survive cold winters, but usually go dormant in the dry summers; if you are in the south you will grow grasses that are suited to that climate and thrive in the dry hot summers. Some lucky middle folk can mix grasses such they have green all year round.

Some basic lawn facts - the best time to fertilize is in the fall. If you put one on now, make it a slow release so that the grass puts some energy into roots as well as into growing upwards. Crabgrass treatments should already be down in the south where temperatures are above 50 most days. Crabgrass treatment is a pre emergent so it should be put down before the annual crabgrass seed germinates. Do not try to reseed the lawn if you are using this type of product - your grass seed will not germinate either! When the crabgrass has germinated, a general broad leaf lawn weed product will control it.

A better way to control weeds is to mow the lawn regularly and to a height of 4". Seeds cannot penetrate this dense grass and will not reach the soil level.

©Text by Kate Copsey, March, 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.