Spring lawn care
Spring lawn care is the most fulfilling experience that home owners have while attending to their lawns. Yet, it can also be one of the hectic seasons in the year. Just as fast as the turf in the lawn grows, so do the weeds, and therefore the likelihood that the insects or diseases will infest the lawn. The good thing about spring lawn care is that the homeowner does not have to worry much about watering the lawn. However, to compensate for the natural rains, the homeowner must be prepared for more work mowing the lawn frequently.
The first spring lawn care that one should take at the onset of the season is raking. Yeah, yeah! It might not be the most entertaining engagement, but it is necessary. Raking is important to control thatch build up, which should not be allowed to be more than ½ inch. This kind of raking is not the shallow one intended to scrap off the leaves, but the deep-penetrative raking that reaches to the grass blades that fell during winter and fall. Raking also removes the matted patches of dead grass blades.
The next spring lawn care hint involves checking soil for compaction. Some of the signs to look out for include moss plants or patches of lawn where the turf has stunted growth. Such is most likely to happen in lawn sections subjected to too much human or animal activity. Remember however that aeration is recommended during fall. However, noting compaction in spring would allow the homeowner to make aeration plans for fall.
Spring lawn care should also involve liming. Natural turf grows well on soils that have neutral PH. Too much acidity in the soil can be manifested through moss plants. One can also detect the same through soil tests. The tests will also indicate how much lime should be applied on each square foot. Liming restores the soil’s neutral pH albeit slowly. The lawn is best applied using a spreader. Homeowners should however know that lime is only beneficial as a corrective measure. As such, it should only be used on soils that are too acidic. Otherwise, it will increase the alkalinity of the soil, causing more problems to the lawn.
Over seeding is also another helpful spring lawn care pointer that aids homeowners to correct the bare patches on the lawns. This involves applying grass seeds on the patches. When they germinate, the home owner should use a nitrogen fertilizer to speed up growth. This practice is best done in fall. However, in dire cases when a home owner needs to even-out the lawn, over seeding can also be done in spring. If the weed problem is mild, the homeowner can opt to pull them out instead of using chemicals on the lawn.
Fertilizing the lawn is done naturally by the mulch and compost released after mowing. However, some homeowners still see the need to use chemical fertilizers. The home owners should use fertilizers moderately during this season, as too much of it can encourage the growth of weeds. Should the weed problem persist, a homeowner can choose any of the available herbicides to control the weeds. Finally, spring lawn care involves a lot of mowing. To ensure that one mows their lawn properly, they should invest in quality mowers with adjustable blades. One should also ensure that the blades are sharp enough before starting the mowing exercise.