The key to a successful summer lawn is having a forward-thinking spring maintenance routine. Think of the process as gently coaxing your lawn out of its winter slumber and making sure each blade of grass gets up on the right side of the garden bed. A happy spring leads to a happy and plentiful summer.
Tools Required:
- lawn aerator
- rake
- weeding tool
- grass seed
- lawn seeder
- fertilizer
- sprinkler
- lawn mower
Directions:
Step 1: Aerate
Aerate to promote a healthy root system by allowing the grass to breathe, increasing water and nutrient uptake. Failure to aerate your lawn sufficiently will make it much more difficult for grass and plants to survive during the hottest part of the season.
Step 2: Rake
Remove thatch and other decaying plant material by raking the full lawn, end to end, to remove the layer of debris that has accumulated on top of the lawn. Thatch blocks sunlight from reaching the grass roots and prevents airflow thus making the lawn ideal for mold.
Step 3: Weed
Get ahead of those pesky weeds by removing them at the root early in the season before they blossom and spread more of their seed across your lawn. Use a weeding tool like the Weed Zinger Stand Up Weeding Tool with Spring Release to save your back and knees.
Step 4: Reseed
Use a till and a lawn seeder to till the soil and spread the seed evenly on the bare spots of the lawn. For re-seeding success, the seeds must make contact with the soil. Water the entire area with a sprinkler.
Step 5: Fertilize
Scatter fertilizer at least twice per year, timed to bookend the highest temperatures of summer, for a thick and luscious lawn. Fertilizers enrich the soil with nutrients and minerals after they have been leached out during the winter.
Step 6: Mow
Mow only as often as your lawn requires. Ultimately, that will depend on the climate conditions of your geographical locale. A quick rule is to keep grass at about 2.5 to 3-inches, and add a half an inch of length during the hottest days, to create more shady protection for the roots.
Tips
- Scatter nitrogen-rich fertilizer on the lawn once the grass seeds have germinated.
- Prepare your mower for summer by having blades sharpened, oil reserves and tire pressure checked.
- Trim grass at about 1/3 of the blade length each time. This 3-pass method is gentler on the blades of grass, eliminating unwanted damage that results in brown cut tips.
- Stock up for spring on some of most trusted tools in lawn care, at Cartageous.com.
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