Spring Gardening Tips - lawn maintenance

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year; to be able to get back into the garden after the winter and to actually feel the sun warm my back as I began to tend my grass is a wonderful feeling. As I see the bulbs beginning to flourish, my heart also flourishes as the wonderful colors begin to move the last vestiges of winter out of the way. Spring is the best time for lawn maintenance and if you do it right you'll have the best lawn in the area!

In early spring, once winter has finally passed you shold begin to tend your lawn. This is my general ‘spring maintenance’:

• Rake the lawn – while I do a good job of cleaning all the leaves in winter there are still usually quite a few that fall during late winter at a time when it simply isn't conducive to clearing them – thus there are still quite a few leaves imbedded in the lawn – added to that, the squirrels had been busy feeding on the acorns from the oak trees, and left the husks all the yard. So the first order of the day was to rake the lawn – not only does this get rid of a lot of debris that would inhibit decent growth of the lawn, but it also has the added effect of giving you extra exercise!

• Aerating – before you even think about applying any fertilizer you should aerate . You can do this with a thin garden fork, or you can buy a special implement to do this – the idea is to provide small holes that will allow both water and fertilizer to get to the roots of the grass ensuring that the grass grows strong and healthy – this is an often overlooked part of grass maintenance.
• PH Testing – not only should you test your soil for the plants, but it’s also beneficial to test your grass soil to see if there are any deficiencies – you’re aiming for a PH level between 6.2 and 7.2 – most hardware stores sell decent kits which have detailed instruction on what to look for. This is one of the most neglected parts of lawn care.
• Fertilizing – spring is a great time to spread your fertilizer – it really depends on your lawn, but I go for fertilizers with added weed control, especially crab grass. You can also look for insect killing fertilizers.
• Re-seed – again spring is a great time to re-seed those bald patches – break up the soil, and add a little top soil if needed and get some seed ideal for the conditions you have – it is important that you water as per the instructions.
• Trim edges – spring is also a great time to get all the edges of your lawn trimmed and looking nice - this isn't essential for lawn maintenance but it does give some nice curb appeal.

As the spring goes on, you should continue to water - I tend to do this in the morning before the sun comes up – some say that watering too late will lead to moss. You’ll soon be cutting the lawn – I find that leaving the grass about an inch or so long maintains a healthier lawn – note – you should not cut the new seeded areas for a while – let their root systems get established.

Lawn maintenance is not easy; it takes time and care, but starting in early spring gives the the best opportunity to have a lush and healthy lawn that will be able to withstand the heat and sun of summer.