Your Spring Green Lawn

With spring upon us, our world will be getting warmer, brighter, and greener. Now is the time to prime and prep your lawn in order to give it the best environment to grow in the spring and maintain its health throughout the summer and into the fall. Spring time lawn care is all about providing your lawn with everything it needs to spring back to life.

Warm-season grass, like the varieties found in Florida, go dormant during the winter and really reach their peak during the summer. Because of that, priming them for their time in the spotlight really needs to happen in the spring in order to prepare them for their lively seasons. Although grass in Florida still maintains a green color during the colder winter months, it is very noticeable when spring comes and the green of the grass gets so much clearer and more vibrant. Embracing that green and feeding the grass and plants the vital nutrients that they need just enhances the health of your lawn and extends the amount of time that they will be able to maintain that health.

Rake

By the time your lawn has started to turn back to its full green potential, it is time to get the spring lawn care process rolling. Raking should always be the first step of this process because it allows you to pull up any thatch that may have accumulated and gives you the chance to check for any dead spots or areas that may needs some extra TLC. Raking your lawn first gives you the opportunity to assess your entire lawn and also loosen the soil to allow the grass to grow more easily.

Test

Green grass relies heavily on the soil that it is planted in. Knowing the pH levels of the soil can be a valuable tool when preparing a lawn for the summer. Testing these levels gives you more insight into what your next step should be. Sometimes cooler weather can allow your soil to become more acidic, in which case, a thin layer of lime spread over the lawn can help neutralize that acid and create a more friendly environment for new grass to grow.

Fertilize

Living in a warm environment like Florida usually means that fertilizing should happen right away because as soon as the ground warms up more, nutrients get soaked up by all roots. Fertilizer is the extra boost that can help your lawn grow as thick and green as possible, and when spring comes, your lawn is hungry for the nutrients that it needs to grow and feel nourished.

Timing is everything with fertilizer because if the ground and air are not warm enough for the fertilizer to do it’s job, then it is just a waste. It should also not be applied too late so that when the grass is warm and ready to grow, it has those nutrients that it needs and is prepared to get started. This is typically in March, or after the last burst of cold weather.

Weeding

Early spring is a great time to do some weeding if your lawn accumulated any over the winter time. In addition to just pulling the weeds, apply herbicides to prevent more from growing as the season warms up. It is also important to remember that if weeding is done at the beginning of the fall, the spring weeding process is always easier and involves less time and maintenance. Using a pre-emergent weed control or a pre-emergent herbicide is also a great way to stop crabgrass and other weeds before they even get the chance to grow in the spring.

Watering

Once spring comes around and the grass begins to grow and absorb nutrients, it needs the proper amount of water to really thrive. It is recommended that a law gets at least 1 inch of water per week. So paying attention to the rainfall of each week is very important when it comes to knowing how much water to give your lawn each week and each day. Cold air is extremely drying to plants and lawns so giving it the hydration they need right away at the beginning of spring is exactly what will set them up for success.