Every lawn has great potential. And with a little effort a lush lawn can welcome your family, friends and neighbors.
Here are some tips from Lawn Doctor, the guys and gals with 50 years of serving their neighbors with invaluable insight to maintain the home’s greenest asset.
1. Clean-up. Some years are worse than others, but a general clean-up will benefit your lawn in many ways. Too much debris can suffocate the lawn and prevent the emergence of new growth. Raking up even just a few sticks and leaves not only helps get the lawn looking better instantly but it gives you the opportunity to inspect your lawn thoroughly and assess any issues.
2. Rake. Raking to clean up is great, but if you have a thick layer of thatch, you may have to rake a little more thoroughly. Thatch is the layer of decomposing plant material that sits on the surface of the soil. When it accumulates and gets compacted it can prevent the roots of your grass from getting water, fertilizer, oxygen and other nutrients.
3. Manage the moss. Every winter your lawn will stop growing and go into winter dormancy. Meanwhile, moss continues to grow. In the early spring, moss often looks worse than it is. Once the turf starts to grow moss will become less noticeable. Under some conditions, such as heavy shade or habitually moist areas, moss will naturally grow thick and dense. In this case, moss can only be handled by removing it manually with a rake or dethatcher. To help prevent moss and control the spread of it, we recommend a heavy calcitic lime application in the spring and, depending on the soil pH, sometimes again in the fall. Seeding in the fall and proper nutritional care and maintenance can keep the moss from coming back.
4. Fertilize. In the early spring, you’ll notice that your grass is pale green, gray or even yellow, depending on the variety of grass you have. As it comes out of dormancy, it will naturally green up. To bring it back to life faster and see it grow greener you should have a lawn care program. First, start with a high nitrogen fertilizer with other essential nutrients as well as weed control and crabgrass preventative. This service will wake your grass right up and make it look like winter never happened!
5. Prevent crabgrass. It may seem too soon to be thinking about crabgrass but it is imperative to get this pre-emergent onto your lawn ASAP. The secret to lawn care program is TWO applications of pre-emergent. Two applications means double prevention and longer lasting effects. Do not underestimate the importance of premergent!
