As the trees blossom and the flowers start to bloom you might start to think about the aesthetics of your garden. Preparing your garden over the spring months will be important for a fantastic looking garden in the summer. Here’s how you should approach spring lawn care.
Begin with Raking
Raking your lawn is one of the most important things you can do in the spring to get a healthy lawn. Make sure the ground is relatively dry and isn't soft and squishy. By raking, you pull out all the old dead grass and lift up some of the matted grass to keep fungus problems to a minimum. It does take a considerable amount of elbow grease, but it really is the best thing you can do for your lawn. A good raking in the spring effectively acts like a basic de-thatching that helps the thickness of the grass in the summer.
Feeding and Fertilizing
A good feed with a lawn fertiliser, not only makes the grass greener, but it makes it grow thicker and increases its strength, vigour and health. This will make the grass more robust and better equipped to compete with weeds, moss and weather-related stresses. In spring, the best results are achieved by using a granular feed and a lawn spreader that supplies a vast amount of nutrients over the entire garden.
Mowing
Mowing lawns outside of the summer might seem drudgery for some, but it is an important factor in the quest for a great looking garden in the future. Regular mowing insures healthy turf and mowing at the appropriate intervals will not only insure a beautiful lawn, but will provide sustenance for the roots.
Most grasses should be maintained at a height of about 2 inches during the spring and at 2½ -3 ½ inches during the hot summer months. The reason for the higher height during the summer insures that shade is provided for the underlying growth and higher growth enhances the retention of moisture in the soil, thereby reducing requirements for watering.
The most critical rule for determining the best time to mow is to insure that no more than 1/3 of the grass blades are cut at any one time. Cutting more than this length will damage the grass. First, it will deposit more thatch in the form of cuttings on your lawn than is healthy and second, the root system and small shoots of growth will be quickly exposed to the harsh summer sun which causes stress on the plants.
The 1/3 rule means that grass will likely require more frequent mowing in the spring when the grass has just been fertilized and is growing rapidly and less often during the hot summer months when growth is slower.
Start Preparing
If you neglect your lawn during spring, you could end up paying for it the rest of the year. Start preparing now and benefit from a beautiful looking garden in the future.
