Getting Ready For Spring: Lawn Care

Alright lawn lovers, it is time to get ready for spring lawn care. As winter ends and spring begins grass wakes  up from a very long nap.

When we think of lawn care, we understand that we need to set a foundation for the lawn to thrive as it grows.  What we do in the spring for lawn care will set the grass up for success during the rest of the growing season, and even years to come.

Once old man winter says adios and you peer into the wasteland he left behind, the very first step on your to do list is cleaning up. Leaves, pinecones, pet waste and any garbage or debris will need to be removed from your lawn. This is usually the hardest and longest step of the checklist. It’s best to just get it out of the way now. After this important step, the dream of a green lawn can be visualized.

Next you’ll need to start watering your lawn. After such an extended snooze the grass is thirsty. Colorado winters tend to be on the dry side. Think about how you feel taking a drink of water first thing in the morning. Amazing right? Now think about how that must make your lawn feel.  Set up your sprinklers on a schedule or hand water around the same time every few days.

You’ve worked so hard already. On top of all the things you do in your daily life, you took on some serious work in your backyard. This is where experts like us come in to help with your spring lawn care needs. It is time to get an aeration. Winter can really take a toll on a lawn. This can cause the soil to get compacted and hard. Every lawn can benefit from an aeration. If you want to know if your lawn is in dire need, try out this experiment:

1. Use a bucket or cut some holes into a plastic Tupperware.

2. Set the bucket or Tupperware on your lawn.

3. Pour water into the container and look at how the water travels on the lawn. If the water beads up and rolls over the grass rather than sinking into the soil, it is wise to schedule an aeration ASAP! An aeration will loosen up the soil and and promote the roots to grow deeper and  get maximum benefits from any treatments put on the lawn.

Now the lawn is primed for nutrient absorption and will need a fertilizer with a pre-emergent. Erbert Lawns offers this blend in our first application of our  Weed Wipe-Out & Fertilization program. The fertilizer feeds your very hungry lawn the nutrients it needs to flourish. The pre-emergent will prevent not so aesthetically pleasing broadleaf grasses like crabgrass and quackgrass from germinating. Along with being rather unattractive, broadleaf grasses tend to be rougher than the preferred turf grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass. Definitely get that pre-emergent down before it really starts to warm up. Once the temperature in the soil exceeds 55 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 consecutive days  you’re more likely to see those broadleaf grasses trying to outshine your turf grass.

The final “must do” is to give your lawn a nice haircut with a mow. Trimming off the dead ends will give your grass the final push it needs to start growing. Grass goes through a rapid growth period in the spring and will need to be mowed often. For optimal health and a crisp manicured look, we recommend setting your mowers to 3”. If mowing isn’t your jam and you only want to reap the benefits of completing your spring lawn care checklist, Erbert Lawns has recommendations for you.

Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side because the other side invested in their spring lawn care. This year you can be the other side!