Lawn care and yard clean up is pretty easy—that’s what everyone thinks, but there’s actually a lot to consider if you want your lawn to recover well from winter, and be lush and healthy to enjoy in the summer.
Spring lawn clean up is backbreaking work that takes a physical toll on your body, and isn’t everyone’s favorite way to spend a weekend. What makes it even more difficult is when you aren’t using the right tools for the job. You will spend too much time, and won’t get the desired results if you use the wrong tools for weeding, edging, grass cutting, aerating, or fertilizing.
And even with the right tools, without an expert-level knowledge of proper spring lawn care, you might make costly mistakes, or miss the very short window of time to get the spring yard prep done properly.
Spring lawn care is about the right timing, the right tools, and the right knowledge. These things combined will help ensure the right conditions for optimal growth. We’ll give you all the reasons why doing spring lawn care by yourself is a mistake, and why hiring an expert is the best way to go.
1. Not letting your lawn dry.
It might be tempting to step on your lawn after going through a long winter, but waiting for the soil to dry is crucial to your lawn’s health. Raking your lawn when the soil is still full of water can tear soil patches, affecting the root system’s development.
Wait for your soil to dry before letting an aerating roller poke holes in the soil since doing so helps the root system get the right amount of water, oxygen, and nutrients to create that luscious green lawn when things start to grow again.
2. Neglecting Dethatching
When your lawn is finally dry, you’ll see a buildup of dead leaves and grass. Thatch can suffocate your lawn and be a breeding ground for disease-ridden organisms or insects. If you neglect to dethatch, not only does it kill your grass, but it can damage overall soil health up to the point that even replanted grass might have trouble flourishing.
If the thatch is thicker than ½ inch, it’s time to get the dethatcher out of your garage.
3. Not preventing Crabgrass Growth
Crabgrass is recognizable by its broad, pointed leaves that grow from a single stem. Aside from its unsightly appearance, crabgrass will take over your turf and steal the nutrients crucial for your lawn to grow to healthy grass.
Lawn experts recommend that you apply two rounds of crabgrass pre-emergent in spring. It’s important to note that seeding must not be done simultaneously since the pre-emergent treatment can also affect the grass seed.
4. Fertilizing too early
Everyone knows that fertilizing your lawn is important in bringing your lawn back to life. However, not everyone knows when’s the right time to do it.
Your grass must green up a bit before applying fertilizers. Depending on where you’re located in the country, it will give you the most benefit if you apply fertilizer sometime in mid April to early May. For Alberta homeowners, this can happen up to late May.
Experts recommend combining fertilizer with weed control to prevent weed overgrowth and applying the solution four separate times throughout the year.
5. Mowing the Lawn Too Short
Homeowners try to make their lawn look good right away by mowing the unsightly brown grass blades emerging from the soil. Cutting the grass too short weakens the root system. It will encourage weed growth since it limits the grass’s nutrient supply.
Experts advise keeping the lawn grass around 3 inches tall in spring.
Why Hiring Lawn Care Experts Saves You More Money
Long winters can do a lot of damage to your home, and doing spring lawn care yourself might result in costly mistakes.
✔ They know the EXACT lawn care products that your lawn needs.
Lawn care experts are well-informed about all the existing professional-grade lawn care products available in the market. If you’re just relying on the internet to know what kind of lawn care products to use, you might end up buying the product that doesn’t do anything on your lawn, or worse, damaging it.
Fertilizing your yard is a tricky job if you have no idea how much fertilizer and what kind of fertilizer your lawn needs. Also, experts can give you a range of suggestions on fertilizer options that are safe for your pets and kids..
✔ They’ll use top-of-the-line lawn care equipment
The latest lawn care equipment is not just expensive, but is also difficult to maintain. Professional lawn care services use equipment handled by trained personnel to get the job done fast and without damaging your property.
✔ They don’t just make your lawn look good, but also improve your water usage
Hiring professionals is your only hope of saving money on your lawn care maintenance. They’ll help you lower your water use by:
- Experts will improve water efficiency by properly aerating your lawn.
- Install smart irrigation systems that utilize real-time weather, plant, and soil data to give your water just enough water.
- Set their lawnmower to the right height, which is crucial for your lawn to develop a deeper root system, so it can get as much water and nutrients as it needs.
If you’re unsure about the specifics of spring lawn care, the experts at Yardworx will guide you on how to ensure that your lawn greens up again in just three to four weeks.