You can start to prep your lawn for spring by scheduling fertilizer applications.
Proper year-round lawn care is essential to maintain a healthy lawn that always looks its best. The changing of the seasons is always a key time for lawn care, and the transition from winter to spring is the most critical season change. Although spring won’t officially be here until next month, temperatures will gradually get warmer as the days get longer. Now is a great time to assess how winter has affected your lawn and determine what services you may need to schedule to prep your lawn for spring.
Remove Debris
When preparing your lawn for spring, determine what it needs to grow back strong after a difficult winter. Snow, hail, ice, and rain all take a toll on your lawn and landscaping and can contribute to the collection of debris like tree limbs, small pieces of shrubs, and dead leaves.
Before spring arrives, you will want to remove this debris because you cannot start to assess what your lawn needs until you can see the full picture. Once the debris is gone, you can look for any damaged areas or places where water may have pooled. Take note of these problem areas and monitor them through the season to determine if reseeding is needed in the fall.
Fertilizing and Weed Control
Healthy grass loves the sunlight, warmth, and moisture of spring. However, weeds also love these conditions. Because of that, weed control should be factored into your lawn prep for spring. Weeds can grow faster than grass and choke out nutrients and sunlight. Some winter annual weeds can be a problem in late winter and early spring. Properly fertilize your lawn as spring is arriving so you can expect optimal growth during the start of the season.
Aerating
Aeration is best done mid-way through spring, but if you are using professionals, it may be helpful to plan so you can have aeration done exactly when you want. Aeration is useful for opening the soil and allowing it more access to nutrients and water. Aeration timing is crucial because if done at the wrong time, it can disrupt preemergent crabgrass products and shorten their effectiveness through the season.
Reseeding
Reseeding can be done in the spring, but it must be done with consideration to the application of crabgrass preemergent products. If there are large areas of your lawn that need reseeding, the use of preemergent products may have to be delayed until the seed germinates and is mature enough. If smaller patches need reseeding, it may be best to apply preemergent crabgrass products and fertilize these areas to let the turf naturally fill them in. If this does not work, reseeding can be done in the fall to fill in the smaller areas. You can discuss the best time to plan for reseeding with the experts at Scientific Plant Service. By planning, you can ensure that your lawn bounces back early in spring and looks beautiful through the summer.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.