Landscaping Lawn Care - How to Take Care of Your Lawn

If you want to keep your lawn looking great, sometimes it’s an all year job. Even if you live in an area that’s covered in snow for a portion of the year, there are still things you can do to prepare for Spring.

Many people don’t realize that Spring sometimes isn’t the best time to prepare your lawn for summer. Consider reseeding bare patches in your lawn before the first snowfall of winter. The heavy snow will help work the new seed into the soil and then it will lay dormant until spring.

The seeds will then have a head start when Spring rolls around and begin germination as early as possible. It won’t take long, when the sun starts to shine, for you to see fresh grass begin to shoot up.

You’ll also be ahead of the game as far as weed control, since crabgrass and the like will not survive in Fall or Winter. The new grass will already be growing and spreading enough to possibly crowd out the crabgrass altogether.

This also allows Spring fertilizer to be applied as early as possible. If you use weed control fertilizer, you will give the young grass the best possible chance to survive and also get a good start on your weed control.

When the Winter snow melts, there will most likely be patches of thatched grass left behind. This occurs when snow compresses grass blades that have grown long and intertwined with each other. When this grass dies, it leaves a covering that looks like straw. This is why they call it thatch.

Fortunately, this condition is easy to prevent. In the Fall, cut the grass as late as you can before the snow falls. This way it will not get as long and, as a result there will be less chance of thatching.

When the snow melts in the Spring, be sure to rake your grass thoroughly. This will not only remove any thatched areas, it will also open it up to let more air get to the soil. This will help your lawn recover quicker and get it looking good sooner.

Aeration is another step you can take to help your lawn spring back to life quicker. This should be done if the ground has become too compacted. There are various tools to accomplish this. Riding lawnmowers can be fitted with attachments that aerate when riding over the grass. Drum rollers with spikes on them are also available.

Another method, which is easier on your wallet, is to use special shoes with spikes on the bottoms. Wear these shoes when walking around on your lawn and the spikes will poke tiny holes in the soil, allowing air to get in. It will also create holes for fertilizer pellets to fall into.

Your lawn will be ready to go after you have de-thatched and done some aerating if necessary. Then you can concentrate on mowing, fertilizing and weed control. That’s when the real work begins.

         

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