Early Spring Care Gets The Lawn Off
To A Healthy Start
 Early
Spring is the time to think about the best way to help a winter-weary
lawn recover and prepare for summer's heat. Some simple steps
now can help assure a healthy, think, green lawn next summer.
Clean up. Clear
away tree leaves, sticks and the litter that accumulates in the
snow drifts over the winter. Rake away dead grass.
Get a soil test.
Lawn experts recommend testing the soil about every three years
to determine how much and what kind of fertilizer your grass needs.
Re-seed or re-sod.
You may find that winter weather has killed grass in some
places. To patch a bare spot with seed, mix soil and seed together
in a pail, spread the mixture on bare spot and step lightly on
it. Spring is not the best time to establish an entirely new lawn
because seedlings will have to compete with weeds, but you do
want to stop erosion of any bare spots.
Wait to fertilize.
Many homeowners rush to apply fertilizer early, expecting to give
their grass a head start. But if you remembered to apply fertilizer
last fall, you don't need more in spring. And late fall fertilization
is better for the lawn than a spring application because it encourages
root growth.
Mow. When the
grass is about three inches high, you can begin mowing. Leave
the clippings on the lawn to recycle nutrients - it's the equivalent
of one free fertilizer application after two years. Never mow
your lawn shorter than 2.5 inches. Higher lawns mean deeper roots,
and longer grass blades shade the soil and discourage weeds.
Avoid weed killers.
If you have a lot of weeds in the lawn, there's something wrong
with the way you are growing your lawn. Shade, poor drainage,
lack of nutrients and compacted soils create weak lawns and healthy
weeds. Rather than use chemicals, fix the real problems.
If crabgrass was a problem
last year, it's likely to be a problem this year unless you were
able to thicken up the lawn last year. Many crabgrass preventers
are available with active ingredients including pendimethalin,
oryzalin + benefin, prodiamine, and others. Follow all label directions
to be sure the products are effective. All granule products must
be watered-in to be effective. Crabgrass preventer should be applied
before crabgrass germinates. Since crabgrass germination usually
occurs shortly after Forsythina bushes have finished blooming,
apply the products when Forsythia bushes are in bloom in your
area.
Unless the lawn has
several bare areas and is thin, wait until Memorial Day to fertilize.
Too much fertilizer in the spring will cause the plants to make
leaves instead of roots and without good roots the lawn suffers
more from summer drought. However, if the lawn is very thin, a
dose of fertilizer will help it fill in and crowd out weeds.
For more information
call the Polk County Extension at 485-8600 and ask about Extension
bulletin A3435 Lawn Maintenance and Problems.
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