The days are warming, snow is melting and patches of the forgotten lawn appear and it’s not looking too good. What should you do?
Here are some do’s and don’ts for the early spring lawn:
DO remove any debris such as trash, branches, anything that can smother grass like piles of leaves.
DON’T rake or use heavy equipment. You will damage turf in it’s delicate state and compact the moist soil.
DO lightly rake leaves only when soil is warm and dry.
DON’T power rake or de-thatch your lawn as it does more harm than good by cutting into the crowns of the grass plants.
DO gently fluff the turf, in any areas where you have snow mold.
DON’T ever apply a fungicide to a lawn as it kills most beneficial soil microbes.
DO over-seed your lawn when soil temperatures are above 50 degrees, with a fine fescue blend at the rate of 3 lbs. / 1000 sq. ft.
DON’T use cheap seed from a big box store as they may contain undesirable grasses that look and perform poorly.
DO water your lawn if it has been very dry with no snow cover, over the winter.
DON’T set your irrigation system up to run every other day. Run it manually as needed.
DO hire a reputable lawn service that applies only certified organic products.
DON’T use any company that is using “organic-based” products. This is misleading and is not good for you or your lawn.
