Spring is finally starting to emerge, the days are getting longer, and, for some of us, the garden is already starting to grow again. If you want to keep maintaining a garden that you love, then you want to get back into the swing of caring for it, and one of the best places to start, first, is with your lawn. The care that you show it now could determine how much easier (or harder) it is to maintain throughout the year, so let’s look at how you refresh it as part of the big spring reset.
Clear Out The Build-Up With Dethatching
With the cold and damp weather that’s been hanging around over the past few months, it’s likely that your lawn has a layer of thatch. This buildup of dead grass, roots, and other debris could be blocking water, air, and nutrients from reaching the roots of the healthy blades trying to grow through. As such, you should start the early spring off by dethatching it, using either a rake or a power dethatcher. Take the time to work thoroughly over the whole of the lawn once the soil is dry, but the grass is starting to actively grow. This is going to immediately improve the airflow to your grass, giving it the space it needs to thrive. All that leftover organic matter can be the perfect place to start composting, too.
Aerating Helps Your Lawn Breathe Again
Another common issue that can impact lawns after winter is when the soil gets compacted. Foot traffic, snow cover, heavy rain, and other factors can cause the soil to pack more tightly together, which doesn’t let oxygen penetrate as deeply and makes it difficult for roots to grow healthily, as well. You can aerate your lawn by pulling small plugs of soil from the ground, effectively opening up channels for water, nutrients, and air to get in there a little more deeply. Aerating your lawn can be done as easily as with a garden fork. It’s a good idea to aerate early in spring, as the closer you get to summer, the more that the heat might dry out the soil instead.
Filling The Gaps With New Seed
Take the time to look over your lawn, keeping an eye out for the bare or thinning patches that are very common after your lawn goes through the stress of winter. Overseeding refreshes your garden by filling the gaps in your existing lawn, and can be used to improve those bare spots with new color and density. You should spread the seed evenly across the lawn, but focus a little more on those worn or sparse areas. After you’ve spread the seed, rake the grass gently to ensure it has good contact with the soil and, over the following days, keep watering lightly to ensure that the ground is moist enough for germination, but avoid drowning the seeds.
Start Off Mowing Right
You’re going to set the tone of your lawn for the whole season with the first mow of the spring. Avoid getting out there too early if the grass is still frequently wet from winter rainfall. However, you want to get mowing as soon as the grass is roughly a third higher than your ideal. If it grows higher than that, cut off a little to begin with, then mow more frequently. Cutting off too much at once can stress the lawn, affecting your grass’s health. Switching to an electric mower can make the season a lot easier, too, as they start instantly, require less maintenance than gas models, and are even quieter. This makes them perfect for those peaceful spring morning mowings.