A Guide to Spring Lawn Care & Landscaping
Spring is officially here, and with it come many lawn care and landscaping maintenance tasks. Putting off these tasks means inhibiting the overall health of your lawn, which impacts its appearance and, in some cases, your property’s overall value.
To avoid issues later on in the year, we recommend adding these tasks to your landscape maintenance plan:
Rake Your Lawn
The first task is an important but simple one: raking your lawn. Winters in Michigan are notoriously windy and can result in a pile of sticks, leftover leaves from fall, and other debris in your yard. It can take some time for debris to break down on its own, so it’s essential to gently rake or compost thatch that is deeper than half an inch. If left in your yard, it can prevent your grass from absorbing the sunlight and nutrients it needs to grow.
As the temperatures rise, a lawn that has been raked will be far more successful at recovering from the winter.
Apply Weed Killer, Crabgrass Preventers, & Grub Killers
Weed management is another essential part of lawn care that should never be neglected. While flowers may take a while to bloom, weeds (including crabgrass) can appear as early as February. They are hardy, and you need to kill them soon as you can to prevent them from spreading.
In addition to applying weed killers and crabgrass preventers, you must apply grub killers like GrubEx®. If you’ve noticed brown grass patches or seen white, worm-like creatures on grass blades in the morning, you have grubs. If they’re not removed swiftly, they can destroy the roots of your grass. Additionally, if you live in an area prone to mole activity, you may also attract moles, which eat grubworms.
Fertilize
Fertilizing your grass helps give it the nutrients it needs, including potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, to thrive year-round. It’s best practice to fertilize your grass once temperatures are consistently above 55 degrees. If it’s colder than that, your grass will still be dormant. When to apply fertilizer will vary based on your region and what type of grass you have. Most homeowners and business owners in Michigan will have cool-season grasses, which tend to start growing (sometimes called “green up”) earlier in the year.
Our best advice is to pay attention to the weather in your area. Once it starts getting warmer, you’ll want to consider fertilizing. It’s also important to note that application recommendations will vary based on the type of fertilizer that you get. Because spring is the rainy season, you’ll need to time it out to ensure your fertilizer doesn’t get washed away immediately.
Please read our fertilizer guide for more information on types of fertilizer and application recommendations.
Get More Tips From Design One
Founded over 30 years ago, Design One is an experienced landscaping company in Michigan specializing in commercial and residential landscape design services. Please visit our blog for more lawn care and landscaping tips, or contact us today to learn more about our services and design capabilities.
