As spring approaches, lawns that have been dormant through the winter start to transition back into active growth. Early spring is an important time for lawn care professionals and homeowners to prepare their lawns for a healthy, lush start. Spyker offers many essential products to care for your spring lawn. In this blog, you will learn about waking up a spring lawn and bringing dormant turf back to life.
Assess the Lawn After Winter
Before applying treatments to lawns this spring, complete a thorough assessment of the lawn’s health and appearance. After winter, it is critical to address common early-season issues, such as snow mold or dead patches.
Key things to look for:
- Compacted soil from snow or foot traffic
- Thatch buildup
- Bare or thin areas
- Lawn debris, such as sticks, leaves, etc.
Why it matters:
Identifying issues in a lawn early in the season allows you to implement the appropriate recovery plan. The most important task for many of these issues is to get fresh air and nutrients into the soil early in the season. Raking, dethatching, fertilizing, and watering are critical to ensure a healthy lawn later in the season.
Clean Up and Remove Debris
By cleaning up a lawn in the spring, you allow air, water, nutrients, and more to reach the soil, promoting healthy, active growth.
Steps include:
- Dethatching to remove dead and built-up grass
- Clean up lawn debris such as sticks, leaves, and more
- Raking over bare spots from snow mold or dead grass
Benefits:
- Improves air flow to the grass roots
- Allows seed and fertilizer to get to the soil
Apply Early Spring Fertilizer
Applying fertilizer in the spring assists in helping a lawn transition into active growth. Fertilizer with a high nitrogen level and slow release
Best practices:
- Use a slow-release fertilizer that is high in nitrogen
- Apply once soil temperatures are consistently above 50 °F
- Ensure even coverage across the lawn with a professional broadcast spreader
Pro tip:
- Using a Spyker broadcast spreader ensures even fertilizer distribution and prevents bare spots or stripping.
Overseed Thin Areas
Early spring is a good opportunity to repair damaged or spotty grass. If thin spots are observed, overseeding can help fill them in and grow a thicker lawn.
Steps:
- Focus on thin patches or high-traffic areas
- Lightly rake the seed into the soil for better contact
- Use a lawn roller after overseeding to prevent runoff
Benefits:
- Improves the density of a lawn
- Generates new growth and promotes strong grass roots
Water and Mow Properly
Once active growth begins and there is no risk of frost, a fresh cut and watering can ensure a lawn is set off to a great start for spring.
Best practices:
- Start mowing once the grass length reaches 3 inches or more
- Try not to mow so low that you remove more than one-third of the grass blade length
- Water the lawn if there is not ser to be spring showers in your region after the first mowing of the season
Benefits:
- This encourages lawn grass roots to begin growing and grass seed to germinate
Conclusion
Bringing a lawn out of winter dormancy requires more than simply waiting for warmer weather. By inspecting the lawn, preparing the soil, fertilizing, overseeding, and maintaining proper mowing practices, homeowners and lawn care professionals can jumpstart healthy spring growth. With the right tools and techniques, dormant turf can quickly transform into a thick, vibrant lawn ready for the growing season.
Spyker Spreaders offers the equipment you need to make this season great. Shop Spyker’s complete line of spreaders, lawn rollers, and drop-in sprayers now. Shop Spyker online now or find your local Spyker dealer.
Source:
Brinly.com, 5 Types of Grass Seed for Your Lawn
Illinois.edu, Fertilizing Your Lawn
