Lawn Care 101: Taking Care of Your Lawn During Spring

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the promise of warmer weather, beautiful blooms, and healthy lawn grasses. But before you get ready to enjoy spring, there are a few basic lawn care 101 tips you should do to get your lawn ready for the season. In this blog post, we discuss a few helpful lawn care tips on how to prepare your lawn for spring so you can ensure it looks its best when the warm weather arrives. 

In this blog, we’ll cover the following:

• Aerating Your Lawn
• Repairing Pet Damage
• The Importance of Choosing the Right Fertilizer for Your Yard
• Tips to Keep Your Lawn Healthy
• How Hiring a Professional Lawn Care Company Can Help

Should you aerate your lawn during spring?

Aerating Your Lawn

An important yet often overlooked aspect of lawn care is aeration. Aerating a lawn is an essential part of lawn maintenance and can improve the overall health of your grass. Let’s examine why you should aerate your lawn, how to do it, and what to consider before you begin. 

Why Should I Be Aerating My Lawn? 

Aeration helps reduce soil compaction, which makes it easier for oxygen, water, and nutrients to penetrate through the surface down into the roots of your grass. Compacted soil can block these essential elements from reaching the root system, leading to poor growth and discoloration. Soil compaction can also lead to drainage issues on a property as well as increased weed growth. By aerating your lawn regularly, you are providing nutrients that will help keep your grass healthy and also prevent potential drainage problems in the future.     

What Should I Consider Before Aerating? 

When deciding when and how often you should be aerating your lawn, there are several factors to consider, such as temperature, rainfall amounts, type of soil, and type of grass grown on the property. Generally speaking, springtime is considered optimal for core aeration since temperatures are warm enough but not hot enough that it would stress out newly planted grass seedlings or established turf grasses too much during this process.

Additionally, if there has been excessive rainfall before when you plan on core aerating, it may make more sense to wait until after dryer weather sets in. This will help you avoid any unnecessary damage or disruption during the process due to overly saturated soils or muddy conditions on-site. Contacting a professional lawn care services company like All Metro Service Companies could provide additional guidance.  

During spring, repair pet damaged areas in your lawn

Repair A Pet Damaged Lawn

If you’re a pet owner, chances are you’ve dealt with the frustrating sight of your lawn being torn up by your furry friend. During spring, your yard may show these damaged areas have suffered. Here are some general lawn care tips to help get your lawn back in tip-top shape. 

Establish a Barrier 

To prevent further damage, consider establishing a barrier between your pet and the areas of the lawn that have been damaged. The easiest way to do this is to section off these areas with fencing or other barriers to keep them away from these areas and encourage play elsewhere. If fencing isn’t an option, other alternatives exist, like laying down mulch or gravel where damage has occurred. This will make the area less inviting and prevent further destruction. 

Replace Damaged Turf 

Once a barrier has been established, it’s time to start repairing the damage by replacing any turf that has been destroyed or severely damaged. Make sure when purchasing new grass seed you pick seeding that is designed specifically for your region, as this will ensure it grows effectively in your climate and soil type.

Once you purchase new grass seed, till the soil to make it lose, aerate it before adding fertilizer, then plant seeds according to package instructions. Finally, cover them with straw or hay and water them regularly until the grass has grown back fully.

Learn more about the best times to seed your lawn

Encourage Healthy Growth 

Maintaining a healthy landscape requires regular lawn care to promote strong root growth and discourage pests from damaging it further. In addition to regular mowing and fertilizing, make sure not to overwater. This can lead to fungal diseases, which can cause even more destruction than pets. Lastly, weed control is crucial, so check for weeds often.

Choose the best fertilizer for your lawn type

Choose the Right Lawn Fertilizer for Your Yard 

Choosing the right lawn fertilizer can be a daunting task. It’s important to select the right one to prevent damage to your yard and to promote healthy grass growth all season long.

Know Your Lawn Type and Soil Conditions 

The first step in selecting a good fertilizer is understanding your soil type and local climate conditions. Different types of grasses require different levels of nutrients, as do different climates. Knowing what kind of grass you have will help you select a fertilizer that meets its specific needs. You should also consider the soil pH level; if it’s too low or too high, consider amending soil pH with specialized fertilizer that won’t throw off the balance of your soil further. 

Read Fertilizer Labels Carefully 

Once you have determined which fertilizer best suits your lawn, it’s time to read labels carefully to find the right product for your needs. Look at how often the product needs application and whether there are any restrictions on when or how it should be used. Pay close attention to instructions regarding the amount you’ll need to apply since applying too much can damage plants by burning them or even killing them off entirely if not done correctly! Finally, ensure that any products used are safe for children and pets who might come into contact with it.   

Finding the best fertilizer can be confusing. Read our blog on Finding the Best Lawn Fertilizer for Your Yard to help narrow the choices down to what is best for your turfgrass.

5 Tips to Keep Your Lawn Beautiful This Spring

5 Lawn Care Tips for Keeping Your Yard Healthy 

Maintaining a healthy lawn is important for many homeowners, business owners, or property managers. It can be daunting to keep up with the constant maintenance that a healthy lawn requires, but following some simple tips can help you achieve the beautiful and lush green grass you want. 

1- Water Regularly 

Keeping your lawn healthy is watering it regularly. Generally, an inch of water every week should be sufficient for grass to remain healthy and hydrated. To keep from over-watering, use a rain gauge to measure how much water the lawn receives each week.

This will also help you identify if there are areas that need more water than others.

Additionally, water your lawn during cooler parts of the day – early morning or late evening – so more water makes it to the roots instead of evaporating in the midday heat. 

2- Don’t Forget About Mowing Your Lawn

Mowing your lawn is another important part of keeping it healthy and looking its best. The height you mow will depend on what type of grass you have. Warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia should be mowed at different heights than cool-season varieties such as Fescue and Bluegrass. Generally speaking, when mowing, only remove ⅓ of the blade length each time—any more can weaken the grass and cause damage over time.

Sharpen your mower blades often, as dull blades can tear through the grass instead of cutting it cleanly. This can damage or even kill individual blades. If you’re in the market for a new mower, consider a mulching mower, which will allow your grass clippings to be used as fertilizer.

Clear the Debris From Your Yard After Winter

3- Clear Out Debris

Start by giving your lawn a good raking. Remove any sticks, leaves, stones, or other debris accumulated over winter. If necessary, use a leaf blower to clear out hard-to-reach areas. By removing all debris, it’ll help prevent disease and pests from taking hold later on in the season. 

4 – Assess Your Grass

After clearing away debris, take some time to assess your grass. Are there any bare areas that could use some grass seed? Do you see any signs of fungus or diseases? Does it need aeration or fertilization? Are there trouble spots in your garden beds that require a dose of weed killer? It’s better to take care of these issues now before they become major problems down the road.   

5 – Tree Trimming, Prune Shrubs and Other Foliage

Spring is an excellent time for tree care, pruning shrubs, and trimming hedges if needed. Deadheading spent blooms can also give new flowers more room to grow when they bloom in the coming weeks and months ahead! 

Know When to Hire Professional Lawn Mowing Services

If you want to make lawn care easier for yourself, consider hiring a lawn care service provider. After doing your research to ensure they offer the lawn care services you’re looking for, there are a few other things you may want to consider to not only ensure exceptional service but proper care of your lawn.

Ask About Experience and Qualifications 

It’s important to find out how long the company has been in business, as well as the qualifications of the lawn care service provider. Ask about any certifications or special training their employees may receive.

Pricing and Payment Terms 

Remember to ask about pricing upfront to avoid surprises when it comes time to pay the bill. Some companies may offer discounts for certain services or for repeat customers, long-term contracts or scheduling services in advance. It can help if you also inquire about payment methods the company accepts, as some may prefer cash while others accept credit cards or checks.  

References and Reviews 

If you want to see what completed work may look like, ask for references or reviews from previous clients to get an idea of what kind of work they do. It’ll also give you an idea of how satisfied other customers have been with their services. Some landscaping companies may have reviews available on their website. Others may have reviews on their social media. Looking at reviews can help you determine if this particular lawn mowing service provider is right for you.

Trim Trees, Prune Shrubs and Other Foliage

Conclusion

As winter gives way to warmer spring temperatures, lawn maintenance can improve its aesthetic appeal. There are several things you can do to spruce up a lawn that has spent so many months in adverse conditions. From fertilizing to aerating, a lush, healthy, and beautiful lawn requires a little bit of hard work in the spring.

For those who like to take care of their lawn themselves, these lawn care tips can be helpful and can contribute to a beautiful lawn. However, if you’d like professional advice or a free consultation for lawn maintenance services in the Minneapolis area, contact the pros at All Metro Service Companies. We’d be happy to help improve the curb appeal of your home or business.