PRIVATE: SPRING LAWN CARE TIPS IN THE NORTHEAST
IN LIKE A LION: PREPARING FOR SPRING LAWN SEASON
Springtime in Massachusetts and the rest of the Northeast can be unpredictable. Oftentimes, March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a slightly different lion. That doesn’t mean that you can’t get a jump on your springtime lawn care routine! In addition to using the friendly and professional services of Swazy & Alexander Landscaping, there are a couple of things that you can do to get started on having a beautiful, healthy lawn that will last through the summer. We’ve put together this helpful list of land care tips to get the season started off right.
Tune Up Your Mower
During the cold winter months, your mower has most likely slept as dormant as your lawn. This is the perfect time to dust off the mower and get it back in proper working order so that you can be prepared when a nice, sunny spring day arrives, ripe for yard work.
Firstly, carefully check the condition of your mower blades. If your blades are dull, they won’t be nearly as efficient at cleanly slicing their way through grass. Dull blades can actually cause undue harm to your lawn, inhibiting proper healthy growth. A nice, clean cut is what will help your lawn to flourish.
Secondly, make sure that your mower is properly oiled up. A dry mower engine could cease up on you and cause some pretty serious damage to your lawnmower’s inner mechanics. This is also a good time to make sure you have a few gallons of gasoline safely stored in an approved container if you have a traditional gas mower. There’s nothing more irritating than getting halfway through a mowing circuit only to have to stop everything to go grab more gas.
When your lawn reaches between 3-4” in length, then you know it’s time to trim it back to the recommended 2-2 ½ ”, or whatever is your personal preference. If you let your grass grow unnecessarily long, you’re only inviting problems into your landscaping situation.
Snow Distribution When Necessary
If you experience a sudden springtime flurry, take it as an opportunity to provide your lawn with some much-needed moisture. Snowdrifts can make your lawn come out of dormancy in an uneven manner, so if you have the means, take a rake or snow shovel and gently redistribute snow across your lawn. This will help your lawn to more evenly receive moisture and come to life uniformly, rather than one half of your yard leading the other and developing dry patches.
Get Off My Lawn
As tempted as you may be to get to enjoying your grass, it’s important to tread lightly early in the season, especially when your grass may be wet from rain or snow. Walking or running equipment over wet ground increases the risk that you may unintentionally compact the soil and damage your lawn. This early in the season, when your grass is wet, it’s best to just let it be and allow it to soak up the moisture. Plus, you get the excuse to sit on your porch and (nicely) tell kids to stay off your lawn.
Rake it Up
Although you may mostly associate the act of raking your lawn with fall activities, raking in the spring also has many benefits. Giving your grass a nice raking helps to:
- Collect any fallen leaves that may have been missed during fall cleanup
- Rejuvenate your lawn
- Remove the presence of snow mold
- Remove layers of thatching that impede water from effectively penetrating the soil
Aeration (for Deeply Troubled Lawns)
Typically in the northeast, you’ll aerate your lawn in the fall. However, some lawns may need an extra kick to get going if they’re looking particularly parched. If you suspect that some areas of your lawn need an aeration boost, we recommend aerating only those small patches. If damage to your lawn appears to be widespread and not limited to smaller patches, contact the landscaping experts at Swazy & Alexander Landscaping, and we’ll gladly help get your lawn back into tip-top shape.
Nuisance Weed Control
Nuisance weeds, like crabgrass, can become the bane of the green thumb’s existence. Once weeds like this take hold, they can be persistent pests, ruining the appearance of your grass and damaging your healthy lawn. Whatever you do, do not use weed killers that are not specifically for use on turf, as many of these products will kill just about all plant life, weed and grass alike. For the best results, Swazy & Alexander Landscaping will be happy to provide weed control treatments that eliminate nuisance weeds and keep your lawn looking its best.
Lawn Overseeding
A helpful tactic for filling out your lawn is overseeding. When you assess the condition of your lawn in early spring, take note of any thinner areas that look like they could use some assistance. Overseeding areas of your lawn that are thin or bare in the spring gives those seeds time to take root and establish themselves before the heat of summer kicks into full gear. If you need assistance choosing a seed that matches your lawn type, we’d be happy to help you make the right selection! Some grasses perform better than others in the Northeastern climate.
Lawn Fertilization
Fertilization should be done around the middle of May. Fertilizer adds beneficial nutrients to your grass and will help it to thrive and protect itself from weedy invaders. Use a nice, balanced fertilizer that is suited to your lawn type. If you’re unsure which fertilizer to use, Swazy & Alexander would be thrilled to assist you in this lawn-boosting process!
Swazy & Alexander Landscaping: Trusted Northeastern Lawn Care
We love spending time in our backyards, and we love being able to make your lawn a place where you and your friends and family can enjoy themselves from spring to fall! We hope that these spring lawn tips have been helpful, and we’d like to encourage you to give us a call to help make everything look its best! Your friendly and professional team of landscaping experts can’t wait to help you start the spring season off on the right foot.