A Spring Clean Up is a sanitary measure to prepare your lawn for the new growing season. During the winter months, the grass has been laid down by the weight of the snow and becomes matted with dead grass foliage. Combined with excessive spring moisture, this situation can cause poor vigour in lawn growth as well as soil compaction which can eventually lead to weed and pest problems.
The best thing that you can do for your lawn in the early spring is to “stand up” the grass by hand raking or using a dethatching machine. A dethatcher is a more effective tool than a rake when used in the early spring to “comb” the dead, matted grass out of your lawn. This helps the lawn to “breathe” and dry out faster, thus enabling it to get a better start growing while helping to prevent potential disease and pest problems in the future.
An aeration treatment is also helpful in the early part of the season to help the soil breathe and dry out sooner. Aeration encourages deep rooting of grass by reducing soil compaction problems and is also helpful in reducing thatch buildup by its many perforations through the thatch layer.
Spring is a perfect opportunity to overseed bare patches or thin spots in your lawn from the previous year. Dethatching removes most of the matted material which allows the seed to penetrate through to the soil surface. This condition will allow for better seed germination and the springtime normally provides ample moisture, minimizing the need to have to water the seed so frequently.
Don’t forget about the gardens when you are outside cleaning up the yard! Any ornamental grasses or perennials that were not cut down before winter hit should be cut back now. That will allow for the new growth to easily flourish and you’ll reap the rewards of another beautiful garden this season. Clean out any excess leaves or debris from the garden to freshen up the appearance. Rake through the existing soil or mulch to reduce the compaction from winter and allow for better airflow in the soil. Finally, take a garden edger to the perimeter of your garden beds to clean up the edges where grass and weeds may have crept in through the previous season. It’s amazing what a little TLC in and around the gardens does to give the whole property a facelift from winter grunge to Springtime gorgeous!
Once your Spring lawn and garden maintenance checklist is complete, you’ll reap the rewards of a healthier lawn and happier garden for the duration of the season.