Random Stuff By Paul

Want your lawn to be in excellent condition all year round? If so spring is the best time to groom it. From winter clean up to letting your lawn breathe, seeding and mowing, take such steps will revive your lawn. With these simple steps you can’t go wrong with your lawn.

Dispatch Debris: Remove or pick up fallen branches, leaves and twigs. This will make your job easier when mowing later on.

Thatch Removal: Dead grass or thatch must be kept under control too. If the thatch level is over the half inch limit rake it all up. Less than that is fine as this will keep weeds at bay. Plus hold down evaporation. But too much thatch will choke your lawn. It hamper rain water penetration.

Core Aeration: If your grass is thin and the dirt is compacted it is a good idea to rent a core aerator. Extracting small plugs or cores of soil will loosen things up, allow deeper root penetration and help beneficial micro organisms grow. This will help your lawn to bounce back from dry spells quicker.

Weed Prevention: You don’t want unwelcome guests like crab grass settling in so apply a quality pre-emergent. Do so like two weeks before crabgrass typically germinates or emerges. Your local extension service should be able to help you with timing it right.

Bare Spot Repair: Planting seeds or putting down sod is the best way to treat those unsightly bare spots. Seeding is cheaper and works well as long as you keep the birds away and keep off the newly seeded area for about six weeks. This will allow the grass to get established. Soil temps are important when planting and need to be high enough to encourage germination. 70 degrees works for warm season grass and 50 degrees works best for cool season varieties.

Mowing Matters: For one mow regularly and whatever the season be sure to cut your grass to the correct height. In spring that would be 2-21/2 inches or so. While in the heat of summer 3 inches off would do. Also, if possible leave the clippings to break down. This recycles nitrogen back into the soil and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.

Grub Patrol: Irregular brown patches signal grubs in the lawn. The little devils chew the roots off your grass - hence the brown patches. You’ll know you have grubs is when you can easily pull up a section of sod away from the soil.

Anyway, by following these simple steps, you will have green grass throughout the year. Also, a lawn make-over is the perfect way to welcome spring and to keep your grass ever green.

Freelancer Dewey J Capasso writes for the leading yard care website MowerMania.com. Sharing advice on a range of topics from riding lawn mowers, to dealing with mushrooms sprouting in your grass, to writing reviews about zero turn lawn mowers. All that and more is available at MowerMania.com.