Spring Lawn Care Schedule

 

Lawn care in spring can be roughly divided into three stages – early spring, mid spring, and late spring. In early spring you’re getting prepared to launch into heavy-duty lawn care when the ground warms up and dries out. In mid spring you’re caring for your turf to make sure it’s well maintained and is looking its best. In late spring you’re preparing your lawn for the harsher heat of summer and making sure it’s strong enough to make it through the drier months.

Having a spring lawn care schedule will make sure you don’t miss any crucial step in keeping your lawn in A-1 condition.

Early Spring

Early spring involves a lot of preparation. It’s the time to check out what will need to be done when the weather warms up and the ground dries up, and to make sure you’re ready to launch straight into lawn care when that time comes.

The first step is getting your mower ready:

Check your blades – sharpen if necessary.

Change the gas in the tank – if left to sit in the tank over winter it’s likely to cause problems to your engine.

Check and change the spark plug and air filter.

Have it serviced by a professional if you can’t manage these by yourself – don’t just ignore it!

Have a good look at your lawn to work out just what you’ll need to do to bring your lawn back to full health. This includes checking for browned patches, pests, and weeds. Clear any debris or other junk off of your lawn so that it can soak up every last drop of sun.

Next, you want to go to your local hardware and gardening store to stock up on the products you are going to need:

Pre-emergent weed killer

Your fertiliser of choice

Any pesticide if you’re prone to infestations

Then, order your lawn seeds from McKays so that you’re ready to reseed.

With all this prep work you should be all ready to hit the ground running in…

Mid Spring

Two very important jobs need to be done first, and as early as possible, in mid spring – aeration and fertilising. As soon as the weather has dried up enough and there is consistent amounts of sunlight, jump out there and get these done.

Aeration is usually the first step on the soil maintenance checklist, as aeration allows oxygen, fertiliser, and water to reach the roots of your lawn better. You want to get it done earliest so that your grass is receiving nutrients ASAP. It’s also a handy job to get done early as aeration is best done on damp soil, whereas many other jobs require drier ground.

As soon as you’ve aerated, apply the fertiliser. In spring you’ll apply fertiliser twice – once now (early-mid spring) and once later in the season. It’s crucial for healthy lawn growth.

Next it’s time to apply the pre-emergent herbicide which will stop weeds in their tracks.

Finally, in your first-thing-in-mid-spring schedule is to reseed or overseed your lawn. This will cover any bare spots, thin spots, or dead patches, and ensure a thick and even turf coverage.

Once you’ve managed to get all of these essential early jobs out of the way, you’ll find that your lawn bursts into life. The latter part of mid spring is all about mowing.

Wait until your lawn is sufficiently long before you give it the first mow – this gives it time to properly establish and use the long leaves for maximum photosynthesis.

Never mow the lawn when it’s wet.

Only mow grass to 2/3 of its length.

Only use a catcher on the mower if there’s weeds in the lawn, otherwise let the clippings act as compost.

Late Spring

Late spring is when the days start getting hotter and drier. Your lawn care schedule will involve watering and pest control to make sure your turf is strong enough to make it through the summer.

Your lawn needs about an inch of water each week to be properly hydrated. If you’re not getting this in rain, top it up with your own watering system.

Keep an eye out for grubs – use a pesticide where necessary.

Same with weeds – apply herbicides or pull out weeds wherever they appear.

Apply one final round of fertiliser.

Following your spring lawn care schedule should result in a strong, pest- and weed-free, nutrient-rich lawn which will power through summer looking green and lush.