 7 Tips for a Beautiful Spring Lawn:
Lawn care is one of those things that if you fall behind on early in the year, you're doomed for the rest of the summer. So even though it still might seem a little too cold or rainy to start thinking about how much you hate mowing the lawn, now is the time to start! Raking Spring raking will remove grass blades that died over the winter and that are just waiting to become thatch! Thatch prevents necessary oxygen and nutrients from getting to your lawn so that it can develop a nice deep root system. Aerating An aerator can be rented at the local hardware store rather inexpensively. If you go in on a rental with several neighbors, it can be done for $10-$15 per home. Core aeration takes small plugs of soil out of your lawn. These plugs leave holes that are beneficial for air and water movement into the soil. This helps the roots of your lawn to grow deeper. Add Lime If you have moss in your lawn, this signals the presence of acidity. Grass likes a neutral soil pH. You can solve this problem by applying lime. Don’t expect a quick fix though, the effects of liming can be slow, but in the long run, a great help to building a healthier lawn. If your lawn shows no sign of suffering from acidity (no moss or compaction) you should not apply lime. A soil that is too alkaline, will also cause problems for your lawn, so too much lime is as bad as not enough. Overseeding If your lawn has bare patches, due to the dog, heavy traffic or neglect, Spring is one of the optimal times to fill in with new grass seed. This is known as overseeding. Apply a slow release nitrogen fertilizer when you overseed. Five weeks after the grass germinates, apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer. Fertilizing Spring is a good time to fertilize, but many experts actually recommend a light fertilization in the spring and a heavier fertilization in the fall. Too much fertilizer in the spring can lead to disease and weed problems. Applying Pre-emergent Herbicides If you tend to have a problem in your lawn with weeds such as dandelions and crab grass, then spring is a great time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide. Pre-emergents address weed control before their seedlings can emerge. They do this by forming a “shield” of sorts that inhibits seed germination. Do not perform core aeration after you have applied a pre-emergent, or you will puncture this “shield”. Tune up your lawn mower When you have difficulty starting your mower, this can mean that it needs a tune-up. Experts recommend that you tune your lawn mower up each year. This is actually a task that you can do yourself, to save resources. 
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