5 Tips for a Green Lawn After Winter Cold
Regardless of the type of winter that you experienced, there are certain things that can be done to get a green lawn for the spring and summer. As residents of the Denver area and Metro Detroit know, winter can bring a large amount of snow, sleet, slush, and cloudy days. These residents also know that some winters can be relatively mild and with little snow.
Fit Turf can help you to maintain a gorgeous lawn with these 5 essential tips to ensure a green lawn in the spring.
1. Prepare Your Lawn In The Fall
Once the fall season kicks into gear, do not neglect your lawn. Continue to water in the fall. You may have reduced your mowing schedule since grass does not grow as fast in the fall, it does still grow and water is still needed. Apply a quality fall fertilizer before the first freeze.
Fertilizer application is essential, which is another reason why you need to water your lawn. Fertilizer on dry grass will not be as effective as on wet grass because fall rooting will be hindered. Even if your area sees more rain in the fall than in the summer months, making sure your turf has enough moisture is essential.
2. Get Rid of The Weeds
Weeds are easier to kill in the fall than in the summer. Make sure to remove the weeds at the root level, this will result in fewer weeds in the following spring and summer.
3. Alleviate Soil Compaction
You can test for soil compaction by sticking a garden fork in the ground. If the tines do not penetrate 2 inches, the soil is compacted and will need to be aerated. Even when your ground is covered by snow, grass roots need moisture to thrive. Aeration will help this process.
4. After The Last Freeze, Apply A Pre-Emergent Weed Killer
Obviously, there may be times when you think your area has seen its last freeze and Mother Nature decides on one more cold snap, but early April is generally a good time to apply pre-emergent weed killers. You want these weed killers to be applied before your grass begins to grow and weeds become established.
5. Start Watering Your Lawn
Once your grass begins to grow, make sure you water it once or twice per week if you have received no rainfall. Be sure to not overwater. Ideally, you will want the soil to be moist and have a depth of 6 inches. Since you aerated in the fall, your grass should be able to form deeper, stronger roots that will allow it to fare better during dry summer months. After your lawn is actively growing, you should fertilize it once followed by a good watering.