If you neglect spring lawn care, you could end up paying for your negligence for the rest of the year. Follow these spring lawn care tips and your lawn will be beautiful and bouncy all season. Spring lawn care doesn’t involve even close to the amount of work that is needed in mowing throughout the summer months. It is a relatively simple and trouble-free process.

Raking

Raking, against common thinking, is more than just removing leaves, and is a very important tip for caring for your lawn in the spring. Raking is for controlling thatch, along with leaves. A thatch build-up of more than one-half inch is considered excessive. Thatch is the reason that, when you rake your leaves during the fall, you should make an effort to rake deeply. Refrain from just skimming the surface when you rake the leaves. Even if you followed this advice in the fall, however, it’s still recommended to give your lawn a spring raking. This will remove grass blades that died over the winter and are just waiting to become thatch.

Aeration

If your lawn is subjected to very much traffic year after year, it will ultimately start to show signs of decline. Your lawn is most likely suffering from compaction in such cases. Lawn aeration is the best remedy for compaction. Unless your compaction problem is severe, however, most experts recommend postponing having your lawn aerated until the fall season. Aeration is a very important part of lawn care in the spring.

Overseeding

If your lawn is riddled with bare patches due to heavy traffic, neglect, or dog spots, you may need to apply grass seed to fill them in. This great solution is known as “overseeding lawns.” Always apply a nitrogen slow-release fertilizer when you overseed. Also, apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer five weeks after the grass germinates. However, spring is not the best time to overseed your lawn. So postpone overseeding until fall, which is the preferred time, unless your situation is desperate.

Fertilizing

One of the best spring lawn care tips is to remember to fertilize. Most lawns can be fertilized organically by using a mulching mower and compost. However, for those who prefer chemical fertilizers, a lighter feeding in spring and a heavier feeding in fall can make your lawn green and beautiful. Using fertilizer will aid greatly in your spring lawn care.

Pulling Weeds

Though bothersome, pulling weeds is a necessary part of the upkeep of your lawn during the spring season. Make sure to keep an eye out for any emerging perennial weeds. The best way to remove weeds is to dig them out by the roots. Spraying weeds with post-emergent herbicides is less effective in spring than in fall, and, therefore, shouldn’t be used as widely. However, if you do choose to spray, choose an herbicide for broadleaf weeds. Pulling weeds, though usually inconvenient, is very important for your spring lawn care.