Spring is here… And boy does your lawn show it!!

Jamie Vagnier

Tackling spring lawn care provides you with a dose of fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. Spring lawn chores aren’t difficult, but they do play a vital role in getting your grass on track for a healthy, productive growing season.

First things first: Tune up your mower. Change the oil, air filter and spark plug. Don’t flip a gas mower over to clean underneath; simply lift one side and brush away dried grass. If dried grass has hardened, loosen with a hand shovel or putty knife. A dull blade makes mowing more work. Sharpen that blade,we take ours to our local hardware store. It’s a good idea to have extra blades on hand so you can swap them out when the other pair needs sharpening. Now fill your mower with gas or charge the battery. 

Next Clean up. Walk around and pick up twigs, branches, and any trash that winter (or the kids) tossed onto your lawn. Then, rake out dead grass.

Next, Mow high. Adjust the mower deck to cut grass at the highest possible setting for your lawn’s type of grass. Tall grass sinks deeper roots which can seek out moisture and crowds out weeds. Most grass types thrive with a 3- to 4-inch blade height, which usually corresponds to a mower’s highest setting. 

Then, Edge beds. The soft soil in early spring makes edging beds a whole lot easier. Use a half-moon edger or a sharp garden spade to cut a 2- to 3-inch deep, V-shaped trench along your beds. This will show your lawn where it stops and your landscape begins.

Finally, Apply mulch. Once the soil has warmed, refresh your mulch. Shredded mulch provides a polished finish to planting beds, but it also helps prevent weed growth by blocking access to the sun. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer around your plants. Don’t put mulch on top of your plants.