As the growing season approaches for your Chagrin Falls, OH, lawn, it is not too early to think about when lawn mowing and other services should begin. Late winter can be the best time to start planning for spring lawn care.
Related: 4 Reasons Your Lawn Care Isn't Achieving an Emerald Lawn in Chagrin Falls and Novelty OH Areas
Assess the Soil
Having your landscaper assess the soil can be a way to set a strong foundation for your grass. Soil that is best for your grass is not too high in acid content as this can thwart healthy growth. Once your soil is tested, your landscaper can amend the dirt with lime or sulfur to encourage an alkaline state.
Raking and Aerating
Once the snow melts, your landscaper can come in a remove the thatch that can build up over time and especially underneath the heavy snow cover. Thatch is an organic layer of dead grass, stems, and roots that forms over the soil. When thatch becomes too thick, it can choke out the oxygen and sunlight that are essential for a healthy stand of grass.
Having your landscaper rake the thatch and aerate the soil by poking small holes with an aerator machine can allow the sun and air and water to reach the roots for strong growth. This can also be an ideal time to check for snow mold in the lawn which can present as gray circles. Within the circles could be gray, matted grass that needs to be removed so that new seed can be planted there.
Fertilize
After the harsh winter weather, it can be smart to feed your lawn. Your landscaper can do this by spreading a ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium that is found in fertilizer. Not only can fertilizer feed your grass at the root but it can boost new growth in a safe way without burning the new grass. Having a professional spread the fertilizer can keep your lawn free of fertilizer burn which can happen when you spread too much of what is a good thing and it ends up damaging the grass.
Treat the Weeds
Getting a handle on the crabgrass and other weeds that are lurking under the soil can be an important spring step toward lush, green grass. Your landscaper can apply a pre-emergent herbicide that forms a barrier over the soil to prevent the weeds from sprouting to overtake your lawn. Prevention is key with weeds.
Evaluate Trees and Shrubs
When the snow and ice envelope a tree or shrub, this can break branches which leave jagged edges where pests and disease can enter to kill the tree. Your landscaper should evaluate the trees and shrubs for winter damage and trim the broken branches for a clean cut where the susceptibility of problems and disease can be minimized.
The same is true for shrubs that can die or become stressed under the heavy snow and harsh ice so it can be beneficial for your landscaper to replace any struggling or dead shrubs before the growing season.
Mowing
After the late winter assessment of the landscape and proper treatments have been done, this is the time for mowing. When the weather warms up and the grass begins to grow, having a customized maintenance schedule in place with your landscaper can keep your grass and landscape plants in tip-top shape.
