Spring Lawn Care

Spring is a time of warming temperatures, blooming flowers, and the smell of fresh-cut grass. On those warm days, it can be tough not to spend time in your yard watering, fertilizing, mowing, and watering again, and it brings up a question: Is all this work necessary right now? The answer is not at all!!! Here are a few "lawn commandments" to follow.

Thou Shalt not Fertilize Heavily

Using fertilizers in the spring is unnecessary and could be eliminated. Fertilizers, if applied incorrectly, can run off down the road during those heavy spring rains and pollute streams, rivers, and other bodies of water. The only lawns that need to be fertilized will be on a regular watering schedule during the summer. Spring fertilizer applications can lead to fast shoot growth at your roots' expense, reducing drought tolerance. The best time to fertilize is in the fall before the grass goes dormant in the fall. One downside to not applying fertilizer in the spring is that crabgrass preventer is often mixed in with fertilizer, and it can be hard to find just plain crabgrass preventer. You can find it, but you may have to look harder. If your local garden center doesn't carry it, you could ask that they carry it in the future; not applying fertilizer will save you watering in the summer. If you can't find a crabgrass preventer without fertilizer, you should still use it, but make it your only fertilizer application for late spring/early summer. For best crabgrass control, you need rain within a couple of days of application, or you will need to water the preventer.

Thou Shalt Not Water (Unless it is Necessary)

Our yards will put out a big flush of growth in the spring so that you will mow, but that doesn't mean you need to water! Watering wouldn't have been necessary even as dry as things were before the rain. Most soils still had enough water to support the grass. Another factor is that allowing your grass to dry in the spring is good for it. Being dry will help the grass tolerate drought and heat in the summer. Grit your teeth and leave the hose coiled up. You will be doing your lawn a favor by providing tough love. When you need water, the key is water deeply and infrequently. Try to put down ¾" to 1" of water each time you water; your soil should be moist down 6-8" from the surface. This type of watering encourages deep root systems, which help plants survive drought times. This type of watering also helps keep weeds at bay since the top layer dries, and weed seeds don't sprout.

Thou Shalt Not Scalp Your Lawn

I know it is very tempting to lower your lawn mower and remove all that dead material from your lawn, but don't. Scalping your lawn at any time sets your lawn back in several ways. First, it opens the canopy so light hits the weed seeds, and they germinate. (A bit counterproductive if you are trying to keep weeds out.) Low mowing also damages the growing points of the grass and can potentially cause harm if a late spring freeze comes along. Instead of mowing short, only drop the mower one notch for the first mowing of the season. This will help remove some of that top unsightly layer. After that mowing, return your mower blades to the recommended height for your grass.

Thou Shalt not be Annoyed by Lush Spring Growth

Spring is a time when the temperatures are conducive to growth in our lawns, and they will grow by leaps and bounds. Don't let it stress you out or get you down. Be sure your mower blades are sharp, and always follow the 1/3 rule. Never remove more than 1/3 of your grass leaf at any time, no matter what time of year. If you have a fescue or bluegrass yard, keep your mower blades at 3" for most of your spring mowings. Don't let your spring mowing regimen become too complicated; keep it simple. Spring lawn care doesn't have to be difficult.

Have questions? Contact our office where our Horticulture Extension Agent will assist you with questions.

Phone: (316) 321-9660

Email: callae@ksu.edu