Early Spring Lawn Care

Caring for your lawn depends on the climate. For cool-seasons, there is a technique gardeners can do in order for their lawn to maintain the lush and green characteristic. There is some tweaking here and there whenever the season changes, but the basic program indicated here is what most lawns in Canada need.

Know Your Soil
During growing season, you have to know your soil by conducting soil tests. Some of these come in pre-paid boxes that can be ordered online or bought in the store. The soil test indicates the amount of acidity (pH), the main nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, present, the organic matter and the micronutrients. The test will also point out the deficiencies which can be corrected.

Healthy soil needs biological activity. Therefore, there is a need for microorganisms and earthworms. The biological activity entails enough organic matter in order for the lawn to flourish in its natural green state.

In early spring, there must be the cleaning up and aeration of the lawn. Here is how you can do it: Wait for the snow to melt and the lawn to dry, then power-rake to remove excess and aerate the lawn by using spiked clogs.

Why Aerate?
Aeration alleviates the compact thickness in between the ground’s density which results from gravity and winter snows. Through this cleaning up process, the soil gets injected by oxygen, making it easier for biological activity to take place. It also helps the penetration of fertilization in the roots.

It also helps to apply organic herbicides. The amount should be at least 20 lbs for every 1000 sq. ft. Choose organic herbicides that are made from corn gluten meal or have been proven to be a pre-emergent herbicides that are organic.

Afterwards, apply complete organic fertilizer. The amount is the same as that of the herbicide – 20 lbs for every 1000 square feet. You can alternately apply herbicides and fertilizers every six weeks. Choose a fertilizer that is made from the best blended organic materials.

Mowing Tips
When it comes to mowing, it is best to do so at a cutting height of 3 inches as a short lawn will be less resistant to weeds and will dry out and burn faster. The root system mimics the length of the length of the blades of grass, so the longer the stronger. The exception to this rule is when they are the last cuts of the season by cutting low to an inch. We recommend to leave clippings on the lawn and keep the blade of your mower sharp. Research shows that there are benefits to cutting the lawn. One of which is that the weeds are choked out, therefore making the roots develop and resistant to hardiness and drought.

Thanks to Carlos Armando Siguenza for providing the information above! If you are in the Calgary, Alberta area and looking for a landscaping specialist – check out Armandos Gardening!