Tired Of Winter? Prepare Your Lawn For Spring!

If the dreariness of winter is getting you down, the good news is that spring is just around the corner.  When the ground finally starts to thaw there are some things you can do to get your lawn looking its best this spring.

1. Gauge the damage

When it’s finally warm enough you can stand outdoors long enough to gauge the damage that has been done to your lawn over winter, do so. Look for any downed tree branches, remaining leaves from fall, and other debris that may have found its way into your yard over winter. Inspect the overall condition of your lawn once the debris has been cleared.  Now that you can once again see your lawn, it’s time to form a plan to bring it back healthier than ever this spring.

2. Comb and awake

The next thing you need to do to bring back your lawn is to wake it up by vigorously raking it.  Rake out your lawn (otherwise known as thatching) to clear out the dead and dried grass that has occurred over winter.  If you fail to thatch your lawn you are preventing sunlight and oxygen from reaching the plants and grass below.  While thatching look for signs of fungus or mold growth. You may notice mold that appears pink or gray in color, which is known as “snow mold” and it’s only a concern if we had consecutive snow for 3 months daily. Thank goodness we haven’t.  It’s normal for your grass to appear brownish in color, but it’s not dead and will come back green this spring.

3. Weeding

We have examined and raked the yard, and now it’s time to clear out the weeds. The number one weed that seems to invade our lawns is crabgrass.  Decide if you want to tackle removing it from your lawn.  To stop it, treat it before it starts germinating.  Apply a pre-emergent crabgrass control on it before the temperature of the soil reaches 55 degrees and the crabgrass starts taking off again. If you are planning to put out new grass seed this spring wait a minimum of eight weeks after you applied the pre-emergent crabgrass control.

4. Shrubs and trees

The lawn has been taken care of and it’s time to turn your focus to shrubs and trees on your lawn.  Start by removing out any dead portions of your shrubs and trees.  Be careful when trimming that you don’t prevent new growth from occurring. For shrubs and trees that flower, wait until they start flowering to trim.

Preparing your home’s lawn for spring doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Don’t feel like you need to tackle it all in one weekend.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home this spring The Silva Group would love to help. We are comprised of the Philadelphia area’s best and brightest in the real estate industry. It would be our pleasure to help you buy or sell a home. Contact us at any time or feel free to call us directly at (267) 202-7400.