Spring Lawn Care Tips from Gardzen

We tend to think of gardens as ornamental or vegetable plants growing in carefully weeded beds or in containers on our patios or windowsills. However, if you’re lucky enough to have lawn space, it’s important to remember that your lawn is part of your garden as well. While grass may be less fun than some other plants, ensuring that your lawn is health can help the appearance and well-being of your garden overall. So, with that in mind here are some spring lawn care tips from your friends at Gardzen to help you get the most out of the season.

First, let’s inspect the lawn and garden to see how things are looking right now. Are there any areas of damage that need to be repaired? Downed limbs, dead shrubbery, or other detritus that needs to be removed? Do you need to rake leaves or pick up pine cones? Are there any conspicuous patches of dead grass that might indicate a larger problem? Is there any standing water? A quick look around can help you identify acute issues that need to be addressed before you do any routine lawn care.

Next, let’s do the same for our tools. Inspecting lawn and garden tools and performing routine maintenance is a good step to take at the beginning of the growing season. Nothing’s more frustrating then getting halfway through a project only to have to pause and repair a tool, or go out and buy one. Making sure that we have what we need and that it’s all in good working order can help make things run more smoothly once we start working on lawn care projects. This includes giving the lawn mower a tune-up, which is enough of a project on its own that it may be the subject of a future blog.

Now, it’s time to get to work! While everyone has their own lawn care voodoo that serves them well, there are a few steps that we think every lawn needs. If you’re new to lawn care or just looking for a new approach, here’s a list of basic lawn care tasks to get you started:

• Rake up any remaining leaves and remove branches, dead plants, and other clutter from your lawn. A clean and clear space is much healthier and happier. While we do recommend leaving un-manicured areas with bushes and hedges to support local wildlife, keeping your lawn and garden free of debris can help make all garden projects go more smoothly.

• Test your soil to ensure that the pH balance and the nutritional content are appropriate for what you’re trying to grow. Soil chemistry and biology can change over the course of a season, and may do so faster than you think. A few quick checks can go a long way towards helping you plan your growing year!
• Loosen and aerate your soilas necessary to ensure that the plants you’re trying to grow—grass or otherwise—have a healthy medium in which to thrive rather than struggling with compacted dense soil that stifles root growth. Using good aerating tools can make the job much easier, so get the right equipment for the job!

• Apply fertilizer as needed. What fertilizer you need will depend on your space and your local conditions—this is partially why we recommend testing your soil! We’ve written about fertilizers before, so please take a moment to review that blog for more information.
• Mow your lawn! Mowing can be fun if done correctly, and we recommend moving your grass high at the beginning of the season. Most grass does best at a hight of 3-4 inches/7-10cm, so give your grass a trim that supports this optimal length! If possible use a mulching lawnmower and return the cuttings to the soil.
• Replace or install garden edging or raised bed materials. It may be time to replace the edging around your in ground beds, or to install a new bed in order to complete your landscaping or expand your vegetable garden. There are a variety of edgingmaterials available for your garden beds, so pick one that best fits your needs and your aesthetic!

• Clean up a bit and enjoy your lawn! After you’ve done the first round of spring lawn care, it’s time to clean our tools and put them away, clear away any unwanted trimmings or cutting, and then enjoy your refreshed space!

We hope as always that this blog helps you stay organized and complete your spring lawn care quickly and effectively. With a little effort right now, you can get your lawn off to a great and healthy start to the spring and summer!