7 Easy Spring Lawn Care Tips

1. Rake Your Yard 

You probably put your rake away at the start of winter and hoped you were done with it until next fall. Grab it, and rake up any fallen leaves in your yard as well as sticks, debris, and dead grass. You will loosen up any matted grass that’s compacted over the winter.

Raking deeply will help remove any thatch that has built up over the past couple of seasons. Taking the time to get in there and open up those passageways for nutrients to get in will help jumpstart your lawn’s growth.

Be careful not to rake too hard when your yard is soft or muddy as you run the risk of pulling up healthy grass in these conditions. 

2. Aerate Your Soil

Loosening up your soil after the winter is a great way to accelerate new growth. Aeration removes plugs and loosens up compacted soil so that more light, water, and nutrients can get through to your grass’s roots. 

You can rent a lawn aerator from your local hardware store, or hire a landscaper to come out and perform the service for you. Paying for the service is a great option for those looking to save some time on their spring lawn care. Another great option to save time is by using a robot lawn mower instead of a manual one. They automatically mow your whole lawn without you having to watch or help it in any way. See our comparison chart for the best robot lawn mowers.

3. Fertilize Your Grass

Applying a nutrient-rich fertilizer after the ground has thawed is a great spring lawn care tip that will help your lawn grow into a deep green, lucious yard. You can use a mulching mower to get the job done, or buy a fast-acting chemical fertilizer that will accelerate grass growth. 

Some experts recommend applying a heavier layer of fertilizer in the fall and a lighter application in the spring. Over fertilizing in the spring may cause disease and other problems. If you’ve already fertilized in the fall, odds are your lawn is still holding onto some of those nutrients so less fertilizer is needed in the spring.

4. Seed the Lawn

Bare patches of dead or thinning grass can be caused by heavy traffic, animals, lack of sunlight, and other reasons. Seeding your lawn in the spring is a great lawn care tip that will help fill in those patches. The earlier you get to it, the more likely it is that you’ll fill in those spots successfully. 

The best process is to apply a starter fertilizer when you first seed, and keep the reseeded areas moist until the seeds have sprouted. Then, applying regular fertilizer will help facilitate growth from sprouts. Choosing to seed only in spots that need it is a good choice, but overseeding into other healthy looking areas is not a bad choice either. 

The best time to seed is in the fall, but if your grass still needs some love, spring is a good time to choose to seed your lawn as well. Seeding is an excellent way to fill out patches in your lawn.

5. Water

On average, your grass needs about an inch of water per week. While spring is typically a moist time of year, rainfall isn’t consistent. Using a hose, sprinkler, or other irrigation system is a great way to ensure your grass is getting even, consistent water. Utilize a rain gauge to ensure you aren’t under or over watering.

6. Tune Up Your Mower

Ideally, you winterize your mower before the winter to ensure it stays in tip top shape come spring. Regardless, by spring, your mower will need a tune up. Tuning up your mower in early spring will ensure it fires on all cylinders come summer when it’s time to mow more often. Besides sharpening the blades, you’ll want to change the oil, change the spark plugs and filter, and fill it up with gas.

This might sound like lots of extra work, but they’re necessary steps. If you’d rather avoid this amount of maintenance, check out some robot lawn mowers that will save you time, money, and effort throughout the year.

7. Mow When the Time Comes

Once your lawn is dry enough and the grass is long enough, it’s time for that first mow. You’ll want to start off cutting the grass higher in the spring and avoid cutting it too short. Short grass allows sunlight to reach the soil and encourages weed growth. It also means shallow roots, leaving your lawn more susceptible to droughts. Keep your roots deep and eliminate weeds by keeping your grass higher. Aim for 3-4”. 

Of course, you could also get high tech and try the Tertill weeding robot.