With hints of warmer weather on the horizon, now is a good time to begin thinking about the upcoming lawn care season. There are a few things you can do now to prepare and get ready.
As soon as the last snow fall melts and the ground dries out a bit, take a good look at your lawn to determine some initial needs.
Know how it grows. Grass grows at different rates during different parts of the season. Check out this information from Cornell about grass growth and peak times for fertilizer treatments so you can easily plan out the season.
Snow mold. A greyish color on the grass indicates snow mold which you will want to rake out.
Fill in the patches. Identify areas of turf that will need to be patched or re-seeded. Don’t start too early- grass seed needs a minimum of 60° F to germinate, so wait until your forecast holds that temperature for a week or two.
Understand what it needs. Grass grows best when the soil is at 6.0 – 7.5 pH, so get a soil test done. Soil test kits can be picked up at most lawn and garden stores, or check out to local cooperative extension. They’ll perform the test for a small fee and provide recommendations as to what you may need (i.e., lime application).
Sharpen those blades. Check out your lawn care equipment to make sure all is in proper working order and get your mower blades sharpened. Or, skip this part and contact SKJ to provide all your turf mowing needs!