Spring is finally in full swing, and homeowners all over Ohio are rejoicing. Before you start jumping for joy and planning your first backyard barbecue, though, make sure that your lawn is as excited about the extra foot traffic as you. Today we have some spring lawn care tips to help you make sure your yard is spring-ready.

Below are some helpful tips for revitalizing your yard for spring from the lawn care professionals of Portage Turf Specialists LLC.

First Assessment: Winter snow has finally melted away, and now it’s time to assess your lawn’s current condition. For your initial lawn care assessment, a great place to start is to ensure that the yard is breathing properly by lightly raking/fluffing up any matted, plastered snow mold areas, which prevents fragile root systems from getting oxygen and smothering turf. Remember not to get too aggressive as all you are looking to do is break the matting. Moles were extremely active during the winter months making tunnels and mounds throughout the lawns. One or two of these critters can do costly damage to a lawn, and are best handled by baiting with grub-like bait products or using a trap to put an end to the lawn damage.

Repair: If you’re a stickler about your lawn, you’ll most likely just have to lightly rake the grass to clear it of debris, loose blades, and possible snow mold. For those homeowners that aren’t always on top of their lawn’s health now is the time to reseed the lawn if you are covered by shade trees. Seeding can be a very daunting task and timing is everything for a successful job. Shady lawns are best seeded in the spring as light is filtered through the leafless branches and warms the soil, as well as no competition from all those leaves falling in the fall. Full sun lawns are best seeded in the fall as summer heat and weed pressure generally take over a spring seeded sunny area. Cooler fall temps, shorter days, heavy dews, and no weed pressure all make a fall overseeding or slit seeding your best bet.

Fertilize: Fertilization can be a tricky process because every lawn is different. Using the right amount of fertilizer at the right time for your particular yard can produce a lush, thick lawn that’s pleasing to the eye. Too much fertilizer, however, and you could end up causing a great deal of damage to your lawn, or premature burnout- think of it as your lawn on steroid, sure it gets it green quick-but at what cost. Using slow-release organic-based fertilizers takes it to a whole new level by reducing overall chemical fertilizer usage and increasing soil biology to promote soil health providing a longer-lasting green with less flush growth, greener -with less mowing – a true win-win! If you want to make sure your lawn gets the proper lawn care it needs to make your home the envy of the neighborhood, it’s best to have a professional lawn care specialist handle the fertilization process.

Hopefully, these tips have given you a little more insight into what it takes to make a lawn spring and summer-ready. For reliable Kent OH lawn care services, you can count on in any season, contact Portage Turf Specialists today at (330) 296-8873. Our seasoned crew of lawn care experts will be more than happy to promote your lawn and soil health today!