Yay, it’s almost spring! Break out the flip flops! Buy yourself some tulips! Where’s that sunscreen?
However you celebrate, don’t forget about your lawn. (It’s excited, too — it just has a hard time showing it.)
Spring lawn care in Idaho Falls means cleaning up, preventing weeds, and offering that first important feeding of the new year.
How to prepare your lawn for spring?
Let’s take a look.
Spring Lawn Clean-Up
Winter leaves a lot of yuck behind.
Slimy stray leaves from last fall. Old grass clippings. Debris that blew in with those snowy winds.
Clear out your planting beds to make room for your bright spring flowers.
Grass needs sunlight to thrive. Clear out the gunk so the sun can do its job.
Spring Lawn Preparation: Go Slow
Once you see those first signs of spring, it’s pretty exciting, right?
You'll be anxious to kick into outside mode, rummaging in the garage for your mower and sprinklers.
But hold off a bit. If you were just sleeping for four or five months, would you want to be abruptly jarred awake?
Go easy on your lawn in early spring. It needs to stretch and wake up a bit.
Don’t Mow Too Early
Spring lawn care in Idaho Falls means being patient.
If you jump in and mow your lawn too soon, you can actually damage it and make it susceptible to disease.
Once your grass is about two inches tall, it's safe to mow for the first time. Then, only cut about a third of the grass blades’ length that first time.
Actually, this is a good rule to follow all season.
Grass stores nutrients in those green blades, so you don't want to cut away too much. Taller grass has a larger root system, too, which means it can stand stronger against weeds. And its shade helps the soil hold moisture.
All good reasons to go easy when you mow your lawn.
Wait Before You Water
Your lawn must be thirsty after that long slumber, right? Well, yes, but don’t go crazy with the hose right away. Don’t offer that first drink until mid-to-late May. Then, once it’s time, water deeply, giving your lawn about an inch of water each week.
If you water often, but for short periods of time, like 10 minutes a day, you're encouraging shallow roots, weakening your lawn.
Spring Weed Control Timing
One of the best things you can do for your Idaho lawn in the spring is apply pre-emergent herbicide, to battle weeds before they sprout.
Weed control timing is tricky, though, so you have to be on top of this. These pre-emergent weed killers target the weed seeds, killing them when they begin to sprout.
But there's a pretty tiny window, and it's all about ground temperature.
You need to apply pre-emergent when the temperature is still in the 50s, before it’s warm enough for weed seeds to sprout.
Get Rid of Snow Mold
As the snow starts to melt off your lawn, you might notice your grass looks gray and moldy. That’s snow mold, and it looks worse than it is. Rake it out lightly if you like, but snow mold typically disappears on its own.
Spring Lawn Fertilization Timing
Lawn fertilization in Idaho Falls kicks off in early spring, adding crucial nutrients to your hungry soil and giving your grass that nice pop of green, fast.
Plan on mid- to late-April, once the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees.
Is Your Lawn Ready for a New Best Friend?
Spring means the start of outdoor fun in your winter-weary yard. Grilling! Picnics! Lazy afternoons in the shade with a book!
But it also means a lot of work as you look ahead at months of yard maintenance. Fertilizing! Weed killing! Grub control!
Ugh.
Or, make it easy on yourself.
Choose a professional lawn care service in Idaho Falls, or Boise, ID that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan.
Fertilizing, weed control, grub control. Done.
We’ve got your back.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started.
Fill out the form on this page
Call us at (208) 656-9131
Or read more about our services.
Then kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.
Image Source: Leaves, Sprinkler head, Snow mold
