If you live in a central or northern part of the USA, you likely have a cool-season lawn. This guide is for those sporting this type of turf, such as the bluegrass that is often seen in Utah! To noticeably upgrade your yard’s appeal this upcoming spring and summer, follow this step-by-step process:
Late Winter
Measure Your Lawn and Get Equipped
Using an online tool, suitable tape measure, or measuring wheel, calculate the rough dimensions of your grassy front-or-backyard playmat! This will give you an idea of how much product to utilize when you treat your turf. Your lawn requires the use of certain tools to look its best, so hit the home improvement store and land sprinklers, a mower, a spreader, a sprayer, and a scale. Be sure to pick out high-quality tools that suit your property and are comfortable to use!
Test Your Soil and Balance its PH
Get online to find a DIY soil test, or call up your local lawn care retailer! It is imperative to know the state of your soil before embarking on your journey to get it thriving. When you know where to start, the rest is art! Before you address any other issues that your test may have picked up on, balance out your soil’s PH. This is where your spreader will come into play, which you can use to easily apply any products that will prime your soil.
Early Spring
Aerate Your Grass
Your lawn won’t need aerating every year, so stick a screwdriver in it on any day that the ground isn’t frozen and assess how easily it will dig into the dirt in multiple locations. If it’s a strenuous task, water it and then try again! If you still struggle, consider aeration. You can accomplish this by borrowing a machine or hiring a professional.
Prevent Weeds
Keep an eye on the soil temperatures in your area by surfing the web, and then make an educated guess as to when yours will be approaching 55 degrees F. At this time, apply a pre-emergent herbicide! To go the extra mile, apply half the recommended amount at this temperature and spray the other half when it reaches 70 degrees.
Mid to Late Spring
Fertilize and Improve Chemistry
Nitrogen is virtually the most vital nutrient for your grass! If your lawn hasn’t had enough of it for a while, give it up to 1.5 pounds of fertilizer per thousand square feet, split between two applications. If you already fertilized last year, touch it up with less than 1 pound per thousand square feet! Although optional, applying humic acid and sea kelp can lead to outstanding outcomes. Humic acid will improve the structure and chemistry of your soil, as well as encourage positive microbial growth and high nutrient uptake in your blades. Sea kelp, on the other hand, will get your roots growing stronger and longer!
Eliminate Weeds and Bugs
Lawn weeds and grubs are rampant in the summer months, so it’s a good idea to apply an herbicide and insecticide before they get out of hand! To employ the proper products, get to know your local organisms by paying close attention and chatting with your lawn care-loving neighbors. During their application, watch out for exposed tree roots!
Summer
Mow and Water Your Grass
Keep your mower blades sharp and trim your grass often, never cutting off more than ⅓ of their growth at one time. During spring, trim your turf to 3 inches, and in the summer, cut it to four! Depending on the rainfall in your area, you may be able to skip a week or two, so factor this in and ensure your yard is getting 1 inch of water every week in spring and 1.5 inches in the summertime. Avoid watering during the hottest time in the day, or else it can evaporate, and don’t drench it at night in order to avoid fungus!
Kill Fungus and Plan for Fall
If fungal growth does start to emerge, dry the dew off your grass with a leaf blower and apply a fungicide right away! Shrooms can build a resistance to certain chemicals over time, so mix it up by using a combination or rotation. After fighting off fungi, start seeding and planning out your fall lawn care routine. Over-seed it if your lawn is looking thin, and oversee the details of the upcoming fall season to maintain your yard’s main masterpiece.
For a more in-depth analysis of your cool-season grass, to tackle any persisting issues, and to get it greener and more aesthetically pleasing than ever before, visit your local lawn care expert!