Hard to believe with the winter we are having that it’s time to start thinking about getting our lawns ready for the year. As spring approaches, the first things you might notice are the lawns turning green and plants starting to bloom. It is very important not to get in a hurry when working on your lawns, you want to make sure it’s not too wet and the soil temperatures are right for the best performance. It is also important to make sure the temperatures are right to start up any irrigation system. If you start them up to early you may run into problems with pipes bursting and backflow devices cracking due to the freezing which can cause costly repairs
Every spring it is always a good idea to have your lawn thatched. The best time to Spring thatch is early Spring when the soil is dry and the soil temperatures are around 50 or 60 degrees. Remember the air temperature may be warm but the soil temperature is what you need to worry about. Through the long summer, fall, and winter your lawn will create a thatch layer of basically dead stems, leaves, and dead roots that accumulate between active growing turf. It is important to get rid of that layer because it can restrict the movement of water, fertilizer, air, and other nutrients your lawn may need for a healthy turf. Dethatching your lawn is something you can do yourself or you can hire a local lawn care company. The first step is to mow and bag your lawn, then you can begin dethatching. For a low thatch layer use a yard rake, or you can dethatch with vertical mowers, verticutters, dethatchers, or power rakes. In addition to dethatching, it is important to bag and mow your lawn again to get rid of the thatch layer that was raked up. The lawn should be aerated, limed, and if needed topdressed with soil and lawn seed similar to which grows in your lawn. Topdressing will also help with any bare spots and winter damage.
Fertilizing and spraying your lawn for weed control is good to do in the Spring before it gets too hot. This will help you have a nice lush green lawn and will help prevent water grass and crab grass.
After you have your lawn maintenance completed it is time to get the irrigation started up for the season. Remember, it is very important not to start your irrigation to early, make sure the ground is completely thawed and there are no hard freezes in the forecast. Starting to early may cause irrigations lines to burst, backflow devices to crack, and/or irrigation heads and valves to crack. The best way to have a good year without having problems with your irrigation system is to do a thorough walk-thru that can be done by the home owner or a local irrigation tech. When doing a walk-thru it is best to start at the backflow that is usually attached to the out side of your house or in the basement. You should make sure everything is shut down and there are no cracks or any major damage that are visible to the eye, then turn the irrigation water on and start your walk-thru. Make sure your control box is working and go through each zone to verify the rotor heads and sprays work properly. After a thorough walk-thru you can then set the control box to the appropriate water times and days.
Spring is right around the corner and after a long winter everyone is going to be extra excited to get out in the yard and work. Using the tips and information above should help you have a happy green lawn all season long. Don’t forget Pahl’s can help you with all your Spring landscape needs; plantings, edging, retaining walls, paver patios, walk ways, and much, much more. Please contact us for you next landscape project at landscape@pahls.com.
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