Spring Is Just Around The Corner: Get Your Lawn Ready Now

Taking the time now to prep your lawn can help it thrive and look great during the warm spring and hotter summer days. While there is a lot of advice about helping your lawn recover from winter, the basics can be summed up in a single acronym: RAAM. In other words, rake, aerate, apply and mow.

Rake

The first step when prepping your front or back yard is to clean it up by raking leaves, twigs and other debris. Removing this material helps improve your lawn’s access to sun, water and other nutrients.

Aerate

Cold air compresses dirt, making it denser. This, in turn, makes it tougher for air, light and water to reach your lawn’s roots. Aeration is a process that literally punctures your lawn, breaking up the soil and giving your roots what they need for health and growth. You can either rent a lawn aeration machine from a home improvement store or ask a lawn maintenance company for this service.

Apply

It’s a great idea to apply fertilizer to your lawn in early spring. Doing so can help restore nutrients that your grass might have lost during the colder months, while also prepping it for inevitable summer heat. While fertilizing, also consider adding pre-emergent herbicides to halt the growth of weeds in your yard and insecticides to reduce the prevalence of bugs and pests in your outdoor areas.

Mow

Winter weather stresses even the toughest of grass. Mowing in the early spring removes debris and dead grass accumulation, giving your lawn access to sun and rain. How short should you mow? This depends on the type of grass. For instance, mowing height for Bermuda grass should range between 1 inch and 2.5 inches, while St. Augustine height should generally range from 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches.

While you’re at it, spring is an excellent time to check the sprinklers. If you have an in-ground system, which is common among many ARTAVIA homes, check the water pressure and fix broken sprinkler heads. If your sprinklers are portable, be sure they’re fully functioning. If not, replace them.

Cold weather is more or less behind us, so focusing now on your lawn can help ensure a great outdoor experience for you and your family over the next several months. And, if you’re thinking of upgrading to a new home and a different lawn, check out the available inventory in ARTAVIA for floorplans and designs to suit your needs.