How to get your lawn & landscape ready for Spring

Now is a great time to start planning and preparing your lawn and landscape for a beautiful year.  Here’s a little advice to help you get the most out of your lawn and landscape.

Check your irrigation system to make sure everything is working properly.  Something that won’t just help your grass look better but also help your water bill is to check your pop up heads – if they are the older style spray heads, change them out to Hunter MP rotators.  These heads use 1/3 less water than the older style heads and they do a superior job watering turf.

If you have a ‘drip zone’ it’s a good idea to open up the end of the drip run, turn on the valve and run that zone for 10 to 15 seconds to clean out any sediment that may have gotten into the line over the winter.  This will help prevent clogged emitters and misters.   It’s also a good idea to check each emitter individually to make sure they have not become blocked.

If you’re still using the hose and sprinkler system method, think about buying an automated valve you can hook up right to your hose bib. DIG irrigation products makes great user-friendly valves that are available at most local hardware stores. These products will save water and because they shut off automatically, will save the stress of forgetting to turn off your sprinklers. For this reason alone, it’s a great idea to invest in this product!

Before you add fertilizer to your lawn area, there are a few other beneficial preparations to make.

First rake away all thatch and debris that has accumulated in your lawn since the fall.  Also check your trees and shrubs for broken or damaged limbs and remove or trim them if necessary. While the soil is still wet, it’s a good time to go through your planting beds and remove any weeds before they go to seed.   Second, if it’s been several years or you’ve never aerated your lawn, Spring is the best time. Aerating your lawn area will always give you a more healthy and beautiful lawn by enabling hard compacted soil a chance to ‘open up’ and take in needed nutrients and water that otherwise are not getting to the roots. This will also help the over seeding process. In most situations aeration is beneficial every 2 to 3 years.

If you have moss problems in your lawn, you can apply a combo moss killer and fertilizer to help tackle the problem early in the spring.

Now it’s time to apply fertilizer with a pre-emergent – otherwise known as ‘weed and feed’. This will cut unnecessary yard time down during the growing season by taking care of the weeds now.  Most of these products are sold in a granular form and can be applied using a broadcast spreader. Application rates and other technical information is listed on the bag. There are also natural fertilizers that can be applied.  If you want to keep your lawn beautiful throughout the year, plan ahead for a consistent and scheduled fertilizer application to your lawn.

Spring is also a good time to add lime dust to your lawn. The rule of thumb is 8-10 lb. per 1,000 sq. feet. PH is an important aspect of turf care and your lawn will appreciate the PH boost that a lime application will give it.

If your planting beds are looking a little worn and out of sorts, a great way to spruce up the look or your landscapes is by adding a fresh layer of mulch.  This will look great and also help hold more moisture in the soil for your plants.

These are just a few suggestions that will help you have a greener more beautiful lawn this year. Enjoy!

Adam Haynes is the owner of Artisan Landscapes and may be reached at 541-292-3285 and www.artisanlandscapes.com