Spring Time: Lawn Tips for Denver Homeowners

Spring has begun! That means that everything is pretty outside. It’s a wonderful time of year, if you like the outdoors, but a lot of work tends to come with Spring as well. Yards need to be maintained, or they will wilt, or be eaten by wild animals. Everything may be pretty now, but if you don’t maintain it, it will likely turn into something you are no longer proud of. Many people are intimidated by the skills and energy that are required to maintain an outdoor space, but it’s really much simpler than it seems. Here are a few spring lawn tips for the Denver homeowner.

Watering

Although natural rain is great for plants, you will probably have to add to that substantially, depending on the year. Your grass and plants may be able to survive without help, but they probably won’t look very good. It’s best to water your grass in the morning, if at all possible. This gives the grass plenty of time to absorb the water, but then the excess is evaporated by the sun. Watering in the afternoon can cause too much water to be lost, and watering in the evening can lead to disease, as the extra water will just sit on the grass all night. Also, as the Summer heat sets in, check with Denver Water about watering restrictions.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer isn’t absolutely required to keep grass and plants alive, but it will certainly make them look a lot better. Grass should be fed when it is actually growing. If it isn’t growing, it can’t use the fertilizer. This means that, basically, any season you mow is a good season to feed, although Spring makes the most sense. If you don’t like adding chemicals to the ground and your plants, consider organic fertilizer. It’s made from living things, generally plants and animals, and the waste they produce. You can even save money by storing your own compost, and then using that as fertilizer, instead of purchasing it from a store.

Aerating

Aerating helps the plants that are growing, or have been recently planted, by loosening the soil and allowing oxygen to become more abundant underground. It’s best to do it when the grass is actually growing, when it will do some good. Again, Spring is best for this. It’s also best to do it when the ground is soft and moist, as more of the dirt will be affected. To improve the effect even more, try watering right before you aerate. This is also a good time to seed the yard, because you’ll be able to plant without having to tear up the soil.

Weeds

Weeds are a pest that no one wants to deal with. The traditional method for getting rid of them, of course, is to simply pull them up, but this is long and tiring work. Instead, consider environmentally responsible chemicals. Like everything else, the plants will be most likely to absorb the chemicals when they are growing, so Spring is a great time to do it. Remember, if you’re using dry chemicals, they’ll need to stick to the leaves, so the best time would be either right after watering, or early in the morning when the dew is still on the leaves. If you prefer a less obtrusive method, try allowing your grass to grow a little taller. It’ll block the sunlight from the weeds, and it’s better for the grass.

Preventative weed killers are also worth considering. You can spread them whenever you have time, to prevent you from having to come back and treat individual plants later.

Interested in more lawn tips? Live in Denver? Please contact us.