Some homeowners relish the challenge of creating a lush, green lawn devoid of creeping dandelions and other weeds. Most gardeners are somewhere in between about their lawn. Take a look around your neighborhood and you'll see a range of interest in lawn care.
Whatever your interest, spring is the time to do some lawn maintenance. Try these three tips:
Aerate the lawn
You can rent a commercial aerator or in a small lawn, just use an iron fork and poke holes in the grass every few feet. Aeration loosens up the soil so air, water and fertilizer can reach the roots.
Topdress bare spots with compost
Add a thin layer, rake it in and overseed with lawn seed. This will help build up the grass's root system. A healthy root system means a thick lawn with fewer weeds.
Hold off on fertilizing
While the temptation to fertilize is strong in spring, it's better to do it in the fall. You'll get better grass root growth and less flush of green top growth compared to a spring application. If you do fertilize, choose an organic product with no phosphorous in it and never apply any fertilizer within 20 feet of a stream or body of water to reduce the pollution.
