Spring Lawn Renovation

This is the time when you want to do your lawn renovation in the north for cool season grasses. Generally after a winter like we just had in the Midwest the lawn will need some attention. The first step is to get up all the winter debris and cleanup the lawn. I like to set my bagging mower on a low setting then after picking up all the large twigs branches etc… I run the mower over the lawn slowly and try and vacuum up what is left.It is important to empty the bag often so you can get as much off the lawn as possible. This will do a good job at getting all the loose material up.

After you have run your mower you will need to rake out any dead grass that you find and also rough up the areas where you have bare spots. Once you have bare earth then it is time to put down your seed. Sprinkle the seed over the area and then I use a mulch of about a quarter inch of peat moss over the seed this will help provide moister and hide the seed from foraging birds. Once this is done you should fertilize and then keep the seeded areas watered for the next three weeks. This will ensure good germination. You need not water heavily just a lite sprinkle in the morning and evening. This is the number one thing required to a successful lawn renovation. If you do not keep the seed moist then as the seed germinates it will die . One very important thing is do not use any weedkiller or crab grass control until after the grass has germinated and is growing for three weeks.
If you do these simple things now your lawn will look fuller and be much nicer this summer.