how do i treat my lawn in march

What should I put on my lawn in March?

1. Mow lawns once grass starts growing. Cut slightly lower than standard mowing guidelines for the first few times.
2. Apply soil amendments, such as fast-acting lime, according to soil test recommendations.
3. Treat unwanted moss, which is most vulnerable during peak lawn growth in cool damp months.

Full Answer

What should I be putting on my lawn in March?

Spring thawing and frost heave open cracks in the soil that let in air and moisture. These cracks make March an ideal time to apply grass seed, fertilizer, lawn calcium, and lime. Early March is perfect for overseeding shady areas under trees before the spring leaves arrive.

Should I fertilize my lawn in March?

Timing: Apply early spring lawn fertilizer once between February and April, when your grass is starting to green up and begin to actively grow (around the time your lawn first needs to be mowed).

What should I treat my lawn with in early spring?

Apply fertilizer, pre-emergent and weed killer. Early in spring, use a combination of fertilizer, which feeds your grass, and pre-emergent, an herbicide used to prevent crabgrass. Then, six to eight weeks later, apply both products again, along with a broadleaf weed killer.

What month should I start treating my grass?

You should fertilize your cool-season lawn in fall and/or spring, and fertilize your warm-season lawn in mid-to-late spring and/or summer.

What comes first fertilizer or grass seed?

Do I apply the fertilizer before seeding or after? Apply the fertilizer before seeding. When is the best time to plant a new lawn? Spring and fall are the best times to plant a new lawn.

Which fertilizer is best for grass in spring?

20-5-10Best Lawn Fertilizer for Spring In spring, the best lawn fertilizer is often one with a 20-5-10 mix, assuming healthy soil. You may want to add a slow release nitrogen fertilizer in June or July as well.

What is a good lawn care schedule?

Lawn maintenance and fertilizing don't end in the summer. For cool-season grasses, fertilize twice in the fall to take advantage of the great growing conditions. Fertilize once around the beginning of September and then once more 6 to 8 weeks later. For warm-season grasses, only fertilize once.

When should I apply spring fertilizer to my lawn?

In late May or early June, before the heat of the summer arrives, apply some slow release nitrogen. This will encourage the grass to rebuild. A good dose of nitrogen rich fertilizer will also arm your lawn. Fighting off the stresses of summer, traffic, disease, heat, and drought.

How do I improve my lawn in the spring?

Like many plants in the garden, the grass in your lawn could do with a boost in spring....Aerate to prevent waterlogging. ... Recut edges using a half-moon iron or spade. ... Use a spring-tined rake to rake moss from lawns to encourage grass to grow more vigorously.More items...•

What should I do to my lawn each month?

Early in the month, clean the property with leaf blowers, vacuums, and chippers. Later in the month before grass starts to grow, use a power rake to remove thatch accumulation from the prior year. Excess thatch prevents water and nutrients from reaching the soil and may contribute to turf disease.

Do it yourself lawn care steps?

A Step-By-Step Lawn Care GuideGet Rid of Weeds. A few weeds in your lawn are inevitable. ... Dethatch. Thatch is the matted accumulation of organic debris that collects between grass blades and roots. ... Aerate. Inspect your lawn to see if aeration is needed. ... Reseed and Overseed. ... Mow. ... Water and Fertilize. ... Mulch and Clean. ... Call a Pro.

What is the best lawn fertilizer?

Top 7 Lawn Fertilizers – ReviewsMilorganite 0636 Nitrogen Fertilizer. ... Jonathan Green Winter Survival Fall Fertilizer. ... GreenView Lawn Food. ... Scotts Natural Lawn Food. ... GreenView Fairway Formula Spring Fertilizer + Crabgrass Preventer. ... Safer Brand Lawn Restore Fertilizer. ... Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food.

How cold is too cold to fertilize lawn?

When It's Too Cold to Fertilize. As a general rule, you should not fertilize your lawn when it is dormant. Lawn grass can go dormant when it's too cold, or too hot. At the cool end of the spectrum, you want to be sure that your air temperatures are consistently 60 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.

When should you not fertilize your lawn?

If your warm-season lawn goes dormant in winter, don't fertilize after the first of September. Warm season grass types include bahia, Bermuda, St. Augustine, centipede and zoysia. Warm season grasses typically thrive in frost-free areas and grow best at temps of 75 degrees to 90 degrees.

Do I fertilize my lawn before or after rain?

When is the best time to fertilize a lawn – before or after a rain? Too much rain could wash away the fertilizer before it has a chance to soak into the soil, so plan to fertilize several days before a heavy rain arrives or several days later.

How do I fertilize my lawn in the spring?

How to Use Lawn FertilizerWater your lawn. A few days before you feed your lawn, give it a good watering. ... Pick the best spreader for your lawn. Spreaders fall into two main categories: broadcast and drop. ... Apply grass fertilizer around the perimeter. ... Fill in the middle. ... Properly handle remaining product.

When is the best time to take care of lawns?

Autumn is often the busiest time in the lawn care calendar as you help your lawn recover from the heat of summer and prepare it for the extremes of winter.

What to do after scarifying a lawn?

Make sure you employ a good recovery program after scarifying. You should also overseed to fill in bare patches left by these invasive treatments. Serious gardeners should top dress their lawns. Also, if you want to sow a new lawn or lay turf, now is the time.

How to keep mower from cutting off too much?

Keep lowering the cutting height of your lawn mower if you like a closer cut. Only lower the height of the mower by one setting each time you mow to avoid cutting off too much.

How to keep grass from drying out?

Keep mowing the lawn but if the weather starts to dry, raise the height of the mower and mow a little less frequently. If you can, leave the clippings on the lawn. They will degrade and put the goodness and moisture back onto the soil.

When is the best time to cut worm casts?

November marks the winding down of the lawn care calendar. Keep on top of worm casts by brushing them back into the lawn and removing fallen leaves to reduce their surface activity. If the weather is still good (neither frosty or wet) then set the lawn mower high and give your lawn its last cut of the year.

What to do if there is no frost?

If there’s no frost, keep brushing the leaves off the lawn to avoid the onset of disease.

What is summer lawn maintenance?

Summer lawn maintenance is about keeping on top of the work you did during spring and is really a time to enjoy the longer days in your garden as you relax, with friends and family.

When is spring lawn care?

Spring Lawn Care & Maintenance For March, April and May. Spring is an important season in the lawn care calendar. At this time of year, your lawn will need extra care and attention to help it recover from the rigours of winter. Feeding, removing moss and regular mowing will create a lush, healthy lawn heading into the summer.

How long does it take to do lawn care in spring?

The Lawn Care Treatments For Spring. Understand that (depending on the weather) you’ll normally have a good 8-10 weeks to complete all of these jobs so don’t be in a rush to do them all at once. You might not even need to do all of the jobs on this list.

How to help grass grow back after a weed problem?

If you don’t overseed, you’ll leave bare patches in your lawn for weed seeds to settle and germinate. Often replacing a moss, thatch or compaction problem with a weed problem.

How long does it take for moss to kill grass?

However, for most of us, there will be at least some moss to get rid of. Apply your chosen moss killer and wait for a good 7-10 days while it gets to work. You’ll see the moss turn black as dies off.

Why is spring important for lawns?

As I mentioned, spring is an important season for lawns. There’s quite a bit of work to do in order to to help it recover from the cold temperatures of winter. The work you do now will also prepare it for a different kind of stress that comes with the summer. And again, there’s no need to rush.

Why is it important to feed your lawn?

Feeding your lawn is essential to replace these nutrients as they help with root establishment and growth. Without them, your grass won’t be as healthy as it should be which could lead to problems in the hotter, dryer summer months. It also won’t look as good as it could.

When is the best time to kill weeds?

Treat the whole lawn with a weedkiller concentrate as the weather warms up. The end of April into May is a good time. This should kill any weeds within a week.

Trees and Shrubs

Continue pruning nonflowering trees and shrubs. You can also prune summer and fall flowering trees and shrubs such as crape myrtle and butterfly bush.

Perennials and Bulbs

Cut or mow ornamental grasses, being careful not to cut the short new growth.

Which states have warm season lawns?

States with warm season lawns include: South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas.

What is the best temperature for grass?

Cool season grasses thrive in cool humid and cool arid areas of the country where the temperatures stay around 65 to 75 degrees during the majority of the growing season.

What is transition grass?

Transition Grasses (Blend) States with climates that fall between the cool and warm season zones are in what is called the "transition zone". Here, many people have a blend of both warm and cool season lawns to maintain a green and healthy lawn year round.

What do you need to wear to use insecticide?

In most situations, it is recommended that you wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, closed toe shoes with socks, chemical resistant gloves, and goggles. In areas where ventilation is poor, a manufacturer may recommend you wear a mask or a respirator. We have put together two different safety kits that will make selecting the correct safety gear easier for you.

How to repair bare spots in lawn?

Repair bare spots in both cool- and warm-season turf using Scotts® Bare Spot Repair Products . Timing is crucial for success: Aim for an early spring sowing for cool-season grass and a late spring sowing for warm-season grass. If your lawn is worn and thin, thicken it by overseeding. In the north, overseed with Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™ , a product specially designed for thickening up thin lawns that combines grass seed, fertilizer, and a soil improver into an easy-to-use product that is applied with a Scotts® spreader. In the south, use the appropriate Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed product for your grass type, and get your new grass off to a good start by using Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass.

How to prevent snow mold on grass?

In areas with falling leaves, a shorter lawn prevents leaves from matting down the grass. In snow-prone regions, a final fall mowing on the short side helps prevent snow mold on grass come spring .

How to get rid of dime size leaves?

Chop leaves with your lawn mower to create roughly dime-size pieces. Leaves this size can lie on the lawn without harming grass and will eventually decompose. If you dislike vacuuming leaves from under shrubs or along walkways, rake them into grassy areas and mow over them.

How to cut grass at the highest level?

2. Mow High. Double-check your mower deck height, and position it to cut grass at the highest possible setting for your grass type. Cutting high encourages grass plants to grow thicker with deeper roots, which creates a lawn of healthy grass that will help to crowd out weeds. 3.

How to get deep roots in grass?

Gorgeous summer lawns start with long, deep, healthy roots that snake through soil to find moisture. The surest way to encourage deep roots is by mowing high —as high as you can for your type of grass. Sharpen mower blades at least once a season to ensure a clean cut on individual blades of grass, which helps reduce moisture loss.

How to keep grass green and healthy?

3. Water. To keep grass green, healthy, and growing, provide at least 1 inch of water per week, either through irrigation or rainfall. Time irrigation for early morning (between 6 and 10 a.m.) to minimize water loss to evaporation. 4.

Can you use ice melt on lawns?

Choose ice melt products that are designed to be used around the lawn. Rock salt (sodium chloride) can damage plant roots when used excessively.