Spring is almost here and it is an excellent time to sell your home, what can you do to improve your home’s curb appeal when the bright green foliage and colors of spring are beginning to flourish? With this checklist as your guide, you can enhance your front yard so people will stop and stare after the first glance.
Spring Lawn Care Tips
Rake and Cleanup Your Yard
Raking is a critical first step in spring lawn care prep. It’s amazing how much debris can accumulate on your grass over the winter. Removing the various types of debris quickly before your grass starts to grow is vital for a healthy lawn.
- Gravel and Salt: Snow plows are not your yard’s friend. Remove any flung gravel and salt immediately before they kill the underlying grass causing a dead patch that you’ll have to treat all season.
- Thatch: Use a metal-tined rake to save you from the need for continuous aeration. Removing thatch will also prevent snow mold from forming.
- Leaves: Piles of wet leaves can breed snow mold as well as kill the underlying grass. They can also be inviting homes for pests. Consider investing in a leaf blower to save you a boatload of time when collecting leaves.
Know The Different Types of Grass
Here in South Carolina, our lawns are made up of two different types of grasses: warm-season and cool-season. Some yards have a mixture of both to increase resistance to insects, drought, and diseases. However, if you are planting grass yourself, you should know which type to plant and when. Knowing the difference in grass types is vital if you have just bought a home and are trying to establish new turf.
- Cool-Season Grasses: The most common cool-season grasses are Fescue, Ryegrass, and Bluegrass. These grasses grow best in spring and fall and become less active during the summer. Plant cool season grasses in the fall when conditions are ideal.
- Warm-Season Grasses: The most popular grass type in Greenville is a warm-season grass called Bermudagrass. Warm-season grasses grow best during the warmest months of the year. You can plant them on a variety of sites, including back yards, crop fields, and pastures. Warm-season grasses do their growing in June, July, and August, so it is best to plant from March to May.
Prune Your Trees and Shrubs
Now is the perfect time to get rid of dead or unsightly branches. You want to do so before leaves form to reduce weakening of the tree. The best time to prune is right after you see buds forming on the branches. Early pruning can redirect precious water and nutrients to other parts of the tree, bolstering growth. Continue to water newly planted trees for a couple of weeks to help them come out of dormancy.
Turn On Your Sprinkler System
If you have an underground sprinkler system now is the time to get it up and running to make sure there aren’t any notable problems. Give it a test run to see if the water is flowing, and the sprinkler heads are popping up and retracting correctly. Make sure to check for signs of leaks or clogs.
Aerate Your Lawn
Never underestimate the power of aeration. It can solve a multitude of lawn-related problems such as soil compaction, pooling water, withered or tired grass, and thatch buildup. Core aeration uses a machine to pull thousands of small plugs out of your yard to achieve optimal oxygen and nutrient intake while breaking up thatch. Liquid Aeration is less invasive but can produce the same results.
John Williams is an outdoor living expert and explorer. When he’s not traveling to nature’s most well-known beauty spots, he tends to the greenery surrounding his home.
