Spring Lawn Care

All gardeners look forward to that time when the snow melts. Watching as our plants are uncovered after a long winter renews the spirit and readies us for another beautiful year. Sometimes, however, what we see after the snow melts is not always desirable. Light-coloured circular patches on grass are usually snow mould.

There are two types of snow mould, pink and grey, but they are both controlled in the same manner. One place snow mould often appears is under snow that has been compacted throughout the winter. This explains why snow mould often appears in areas where pedestrians have worn a path across the lawn or where snow has sat in piles after being cleared. An application of spring lawn fertilizer will help strengthen the grass and give it a boost of nutrients to get growing. Lawn experts agree that without a doubt the best way to control turf diseases, including snow mold is to first provide your grass with the best possible conditions in which to grow. This means, above all, consistent care. Regular mowing at a height of 6 cm, regular watering and regular feeding with a good quality lawn fertilizer should all be part of your yard work.

Crabgrass - an annual problem
If crabgrass was a problem in your lawn last year and you did nothing about it, it will most certainly be a problem again this year. Crabgrass is an annual weed; meaning it germinates from a seed, flowers, produces seed and is then killed by frost in the same growing season. It is an easy weed to recognize as the stems lie close to the ground making them difficult to cut with a lawn mower. A lawn infested with crabgrass is easy to spot in the heat of the summer, as the patches of the weed grass also turn purple under the stress of drought. This invasive weed is usually found in thin lawns that receive a lot of sunlight.

Once again, turf experts suggest good cultural practices as a preventative method of weed control because a thick, healthy stand of grass crowds out weed seeds, not allowing them to germinate.

Sometimes there is a temptation not to fertilize grass because “it will just make it grow faster and I’ll have to cut it more often.” This statement is misguided and not fertilizing your lawn can indirectly create more work for you when insects, weeds and disease find their way to your weakened grass. Even though the grass in your lawns were developed specifically for that purpose, being constantly mown and walked on is a stressful, unnatural environment. Feeding your grass with a good quality lawn fertilizer provides nutrients vital to healthy plant growth.

Fertilizers are available in liquid or granular form and come in many different combinations of nutrients. What they all have in common is that they contain Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium -- the most important nutrients plants require for growth.

Nitrogen (N) promotes strong top growth as well as a healthy green colour. Phosphorous (P) is important for root growth and Potassium (K) increases disease and stress resistance of the grass and enhances winter hardiness. Lawn fertilizer is definitely one instance where the adage “You pay for what you get” is true. Inexpensive brands contain less nutrient and more inert filler material while the more costly fertilizers contain more of the valuable plant vitamins you are paying for and little or no filler.

When applying fertilizer this spring try to avoid overlapping your application as you walk the lawn because this is what gives an uneven striped green appearance. Also, fill your fertilizer spreader with granular product on a hard surface like a driveway or sidewalk rather than on your lawn -- that way if any product spills it is a lot easier to sweep up!

Lawns provide much more than aesthetic benefit -- they filter dust and pollution from the atmosphere, cool the air temperature down in summer, provide a safe surface for active play and release fresh oxygen to the air. Treat your lawn right and it will pay you back with a healthier environment in which to live.

This information is provided by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, one of the most vibrant associations of its kind in North America, comprised of over 2,000 members, nine sector groups and nine local chapters. Visit www.landscapeontario.com to find a professional member near you.