Spring Lawn Care Guide For Columbia, SC

With long hot summers, and mild winters, Columbia South Carolina offers a great environment for any warm-season turfgrass. This means that as the Spring begins to come to an end, there are a few certain lawn care techniques you should take care of before the summer fully sets. It is important to make sure your lawn is as ready as possible for its growing season. In order to allow your lawn to grow a green, healthy coat, follow these steps and you will find lawn care to be a little easier this year.

Mowing

Warm season grasses such as centipede grass or St. Augustine grass tend to reach their fastest growing rates during the summer. However, during cooler seasons like the spring and fall, warm-season turfgrasses tend to go dormant due to the cold weather, and growing almost entirely stops. During these springtime months, you should not be mowing any more than once every 7 to 14 days, and since you’ll be mowing very infrequently, it is usually best to have your lawn mower blades sharpened so as to prepare for the upcoming growing season. Dull blades can damage grasses, making them more vulnerable to disease and weather conditions, so this can be the most important step to take care of with relation to mowing your lawn.

Watering

Watering will also be less important during the spring, so take care not to overwater your lawn during this time. If your soil is still moist to the touch, do not water your grass. Instead, wait for the top 2 inches of soil to be dry before watering, and when watering, try to have the water penetrate about 6 inches deep into the soil. By watering as infrequently and deeply as possible, you’ll allow your grasses to begin growing healthier, deeper root systems that can help resist pests and diseases.

Fertilizing

For warm-season grass lawns, a fertilizer application in the late Spring can help to kickstart your lawn’s growth just as the summer moves in. Try fertilizing in mid-May, using about 1 pound per 1000 square feet of nitrogen-only fertilizer for the best results, while also avoiding over fertilization. When fertilizing, ensure that you spread the product out as evenly as possible, avoiding any clumps. After a fertilizer application, very lightly water your lawn, to push the fertilizer off of your grass blades and into the soil, but do not heavily water, as most of the fertilizer will then simply be washed away.

Dethatching

Sometimes a lawn can actually build up a layer above the surface known as thatch. This thatch collects slowly overtime, growing thicker from fertilizer applications, grass clippings, and other organic matter. In some cases, with only a moderate amount of thatch, this layer can actually be beneficial to a lawn, making it more resistant to foot traffic than it would be otherwise. However, if this layer grows thicker than half an inch, it is time to dethatch. The end of the springtime is perfect for dethatching, but avoid days that are particularly hot or dry. For the process of dethatching, use a power rake, also known as a dethatching rake, and run it along your lawn, digging up the layer of thatch. Ensure that you pass over each spot only once, as multiple rakings can actually damage your grass’ root systems. After you finish dethatching, use a simple rake to rake up all the dead material and remove it. Immediately after this process, ensure that you water your lawn, to begin your turf’s regrowth period as soon as possible.

Aeration

Soil compaction occurs from ordinary foot traffic on lawns, and can stop your turfgrasses from being able to reach the necessary nutrients they need for survival. This compaction can be fixed with a simple process called aeration. For warm-season grass turfs, it is normally best to aerate your lawn in either the late spring or early summer, to allow for maximum growth during the growing season. Choose a day where it is not particularly hot, and ensure the soil is slightly moist before aeration. Find areas of your lawn where water tends to pool or form puddles, and use a core aerator to dig up cores in those specific spots. After digging up sufficient cores, simply rake the leftover material back into the lawn to redistribute any previously unavailable nutrients.

For tips on how to have a stunning lawn the whole year round check out our Columbia lawn care page.