Spring Lawn Care Tips for Sacramento, CA

Sacramento’s spring time can be beautiful for flourishing plants and grasses. However, most grasses in the area tend to start growing only during the hot summer months. Around this time, lawn owners tend to overwater their grasses, causing the development of shallow, susceptible root systems that are more easily damaged by the summer heat. But have no fear, we have spring lawn tips for you that will keep yours in good shape.

Water Properly

In most cases, it is recommended to water your lawn between 2 and 8 in the morning to avoid evaporation loss and ensure the water effectively reaches the soil. However, in the spring time in Sacramento, the risk of evaporation loss is less important than in the summer.

Simply make sure your water is distributed evenly across the lawn, and that you water deeply, and infrequently in order to establish deep root systems.

Frequent surface watering may work in the short term, but your lawn will only be able to establish shallow root systems as a result. This will make your grasses susceptible to disease and pest problems. You want your water to penetrate the top 6 to 8 inches of topsoil for the best results.

Check Your Lawn Before You Fertilize

Fall is the best time to fertilize your lawn, when the growing season is just starting. But since North Carolina commonly has warm season grasses, the best time to fertilize your lawn is in early May. Make sure you use a full fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Overall, these warm season grasses should not receive more than 2 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per 1000 square feet per year, so make sure it’s distributed evenly.

For those lawns with a special blend of grasses that contain cool season types, nitrogen-only fertilizer should be applied in the month of May. Phosphorus or potassium are not needed because the grass and soil tend to retain these nutrients well on their own.

Remember To Aerate

Unfortunately, a common problem with soils in Sacramento is many are poorly drained. Poor drainage can lead to water pooling onto your lawn and can compact the soil, preventing your grass and plants from absorbing nutrients. This happens often during the spring. That’s why the best time to aerate your lawn is this season by using a core aerator.

Make sure you do this step during the spring, as the soil will be moist and soft. Also aeration will not damage grass roots. Once the dug up cores are air dried, gently rake them back into the soil to disperse any remaining nutrients. Avoid taking this step during the summer months, as aerating the dry ground may end up actually damaging present grass roots.

Need help preparing your lawn for summer? Visit our Sacramento lawn care page to get in touch with a professional! In addition to Sacramento, we provide lawn care services in other cities including Los Angeles and Riverside.