Spring Lawn Care Tips for San Jose, CA

The weather in San Jose, California is nice for warm-season grasses. These grass-types tend to thrive. However, your lawn still needs care if you want it to be in optimal health. Below are spring lawn care tips that aim to maximize your yard’s health and durability.

Dethatching

Thatch is a layer on your lawn that’s often a mix of soil, leaves, and other organic matter. While a little bit of thatch can actually benefit your lawn and turfgrass, too much of it can attract diseases and pests.Clear away excess thatch with a rake—power rakes are especially useful for this. Bear in mind that thatch tends builds up when a lawn is overwatered or overfertilized.

Mowing

It’s best to mow your lawn at most once every 7 to 14 days, taking extra care not to cut the grass too short. Cutting your lawn too short will weaken your lawn’s health because it’ll absorb less water and nutrients. The recommended cut is no more than a third of the grass height per mow.

Fertilizing

For the most part, your lawn will not require normal fertilizer applications during the spring, as most warm-season grasses are still relatively dormant during this time. However, for such warm-season grasses, it is recommended that to help your turf thrive as much as possible during the growing season, a complete fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be applied in mid to late May, in order to help kickstart your turf’s healthy growth.

With this complete fertilizer application, try applying about 1 pound of complete fertilizer per 1000 square feet for the best results, ensuring the fertilizer is as well-spread out as possible.