Love Your Lawn, Spring Edition
By Kim Sullivan, Anoka County Extension Master Gardener
It’s spring, and time to get out in the yard! While you should avoid raking until it’s drier, now is the time to take a good look at what’s happened to your lawn over the winter. Are there places where water ponded, froze and killed off grass? Are there areas where long grass encouraged snow mold? Did voles chew tunnels across the yard? Here is the timeline for repairing some of these egregious offenses.
APRIL: If you decide to use pre-emergent herbicides for crabgrass and some broadleaf weeds, mid-April to early May is the time to apply it. Know the weed, use the right herbicide, and use it only where it’s needed. Many herbicides are harmful to bees, so use sparingly.
When possible, wait and use non-chemical options for removal of weeds after they germinate, such as hand-pulling.
Note that residential-use crabgrass pre-emergent will also stop new grass seed from germinating.
You can sign up here to receive an email telling you the right time to apply crabgrass preventer: https://gddtracker.msu.edu/.
MAY: For low-maintenance lawns, put down one third of your total annual nitrogen fertilizer treatment around Memorial Day (the rest should be applied around Labor Day).
For bee lawns, wait and fertilize in the fall if necessary.
For all lawns, use a mulching blade and leave the clippings.
Avoid weed and feed treatments now. Fertilizer needs warmer soil than pre-emergent does in order to work effectively. If you apply it too early, there’s a good chance the fertilizer will run off the lawn instead of feeding your grass.
MAY-JUNE: Most years, you don’t need to water until June. If you have ample organic matter in your soil, your lawn needs one inch of rainfall or watering every ten days. That applies to bee lawns, too. If you leave footprints when you walk on your grass, then it’s time to water just enough to keep the crown from dying.
This is traditionally when most people start mowing their lawns, but it’s best to wait until grass and flowering bee plants get to a height of three and a half to four inches.
When you do mow, don’t cut more than one third of the grass blade to limit damage to the plant. For example, if you like to keep your lawn four inches tall, let it grow to six inches before cutting.
Longer grass helps shade out weeds. Also, mulching clippings into the lawn can save you one nitrogen fertilizer application per year.
In general, use chemicals sparingly. Japanese Beetles are a pain, but grub killers are not the answer. Unless you found grubs in dead patches of your lawn last year, those beetles traveled long distances to visit you. Most fungicides are rarely necessary.
While it’s tempting to tackle major lawn tasks as the weather warms, fall is the best time for most serious lawn repairs, new lawn establishment, fertilizing, and tough weed control. Just touch things up this spring, and enjoy your summer!
Got yard and garden questions? Connect with Anoka County Master Gardeners for answers! Ask a Master Gardener Online sessions begin April 13 and continue every Tuesday from 6:30 - 8 p.m. through September. Visit anokamastergardeners.org to learn more. Follow us on Facebook: University of MN Extension, Anoka County Master Gardeners.
