Spring Tips for a Healthy Lawn

Lawn fertilizing isn’t a spring thing.

In spring, you need strong roots, not shoots

Grass shoots will grow naturally, at their own pace, from last fall’s roots when the temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees. But the strong roots you get from fertilizing in the fall will help your lawn withstand the summer heat. Even though you might see your neighbors fertilizing in spring, it’s a waste of time and money and causes harm to the environment.

Learn the nutrients your lawn needs by soil testing

Healthy soil is a must for thick, strong grass. A soil test will identify common nutrient deficiencies in your lawn and indicate the proper amount of lime and fertilizer to apply in the fall. This is the only way to determine the appropriate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio. Using the right amount of the right lime and fertilizer at the right time, you can minimize runoff into surface or groundwater, save money, and optimize plant health. 

Leave grass clippings on your lawn

Grass clippings improve the soil by releasing nutrients as they decompose—with less risk of polluting runoff! In fact, by leaving grass clippings on the lawn, you can reduce the amount of fertilizer you ordinarily buy and use in a year by up to a third.

Why water when you don’t need to?

Unless you have a newly seeded or sodded lawn, you don’t need to water lawns in Delaware. Grass typically goes dormant during the hottest part of summer, but it’ll green up again with natural rainfall.

Hire a Certified Livable Lawns company to manage your lawn

You’ll get professional, environmentally sustainable lawn care advice that could make a big difference in your home landscape. View our certified lawn care professionals.

Here’s what to do now

February

• Ideal time to prune trees.

March

• Spread compost on landscape beds.
• Cut back perennials.
• Transplant shrubs and trees.
• Mow any natural meadows.

April

• Test your soil.
• Fertilize only if a soil test says you should (maximum 1/2-lb. nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft.).  
• Sharpen the mower blade.
• Plant perennials.

May

• Begin mowing (remove no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade per cut). Maintain a height of at least 4”.
• Plant annuals in mid-May.

June

• Remove spent flower heads to encourage reblooming.

July

• Keep gardens weeded.
• Water newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials once a week.