Pre-emergent Weed Control:  Do use a pre-emergent crabgrass and weed seed control that contains Prodiamine™ as the active ingredient. Unlike other pre-emergents that only last for up to 90 days, Prodiamine continues to kill weed seed of all types all spring and summer.

Pre-season lawn mower check:  Do get your mower out early and start it up to be sure that everything is working properly. Also, if your mower’s blade needs to be sharpened, it a good idea to get this into a service shop early, before they get swamped when the mowing season starts.

PH testing:  Do have the PH level of your lawn tested professionally every 2-3 years. This will give you (or your service provider) a better idea of what the specific needs are of your particular lawn.

Directions on the labels:  Do read all product labels and follow the recommended rates of application for any lawn product.

Raking:  Do rake up any leaves that have trapped themselves under your shrubs. This will allow air to replace the leaves and help aerate and dry the soil that has gotten soaked over the winter.

DON'Ts

Pre-emergent Weed Control:  Don’t apply pre-emergent weed control if you have seeded your lawn, as the pre-emergent weed control will kill the developing seeds. Instead wait until after your grass seed has germinated and started to grow.

Grass Seeding:  Don’t plant cool season grass seed in the spring. Planting in spring exposes the seedlings to fusarium blight and other disease pathogens, plus the new grass will be exposed to the summer heat before their roots have had a chance to develop. Fall is a better time to plant cool season grass seed.

Fertilizer:  Don’t over-fertilize. A little fertilizer is good, but too much too early in the spring can cause problems like lots of topgrowth. Although it may look nice at first, topgrowth comes at the expense of your lawns roots. Rather than go heavy on fertilizer in the spring, it is better to fertilize lightly throughout the season. 

Pest Control:  Don’t use pest control as a preventative measure. Pesticides are expensive and some can cause significant damage to the environment. If you don't have an actual problem with lawn insects, then don't use insecticides. And similarly, if you don't have a disease problem, then don't use fungicides.

SUMMARY

We hope this video and article has helped you understand some quick DO’s and DON’Ts for caring for your lawn.  And that it helps you get your lawn off to a great start this year.