Is March Too Early For Lawn Care? No!

The cool, damp, soaked winter months are slowly passing away and you’re likely itching to get out into your gardens and lawn. When should you tackle the turf and when should you wait it out?

Be Patient

As much as possible avoid walking on wet and soggy ground. Even with a moist top layer, the compaction caused by walking may shear roots from their plants and slow new growth. Root systems are delicate and need time to dry out fully.

Now’s the time to clean up after winter. Those toys you’ve looked past for the last few months, or the debris from shrubs or trees from winter storms, take time to clean this up. A lawn free from clutter and debris has the best spring start to early growth.

Identify Areas Of Need

Grass near pathways, walkways, driveways, and familiar pet paths will be hard hit as they dry out so you might consider protecting these areas at least until the ground is dry again. The kids may not love walking the dog for a few weeks instead of encouraging “activity” in the back yard, but your lawn will appreciate the extra care.

Is there one part of your lawn that’s soggy or pooling trapped water? You’ll want to add soil and even out these low-lying areas for spring reseeding to avoid this problem next spring.

These are all areas that you might want to flag for special attention in the coming month.

Dead or Slumber

Even in Vancouver, this awkward not-winter-not-spring weather is frustrating for lawn enthusiasts. One way to tell if you’ll need more extensive spring lawn care is to determine if your lawn is dead or dormant. Dormant lawns always green up in time, dead lawns…well, you just need to start over. Tug on the brown areas of your lawn. Does the plant hold fast to the soil or does it pull away easily? This will help you identify dead or dormant patches and plan accordingly. You might only have to remove a small affected spot, or dig into deeper causes in a shady, wet, diseased or infested part of your lawn.

Moss

Moss loves a wet climate and acidic soil and we have plenty of both here. You can wage war on moss every year if you want, or learn to love it. You might consider adding lime to the soil to reduce the acidity. Or challenge yourself to incorporate the moss into your landscape and/or plant wet acidic-soil-loving plants like rhododendrons and azaleas.

Early identification of these trouble spots means you’re a step ahead in planning your spring lawn care strategy. Our skilled team at Nutri-Lawn Vancouver is ready to help you effectively identify and plan for your lawn care needs this season so you can enjoy a healthy lush green summer lawn!