Spring is an exciting time of the year for your Atlanta lawn. Everything is sprouting new life. This means that is also time to kick your spring lawn care into a higher gear. In order to have a great-looking lawn, there are a few things you need to do to start your lawn off right. With Georgia weather, spring can sometimes sneak up on us! Making sure your lawn is ready, scalped, and protected at the right times is crucial to a healthy, lush Atlanta lawn this summer.
Scalping Your Lawn
As Bermuda lawns come out of dormancy, scalping your lawn helps clear away any winter debris and exposes the soil to more sunlight. This extra sunlight helps warm the soil leading to new growth. If you do intend to scalp your lawn, do it soon after the grass wakes from winter dormancy. As temperatures rise outside and beneath the soil, you will see sprinkles of green in your lawn as it transitions. Early spring, when the threat of frost has passed, is best. This gives the grass the rest of spring to recover. Make sure to bag your clippings when scalping your lawn for spring.
Other Spring Lawn Care Tips
You will want to resume your mowing and watering schedule at the first sign of the lawn greening up. The first places this is seen will be along driveways, walkways, or thinner turf areas. Remember: Scalping is a one-time, early spring maintenance practice. Following the rest of the growing season, make sure to follow proper mowing heights for your grass type. Scalping is also beneficial if you have an uneven lawn since the short turf makes it easier to see and fill in the problem areas of your lawn with topsoil.
Soil Testing
Soil testing is beneficial to find out the pH and nutrient levels of your lawn. All Turf Lawn Care provides the service for a nominal fee and results typically come back in just a few weeks. For Atlanta lawns, pH levels are critical in Georgia because of our hard red clay. Proper pH levels will ensure that all fertilization and weed control work to their full potential. You can take a soil sample from your lawn and send it to your local extension office for testing.
Identify Problem Areas in Your Lawn
As your warm-season turf comes out of dormancy, you may notice a few areas that may have been damaged in the winter and need to be replaced. If you have Bermuda or Zoysia turf, it is recommended to remove old grass and put down new sod in these areas. For cool-season grass like fescue, you will want to put down some more seed before it gets too warm. Ideally, the beginning of March will give your Fescue seed the best chance, but check the weather before putting down seed because a deep freeze can damage it.
Spring Aeration
Spring aeration is the best thing that you can do for your warm-season turf each year. This will help loosen up any soil that has been compacted and allows your turf to increase its density on its own. Compacted soil will prohibit turf growth and may cause decline by choking out the root system. Aerated soil will allow your turf to absorb water and nutrients better. All Turf Lawn Care also provides this service and it’s as easy as calling or texting the office to schedule. All Turf’s spring aeration typically starts in April depending on soil temperatures.
As temperatures in Atlanta rise, making sure your lawn is ready for a successful summer season can seem daunting. However, following these few tips will give you a great base for a healthy lawn! But lawn maintenance preparation is just the tip of the iceberg. Another key to a healthy lawn is weed control, pre-emergents, and fertilization. If you’re not ready to tackle that feat on your own, you can contact us at All Turf Lawn Care. We’ve been providing lawn care services for Atlanta residents since 2005.
