Lawn Care
Lawn care is best done when the weather is cool. As spring or fall approaches it is time to look around your property and see what needs to be done.
If your lawn has some bare spots take the time to reseed those bare spots. Rake out those areas that do not look very good and lightly spread some good garden soil in those areas. Rake the garden soil so that the upper surface is loose.
Fertilizing and Sowing
At this time following the package instructions apply starter fertilizer and lightly rake the soil before you sow the grass seed. The starter fertilizer gives the newly emerging grass a boost to get it going. After sowing the grass seed a lawn roller can be used or a light raking should be done.
Mulching
Hay or straw? Hay is usually used for feeding animals and contains many weed seeds and usually is more expensive than straw. It may be possible to find heat treated hay which will kill the weed seeds.
Chopped straw is usually less expensive than hay because it is the bare stalk that remains after the seed head from wheat, barley or other crop is removed.
Now spread a thin layer of chopped straw mulch on the newly sown patch of grass seed. The light layer of chopped straw helps keep the soil moist, improves germination and protects the newly emerging grass seedlings.
Either kind is biodegradable and can be left on as the grass grows. Buy it in bags not bales. Baled is very messy when the twine is cut. Bagged is much easier to use. Simply open the bag, reach in and grab handfuls and lightly spread it over the newly seeded area and then close up the bag to be used another time.
If the newly seeded area could be damaged by people or animals it should be protected. Use stakes such as driveway markers, 4-foot pieces of rebar or whatever you have around the perimeter. Connect the stakes with string, rope or caution tape to protect the area.
Watering
The last step is to give the newly seeded area a gentle watering. Watering too heavily can wash the seeds away. The goal is to keep the top inch or two consistently moist, but not soggy. An oscillating sprinkler used in the morning and evening for a short period is the best time to water.
Mowing
Do not mow the new lawn until it is tall enough to mow. The best lawn care involves setting your mower setting high and only cut the top 1/3 of the grass blades at any one time. As time passes the new grass will blend in with the old lawn.
Is it Time to Relax?
Now that your lawn care is finished you can relax a bit and think about what bulbs to plant in the spring or fall.
In the spring garden centers have a large selection of plants and bulbs that can be put in the ground after the last frost. Planing now will give you beautiful flowers all summer long.
Likewise in the fall, garden centers have a wide selection of bulbs to plant before the ground freezes. Buy the bulbs now while there is a good selection.Your work now will reward you with beautiful flowers in the early spring.
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