Spring may have just arrived, but it’s already time to start thinking about the summer season. We don’t  say this just because of the excitement of barbecues, pool parties and other summer activities. We mention this because the state of your lawn depends on it.

Once summer hits, your lawn is subject to the stress of high temperatures and dry weather. While some lawns are able to withstand these harsh conditions, others suffer from bare spots and disease. A decisive factor in this response is the lawn maintenance that happens before summer ever begins.

To help steer you in the right direction, we’ve put together this list of lawn maintenance tips. Tackle these efforts in spring, and you’ll see significant benefits to your lawn come summer.

Tip #1 for Lawn Maintenance: Apply Fertilizer

Just as people tend to wake up hungry, so do lawns. As the soil warms up and grass seeds begin to sprout, lawns need to replenish the energy reserves they have relied on all winter. A spring fertilizer application fulfills this purpose by replacing lost nutrients for a stronger, healthier lawn. The typical time frame for an application is mid-to-late April, or when the soil reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit in Ohio.

In terms of nutrients, nitrogen is especially vital to spring fertilization. It helps grass generate new tissues and better withstand summer stresses like drought and heat.

Tip #2 for Lawn Maintenance: Aerate Your Lawn

Whether it’s children playing outside or pets running across the grass, lawns are bound to feel the effects of heavy foot traffic. Most often, this comes in the form of compacted soil, which reduces the ability of air, water and nutrients to infiltrate soil.

By perforating holes in the soil, lawn aeration helps relieve soil pressure and enable the flow of nutrients to promote root development. In the case of an early spring application, aeration doubles as a preventative measure against the growth of spring weeds before they germinate. In Ohio, spring weeds usually start to germinate by the first few weeks of April.

Tip #3 for Lawn Maintenance: Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Like lawn fertilizers, pre-emergent herbicides should be applied when the soil is around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This gives the chemical compounds enough time to break down and take action before summer weeds germinate. If you wait too long, the application will not only be less effective, but it could actually burn your lawn in combination with high temperatures.

One of the peskiest summer weeds in Ohio, as you may know, is crabgrass. With the ability to thrive in warm temperatures and dry weather conditions, this unsightly type of weed can quickly spread across lawns in the summer. Applying a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring will create an invisible line of defense against crabgrass before seeds sprout and stop it dead in its tracks.

If you want a healthy lawn in the summer, early spring is the time to take action. At Weed Pro, we offer lawn care services designed to support these efforts. Not only does this save you time and energy, but working with our trained professionals delivers the most effective results. Contact your local lawn care provider to get started.