Spring is finally here, and homeowners everywhere are gearing up to bring their lawns back to life. With the fresh smell of cut grass in the air and warmer days ahead, it’s the perfect time to start your lawn care routine. However, making the wrong moves early in the season can cause more harm than good, setting your yard up for a summer full of weeds, weak growth, and brown patches.
Avoid these five common spring lawn care mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to a lush, healthy lawn that lasts all season long.
1. Mowing Too Short Too Soon
One of the most common mistakes homeowners make in early spring is cutting their grass too short. After a long winter, it’s tempting to give your lawn a close shave, thinking it will make the yard look tidy and prevent frequent mowing. However, scalping your lawn early in the season can cause serious damage.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Short grass dries out faster, leading to brown patches.
- Cutting grass too short exposes the soil to sunlight, allowing weeds to take over.
- It weakens the root system, making it harder for grass to absorb nutrients and water.
How High Should You Mow?
The ideal mowing height depends on the type of grass in your yard:
- Cool-season grasses (like Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass): 2.5–4 inches
- Warm-season grasses (like Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine): 1–3 inches
A good rule of thumb is to never remove more than one-third of the grass blade in a single mowing session. Gradually lowering the height over a few cuts, rather than all at once, will help maintain lawn health and prevent stress.
2. Skipping Pre-Emergent Application
If you wait until weeds start popping up before tackling them, you’re already too late. Skipping pre-emergent herbicide is a costly mistake that can leave you battling crabgrass and broadleaf weeds all summer long. Pre-emergents work by creating a barrier in the soil that prevents weed seeds from germinating, effectively stopping the problem before it starts.
Crabgrass is one of the most aggressive lawn invaders, and it thrives in thin, undernourished grass. Once crabgrass takes hold, it can quickly spread across your yard, choking out healthy grass. The key to preventing it is applying a pre-emergent herbicide when soil temperatures reach 50–55°F—typically in early to mid-spring.
Applying pre-emergent too late will allow weeds to sprout, making them much harder to control. Be proactive by using a granular or liquid pre-emergent before the growing season is in full swing. Just remember, if you’re planning to overseed, pre-emergents can also prevent grass seed from germinating, so be strategic with your timing.
3. Overwatering Early in the Season
It might seem like a good idea to start watering heavily as soon as spring arrives, but overwatering can do more harm than good. In early spring, most grass types are still coming out of dormancy, and excessive watering can lead to shallow root growth, fungal diseases, and soil compaction.
Grass needs time to wake up and establish deeper roots before regular watering becomes necessary. Instead of drenching your lawn right away, observe the weather conditions and only water if the soil is dry a few inches below the surface. A deep, infrequent watering routine encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil, making the grass more drought-resistant as summer approaches.
A general guideline is to provide your lawn with about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, including rainfall. Use a rain gauge or place a small container in your yard to measure how much water your lawn is actually getting before turning on the sprinklers.
4. Using the Wrong Fertilizer
Fertilizing your lawn in spring is essential, but using the wrong type—or applying too much—can be just as harmful as neglecting it altogether. Many homeowners make the mistake of applying a high-nitrogen fertilizer too early, which can cause rapid top growth but weak root development.
Grass coming out of dormancy needs a balanced, slow-release fertilizer that provides nutrients steadily over time. Look for fertilizers labeled “slow-release” or “controlled-release” with a balance of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). An ideal ratio for early spring fertilization is around 20-5-10, with higher nitrogen content to promote healthy leaf and root growth.
Applying too much fertilizer can lead to burning the lawn, excessive thatch buildup, and environmental runoff issues. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and always water lightly after fertilizing to help nutrients penetrate the soil.
Check out this link for the best pre-emergent.
5. Ignoring Soil Health
Many homeowners focus solely on mowing, watering, and fertilizing but overlook one of the most important aspects of lawn care—soil health. The condition of your soil determines how well your grass can absorb nutrients, fight off disease, and withstand drought.
If your soil’s pH balance is off, grass won’t be able to take in the nutrients it needs, no matter how much fertilizer you apply. A soil test can reveal deficiencies in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and pH levels, allowing you to make targeted adjustments. Most grass types thrive in a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. If your soil is too acidic, applying lime can help. If it’s too alkaline, sulfur may be needed.
Additionally, if your lawn has a thick layer of thatch (dead grass and organic material buildup), nutrients and water won’t reach the soil effectively. In this case, dethatching or aerating in early spring can improve absorption and boost lawn health.
Check out this link for the best soil test kit.
Final Thoughts
Spring lawn care is all about setting your grass up for success, and avoiding these common mistakes can make all the difference. By mowing properly, applying pre-emergents, watering wisely, choosing the right fertilizer, and focusing on soil health, you’ll create a stronger, healthier lawn that thrives all season long.
If you’ve made any of these mistakes in the past, don’t worry—it’s never too late to correct them! Start now, and by mid-spring, you’ll have a lawn that turns heads for all the right reasons.
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