Spring is just around the corner, and soon we’ll see warmer temperatures and our yards coming back to life. But one of the first activities on any gardener’s list should be lawn maintenance. The activities below are best prioritized early in the spring season, with some even being suitable for February!
1. Fertilize Your Lawn
Fertilize your lawn with Betty’s Show Turf. This should be applied as soon as possible. The earlier spring fertilizer is applied, the more time you give the lawn to grow deep roots. This allows more energy to go toward growing roots while less energy is needed for the grass to grow. We advise Show Turf applications starting late February through the third week of April.
2. Prevent Crabgrass
Apply Dimension Crabgrass Preventer in all sunny areas. This should be done between the end of March and April 15. Without a pre-emergent, a Northern Virginia sunny lawn will get crabgrass. PLEASE NOTE–if you apply Dimension, you cannot seed your lawn for the next four months. Dimension will prevent all seed germination not just crabgrass! If your lawn needs significant re-seeding this year , you MUST apply Tenacity between April 15 and April 20!! Then apply Dimension 5 weeks later–after the new grass is established. Dimension and ONLY Dimension can serve as a pre- and post-emergent.
Examples of crabgrass in the summer lawn
3. Spread Lime
Spread lime at a rate of 40 lbs per one thousand square feet of lawn. This should be done once a year, every year. Lime reduces soil acidity (raising pH) and makes soil more favorable for turf grasses. Lime does not act quickly but slowly builds up in the soil year after year. (see coupon below for soil pH test kit)
4. Prevent Broadleaf Weeds
Use Gallery Broadleaf Weed Control to prevent all those non-grassy weeds that aren’t stopped by Dimension. These include common weeds such as dandelion, chickweed, clover, and an additional 160 lawn and landscape weeds. Add to broadleaf weed preventer’s success by applying heavily along the edges of the lawn at driveways and walkways and across your mulch beds, too.
Examples of common broadleaf weeds in our area.
Groundsel in bloom
An example of henbit
An example of speedwell
An example of chickweed
An example of knotweed
Gallery is best for your mulch beds. Gallery outlasts Preen (by 4 times), stops four times as many weeds, and is safer for existing plants and the lawn. Gallery can be applied starting in February until early July, but can be omitted if applied late last fall .
5. Kill Grubs
Dylox Grub Killer Plus is the only product that will kill grubs in the spring. For any home older than 15 years, Betty’s recommends Dylox be applied once each year, preferably in the fall. If Dylox was applied last fall, no need to do it in the spring unless grub infestation is particularly bad, or you are having mole and/or vole problems. Apply between the end of March and the end of April. Perfect timing would be right before a rain storm. If that’s not possible, then Dylox should be watered in heavily to activate.
