March Lawn Care Tips
The snow is melting, the weather is warmer, and your lawn is beginning to green up. Fertilizing your lawn will help speed up this process and give you a head start on a healthy, green lawn throughout the year.
Watering: Typically there is no need to water during this month. However, occasionally it may be necessary around the end of the month if there has been no precipitation for two weeks and the soil is dry. If you do water, do so deeply and infrequently only as needed. This will help the roots grow deep and strengthen your lawn.
How do I know if my soil is dry?
Here are 2 ways to see if your soil is dry. First, lingering footprints or grayish hue in the lawn indicate soil is dry. Second, you can probe the soil with a screwdriver. If it is relatively hard to push in and moist soil doesn't stick to the screwdriver, it's too dry. If soil is dry please water deeply.
Mowing: For the best green and weed control, mow one setting lower than usual to remove winter damage. After that, maintain turf height of at least 3 inches.
Weeds: In March, the weeds in your lawn are mostly perennials such as Dandelions, Thistle or Mallow. The broad-leaf weeds can be sprayed with a selective herbicide which will not damage the surrounding lawn. Any grassy weeds would need to be sprayed with Roundup and the lawn replanted in that area.
Crabgrass can often be mistaken for Orchard grass, however, there is no crabgrass growing during this time of year. It is a summer annual weed most commonly seen during July and August and begins to die as the temperatures fall below freezing. A pre-emergent herbicide in April or May will help prevent most of last years seeds from germinating again.
Insects: While we usually don't see any insects damaging lawns during this month, there are however, a few incidents in April of Cranberry Girdler or White Grub.
How do I know if I have an insect problem?
As your lawn greens up you may notice some areas remaining brown. Pull on these areas with your whole hand. If insects are at fault, it will pull up like rug and you will see little white bugs on the soil.
How do I solve my insect problem?
To control the problem, apply insecticide directly to the affected areas and check back weekly for improvement. Repeat this until all signs of insect activity are gone.
Diseases: As the snow melts, the two most prevalent diseases are Snow Mold and Winter Damage. Both are simple to eliminate and will disappear as the grass grows.
Snow Mold: Snow Mold gives the appearance of a lawn after a ball has been left on it over the winter. Immediately after the snow melts, it will be slimy and either a gray or pinkish hue. With sunshine and fertilizer, the problem will disappear by the end of the month.
Winter Damage: Winter Damage makes your lawn look brown and is a direct result of freezing temperatures. For the best green and weed control, mow one setting lower than usual to remove winter damage. After that, maintain turf height of at least 3 inches.
Watering: Typically there is no need to water during this month. However, occasionally it may be necessary around the end of the month if there has been no precipitation for two weeks and the soil is dry. If you do water, do so deeply and infrequently only as needed. This will help the roots grow deep and strengthen your lawn.
How do I know if my soil is dry?
Here are 2 ways to see if your soil is dry. First, lingering footprints or grayish hue in the lawn indicate soil is dry. Second, you can probe the soil with a screwdriver. If it is relatively hard to push in and moist soil doesn't stick to the screwdriver, it's too dry. If soil is dry please water deeply.
Mowing: For the best green and weed control, mow one setting lower than usual to remove winter damage. After that, maintain turf height of at least 3 inches.
Weeds: In March, the weeds in your lawn are mostly perennials such as Dandelions, Thistle or Mallow. The broad-leaf weeds can be sprayed with a selective herbicide which will not damage the surrounding lawn. Any grassy weeds would need to be sprayed with Roundup and the lawn replanted in that area.
Crabgrass can often be mistaken for Orchard grass, however, there is no crabgrass growing during this time of year. It is a summer annual weed most commonly seen during July and August and begins to die as the temperatures fall below freezing. A pre-emergent herbicide in April or May will help prevent most of last years seeds from germinating again.
Insects: While we usually don't see any insects damaging lawns during this month, there are however, a few incidents in April of Cranberry Girdler or White Grub.
How do I know if I have an insect problem?
As your lawn greens up you may notice some areas remaining brown. Pull on these areas with your whole hand. If insects are at fault, it will pull up like rug and you will see little white bugs on the soil.
How do I solve my insect problem?
To control the problem, apply insecticide directly to the affected areas and check back weekly for improvement. Repeat this until all signs of insect activity are gone.
Diseases: As the snow melts, the two most prevalent diseases are Snow Mold and Winter Damage. Both are simple to eliminate and will disappear as the grass grows.
Snow Mold: Snow Mold gives the appearance of a lawn after a ball has been left on it over the winter. Immediately after the snow melts, it will be slimy and either a gray or pinkish hue. With sunshine and fertilizer, the problem will disappear by the end of the month.
Winter Damage: Winter Damage makes your lawn look brown and is a direct result of freezing temperatures. For the best green and weed control, mow one setting lower than usual to remove winter damage. After that, maintain turf height of at least 3 inches.