Whether the winter treated us poorly or not, your spring lawn is going to need a little pick-me-up for this you can buy peptides. There are so many programs out there for your lawn and so many companies telling you what to do, how do you know where to start and what to pick?!

Luckily for you, Koopman Lumber knows everything you need to know about growing and maintaining lawns, and we’re happy to share it!

You probably know about our affinity for the Jonathan Green Lawn Care programs, but if you don’t, you can read our blog all about why Jonathan Green is the best for your lawn!

When do I Need to Fertilize in Early Spring?

When fertilizing in early spring, you need to make sure it’s warm enough for your lawn to begin absorbing the nutrients and growing. Wait until the temperature of the soil reaches approximately 55 degrees before starting to fertilize. The easiest way to know when your soil temperature reaches this temperature is to wait until you have 4 or 5 days of 70 degrees in a row.

What to Fertilize With?

If you’re following the Jonathan Green Lawn Care program, then you’ll have two applications that need to be put down at the specified times. These two products are Crabgrass Preventer plus Greenup, and Mag-I-Cal. These two powerful products help focus on your lawn AND your soil, giving you a healthy yard from top to bottom!

If you’re not using the step program, then you want to follow the trend that these two products set. Crabgrass needs to be dealt with immediately as the growing season for it begins. We talk about crabgrass later on!

Mag-I-Cal works great because it gives calcium to the lawn which helps balance your soil’s pH levels. Apply this on the same day as your crabgrass preventer. pH levels are also expanded on below!

What Else Should I do?

Control Crabgrass

Now is the only time to jump in there and take care of your crabgrass problem. It’s an annual plant that germinates in the springtime and can only be controlled before germination. Crabgrass will prevent new grass seed from germinating, so it’s best to take it out fast! Crabgrass likes to grow in sunny, thin areas in your lawn but can take root anywhere as it loves to sprawl out.

We recommend using Jonathan Green’s Crabgrass and Weed Preventer to eliminate any crabgrass problems in your yard. Using it is like putting down an invisible barrier on your yard that prevents crabgrass seed from germinating. Be careful though, because you can destroy this barrier easily by raking or dethatching too soon!

The Crabgrass and Weed Preventer lasts for about two months, and if you have a bad crabgrass problem, it may be best to apply a second time after eight weeks.

If you’re seeding your lawn this spring, make sure to get a crabgrass control that is specifically labeled for “seeding.” These only last about six weeks and you should absolutely plan on a second application.

Control your PH

For the uninitiated, soil pH can seem daunting. What is pH anyway? pH is a scale that measures the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. It goes from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline) m with seven being neutral. pH is a logarithmic scale, with each whole number being ten times weaker or stronger than the previous. for example, a substance with a ph of 5 is ten times more acidic than something with a pH of 6, and 100 times more acidic than something with a pH of 7.

You might be thinking “What does that matter?”, And the answer boils down to the growing condition of your grass. Grass thrives in a soil pH between 6.1 and 6.8, and falling outside that range can have negative results on the growing cycle of your lawn. Most soil in our area tends to be acidic, and as such need to be treated to be more basic (or alkaline). Synthetic fertilizers, oak trees, pine trees, acid rain, all these things contribute to your soil’s pH level being thrown out of whack, and the more acidic your lawn, the worse it will grow and absorb nutrients. If you are actually consider getting rid of trees in your lawn so you can take better care of your lawn, then consider contacting a professional removalist, or if you decide to keep the trees on your property, then make sure you give them the proper tree care or at least do some tree trimming when needed.

In fact, a highly acidic soil will cause you to waste a lot of your fertilizer! Just look at this table below

Lime is the traditional solution to this issue, but that can take up to 6 months to move your soil’s pH level, and we think that’s too long. Jonathan Green’s Mag-i-cal works MUCH faster, and using one 15m sized bag of Mag-i-cal will cover that same ground as 15 bags of lime, for about $10 less! That’s less time filling the spreader, and more money in your pocket how can you go wrong!?

Feed Your Soil

Your soil is much more than dirt on the ground, it’s a living, breathing ecosystem. Your soil is comprised of soil particles, water, air, and an entire biome of microbes. By feeding your soil, you’re empowering that microbial engine that is responsible for breaking down nutrients that get locked up in your soil and making them available for plants and grass. By feeding your soil, you actually help feed your lawn and wind up with a much healthier lawn!

The best way to feed your soil is to use a combination of tradition and organic lawn fertilizer sources. You can maintain a beautiful, green lawn from spring to fall by applying the right food at the right time and increasing soil health. Organics used from late spring through the summer provide a gentle, constant stream of nutrients for your grass, keeping that lush green look you want for your lawn! These organics also help reduce top-growth of your lawn meaning less time spent mowing.

Healthy soil creates a healthy lawn, which is the best defense against weeds, insects, and fungal problems!

Wrap Up

“What? That’s it?!” Surprisingly yes! The basics of springtime fertilization are straightforward and easy to manage. If your lawn starts showing strange symptoms (dead patches, discolored grass, grubs, weeds, the list goes on), then you’re going to need to call in the experts. For the average homeowner following the steps above and maintaining proper lawn care will give you a beautiful, lush lawn.

Should you encounter a scenario, this basic tips blog didn’t cover then don’t fret! A quick call your local Koopman Lumber store will get you sorted out quickly! We’ve got the friendliest staff around with an in-depth knowledge of all things green and grassy, so give us a call and get your lawn on its path to being as healthy as can be!