PREPARING YOUR LAWN FOR SPRING

In order to have a lush green lawn in summer, there are some things you need to do now.

In most parts of the country, spring will be arriving soon. When it does, and the last frost is over, it's time to get outside and assess your lawn's condition. 

Quite often, usually beginning in the fall and over the winter, your lawn can be and is often prone to disease. Most of the diseases your lawn can get are often caused by various fungal spores which reside in all lawn soil at all times.

Extreme weather or improper lawn care techniques can create conditions that foster the sudden growth of disease.

What Causes Lawn Disease?

Most fungal diseases occur because your lawn is in some way stressed. If you lawn is growing in compacted soil, or is cut too short, or you have excessive thatch in you lawn, this can make your lawn vulnerable to fungal diseases. Over- or under fertilizing and over watering can also encourage fungal disease problems. 

How to Detect

When your lawn has a fungal disease, it is usually quite obvious. Look for discoloration or dying of areas in your lawn. Because diseases strike stressed out grasses, be sure to inspect your lawn after extreme weather conditions, such as periods of drought, high humidity or excessive rain. You lawn should also be inspected for disease before and after seasonal changes, especially in the early spring and the fall.

How to Control

Not all diseases affect all grasses, nor do they affect grasses in the same manner. Controls vary. The key to controlling disease is preventing them by keeping your lawn healthy. If a disease strikes, move to control it quickly. If disease is a recurring problem or the lawn actually dies, reseed with a resistant variety or mix that resists several types of lawn diseases.

Preventing Lawn Diseases: Three Easy Ways

1. Aerate your lawn at least every three to five years to improve air circulation and the overall health of the grass. You can rent a lawn aerator at any equipment rental store or hire a lawn care specialist to do it for you.
2. Over seed your lawn with a new type of grass seed every five years to improve overall disease resistance.
3. Mow the grass no shorter than 2 inches and leave the clippings on teh lawn to reduce stress and add organic matter.

Remember, simple proper lawn care practices can discourage lawn disease problems in your lawn and allow you to have a lush green grass that will you will be proud of.