Spring Lawn Care Maintenance Tips & Landscaping Ideas - Scotts vs Vigoro vs GPR

Tip 1: Use the Right Lawn Maintenance Equipment

The right tools are essential for every job, and the number one lawn tool is your lawnmower. Make sure you get it ready before it's time to start taking care of the lawn for the summer. Have the blades sharpened. This will create a clean cut that will help your grass grow back healthier. Change the oil, clean the air filter, check the spark plug, and clean off any debris buildup from last year. Check your other tools, too. You may need to replace the wire on your Weed Wacker or tune up your trimmer.

Tip 2: Maintain Weed Control

Weeds are always a problem. Even the best lawn from last year can be susceptible to weeds at the beginning of spring. Seeds that came from across the street are ready to plant roots and pester you all year. Use pre-emergent herbicides before you see the weeds to help keep them at bay. Scotts lawn care products, such as Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventer, can take care of problems you noticed last year before they have a chance to ruin your landscape ideas for the new season.

Once you see the weeds, you'll need to use a post-emergent weed killer to control them. The lawn care product that will work the best for you will depend on the type of weeds you are seeing. For example, a touch-up product, such as Ortho's Weed-Be-Gon Max, will kill certain weeds without harming your grass.

Tip 3: Prepare Your Lawn

Some lawn care tasks should happen before spring comes. If you have deciduous trees in your yard, make sure you clean up the leaf litter. Raking the lawn does more than help the grass look better — the process helps to break up dead grass and other organic debris. This allows the soil to absorb more nutrients and water.

Make sure that snow does not pile up in one spot. While a large snow hill can entertain the kids during the winter, it can hinder lawn growth in the spring. In some cases, piled snow may cause grass roots to rot. If you shovel the driveway and the sidewalks, spread the snow evenly over the lawn.

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Tip 4: Aerate Your Yard

You may not like the plugs of dirt that lawn aeration leaves behind, but the process has several benefits. First, it helps your yard recover from soil compaction, which can occur because of age and high traffic. As the dirt compacts, it negatively affects the soil's ability to retain nutrients and water. The compaction can also prevent grass root growth. In addition to correcting these problems, aeration can also prevent water and fertilizer runoff.

Tip 5: Fertilize Your Lawn and Landscape Elements

Fertilizing is one of the key ingredients to a healthy yard. Lawn care experts recommend that you fertilize at least one to two times per year. If you want a lawn worthy of a round of golf, set up a schedule that will allow you to fertilize your lawn four to five times per year.

Be sure not to use a fertilizer that is too high in nitrogen early in the season. This will result in large top growth but shallow root growth. Different fertilizers work better for different regions, grass types and soil types. If you've given up hopes of solving the Scotts vs Vigoro vs GPR debate, consider making your selection based on customer satisfaction. The following fertilizers are the most popular ones, according to consumers at shopfinal.com:

• Scotts Turf Builder


• Sta-Green Lawn Fertilizer


• Ringer 0% Phosphate Lawn Restore


• True Green


• Vigoro

Tip 6: Double Up Lawn Maintenance with Landscape Maintenance

If you're thinking that it will take more work to have a well-groomed yard than you really want to commit to, consider doubling up tasks. For example, fertilize your plants, shrubs and trees at the same time you fertilize your lawn. Use a weed control product on your flowerbeds when you use one in the yard. You can reduce the amount of maintenance you need to do by incorporating landscaping ideas, like hardscaping. The non-organic materials will significantly reduce the need for maintenance.

Tip 7: Take Advantage of Professional Lawn Maintenance

Professional companies like Trugreen, Scotts, GPR, or your local small business lawn service company may be able to maintain your lawn better that you can. Lawn care professionals can fix current issues with your grass and keep new ones from arising. On top of that, you don't have to sweat and make your back sore mowing the lawn every Saturday.