Early Spring Q & A

Q. Should I power rake now or in the fall?
A. It is best to power rake while lawn is dormant. Most lawns do not need power raking. Aeration once a year will minimize thatch and the need for power raking. If your lawn needs power raking, early spring, before the lawn greens up, is best. Power raking after the lawn greens up will actually do more harm than good.

Q. How can I prevent winter damage in my parkways?
A. As soon as weather conditions allow, rake out large debris from parkway. Once the larger debris is removed, power spray thoroughly to remove salt, sand, gravel and other ice melt products. Power spraying will greatly reduce the damage and help parkway recovery.

Q. Some areas of my lawn are matted down from snow. Will this recover?
A. These areas may not recover if you do not take steps in early spring to help the lawn along. As soon as the weather conditions allow, lightly rake these areas to lift the grass slightly. Once the areas have been raked, set your mower to a low setting and mow the lawn to remove the tops of the grass blades. This will stimulate early growth. Be sure your mower blade is sharp before the first mowing. A dull blade will damage the grass blades and cause problems in the lawn later.

Q. I have small bare areas in the lawn. Should I seed in the spring?
A. We recommend seeding in the fall. The first two applications of the year have pre-emergent to prevent seed germination. Pre-emergent is the product that reduces weed populations in the lawn. Most small bare areas (saucer size or smaller) will fill in on their own if you rake them out thoroughly when weather conditions allow. If you have larger areas that you feel need to be seeded, please mark them in some way and let us know so that we can try to avoid getting pre-emergent in them. Keep in mind that if we cannot put pre-emergent on the lawn, it will be much more difficult to maintain good weed control.

Q. How soon should I turn on my sprinkler system?
A. We recommend waiting until April 1st to turn on your sprinkler system. Typically, by that time, the ground ahs thawed and overnight temperatures are not going to cause problems with freezing.