How to Encourage a Greener Lawn This Spring
While nurturing a lawn can be enjoyable, winter can cause warm and cool season turfgrasses to lose their green color and turn to a golden tan. This is a natural part of the life cycle of warm-season turfgrass, and it is actually good for the grass to take its “winter nap.” This is when the grass stores nutrients for use in the spring.
The singular biggest factor in spring green-up of your lawn will be a rising soil temperature. In order for green up to occur, soil temperatures need to be at 65 degrees F and rising. This means that any fluctuation from freezing temperatures at night to 70’s during the day may slow down the green up of your lawn.
Would you like to give nature a little “push?” To encourage green up as much as you can, the following tips aim to address this and ensure a healthy lawn in the spring.
- Clear the lawn of leaves and debris
Kickstart your lawn’s revival by clearing away debris! Leaves, twigs, and other clutter act like a suffocating blanket, blocking sunlight, water, and nutrients from reaching the thirsty grass beneath. Once you remove this obstacle course, your lawn will be able to bask in the sun, drink deeply, and breathe easy. You might be surprised by the immediate improvement in your lawn’s appearance after a good cleaning. - Do a Soil Test
The best way to predict what nutrients your lawn needs is not to guess, but to test! Completing a soil test through the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (there’s one in every county in Georgia), or even through a mail order soil kit, can help you. A soil test will outline exactly what nutrients or elements your soil may be missing in order to grow a healthy, thriving lawn. It can even reveal the current pH level, which surprisingly can really affect your lawn. If your pH is too low or too high, it can prevent nutrients or fertilizer from being absorbed into the plant. - Mow Your Lawn
Don’t let dormant or dead grass hold your lawn back! Mowing not only tackles that unsightly brown, but also encourages new growth by removing spent material. Early mowers (think mid-March, depending on your location) tend to have greener lawns because mowing allows sunlight to reach the base of the blades, warming the roots and promoting growth.
Does this mean you have to scalp the lawn? No, not necessarily. If you’re sure we are past the last possible freeze and frost, and you know the benefits, feel free to scalp the lawn. But many others prefer to play it safe by making this first mow of the season a slight “haircut” (removing ⅓ of the height of the grass) rather than a scalp.
For established Zoysia or Bermudagrass lawns (over six months old), their network of underground rhizomes and surface stolons allows them to bounce back from a very low mow. However, mowing at 1 inch can initially appear harsh and expose any unevenness in your lawn. High spots might be scalped, while low spots will retain more material, creating a bumpy look. Use this opportunity to level your lawn by adding sand to low areas.
The first mow of the year can be tough with all the debris. To make it easier, consider mowing twice at different heights. Start with a slightly higher cut and then lower the mower for a second pass.
Avoid a repeat next year by mowing your lawn at the proper height during the last fall mow before dormancy. Since the grass isn’t actively growing at this point, a good cutting height will minimize the amount of material you need to remove come spring.
While grass clippings are generally beneficial for your lawn, the first spring mow for Bermudagrass and Zoysia produces a large amount. To ensure your newly mowed lawn gets enough sunlight, bag the clippings for this first cut. You can resume returning clippings to the lawn throughout the rest of the mowing season. - Fertilize Your Lawn
We all know fertilizer is crucial for plant growth, but tempting as it may be, don’t try to “wake up” dormant grass with a heavy dose of nitrogen. Fertilizer is useless on inactive grass – it can’t absorb nutrients. Hold off on fertilizing until your lawn starts showing green again.
If you’re impatient, consider a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Products like Lawnifi® Foundation or Boost release nutrients gradually as conditions improve for your lawn.
Fertilizer applied to dormant grass can be harmful. It sits unused in the soil and potentially runs off into waterways, causing toxic algal blooms that threaten aquatic life and even humans. Wait for that green to return before fertilizing.
Our previous blog on spring lawn care recommends waiting until the last frost to fertilize. Fertilizing before a frost triggers dormancy again, making it harder to green up your lawn. You can find your last frost date for 2024 in the Farmer’s Almanac.
Once your lawn wakes up, it craves nutrients after its winter slumber. Apply a balanced fertilizer about every 6 weeks or so for best results. If you’d rather have a “plug and play” formula mailed to you, check out Sod Solutions Lawnifi fertilizer subscription. - Time to Begin Watering!
Watering your lawn is key to waking it up from its winter slumber. Aim for regular, balanced watering sessions. You can handle this yourself, hire help, or install sprinklers for consistent coverage.
Our winter lawn care guide recommends watering even during dormancy. Dormant doesn’t mean dead! The grass still needs some moisture.
Most areas will require less water in winter than during active growth. However, if your winter is exceptionally dry, water deeply enough to hydrate the soil and prevent blades from drying out. Proper watering encourages faster growth and a greener lawn come spring.
But be mindful of overwatering, which can lead to disease.
Greening up your lawn in spring is easier than you might think! Just follow these tips and watch your grass thrive. We hope this guide helps you achieve a beautiful lawn this season.
