Lawn care can be tricky, especially if hiring a professional is not in your budget, and lawn care in Detroit often presents its own specific set of challenges. You may want to prepare your lawn for healthy growth in the spring, but it’s hard to gauge when the winter weather will officially end and give way to a true-blue spring.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to get a luscious lawn that will be the envy of your Detroit neighborhood all summer long.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Lawn Care in Detroit
1. Do rake away dead leaves and snow mold.
Congratulations! You survived another freezing Detroit winter. Your lawn is excited for the warmer weather too, but in order to make sure it stays happy and healthy, you’ll want to start your lawn care checklist by clearing away some of that winter debris.
Snow mold can be particularly damaging, as well as any leaves leftover from the fall. The first step in your lawn care checklist is to gently rake away debris to give your lawn a chance to breathe.
If you find yourself constantly struggling with snow mold in the spring, you may also want to consider applying a preventative fungicide in the fall before the first snowfall.
2. Do choose the right type of grass for the climate.
Fun fact: Detroit is the only major U.S. city that is north of Canada, so it’s no wonder that lawn care can be especially challenging. Keep that in mind if you’re planning to overseed bare patches of your lawn. Luckily, there are different grass types that thrive in cooler climates.
Some of the grass types you may consider include:
Tall Fescue
Kentucky Bluegrass
Perrenial Ryegrass
One of the best ways to ensure effective lawn care in Detroit [PBS1] is to choose the right grass for your lawn and the climate.
3. Don’t use a weed killer.
… at least not in the beginning of spring. After you put in the time deciding which type of grass to use in your lawn, the last thing you want to do is kill all those baby seeds with an herbicide. If you do feel the weeds are unmanageable, wait at least sixty days after reseeding to apply a weed killer.
A good, albeit more tedious, alternative to an herbicide is to pull out the weeds by hand. A basic rule of lawn care is to make sure that you’re pulling out the whole weed, including the roots.
4. Do apply fertilizer and water your lawn.
Spring is also a good time to give your baby Kentucky Bluegrass (or whatever grass type you chose to reseed with) some encouragement by applying a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Be sure to follow the instructions on your chosen fertilizer for best application practices.
To go the au naturel route, try composting instead. Composting is a homemade, organic alternative to chemical fertilizers and an environment-friendly lawn care tool.
And don’t forget to water your lawn! Those seeds are thirsty, but they really only need about one inch of water per week. Luckily, springtime in Detroit brings plenty of rainfall, so make sure you keep a keen eye on the weather to decide whether your lawn needs an additional watering.
5. Do mow your lawn strategically.
Another key to lawn care in Detroit is maintaining a routine when it comes to mowing your grass. A good rule of thumb when mowing your lawn is not to cut more than one-third of the grass length at a time.
This is especially important to remember as spring turns into summer as those are the two seasons where you’ll see the fastest growth in your lawn. While you definitely want your grass to be healthy, you don’t want it to become unmanageable, so try to establish a routine.
When you finish mowing, consider leaving behind the grass clippings if your lawn is at a manageable length. This is known as “grass-cycling” as the clippings will re-circulate nutrients back into your lawn. Grasscycling is also a great alternative to store-bought fertilizer. Just because that grass didn’t make the cut, it doesn’t mean that it can’t still be utilized as part of your lawn care routine.
Pro tip: spring is also an excellent time to do some lawn mower maintenance. You can try to learn at home or bring your mower to a professional to make sure that the blades are nice and sharp. After all, you don’t want to tear your hard-earned grass- you want to cut it.
6. Don’t get discouraged.
Lawn care can be tedious and maybe even frustrating at times. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day and your lush summer lawn won’t be either. But don’t give up!
Instead, patiently implement these do’s and don’ts of lawn care in Detroit to show your grass some love this spring. When fall rolls around, consider taking steps to prep your lawn for another long winter, and set yourself up for even more success next year!
Looking for affordable and trustworthy lawn care in Detroit? Book your free estimate or appointment online today!
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