Spring Lawn Care in St. Louis
As spring approaches in St. Louis, it’s time to give your lawn some extra love and care. A green, healthy lawn not only enhances the beauty of your home but also provides a refreshing outdoor space for your family to enjoy during the warmer months ahead. Let’s dive into some spring lawn care tips for St. Louis homeowners.
When to Start Spring Lawn Care in Missouri
As temperatures start to rise above 50°F consistently, typically around late March to early April in St. Louis, it’s prime time to kick off your spring lawn care routine. How you care for your lawn during spring depends on the type of grass you have. Warm-season grasses will begin coming out of dormancy and will need some TLC before the growing season. Cool-season lawns like tall fescue, will need ongoing care to prepare for summer months.
St. Louis Lawn Care Checklist
By following these spring lawn care tips, you’ll be well on your way to nurturing a vibrant and healthy lawn that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Remember, a little early spring lawn maintenance goes a long way in ensuring your lawn thrives throughout the summer months and year-round.
Early Spring Weed Control
Combat pesky invaders like crabgrass and goosegrass by applying pre-emergent herbicides early in the spring season. In Missouri, pre-emergent herbicides should be applied around late March through April. These weed killers prevent weed seeds from germinating, giving your grass a head start on weed control. Not all weeds can be prevented, but pre-emergents can cut down on the uphill battle of summer weed control. Weed prevention won’t be effective for spring weeds that have already sprouted such as dandelion. Targeted weed control, or post-emergents, will tackle existing broadleaf weeds in your lawn. Avoid pre-emergent on cool-season grasses that have had spring overseeding, because it will hinder the growth of premature grass seed.
Spring Lawn Fertilization
Fuel your lawn’s growth with a slow-release fertilizer rich in nitrogen around April. This helps promote a lush, green lawn while strengthening the root system, ensuring a healthier and more resilient summer lawn.
Spring Mowing and Watering Tips
Adjust your lawn mower blade to a higher setting to avoid cutting your grass too short. Taller grass shades the soil, reducing weed growth and promoting moisture retention. Don’t forget to leave the grass clippings on the lawn; they act as natural mulch, returning valuable nutrients to the soil. Always follow the one-third rule when mowing, which means you never remove more than 1/3rd of the grass blade in one cut.
Spring is also the time to kick on your sprinkler systems. Watering is crucial as the weather warms up. Morning is the best time of day to water your lawn to prevent water loss from evaporation during the peak heat of the day. Evening watering leaves the lawn wet overnight which can encourage lawn diseases and other common lawn problems.
Aeration and Overseeding
Loosen soil compaction, reduce thatch, and improve air circulation by aerating your warm-season lawn in late spring. This process involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow water, air, and nutrients to penetrate deep into the root zone, resulting in stronger root growth and healthier turfgrass. Around March, you can overseed bare spots in cool-season grasses if areas were missed during fall overseeding, but early fall should always be the first choice for the best overseeding results. Avoid preventative weed control overlapping with spring seeding.
Outdoor Insect Control for Missouri Lawns
Lawn pests can damage your grass and mosquitoes can spoil summer fun outdoors if not properly treated or prevented. Outdoor pest control in St. Louis is important to protect your lawn, family, and pets from pests, like fleas, ticks, grubs, chiggers, ants, and more.
Grub Control & Prevention
Apply preventive treatments to protect your lawn from grub infestations, which can wreak havoc on your grassroots if left unchecked. Lawn grubs feed on the root systems just below the soil surface. Signs of grubs include a spongey feel when you walk on the lawn, and affected areas will pull up easily like loose carpet. Grubs can be treated with curative insecticides when active or prevented at certain times of the year.
Mosquito Control
Enjoy your outdoor space without mosquitoes eating you up by using a mosquito control service in St. Louis like Loyalty Lawn Care. You can also limit mosquitoes by eliminating areas of standing water around your lawn, like flower pots, leaky hoses, or clogged gutters. Adding outdoor fans to your patio or sitting areas can help keep mosquitoes at bay.
Spring Lawn Care Services Near St. Louis
St. Louis homeowners in need of professional help with their lawns can rely on the team at Loyalty Lawn Care. We have years of experience offering high-quality lawn care services for Missouri grass types. Our lawn services include mosquito control, weed control and fertilization, aeration and overseeding, and grub control in St. Louis and surrounding areas. Contact us today for a free quote!