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Spring Lawn Care Tips (2023)

Updated Mar 13, 2023

Updated Mar 13, 2023

Home > Lawn > Spring Lawn Care Tips (2023)

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It’s that time of year again when everything is starting to brighten up. The grass is growing, flowers are blooming, and it’s time to make sure that your lawn is in perfect condition for the rest of the season. We have put together some of the best spring lawn care tips for your home; from putting down grass seed to weed control to get your equipment in shape for the busy growing season, now is the time to take care of your spring lawn.

For those that want a healthy lawn, sometimes it makes sense to choose one of the best lawn care services around. A lawn care service like TruGreen will help homeowners get control of their yards and make the most of the growing season. Whether you choose the DIY method or professional services, here are our best Spring lawn care tips.

10 Tips for Spring Lawn Care

The springtime can be a bit of a guessing game when it comes to what your lawn will look like. Whether there are bare patches that need new grass, some thatch, or you simply want to keep it looking as great as it does right now, these 10 tips for spring lawn care will ensure that all the neighbors will be jealous of your lawn.

1. TuneUp Your Mower

The spring is when the warm season grasses start to ramp up their growth. At this point, the grass blades will experience slow growth and need less frequent mowing. This makes it the ideal time to sharpen the mower blades, change the oil and check the filter in your mower. When the grass is growing at warp speed, you will be ready to run that mower every few days.

2. Rake Your Yard

Rake your yard in the late spring to remove any debris and buildup accumulated through the winter. When you rake the lawn, you will also be able to see bare spots that may need your attention in the near future. The grass will also appreciate the extra water and sunlight exposure after you rake.

3. Aerate and Dethatch the Soil

Thatch will develop over the winter, and to have healthy grass throughout the summer, you will need to aerate and dethatch the soil. This can be done by a professional or with an attachment added to your lawn mower. This process allows all of the critical nutrients in fertilizer and herbicide to make their way down into the soil and help with lawn weeds and the overall health of the grass.

4. Soil Testing

Homeowners should consider doing some soil testing to ensure that the pH levels in the soil are correct. You can purchase a test kit and send it off for testing with information about the type of grass you are growing. The pH of your soil can be changed by using the proper lawn care products, so if the pH is off, now is the time to get it fixed.

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5. Apply Pre-emergent Herbicide

The pre-emergent herbicide will ensure that weeds never make their way into your green lawn. Weedkillers will treat the weeds once they have an established root system growing up through the grass. Pre-emergent stops the problem before it starts. Always make sure to time the pre-emergent carefully, and do it before the weeds start to sprout.

6. Mow Your Lawn on High Setting

The spring is not a time to scalp your lawn. The weather in the spring is still a bit iffy, and if you cut your grass too short, chances are it will have some issues with strength and tolerance. This could significantly weaken the turf and delay the green color and lush turf you are looking for in the summer.

7. Overseed and Reseed as Necessary 

Once you have your grass raked out, you can see where any bare spots may have developed through the winter months. Take the time to reseed and overseed the grass in the areas where it needs it the most. Ensure that you water the new seed and watch it closely, especially in the first few days after planting.

8. Fertilize Your Lawn

A spring fertilizer will help ensure that your lawn has what it needs to protect against weeds and ensure that it has some of the best nutrients to improve the color and thickness of the turf. It often makes sense to use a weed and feed type product with a crabgrass preventer and weed preventer built-in.

9. Lawn Pest Control

Grubs and other insects can take a healthy lawn and turn it into a problem quite quickly. Whether you have Zoysia, St. Augustine, Fescue, or Bermuda, lawn pest control is incredibly important. With pest control, you may consider using a professional like TruGreen to ensure that your grass is properly protected and treated. It’s best to handle pest control-related issues preemptively as opposed to waiting for a problem.

10. Water and Maintain Your Lawn

Spring can be rainy, but this does not mean you are off the hook for all of your lawn watering needs. Ensure that you use the sprinkler and watch for puddling and proper water coverage. If you do not maintain your lawn and keep it watered, the new growth will slow considerably.

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From our top recommended lawn care service, TruGreen

Professional Lawn Care

If the top tips for spring lawn care have you feeling a bit overwhelmed, there are professional lawn care services that can help. The great thing about professional lawn maintenance is that you will save time on the actual work required to maintain the lawn and on the time and research. Knowing the proper chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides, water amounts, etc., your lawn needs takes time and energy to understand.

TruGreen is one of the most well-known professional lawn care companies on the market. You won’t have to worry about tree trimming, shrub trimming, grass care, emerging weeds, grubs, fungus, and more with TruGreen. To find out more about what TruGreen has to offer, take a look at our comprehensive TruGreen review.

TruGreen Services and Plans

TruGreen has a plan for every homeowner and lawn type. Whether you have a few dandelions on your lawn or need a company to manage everything for you, there is a TruGreen plan to work for your home.

One of the best things about TruGreen is that they have licenses that allow them to spray and treat insects. This means that you will only need one company to handle any issues that come up around the home. TruGreen even has the necessary mowers with tines to complete full aeration of your yard in the spring.

If you start with a TruGreen lawn fertilizer treatment or a basic mowing plan in the early spring, you can always upgrade to full service at some point. When homeowners calculate the cost of the equipment needed to handle their spring lawn care, sometimes the TruGreen solution is the best.

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Weed Control Weed Control Weed Control 
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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do to my lawn in the spring?

In the spring, you will want to rake your grass, mow it, and let the grass clippings turn into mulch, dethatch, and aerate your lawn, ensuring that it has enough water to continue growth and germination. Spring lawn maintenance is essential whether you live in an area with cool-season grasses or warm-season grasses.

How do I rejuvenate my lawn in the spring?

In the spring, you will need to use fertilizer and herbicide to ensure that your grass is ready for the summer season. A weed and feed type treatment will ensure that only the good grass continues to get stronger and the weeds die down. Something that is a slow-release formula applied in the early spring will get you through the first crucial months of the growing season.

Should you rake your lawn in spring?

Raking your lawn in the spring can help with the following things:

  • Cleaning up the look of the lawn
  • Allowing fertilizer and herbicides to treat the soil and the roots of the existing grass
  • Let air to get to the grass roots
  • Ensure that the grass is getting the sunlight it needs to grow
  • Removes some thatch

Does raking dead grass help it grow?

Raking dead grass is crucial as it will remove the dead grass and allow the area to accept new seeds. Before letting weed takeover, rake out old grass and then overseed the area well to fill in with new turf.

How do I aerate my lawn?

Lawn aeration is something homeowners can do on their own or hire a professional service. For professional service aeration, TruGreen is a great option to consider. Home aeration requires a mower with an aerator attachment. There are also hand tools that can work for aeration purposes, but these are not recommended for a large yard.

House Method Rating & Methodology

At House Method, transparency and trust are our most important values for the reader. That’s why we took the time to create an objective rating system and score each lawn company/service according to our methodology.

Our research team dug deep into the fine print of contracts, combed through more than one hundred customer reviews, and thoroughly investigated all of each lawn care service’s services, costs, and products. We’ve done the homework for you by researching nearly all of the lawn care companies on the market so you can have the information you need to make the best choice for your home.

We developed a formula to objectively determine the best lawn care companies and give each a score out of 100 based on the following criteria:

  • Plan Options (30): Do they provide a variety of plan options? We looked at the number of plans each company offered and the flexibility of adjusting the plan.
  • Services offered (20): How many services are offered in each plan? We looked at the number of lawn care coverages, including weed control, seeding, irrigation, aeration, dethatching, and more.
  • Trust (10): What do customers say after their lawn has been serviced? Does this company offer a guarantee? We considered how satisfied customers are post-service if the company does what it says it will, BBB accreditation, and service guarantees.
  • Prices (10): How reasonable are the costs of the plan or service in comparison to the industry average? We compared the costs of each company to competitors that offer the same lawn services.
  • Unique perks (10): Does the company offer discounts or special services such as organic treatments, pest control, or a mobile app? We looked for perks each company offers that set them apart from the competition.
  • Customer Service (10): How is the customer experience when contacting the company? We considered the speed of response, weekend/holiday availability, and ease of communication through phone calls, email, and online chat functions.
  • Nationwide availability (10): How many states does the company offer its services? Companies that operate nationally and in all zip codes are favored over those with limited availability. 

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