Preparing Your Lawn for Spring
A lush spring lawn starts with addressing the impact that the cold winter months left behind. The plummeting temperatures and snowfall affect the health of your yard. Before you can enjoy a thriving yard, you will need to take steps to undo the effects of winter. We created the following guide to help you get your yard ready for spring. If you want more information or want to explore lawn mowers for sale, head over to Burrows Tractor. Our dealership is based in Yakima and Wenatchee, Washington, as well as North Plains, Oregon. We welcome our patrons coming from Portland, Oregon, to stop by today!
1. Clear Off Debris
During the winter months, a layer of debris has likely built up in your yard. If you tried to use your lawn mower right away, the debris could get tangled up in the mower's undercarriage and cause issues. The debris can also interfere with the yard's ability to absorb the nutrient-rich products you will be applying later. Start your spring preparation process by cleaning up all the debris.
2. Get Your Lawn Mower Ready
Your lawn mower likely spent the last few months sitting in storage, which will affect its ability to run optimally. A few maintenance tasks will get your equipment ready to perform at its best.
Start by checking the undercarriage for any debris and remove it. Next, ensure the blade is sharp. Dull blades are going to make your lawn equipment less efficient and can also damage the grass. If it's dull, make sure to sharpen it before you use your lawn mower. Finally, inspect your lawn mower to ensure no issues cropped up during its time in storage.
If you own a riding mower, you will have a few extra maintenance steps. Fill up the fuel tank with fresh fuel. Then replace the oil, air filter, and spark plugs if you didn't do this step before storing your mower.
3. Give Your Lawn Nutrients
The low temperatures and snow found in winter can impact the health of your lawn. You'll want to employ nutrient-rich products to get your yard back to its optimal state. If you are maintaining a garden, use fertilizer to promote the growth of your plants. If your garden is often plagued by weeds and bugs, seek out products to prevent and kill those pesky nuisances.
If your yard has any bare patches, plant new seeds. You'll want to water this new growth daily until it gets tall enough to be cut. Wait to do your first mowing until the new growth reaches the same height as the ground around it. Once you do your first mowing, add fertilizer to help promote the growth of your grass.
4. Mow Your Lawn
Once you are ready to cut your grass, put your lawn mower out in the sun to warm up for about an hour. This will help your mower start up easier. Then use your mower and aim to cut about 1/3 of the grass blade. You will want to mow every five days during the first six weeks of spring. This mowing schedule will help prevent overgrowth, which can cause the grass to get cut in a way that stunts the root.
We hope you found this guide useful. If you have questions or want to shop lawn mowers for sale, visit Burrows Tractor. Our expert staff is happy to assist you with whatever you need, from answering questions to providing yard maintenance advice to helping you shop for models. We proudly serve those throughout Oregon and Washington, including those in Kennewick, Ellensburg, and Richland, WA.