If you plan to sell your home soon in Berks County, or you just want a productive way to use your extra time at home, now is a great time to focus on your lawn. With just a few simple chores, you can make your lawn stand out from the crowd, which is now more important than ever when selling your home.
Rake
Raking your lawn in the spring will remove lingering falls leave and grass blades that didn't survive winter. It will also loosen matted grass clumps caused by snow mold, which can smother new growth.
Use a spring-tine rake with a strong upward pull to remove dead grass. Rake when soil isn't soft and muddy, or you risk pulling up healthy grass crowns.
Overseed
Fill bare or thin spots in the lawn by overseeding. When you overseed, apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Five weeks after overseeding, apply a quick-release nitrogen feed.
Aerate
If your soil is compacted, aeration is the solution. With a spike aerator, you simply use the tool to poke holes into the ground with a solid tine, or fork. Plug aerators remove a core or plug of grass and soil from the lawn. For the best results, use an aerating tool or machine that actually removes plugs of soil.
Weed
If Crabgrass is a problem in your lawn, apply pre-emergent herbicides to keep seeds that dropped last summer from germinating. Timing is critical for this application. Most product bags have application timing advice.
Use post-emergent broadleaf herbicides for perennial and winter annual weeds in warm-season lawns. Treat or dig perennial weeds as they start appearing in cool-season lawns or try All-In-One Weed & Feed. It kills lawn weeds like Dandelion and Clover, pulls kills Crabgrass.
Fertilize
Apply spring fertilizer roughly three weeks after grass starts greening (that usually corresponds to the time following two or three mowings). Apply too early and you risk feeding weeds and creating fertilizer runoff. Too-early applications also trigger lush blade growth at a time when roots may not have started their spring growth spurt.
Mow
Start mowing when the ground is dry enough and grass is long enough to require cutting. Cut at the proper height for your type of grass. Avoid mowing too low. Grass cut too short allows sunlight to reach soil, encouraging weed seeds to germinate. It also favors shallow root development, which makes the lawn more easily susceptible to drought stress.
Water
Make sure to water early in the morning. This will prevent the water from evaporating too quickly and going to waste. It will also help prevent insect and disease issues. Watering deeply and less frequently makes the roots stronger and deeper. Just don't over water, as it can make your roots soggy, keeping them from breathing, as well as rotting and attracting insects and disease.
You can check to see if your lawn needs watering by taking an 8" screwdriver and pushing it into your lawn. If it goes in easily, it doesn't need watering.
Follow these simple tips and you can get your yard in shape to make a great impression on home buyers in Berks County.
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