Do not rush. Wait until your soil temperature consistently hits 55°F before doing any major work. In Northern Virginia, that is usually mid to late March.
Skip the spring seeding if you can. Fall is the ideal time to seed in our region. If you must seed in spring, get it done by mid-April at the latest so grass can root before summer heat.
Spring cleanup comes first. Rake debris, remove fallen branches, and clear any leaves that accumulated over winter before you do anything else.
Get a soil test. A $15 soil test from your local extension office tells you exactly what your lawn needs — no guessing on lime, fertilizer, or pH adjustments.
Rake out dead leaves, sticks, and matted grass. This lets sunlight and air reach the soil, which your lawn needs to break dormancy.
Sharpen the blades, change the oil, replace the spark plug, and check the air filter. Dull blades tear grass instead of cutting it cleanly, which stresses the turf and invites disease.
This is your single most important spring task. Pre-emergent herbicide creates a barrier in the soil that stops crabgrass and other summer annual weeds from germinating. In Northern Virginia, apply when forsythia bushes start blooming or when soil temperature reaches 55°F for several consecutive days — usually mid-March to early April. Timing is critical. Too early and it breaks down before weed seeds germinate. Too late and the weeds are already growing.
Begin mowing when your grass is actively growing. Set your mower to 3.5 to 4 inches for tall fescue, which is the dominant grass type in Northern Virginia. Taller grass shades the soil, retains moisture, and crowds out weeds.
Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer to feed the lawn as it comes out of dormancy. If you did a soil test, follow its recommendations. If not, a general 18-24-12 or similar blend works well for most lawns in the area.
If you have bare spots, now is the time to patch them. Loosen the soil, apply seed, cover lightly with peat moss, and keep moist. These small repairs are fine in spring even though full overseeding is better left for fall.
Your lawn is growing fast now. Mow at least once a week, never removing more than one-third of the blade height at a time. Cutting too much at once shocks the grass and weakens the root system.
Broadleaf weeds like dandelions and clover start showing up in May. Spot-treat with a targeted herbicide or pull them by hand. If you applied pre-emergent in March, you should see significantly fewer weeds this year.
If rain is scarce, water deeply but infrequently — about 1 inch per week. Early morning is the best time to water. Frequent shallow watering encourages shallow roots, which makes your lawn less drought-resistant heading into summer.
Mowing too short. Scalping the lawn in spring weakens the grass and lets weeds take over.
Seeding and applying pre-emergent at the same time. Pre-emergent kills new grass seed too. You have to pick one.
Over-fertilizing. More is not better. Too much nitrogen burns the lawn and promotes disease.
Ignoring soil compaction. If your lawn feels hard underfoot, plan for core aeration in the fall.
WinterGreenLawns handles pre-emergent applications, fertilization, mowing, and complete spring cleanup programs. Let us set your lawn up for its best year yet.