Now that spring has definitely arrived, what should you be doing to take care of your yard? Here is my advice.
Water regularly
Beginning to water your landscape regularly should be your top priority. New leaves are starting to grow on many plants, which is a loud signal that your plants need regular moisture. Since Mother Nature hasn’t provided any rain or snow lately, we have to give the plants water ourselves.
Throughout much of the Front Range, it’s been sunny, warm, dry and windy. This type of weather drives plants to use water rapidly. Make sure you water soon so your plants don’t get too far behind. You don’t want your plants to be drought-stressed first thing in the growing season.
Most Colorado homeowners turn their sprinkler systems on sometime in April. If you haven’t turned on your sprinkler system yet, you’ll need to use “winter watering” methods. You can watch this video to see how I recommend watering your lawn when your sprinkler system is off.
It’s important to water your lawn and landscape plants at least once per week throughout April. For sloped, sunny or windy areas of your yard, you could even water those areas twice per week.
Core aerate your lawn
This critical lawn care technique is explained more here.
Begin mowing
Here are two good posts about mowing your lawn in spring. The first is about when it’s time to start mowing regularly. The second is about the benefits of mowing frequently. Who knew there could be so much to mowing?
Consider fertilizing your grass
You can learn more about early season lawn fertilizing from this post.
Mulch planting beds
Now that you’ve cut back your perennial flowers and ornamental grasses, it’s a good time to topdress any mulched areas for the year. You want to make sure the mulch is 3-4 inches deep to prevent new weeds and retain moisture in the soil. Your landscape plants will thank you all season long.
If you’d like to learn more about my mulching recommendations, please check out my $5 e-guide, “How to Mulch.” It is full of Colorado-specific mulching information. Plus, it’s designed to tell you what you need to know fast, so you can get out the door and tackle your project successfully.
Offer some advice to others?
I’d be interested to hear from you when you normally turn your sprinklers on. What’s been your experience? I normally aim for mid-April in Colorado Springs. What’s worked (or not) for you?
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