Landscaping Tips

If you put down seeds, take care of weeds. When someone asks us if spring is the best time to put down grass seed, we tell them it's actually second best. Fall is the best. Fall seedlings benefit from cooling temperatures that help them avoid heat stress while they're getting established. Even though seeds sprout easily in spring, new grass has to contend with summer temperatures and competition from emerging crabgrass and broadleaf weeds before the seedlings get well established. If you need to seed a new lawn or over seed a sparse one this spring, there are some things that will increase your chances of getting good results.

First, be prepared to keep seedlings moist until they sprout and continue to water to ensure the tender grass plants get at least an inch of moisture weekly thereafter throughout the whole first season. Next, address the weeds. Normally, we recommend that pre-emergence herbicide be put on a lawn in spring to keep annual weed and crabgrass seeds that have over-wintered on the lawn from sprouting, but most of these materials will also prevent your good seed from germinating. If you seed but don't put down an herbicide, your new seed not only has to try to get growing, it has to try to grow better than the vigorous weeds. A "selective pre-emergent" is the way to go - it will stop weeds and leave grass seeds alone.

Spot seeding can be done now, as long as you pull any weeds right away from the planted area and, again, avoid using a non selective herbicide in seeded areas. In fact, no broadleaf weed control should be put on new lawns until after several mowing. We're always happy to talk to you about the best way we can help you care for your lawn so that it looks great year-round. This can be your lawn's best year ever. To discuss any of the full range of services we offer, call us soon.