Seven Ways to Prepare Your Lawn For Summer

It’s hard to beat the welcoming feel of a home with a well-tended lawn and eye-catching landscaping. Now is a great time to prepare your lawn and garden for the summer season by following these simple steps to give your grass and gardens the best chance for success.

1. Rake Your Lawn to Remove Thatch and Other Debris
Of course, you cleared your lawn of all the fall leaves last year, right? Well, we won’t judge if you didn’t. Even the most meticulous green thumbs can find it difficult to keep up with mother nature. The first step to a good summer lawn is to clear out any leaves, dead grass, or any material that has matted down healthy grass, which can also block sunlight and prevent water from reaching the roots.

2. Breathe New Life into Your Lawn with Aeration
Aeration allows the grass to breathe and helps water and nutrients to get to the roots, which will help it survive during the hottest part of the season. Before you aerate, spray the lawn with at least one inch of water one to two days prior to aeration. To punch out the holes in your lawn, use a mechanical core aerator, which can be rented at your local home and garden center. When finished, sprinkle compost or peat moss over the lawn to fill in the holes.

3. Reseed Bare Patches
Remove any dead grass from the area you want to seed. Then loosen the soil and apply the right type of seed for your lawn using a handheld or wheeled spreader. Lawn and garden associates can help you figure out which type of grass you have or the best seed to use for your region. When it is time to drop the seed, follow the spreading directions on the back of the bag.

4. Fertilize the Entire Lawn
Fertilizers are like vitamins for your lawn. They supplement the soil’s nutrients and keep the grass thick and hardy. There are great dual-purpose fertilizers available that will kill off weeds and help your grass grow. Ask your local garden expert for recommendations.

5. Prepare Flower Beds
Before you start planting your dream garden, you want to make sure the soil is in good shape. Improve your chances for strong growth by adding about three inches of compost, which will keep weeds down, supplement the soil’s nutrients, maintain a beneficial temperature, and retain the moisture your plants will need.

6. Plan Your Strategy
You don’t want to overcrowd your garden with plants, but you also don’t want beds that are too sparse. Make sure to think about what your desired plants will look like down the road. In a few months, your plants and flowers will be much fuller, taller, and more colorful, so make sure the colors and estimated sizes work for your garden. Also, make sure to select plants and flowers that are right for your region and to consider their sun requirements and how much is available to your bed throughout the day. Before planting your summer annual flowers, it’s a good idea to arrange them in their pots in the pattern you plan to plant them in.

7. Fertilize and Mulch
Use an all-purpose fertilizer around your plants or combine it with the soil before planting to promote strong growth. Finally, put the finishing touch on your garden with mulch. Mulch retains moisture in the soil, discourages weeds, keeps the soil cool, and helps the appearance of your garden. Organic mulches also help improve the soil's fertility, as they decompose.