Prepare Your PA Lawn for Spring With a Lawn Care Program

The weather is starting to get a bit warmer, trees have begun budding, kids are playing more outside, and migrating birds have become flying in from the south. This means it is the perfect time to start thinking about lawn care. At Showcase Lawn Works, we offer a variety of services that can help you get started. We’ve listed some of them below along with various tips on how to prepare your Pennsylvania lawn for the upcoming summer.

Debris Clean-Up

Our Pennsylvania winters can be harsh on our lawns, and often we have no idea what our grass looks like until all of that snow melts. Once it does, we often find fallen debris such as branches, twigs, and even trash that the wind has blown in. The first step toward preparing your lawn for spring is cleaning up whatever mess old man winter has decided to leave behind. Showcase Lawn Works can help. We offer a seasonal cleanup service to help rid your yard of the various leaves, sticks, grass clippings, and other accumulated debris.

Thatch Raking

Because dead organic material such as grass clippings can cause mold, mildew, and fungi to thrive, you may want to try raking your lawn. While it’s best to use a thatch rake, a normal rake will do. Raking your yard of the excess thatch will allow the much-needed sunlight, water, and oxygen to permeate the roots.

thatch raking

Soil Testing

It’s a good idea at this time to test your soil. Lawn care is a science, and testing your soil will help to determine its current nutrient status. Besides indicating any nutrient deficiencies, a soil test can also provide information on soil acidity, the percentage of organic matter in your soil, and your soil’s texture. Your grass’s growth depends on your soil’s pH level. What is a pH level, you might ask? It is the measurement of how acidic your soil is. This is important because a soil’s pH level determines how well your grass will receive nutrients.

Most types of grasses prefer neutral soil with a pH balance between 6.2 and 7.2. When your soil’s acidity or alkaline levels are out of balance, it makes it difficult for your grass to utilize the nutrients. Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, our soil tends to lean towards the acidic side. At Showcase Lawn Works, we start with a soil test to determine the amount of lime and the number of applications needed to balance your pH levels properly.

Time to Get Your LawnMower in Order

While you may already have your lawnmower out, it’s important to properly maintain it and make sure it’s in working order before summer hits. You can do this by walking through the following essential steps:

  • Change the spark plugs.
  • Change or have the oil changed by a professional.
  • Clean or replace the air filter depending on what type of filter your lawn mower uses. Check the manual to be sure.
  • Sharpen the blade. A sharp blade will cut smoothly and allow the grass to grow healthy. A dull blade tends to rip apart your grass blades and create ugly brown tips.
  • Clean all parts of the mower, removing any leftover debris from the previous season.

mower blade sharpen

The Importance of a Lawn Fertilization and Weed Control Program

Lastly, invest in lawn fertilization and weed control program. Like all living things, grass needs food to stay alive. A healthy and active lawn uses a great deal of energy. Over time, soil loses many of the active nutrients your grass needs to survive. Grass that is nutrient deficient will be more susceptible to disease and insects. Adding additional fertilizer will help to replenish and restore the nutrients that were lost. This will promote strength and increased growth. Utilizing weed control applied in the right amounts at the right time will help control weeds without harming your grass.

At Showcase Lawn Works, our lawn care program offers an organic-based fertilizer to help promote strong and rapid root growth. It also contains broadleaf weed control to help control bothersome weeds such as dandelions, clover, and nutsedge.

Learn more about our lawn care program or contact us to request an estimate now. Don’t wait. Now is the perfect time to start analyzing your soil and get started on a fertilization and weed control maintenance schedule.  Other lawn care services we provide include lime application, aeration, grub control, and pest control. Check out some of our past blog articles for more tips and ideas, and follow us on Facebook for all of our latest news.