If Punxsutawney Phil (the famous Groundhog) is right, we are in for 6 more weeks before Spring weather arrives in Georgia. That leaves homeowners plenty of time to get a jump start on preparing their lawns for the Spring season.
Lawn care and landscape maintenance is a key part of ensuring home values stay high and the neighborhood as a whole continues to be desirable to homebuyers. Most homeowners appreciate living near neighbors who care for their lawns. Maintaining a clean-looking lawn can be as simple as mowing every 5-7 days and keeping things tidy by removing down branches and debris on occasion.
While many homeowners who are clients of Heritage Property Management Services enjoy full or partial lawn maintenance by one of our trusted Atlanta lawn care providers, there are plenty others who don’t have hired lawn care or perhaps enjoy taking on the rewarding lawn work themselves. Either way, there are plenty of simple things each Atlanta homeowner can do to prep their lawns for lush, beautiful spring growth.
How to Prepare Your Atlanta Lawn for Spring
+ Clean Up Debris
Preparing your lawn for spring starts with a bit of clearing up. On a nice dry sunny day grab your rake and garden waste bags and head outside for some spring cleaning.
+ Pull Weeds
- Rake and dispose of old leaves, twigs, and debris from fall and winter.
- Remove any down branches (carefully!) or hire an Atlanta area tree removal specialist.
- Pull out any undergrowth to clear space for new spring growth.
By cleaning up your yard, especially the turf, you’re ensuring that future fertilizers won’t be blocked from reaching the soil and drainage will be optimal for new growth.
+ Prune Summer-Flowering Shrubs
It may seem early, but late winter is actually the best time to start trimming those summer-flowering shrubs like hydrangeas, crape myrtles, butterfly bushes, and most types of roses. Make sure to hold off on pruning any spring-flowering shrubs though as they need a bit more time.
+ Mow Your Lawn
Dust off the lawn mower and check it over. Clean it off and sharpen the blade if needed. Also, make sure to check the blade height while parked on a flat solid surface.
The height of the blade makes a surprisingly big difference in the spread of weeds and overall growth of the grass. Georgia Gardener, Walter Reeves has a great reference chart for mower blade height vs. type of grass on his website.
+ Don’t Fertilize…Yet
You’ll want to wait until Spring has arrived to lay that first batch of fertilizer but a good tip to ensure you don’t miss your ‘fertilizing window’ is to swing by the lawn care store and pick up a bag or two to have ready. Then all you have to do is set a reminder on your phone or on your calendar so you don’t miss this crucial opportunity to get your landscape off to a healthy start.
Also make a call to your landscape company, if your community has one, and ask them if lawn fertilization is included in your monthly maintenance. You may be able to skip this step if it’s already provided for you.
+ Edge Flower Beds
Late winter through early spring is a great time to edge your flower beds to create definition between the beds and the lawn. From there mulching is a breeze. Choose a good quality, heavy mulch and you’ll get more life out of it.
+ Hold off on Seeding
Brown patches, bald patches, and colorless dormant grass are typical of this time of year. Like fertilizer, resist the urge to spread new seed. When spring arrives you can lay a combination of some pre-emergent or weed killer and fertilizer. Another good reminder to put on your calendar.
+ Check the Schedule
Most lawn care providers and landscaping companies offer a maintenance schedule for homeowners. Check the website for your landscape company and print off their maintenance schedule to avoid any overlap in efforts. This also allows you to fill in any ‘gaps’ in additional maintenance you want to include in your annual lawn care.
Looking for a Lawn Care Provider for Your Community?
Heritage Property Management offers clients an extensive list of pre-vetted Atlanta-Area vendors, including lawn care providers, for communities. Need help choosing? Drop us a line and we’ll help you assess your community’s landscaping needs.