Spring Dormant Grass in March

Spring

Spring weather is approaching and turf is being forced out of dormancy. Raking, mowing and bagging the first mowing will remove some of the dead grass blades that make the lawn look dormant.  It also allows sunlight to warm the soil which speeds up new green growth. But resist that temptation to mow too quickly if your on a natural program. Tall grass plants will shade out the crabgrass seeds that need light to germinate!

For cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, spring is an excellent time of year. They are starting to grow and are usually free of insect and disease damage.  Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue lawns should both receive their first fertilization of the year between April and May.  Choosing a natural product containing a good amount of slow release nitrogen is best.

Spring is one of the four conventional temperate seasons, following winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. At the spring equinox, days are close to 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses. Spring and “springtime” refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth.

This is also the time when worms begin to emerge from the earth, ladybugs land on screen doors, green buds appear, birds chirp, and flowers begin to bloom. The vernal, or spring, equinox signals the beginning of nature’s renewal in the Northern Hemisphere. One way to fight some of these issues is with Neem oil. Neem is a natural pesticide found in the seed from a neem tree and is completely natural.