Spring care of lawns

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Published on Wednesday, May 20, 2015

By Patricia Hanbidge

Saskatoon School of Horticulture Principal

As the sun rises earlier each day, home gardeners are tempted to get out into the yard and garden. However, remember that these are the Prairies and our spring weather is far from stable – as we have seen with the latest blizzard in Saskatoon! Gauge your gardening chores by the weather. However a couple of chores that can be completed in early spring, if necessary, are dethatching and aeration.

Dethatching is the term given to removing some of the “thatch layer” in your lawn. Thatch is the layer of decaying grass on the soil surface. Excessively deep thatch (more than 1.5 centimetres) can cause problems. A deep layer of thatch will hold moisture and entice roots to form in this layer. When dry, hot weather or unusually cold weather occurs, these tender roots can be damaged. Approximately one centimetre of thatch is most desirable. Thatch helps to keep the crown (growing part) of the grass cool, helps to eliminate moisture loss through evaporation, protects the crown during seasonal changes and cushions the crown against wear and tear. Thatching, if necessary, should be done prior to the lawn tuning completely green. It is usually not necessary to dethatch a lawn every year unless improper cultural care is occurring.

Aeration is necessary when lawns become compacted. Lawns planted on heavy soil or those receiving a lot of foot traffic, tend to get compacted. This means only small amounts of oxygen can enter the hardened soil. When plants are deprived of oxygen in the root zone layer, they do not grow at their optimum rate. Compacted soils are also very difficult to water, as runoff will occur before enough water is applied. Aeration is only necessary for lawns that are subject to compaction. Lawns especially susceptible should be aerated annually.

Lawn areas that are healthy are also those that will usually have the least amount of weeds, as a healthy lawn is just too competitive to allow weeds to grow. With changes in how urban and rural areas control weeds, many homeowners get "fed-up" with those bright yellow flowers (dandelions) that seem to be everywhere. However, if you fertilize your lawn appropriately, water it each week with approximately one inch of water, have amended the soil properly prior to planting or sodding, and have the right seed formulation for the specific cultural conditions in your landscape, you will not be coping with weeds.

Keeping your lawn green in a more sustainable fashion is without doubt one of the best choices you can make! In the landscape, the lawn is the biggest consumer of water, fertilizer and time – however, changing the way you maintain your lawn can save you time, money and help to make our world a better place to live.

Mowing is one of the biggest chores in keeping a lawn healthy. We often cut our lawns too short which leaves the turf more susceptible to damage by drought. Mow high (7.5-10 centimetres), mow often (taking up to one third of the grass blade at each cutting) and leave the clippings on the lawn. Always keep your mower blades sharp because a sharp blade will make a clean cut on each individual blade or grass. Dull blades will damage the turf, making it more susceptible to disease problems.

Lawns take lots of water in order to keep actively growing. It is essential to water deeply and thoroughly in order to encourage deep rooting that will help sustain your lawn during drier periods. A good guideline is approximately 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water each week. A lawn will naturally go into dormancy when it does not get enough water and the upper growth (the green part above ground) will turn brown. However the underground parts are still alive and the grass will green up once there is sufficient moisture.

Hanbidge is a horticulturist with the Saskatoon School of Horticulture and can be reached at 306-931-GROW(4769) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Like us on Facebook at Saskatoon School of Horticulture, follow us on twitter @horticulturepat or visit saskhort.com