Over the winter months, lawns can take a beating from snow, ice, and the cold. Once the snow melts and the weather warms up, there are many things you can do to bring your lawn back to life so it is beautiful once again. Keep reading for three tips on how you can do this.

Aerate the Lawn

Soil can become compacted over the winter months. If you have this, you will notice water does not drain into the soil and the area will be completely bare as not even weeds will grow well. Take a shovel and hit the soil and if it is very hard to break then it is likely compacted. 

You can purchase an aerator to do this yourself or hire a lawn care service to do the job for you. This may be in your best interest if you have a large lawn to take care of. Aerating opens the soil to allow air and water to get through and down to the grassroots. 

There are plug aerators that remove plugs of soil as you roll the aerator across your lawn. You should use this type if your soil is very compact. Leave the plugs sitting on the soil to break down on their own. There are also spike aerators that punch holes in the soil but do not remove any plugs. This works well for soil that does not have a lot of compaction or if your lawn is small. 

Test Soil

The next step in spring lawn care is testing your soil. This will tell you if you need to add any amendments to the soil so your grass will grow healthy. You can purchase a soil test kit from a garden center or home improvement store. Follow the directions on how to use it. Take samples from different areas of your yard. 

Once you know what your soil is lacking, purchase the right type of fertilizer to feed your lawn. There is a slow-release fertilizer that works well as it releases a small amount of fertilizer throughout the growing season. 

Plant Grass Seed

If you have any areas of your lawn with bare soil and no grass growing, you need to plant some grass seed after you aerate it. Snow and ice can kill grass quickly. If you are not sure what type of grass you need, contact a lawn care service. They can plant the grass seed for you and teach you how to properly take care of it. 

If you want to do this yourself, take a sample of your grass to a garden center so you purchase the right seed. Spread the seed over the soil and cover it lightly. Water lightly every day for the first few days. You should start seeing the grass growing in a couple of weeks. 

By following these tips you should have a beautiful, green lawn this spring and summer.  

For more information about spring lawn care, contact a local company.