Spring Lawn Care: How to Recover from the Harsh Winter

This winter was a particularly harsh one, especially in areas that are not used to such extreme cold and snow. As Spring is awakening our desire to be outside, your thoughts may turn to your treasured outdoor space.

Just as animals tend to hibe
ate in the colder months, your lawn and outdoor plants have been dormant through the season. Although this is perfectly normal, your grass may suffer from a loss of minerals, beneficial bacteria, and other essential nutrients.

If you are conce
ed about chemical run-off and safe lawns, natural and organic lawn treatment program may be the solution for you. Children, pets, and adults can benefit from chemical-free lawn care that won’t keep them off the grass for days or weeks at a time. There are plenty of safe and effective options for all sorts of lawn care issues, including fertilizers, dethatchers, winterizers, and soil amendments.

The first step after winter is to put a little life back into your soil – literally. Colder temperatures can kill some of the beneficial organisms that live in soil and help nutrients reach the grass roots. A natural soil booster with beneficial bacteria and organic matter will help condition the soil and increase nutrient uptake in your grass. This means that whatever fertilizers or other products you use will be even more effective.

Heavy snowfall can compact soil, which decreases nutrient uptake and prevents grass roots from having access to essential air and water. Using a lawn aerator will help break up the soil and create space for the roots to grow and soak up all the good stuff you give them.

There are plenty of mechanical aeration devices to be found, but these can actually compact the soil even further, especially in clay-rich areas. A better solution is a natural liquid aerator that breaks up the soil by using positively charged ions to push the soil particles apart. This method is much more effective, lasts longer, and is easier to implement – all you have to do is spray it on while you water your lawn.

After you have prepared your soil, it’s time to re-seed and fertilize. Natural fertilizers are much better for the environment than the chemical alte
atives, and liquid fertilizers are even better than granular products. Natural liquid fertilizers do not have to over-applied because they are water soluble and soak up directly into the roots of the grass plant. They are also easy to apply with a hose-end sprayer attachment, so you don’t need any special equipment that takes up space in the garage.

The bottom line is, it’s easy to enjoy a pretty green lawn that you can feel good about. The same goes for your veggie or flower garden and other outdoor plants. There are plenty of options for both do-it-yourselfers and natural professional lawn care and landscaping.

Spring is the best time to switch to an all-natural chemical-free lawn – take advantage of the clean slate that Mother Nature gives us every year!