Spring Is Coming! – A Lawn Checklist
I realize it’s mid February, but it won’t be long now before we are all concerned with things like getting the mower ready for action, tweaking the irrigation – if we have some – and fertilizing. Naturally, being a gardener/landscaper, I am always optimistic about the arrival of Spring. The fact is, I generally hope it gets here early, without fail. Of course, sometimes it doesn’t cooperate at all! There’s nothing worse than snow in April, is there? Nevertheless, it is never too early to prepare for those chores leading to another year with a great lawn.
I always make my own checklists at this time, hoping by doing so, I will actually read them later. Those I make for others, I tell them they MUST pay attention. What a hypocrite I am. I amaze myself sometimes. Anyway, here are a few things I look at at the onset of every Spring:
Fertilizer: Did I use a Winterizing fertilizer? If so, how has it worked in the past? Did it last into Spring at all? If not, then I will need to have mine handy for when the daytime temperatures get above 50 degrees consistently.
Irrigation: Did I drain the system appropriately? I often find a reasonably warm day in very early Spring where I actually run through the system. Yes, it does mean shutting the entire system down again, as we did in the early Winter, and sometimes we entrust that chore to others. In any case, what I can do easily enough is to make sure the timer has a 9 Volt battery sufficient for the year and even do an quick inventory on the obvious aspects such as sprinkler heads, valve boxes and the rest. Just take a look at them, not much more, necessarily. If they are broken, either flag them or make a note and get it fixed early rather than having to wait when the entire world is out fixing lawn systems. It could be an excellent time as well to prune away branches that might interfere with sprinkler arcs, too.
The Mower: Unless you already did the work, it is close to the time when any servicing needs doing. Listen, beat the rush. Small engine guys get swamped in late March, all over the Northern Hemisphere. Having that baby ready to go is quite a solid feeling.
There are a bazillion other small chores to pay some attention to, but these are your typical ready-made challenges. Addressing these things take just a little while but pays off handsomely when we are all organized when the season hits.
