Spring Lawn Care Steps For Your Maryland or Northern Virginia Home

Each year our soil scientists monitor the climate to factor in how it will affect lawns throughout Maryland and Northern Virginia for the upcoming season. The winter of 2022/23 in Maryland and Northern Virginia was overall pretty mild so your lawn will likely come out of dormancy earlier this year than last. To help you prepare your lawn for the spring season, our soil scientists have composed our most frequently asked questions about spring lawn care.

Be sure to follow these steps to ensure your lawn is lush and beautiful throughout the year.

Spring Lawn Care Steps For Your Maryland or Northern Virginia Home

When should I start preparing my lawn for spring?

Believe it or not, you should start preparing your lawn for spring the previous fall with Aeration and Overseeding. This service allows your lawn to transition comfortably into dormancy and protects it from frigid temperatures, ice, snow, and other winter conditions.

When to start spring lawn care

This answer will vary every year, depending on what Mother Nature has in store for Maryland and Northern Virginia. Since the winter of 2022/23 was so mild, NOW is the perfect time to begin spring lawn care. The first day of spring is Monday, March 20. Help your lawn “wake up” for the season.

How to get lawn out of dormancy

To get your lawn out of dormancy aka wake it up for the spring season, follow these simple steps:

1. Clean up any leaves or debris on the lawn
2. Water the lawn regularly
3. Apply slow-release fertilizer applications
4. Mow the lawn

Following these simple spring lawn care steps will ensure your lawn is ready to thrive this summer.

When is the best time to water grass

While temperatures are still warming up, it is best to water your lawn about 2 times per week, depending on the amount of spring showers Mother Nature brings. You should water your grass early in the morning to avoid evaporation, which can prevent the lawn from receiving the proper amount of hydration. Tip from our soil scientists: To get a good estimate of how long you should water your grass, lay empty tuna cans on your lawn, run your sprinklers, and time how long it takes until there’s an inch of water in the cans.

Best height to cut grass

Your grass thrives best when your mower blades are set to 3.5 - 4.5 inches. Allowing your grass to grow to this height will allow it to get more light during the peak sun hours and convert the light into more nutrients for the roots and surrounding soil. Some other helpful mowing tips include:

• Cut your grass only as needed to avoid removing more than ⅓ of the grass height each time.
• Leave the mowed clippings on the grass to provide extra moisture, shade, and beneficial nutrients. However, you don't want to suffocate your grass. So if the clippings are piling up, they should be raked or removed from your lawn.
• Monitor the condition of your mower blades on a regular basis to confirm they are sharp.
• Try not to cut your grass during the hottest part of the day. This can dehydrate your lawn, causing it to turn brown.

To help you prepare your lawn for the spring season, our soil scientists have composed our most frequently asked questions about spring lawn care. Be sure to follow these steps to ensure your lawn is lush and beautiful throughout the year. To help you prepare your lawn for the spring season, our soil scientists have composed our most frequently asked questions about spring lawn care.