To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

Springtime is here and summer is right around the corner. Time to start thinking about lawn care. But, following such a mild, virtually snowless winter, will you have to do anything different this year to ensure your yard stays healthy and green?

Bob Mangan, TruGreen Regional Tech. Manager said, “It'll depend on the grass type. It'll also depend on the soil type. If you have sandy soil you'll have to water more. If you have clay soil it's probably a little bit less.”

We all know to mow the lawn when it gets too long, but do you know how much you should actually cut? Is there a magic number or setting on our lawnmower that we should be shooting for?

Mangan said, “Whenever you mow only take about 1/3 of the leaf blade off. That's the rule of thumb, 1/3 of the leaf blade. A good test for that would be, after your finished mowing the lawn, if you take your hand and touch it like you would the top of a head. If it feels bristly that means you're taking off too much leaf tissue, so you should raise your mower. “

After a virtually snowless winter you're probably wondering if you're going to have to water your lawn a little bit more than usual and the answer is probably not. And actually you'll be surprised at how little water your lawn actually needs.

Mangan said, “A good rule of thumb is that every lawn needs about one inch of water per week. The best way to do that is to find a can, particularly a tuna can because they're about one inch deep. And because all water flows are different and what you're using to water is different, this is a good method. Place it on the lawn in the center of where you're watering. When it fills up you know you've got enough water and you're done.”

Mangan reminds us that a lush, green lawn adds value to our homes and is healthy for the environment as well. He suggests using a preventative treatment on your lawn to halt the growth of crabgrass. It should be applied before mid-May annually, so if you haven't done it yet now is the time. For any major issues consult your local lawn care company.