Now that all of the snow is melting and you can see your yard again, it’s a great time to assess and determine this year’s landscape plan.

So how do you know if your yard is in need of help?

If you can see your footprint after walking through your yard – it needs water. This is a sign that you grass is beginning to wilt and is most common during the peak heat days in the summer. Grab your sprinklers or hoses and give it a big ole’ drink of water.

If you start to see fungi (mushrooms) popping up in your yard on a regular basis – the grass has been overwatered. It’s common to see toadstools appear after a heavy rain but they will usually go away on their own. If you are struggling with a drowned ground, especially in a specific area, you can inspect for overhead tree branches that may be blocking the sun from reaching your yard, trim em down.

If you see your grasses turning brown – check your lawn mower. Dull blades can rip and shred the grass blades in your yard. Another sign of dull blades is your grass blades are frayed or torn, rather than a clean cut across the top.

If you notice irregular brown patches in your lawn – you may have a grub infestation. Grubs love to eat the roots of your grass which causes the grass blades to wilt and die. Grubs can be easily identified in your lawn; they are white, beetle like insects that will lay in a C-shape.

If you have noticed that you yard has changed from a dark green to a pale yellow – it’s hungry. And if it’s hungry we need to feed it nutrients, fertilizer.

If you are noticing an abundance of weeds in your yard or grass that appears to be thinning – you need to aerate. Soil compaction prevents air and nutrients from getting to the root of your grass, which can cause the yard to die. Test: if you are curious if you have compacted soil, push a pencil or screwdriver into the turf – if it is difficult to do so, yelp! You have compacted soil.

We are going to continue with this series next week when we discuss Lawn insects and damage and then end the series with lawn treatments/fertilization.

If you are ready to get your lawn started on its most healthiest journey – give the PROS a call and let them help you in developing the yard that all the neighbors talk about!