Before you start any spring lawn care project you’ll want to go over your lawn thoroughly, cleaning up the debris left by winter. Rake up those dead leaves, twigs, branches and grass. Also thatch and aerate the lawn as well, if necessary.   

Once your lawn is clear of debris, you’ll want to apply lawn products that prevent crabgrass and fertilize your lawn. Some good products to look for are Scotts Step One and Crabgrass Preventer, Plus Fertilizer. Crabgrass Preventer can be applied anytime from mid March through the end of April, depending on the weather. Crabgrass Preventer keeps crabgrass seeds from germinating and also contains a slow release lawn fertilizer.  

If necessary, you’ll also want to seed your lawn as well. A common question asked this time of year is, “Can I start my seeding at the same time I put down Crabgrass Preventer and fertilizer?”  The answer is, “No!” If you do, the grass seed will be killed.  If you need to seed, you have several choices. First, use Step One For Seeding, which can “tell” good grass from crabgrass. Put it down while you are seeding and it will prevent crabgrass from germinating, and at the same time will not harm your grass seed. Another choice might be to simply apply the regular Step One and wait to do your seeding in the fall. It all really depends upon the condition of your lawn. If you have a very small spot you want to seed, say along a driveway, don’t apply Crabgrass Preventer. Just apply a starter fertilizer for your grass seed. And be on the lookout for crabgrass there. 

Fairway Spring Fertilizer, Weed ‘n Feed and Crabgrass Preventer is another useful product from a company called Greenview. It combines the uses of the products mentioned above with a weed killer as well. This product can be applied toward the end of April. It has a slower release fertilizer and it combines regular crabgrass control with a weed and feed, without the restraints other weed and feeds have of needing to be applied on wet grass. It can go down on wet or dry grass. 

Once your seed has been put down, you should start seeing new grass come up between seven and 21 days, depending on the grass variety and growing temperatures. One great thing about grass seed is that you can plant it early, before growing temperatures are optimal. It will actually wait until that time arrives, then start growing. Most grass is up within two weeks, if conditions are right.  

Watering is important just after seeding. Make sure the soil stays damp constantly. Of course, your lawn will probably require less watering this time of year, due to the spring rains and cooler temperatures. When things warm up, you will need to water more frequently. To help keep moisture in your lawn, there are products such as Patch Master and Penn Mulch. These will help a lot.