Browning is typical, as is thinning. This will have the flow-on effect of making any bare patches look worse than they actually are.
On the positive side, your lawn is about to bust back into lush, green life.
Things to do:
- Rake vigorously to not only clear fallen leaves and twigs but more importantly; to strip out dead and brown grass ("thatch") to allow more light through to new shoots.
- Fertilize. This is the critical time of year to give your lawn a balanced, slow release feed. Fertilizing now provides the nutrients to reinvigorate the lawn so it can power into summer. If you only fertilize once a year, do it in Spring!
- Watch watering. This can be a tricky time of year for watering. The soil hasn’t warmed and nights may still be cool, so a deep watering may last for longer than expected. Burrow your finger down into the lawn. If it’s damp, don't water.
- Mowing. Now’s the time to get your mower serviced and the blades sharpened or changed. If you’ve been mowing with a catcher over winter, switch to mulch mowing now.
- Weed watch. Weeds are coming to life too! Fertilizing the lawn to thicken it up will help keep weeds at bay. Very
sparse areas are the most likely to become infested with weeds. If they
are already obvious, use Scotts Lawn Builder + WeedKill (instead of All Purpose). Just ensure your lawn type is suitable because weed and feed products are often unsuitable for Buffalo and other wide blade grasses.
Note: ALWAYS read the label to ensure it’s suitable for your lawn type.
