Spring is upon us. Trees have buds, daffodils are starting to bloom, and your lawn is coming alive after a long winter. If you made sure to prepare your lawn for the winter last fall, then there are truly only a few small tasks you will need to do in order to have your lawn in tip-top shape this spring. We have compiled a list of tips from the best lawn care company in Kansas City to help you make sure your lawn is looking its best this year!

1. Put down new mulch.
This might not be your first step, but it is so important we want to make sure it doesn’t get skipped. If you put mulch down last fall, you should not need more than an inch or so of new mulch. However, if you have not put down new mulch for a few years, make sure you add at least two or three inches or as many as six in high weed areas.

While putting down mulch, make sure you also add a weed preventative to gardens and flowerbeds and fertilizer around trees, shrubs, and bushes. Lawn care professionals in Overland Park highly recommend that you have new mulch down by the end of March or very beginning of April.

2. Get out the lawn mower and set it to a shorter setting.
Typically, the recommended lawn maintenance in Overland Park is to keep your mower set on the highest setting. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. When verticutting in Overland Park, you should mow on a shorter setting before you seed. Also, the very first time you mow your grass in March, we always recommend cutting your lawn shorter than normal—approximately 2 to 2 ½ inches high.

Why the exception? Cutting your lawn shorter early in the spring allows for removal of the dead winter grass. This allows the brand new growth to come through and receive more sunshine and nutrients. We do, however, recommend keeping an eye on the weather. Make sure you do not mow too early in the season. If the temperatures get below 15-20 degrees within a week of mowing, you could cause severe damage to the fresh new grass.

Another easy Overland Park lawn maintenance tip is leaving the grass cuttings right on your lawn. No one wants to rake and scoop up grass clippings after already taking the time to mow. Aside from making your life easier, though, it’s also great for your grass! It helps protect your lawn from weeds and also puts healthy nutrients back into your soil.

3. Prune your perennials.
Are your gardens full perennial flowers and ornamental grasses growing wild? If so, then it’s time to cut them back. These plants can get out of control quickly if they aren’t cared for properly. Lawn care professionals in Overland Park recommend cutting flowering plants and shrubs each year, to a height of approximately 18 to 21 inches high. They also suggest clipping ornamental grasses to 6 inches off the ground early each spring.

The benefit to pruning these plants early on is that it gives the fresh, new growth ample time to take advantage of the sunny days and warm temperature as spring progresses. This will allow your garden to look its best as quickly as possible.

4. Clean up leaves left over from fall and winter.
After a fall and early winter of raking and bagging leaves, we know that raking again is the last thing you want to do. However, certain varieties of trees hold on to leaves longer. Other leaves hide in corners and recesses or even in your neighbor’s yard and blow into your lawn over the course of the winter. Just one more good raking and cleaning of your lawn will give it ample access to sun, rain, and warmth this spring, giving it the best chance to thrive all year!

Remember, there are just a few chores to do in the next few weeks. If you start on your lawn and gardens early, you’ll be able to enjoy the beauty all spring and summer long.

For all our lawn maintenance needs give Encore Turf + Property Enhancements a call at (913) 285-2423.