April:

Cabin Fever and Beautiful, Warm, Sunny Spring Days
There are things that need to be done, but heavy fertilization is one that should not be on the to-do list. Besides turning the lawn into a spring hay harvest, heavy spring fertilization can cause problems such as poor root growth and increased turf disease early in the spring. So hold off on the fertilizer until after the spring growth flush.

Early Spring Green-up from Late Fall Nitrogen
If you listened to our advice last fall and made an application of nitrogen in November, your turf areas should be greening up a little faster than the other areas that did not get the late fall nitrogen. Even if there is no obvious visual effect this spring, the turf will still benefit this spring and summer from nitrogen applied last November.

Resist the Urge to Fertilize Your Lawn Now
Lawns don’t need fertilizer now. Too much nitrogen at this time of the year will lead to problems later this summer such as poor root growth and disease. Additionally, since spring rains play havoc with mowing schedules, nitrogen fertilization can further complicate your mowing schedule by causing grass plants to grow too fast.

If You Must Seed, Do It Now
Late summer is the best time to seed, but sometimes turf must be seeded in the spring. Raking the soil before seeding and watering lightly will help to improve the success of spring seeding's.

It's Not Too Early to Get the Mower Out of Mothballs
Spring is just around the corner along with the need for a mower in reliable operating condition. Mid-March is the time to get the mower out of the shed, make sure it starts and is ready to go when you need it in the next few weeks. Be sure to sharpen the blade and make sure the mower is working well mechanically.

Mowing Marathon
Do you want a healthier lawn? Then look at these tips for mowing your yard, such as mowing height, mowing frequency, and blade sharpness.

Spring Weeds
Many winter annual weeds are becoming obvious now. Winter annuals germinate in late summer and/or early fall, are dormant over the winter, flower in late spring and early summer, set seed, and then die. Henbit, common chickweed, and purple dead nettle are three of the most common.

Turf 101Cool-Season vs. Warm-Season Grasses
These are terms you may have heard this spring in reference to lawns that are quickly greening up but still have patches of "straw-brown" or dormant grass. Although patches can be the result of winterkill or snow mold, many times the problem is that a warm-season grass (still dormant) is mixed into a cool-season grass (green and growing).

Earthworms: A Good Sign
April showers bring May flowers but they also bring earthworms! There are about 90 different species of earthworms in Indiana. Some very tiny and others quite large like the night crawlers prized by fishermen the world over. Regardless of the species, all are beneficial.

Be Ready To Mow
You can not go by the color of your lawn alone, it will be growing without showing green. In preparation for mowing, walk your entire lawn checking for sticks, toys, paper, and the leaf rake that was left resting against the tree last fall. Make sure the oil has been changed and the blade of the mower has been changed or sharpened.

Evaluate and Decide Now
Now is a good time to walk over your lawn to evaluate its condition, and then decide what it needs for the remainder of the year. The way you use your lawn and your desired appearance of the lawn will determine the care level.

Onions in the Lawn?
Wild onion and/or wild garlic may appear grass-like, but they are bulb-forming perennials with slender stems similar to the garden-variety onion only smaller. Both may appear in early spring developing from the underground bulblets produced during the prior season. These weeds are commonly found in poorly drained, heavy soils and thin turf areas.