• Don't start spring lawn care too early.lawn,grass image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Starting seasonal lawn care correctly helps ensure grass remains healthy and attractive throughout the growing season. Lawn care start up begins in spring as soon as the grass begins greening up after winter dormancy. Spring is the time to remedy any problems introduced over winter and prepare the lawn for the hot days ahead.
  
  

Clearing Debris

• Broken limbs, dead leaves and other debris build up on lawns over the winter. In areas with snow, this litter may remain covered until well into spring. Rake and remove all the old plant matter before the grass begins actively growing again. Springs soils are often moist, so rake gently to avoid uprooting grass and leaving ruts in the lawn.
  
  

Fertilizing

• Lawn grasses don't require early season fertilization. When the blades first begin to break dormancy, they mainly produce new roots and blade growth occurs later. Fertilizing too early in the season causes grass to produce new foliage but weakens the roots system, making the grass more prone to drought damage and weed invasion. Hold off on fertilizing until the grass is putting on new height and you are mowing regularly.
  
  

Mowing

• Avoid mowing until the grass is at least 3 inches tall. Then mow it no lower than 2.5 inches. Longer grass blades helps keep the roots cool, inhibiting evaporation and leading to moister soils. Longer blades also shade and crowd out germinating spring weeds so they can't get a foothold in the lawn. Mow only when the lawn is dry. Cutting the lawn after a spring rainstorm can damage the grass, spread disease and cause mower wheels to leave ruts in wet soil.
  
  

Seeding

• As the lawn starts growing in spring, look for bald or thin patches. Snow, mold and walking on the lawn when the ground was frozen all can thin and kill grass. Re-seed the area as soon as the soil begins to warm. Grass seed sprouts quickly during spring when the ground usually remains moist. Sod is another option for quickly covering bald areas.