As the winter season comes to an end in Virginia, it's time to start thinking about preparing your lawn for spring. One of the most important things you can do is fertilize your grass to give it a boost and help it emerge from dormancy. However, before applying fertilizer, make sure that you mow your lawn first! Mowing will remove any overgrowth or debris on top of your turf so that the fertilizer can reach the soil more easily. Ideally, you should wait 24 hours to a few days after mowing before putting down the first spring fertilizer treatment. However, it's important that you wait until your grass is starting to green up and grow again before mowing it or applying a fertilizer treatment to it.

Your Lawn Will Likely Have Some Overgrowth & Debris Across It After Winter

When spring arrives, it's likely that your lawn will be a little overgrown and have debris scattered across it. Before applying fertilizer, it's essential to clear away any overgrowth and debris to ensure that the nutrients are able to penetrate the soil effectively. If not removed, these materials could block the fertilizer from reaching the roots of your grass, which would hinder its ability to absorb those vital nutrients.

Ideally, You Should Wait 24 Hours to a Few Days After Mowing Before Applying Fertilizer

While mowing your lawn is crucial before applying fertilizer, timing matters too. To avoid causing unnecessary stress to your grass, it's best to wait at least 24 hours but no longer than a few days after mowing before spreading the fertilizer. Waiting gives your lawn enough time to recover from the shock of being trimmed while still taking advantage of the freshly cut state. During this period, your grass will have had ample opportunity to heal and regain strength, ensuring that it absorbs the maximum amount of nutrients provided by the fertilizer application.

Make Sure Your Grass Is Starting to Green Up/Grow Again Before Mowing/Fertilizing in Spring

Before you begin mowing and fertilizing your lawn in the spring, it's important to assess whether your grass is ready for these tasks. Look for signs of greening up and new growth emerging from the soil. These indicators suggest that your lawn is waking up from its winter slumber and entering the active growing phase. Once you see evidence of life returning to your turf, you can proceed with confidence knowing that your efforts won't go to waste. Remember, patience pays off here since rushing into lawn care prematurely could lead to damage rather than improvement.

Call us today to schedule our lawn fertilization and lawn mowing services!

If you want to keep your lawn looking great throughout the year, we are the team to turn to. At Patriot Lawn and Landscape, we offer a comprehensive lawn fertilization program that consists of multiple treatments throughout the year to provide your grass with the nutrients it needs to thrive! We also offer a lawn mowing service that runs weekly throughout the growing season to keep your grass looking neat and manicured. We offer our lawn fertilization and lawn mowing services to residential and commercial properties, as well as HOAs, in Bristow, Haymarket, Manassas, VA, and throughout the surrounding areas. Give us a call today at (703) 244-7798 to sign up for either of these services! Our team is standing by to help you get the beautiful, healthy lawn that you deserve.