Today’s yucky weather may have you fretting over your spring-ready lawn that was just starting to green up. But local gardening expert Betty Cahill recently shared some tips (originally published in The Denver Post 🔒) for perking your yard back up after Colorado’s cold season. Here are some of the key takeaways:
🌱 Aerate, aerate, aerate! Cahill says, “Nothing breathes new life into compacted lawns better than core aeration.” Water your lawn well in the day or two before you aerate. The more holes, the better! So give it an extra pass or two with the aerator.
For a small lawn or tight corners where the aerator won’t fit, use a pitchfork to manually aerate.
🌱 Now is the time to overseed. Cahill reports that today’s new seed varieties are “bred to improve thickness, drought, heat tolerance, and withstand activity from summer use.” There are a variety of grass seed options to choose from — just read the information on the seed bin and find one that best matches your lawn’s growth and sun conditions. Lay down your seed after you aerate, then top it all off with fertilizer.
When temps are up near the 70s, make sure you’re watering twice a day.
🌱 Consider topdressing. This is when you add a light layer of compost over your grass to reintroduce microorganisms into the soil. (It also helps with drainage.) Cahill suggests using the back side of a metal rake to smooth the compost over your lawn.
And voilà! Your grass should be picnic-ready in no time! Want more advice? 👇
