Spring in Columbia means it’s time to start prepping your lawn for the famously hot summer. For some this means contacting their lawn care service to schedule the first service of the year. For those who have a do it yourself kind of personality, it means that it is time to start preparing your lawn for summer on your own.
Below you will find a spring lawn care checklist for Columbia, South Carolina. Our checklist will walk you through the steps you need to take this spring to ensure you have a healthy green lawn this summer.
Warm Season Grass vs. Cool Season Grass in Columbia, SC
Before we can dig into the tasks necessary to create a healthy green lawn, we must determine whether your lawn is a warm season species or a cool season species. Spring lawn care for warm season grass will be different than the care that needs to be provided for a cool season grass.
Here is how you can identify which kind of grass is growing in your lawn:
Identifying a Warm Season Grass Lawn
Most lawns in Columbia, South Carolina are comprised of warm season grasses. Warm season grasses are species that turn brown and go dormant in the winter time, then turn green again in the spring. They are called warm season grasses because their growing season is in the spring, summer, and early fall, when warmer temperatures are present.
Some examples of warm season species of grass include Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, and St. Augustine. Most of the lawns that we work on in Columbia are either Bermuda, Zoysia, or a combination of the two.
If you have a warm season grass lawn (a lawn that turns brown in the winter) tap the button below to skip ahead to the Columbia, SC warm season grass spring lawn care checklist.
Identifying a Cool Season Grass Lawn
Cool season grasses are those species that stay green through the winter. The growing season for cool season grasses is fall and spring when the temperatures are not too high or too cold. These species of grasses typically go dormant during the heat of summer as well as during the winter. Despite going dormant during the cold of winter, the plant will stay green. The constant green color is the biggest benefit of cool season grasses.
Some examples of common cool season grasses you find around Columbia include Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Perrenial Ryegrass. Fescue is far and away the most common cool season grass in Columbia.
If you have a Cool season lawn (a lawn that does not turn brown in the winter) Click the button below to skip ahead to the Columbia, SC cool season grass lawn care checklist.
Spring Lawn Care Checklist For Warm Season Grass in Columbia, South Carolina
The growing season for a warm season yard in Columbia, SC generally ranges from March until October. It is important that you prep your lawn for the bulk of the growing season. Below you will find the steps you need to take this spring to ensure that your lawn is healthy, thick, and green throughout the summer months and into the fall.
Warm Season Lawn Spring Checklist:
As soon as you see the first green blades of grass rise above all the dead brown material you can go ahead and make your first cut. Don’t go too short on your first cut but don’t be scared to really get rid of some material. You wan’t to just barely cut into the dead grass blades to open it up.
Keep in mind the 1/3 rule that states that you should never cut more than a third of length of the grass blades. This will cause the grass too much stress and can cause brown spots to occur. You want to go ahead and get rid of some of the dead material because in the next step you are going to have to remove as much of the dead grass blades and compacted material as possible.
If you want to cut your warm season grass short, mow 1/3 of the height off on the first mow of the year, then wait two days and cut another third off of the new height. Repeat this until you get to your desired height. Don’t be worried about mowing too often. The more you mow the healthier and thicker your grass will grow.
Dethatching is the process of removing all of the dead material from your lawn. Dead blades of grass and other organic matter builds up throughout the year and can actually prevent the roots of your lawn from receiving the nutrients and water the plants need to be healthy. Another benefit of dethatching is that it will help prevents diseases and fungi from affecting your lawn.
It is possible to dethatch your lawn by hand with a leaf rake but it will literally save you days of work if you bite the bullet and go rent a power rake or power dethatcher from either Home Depot, or a local equipment rental business. With a power rake all you need to do is run the machine over your lawn then rake up the thatch. Another great way to save time while picking up the thatch in your yard is to use a blower to blow it into piles.
Aeration is the process of punching holes into your lawn. The purpose of punching holes in your lawn is to help combat compaction as well as allow nutrients and air to reach the roots of the plants. There are two major types of aeration tools. One is a core aerator and the other is the spike aerator. Either one will work for your warm season lawn in Columbia, SC.
You will want to have aerated your lawn by mid may so that your grass will fill in the holes and be established by summer. Briggs & Stratton offers a great resource on aeration if you want to learn more about their machines. If you are looking for a place to rent an aerator in Columbia check out Home Depot. They usually have a good selection.
Once you have aerated your warm season lawn in Columbia, SC it is time to overseed. Overseeding is the process of applying a layer of grass seed over your already established lawn. This will help establish new plants in the freshly loosened soil and lead to a nice thick lawn through the summer. If you have ever wondered how you can make your lawn appear thicker, overseeding is the answer.
It is important that you seed with the same grass species as your established lawn so you have a nice uniform lawn. If you plant seed of a different species the lawn can seem choppy and not have even coloration or texture. Be sure to identify your warm season grass species before you purchase seed.
Fertilization is a very important step if you want your grass to have a vibrant green color all growing season. The component in fertilizer that creates the green color that we all love is Nitrogen. Most lawn fertilizers that you find in home improvement stores will be sufficient.
Fertilizing before the peak of the growing season is important for homeowners in Columbia so try to have your fertilizer laid down before May for optimal results. You will likely want to fertilize again later in the summer to promote deep green color through the fall.
Spring Lawn Care Checklist for Cool Season Grass in Columbia, South Carolina
The growing season for cool season grasses in Columbia, SC is between late February and early June, then again between late September until November. There are a few steps you should take this spring to ensure your cool season lawn gets the most out of the spring growing season in Columbia, SC. If you have a cool season lawn, you won’t have nearly as many steps to take as those with warm season grasses, but you will have extra steps come fall.
Cool Season Lawn Spring Checklist
As soon as you start to notice growth in cool season grass you can go ahead and make your first cut. There is no special method or tricks you should use for your first mow of the season. All you need to do is make sure you continue to follow the 1/3 rule and try to never mow more than one third of the height of the grass. So if the grass is three inches tall, don’t cut more than an inch off in a single mow.
If you want to mow your grass lower, cut off 1/3 of the height one day, wait two days, then mow another third off of the new height. Then wait another two days and cut again. Repeat this until you get to your desired height. Try not to cut too short in sunny areas as the Columbia sun can burn a lawn if you cut the blades too short.
You will typically want to fertilize your cool season lawn as early as possible in the spring so that when the grass starts growing, it has the food it needs to really grow in nice and thick. Try to get your fertilizer down by the end of February for optimal results in Columbia.
Another really good resource for cool season grass maintenance can be found at Central Sod Farms.
