Spring Yard Care Best Practices

Spring has arrived! Managing this stormwater where it's created, on individual yards, is the goal of these early season yard care tips.

Cleanup

Collect and properly dispose any stray trash winter winds may have left behind. Mulch or compost fallen leaves and garden cuttings you missed in the fall so they don't get washed away during a spring storm and end up in a stream.

Patch Grass

Inspect for bare spots in your lawn. A thick lawn produces less runoff than a thin lawn with exposed soil. Reseed grass in mid-spring, when the threat of hard frost is past but it's still too early for most weeds to grow. 

Fertilize Carefully

Collect a soil sample from your lawn and have it tested so you know how much fertilizer to buy. Excess fertilizer won't improve grass growth and could pollute local waterways, including groundwater. Soil test kits, with instructions, are available from some commercial lawn care firms, or garden centers.