As the cool-season grass unfolds its new green blades in early spring, the urge to mow, rake and prep your lawn begins. Here are some common do’s and don’ts tips for early spring lawn maintenance: Show Do’s1. Early spring (April) is one of the best times to seed your lawn. Large dead patches can be over seeded by raking the dead grass, loosening the soil or adding fresh topsoil, sprinkling with the right type of seeds, and raking it lightly back into the soil (1/4 to 3/8 inch deep). Water and mulch the seeded patch. To dense up the lawn, use a slit seeder to over seed the entire lawn. Run the slit seeder at two directions perpendicular to each other using half the seeding rate at each direction to get a uniform dense lawn growth. 2. Moss is an opportunistic weed that fills any bare spots in the early spring lawn. Moss likes to grow in areas where grass fails to grow under heavy shade, high soil moisture, compacted soil or because of poor soil fertility. Improving the site condition for the grass growth will prevent the moss recurrence. For quick control of moss, you can use lawn products containing iron sulfate or potassium sulfate. A home remedy would be to use dishwashing liquid soap at the rate of 4 ounces per 2 gallons of water for 1,000 square feet. It might take several days for the moss to turn brown. After the successful control of moss, don’t forget to reseed the bare spot. Don’ts1. Resist your urge to schedule early spring fertilization. Wait until mid to late May to apply your first spring lawn fertilizer. Leftover nitrogen nutrient from last year’s fall fertilization and the nutrients released from the decomposition of organic matter in the soil should be plenty enough for the grass to grow in spring. In fact, early spring fertilization can induce excess blade growth at the expense of the root growth. 2. Soil temperature is not warm enough yet for scheduling crabgrass preventer. Ideal timing to apply crabgrass preventer is when the soil temperature reaches 55°F at three inches deep for at least three to four consecutive days. Scheduling too early can make the product ineffective or it could potentially leach out under excess spring rain. Beware not to use crabgrass preventer on newly seeded lawns or lawns that are recently overseeded for at least two months. 3. Grub control products are not effective in controlling mature Japanese beetle white grubs in the spring season. These grubs pupate in May and become adults in mid to late June. It’s best to wait until late June or early July to schedule the preventive products to control the next generation grubs. For horticulture-related questions and advice, contact Brown County UW-Extension’s Horticulture Help Desk at 920-391-4615 or . Vijai Pandian is the horticultural agent/educator for the Brown County University of Wisconsin-Extension. By Vijai Pandian Spring lawns are not always perfect! Patches of bare spots, vole trails, moss, and thin grass stands are common spring lawn issues that require a quick fix before the start of the summer season. The following are some of the re-seeding and best management practices to fix spring lawn issues:
For any garden inquiries, please contact us at or 608-298-6945. You can also visit online at go.wisc.edu/planthealthadvising Can I plant grass in November in Wisconsin?Through dormant seeding, grass seed can be planted in November when the weather is cold enough to keep it dormant until the weather warms up in the spring.
Is it too late to plant grass in Wisconsin?The ideal time to plant grass seed in Wisconsin is late summer/early fall (August 15th to September 15th), depending on the weather. Soil temperatures are still warm, which promotes optimum seed germination, and cooler air temperatures are better for grass growth.
How late can grass seed be planted?Although September is the best time, often we can still plant grass seed up to October 15 with good results.
Can you plant grass seed in winter in Wisconsin?Planting grass seed in Wisconsin can be done between the spring and fall months.
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How late can you plant grass in wisconsin
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