As the snow melts and temperatures start warming across Utah, you may be starting to think about your lawn again, but early spring is actually a time of year when a little patience can go a long way.
Right now, most of our lawns are still slowly waking up from winter dormancy. Kentucky bluegrass and other cool season grasses don't really start growing until soil temperatures warm into the 50 degree range.
That's already happening in southwest Utah, but it usually happens later in March or April in many other locations in the state. One of the most common mistakes this time of year is fertilizing too early.
Early fertilization doesn't necessarily help the lawn and can actually encourage excessive leaf and shoot growth before the roots are ready to support it.
With the exception of southwest Utah, it's better to wait until later in the spring before applying fertilizer. Another question I'm often asked is when to start irrigating.
In many years, spring rainfall and leftover soil moisture from snow melt are enough to meet a lawn's needs for quite a while, and irrigation systems don't usually need to be turned on until April or May, depending on the weather.
What you can do right now is take a few minutes to inspect your lawn and irrigation system. Look for broken sprinkler heads, leaks, sunken or tilted sprinkler heads, and clogged nozzles.
Fixing these early helps your system run more efficiently once the irrigation season actually begins.
You can also begin planning for spring aeration where needed. Aerating during the active growing season, typically April or May, for cool season grasses helps reduce soil compaction and improves water movement into the soil.
So, the message for early spring lawn care in Utah is simple: hold off on fertilizing, don't rush to start irrigating, and use this time to inspect and prepare your irrigation system for the growing season ahead. Your lawn will thank you for it.
This is Kelly Kopp, USU Extension water conservation and turf grass specialist, wishing you a happy spring and healthy turf.
Information on these and other topics may be found at extension.usu.edu.