Preparing Your Lawn For Spring

Now that spring is here, it’s time to prepare your lawn for the warmest part of the year. After several months of downtime, though, there are likely a number of tasks that need doing in your lawn and garden. Your lawn will definitely need a little tender loving care before you get the lawn mower out. But after so much time has passed, it can be hard to figure out exactly where you should start.

Fortunately, this guide by the staff at Cliff Jones Mahindra Tractor should get you off on the right foot. We’re your zero-turn mower dealer for the Sealy area, so bring us any questions you have about lawn care!

Clearing Your Property

First, you’ll want to address the overgrowth that’s sprung up during the winter months. Even though we don’t get many cold temperatures or a lot of snow down here in Texas, it’s very probable that you haven’t worried about the lawn or your garden in a few months. That’s okay! Now is the time to clear out debris and dead matter that could clog up your mower. This layer of debris also makes it more difficult to adequately nourish the ground beneath it.

Collect all the biggest branches and stalks by hand. Then use a rake to clear dead leaves and thatch, leaving about a half-inch of thatch behind. You can also use your rake to break up matted areas of dead grass so that new shoots can come through.

Preparing Your Mower

Next, your lawn mower is going to need some attention after several months in storage. It’s not going to perform well straight from the shed unless you perform some needed maintenance tasks on it. You’ll need to change the oil, air filter and spark plugs if you didn’t do these things last fall. Remove any debris from the undercarriage that you might have missed before storing your mower.

You also don’t want to try to cut your grass with a dull blade. If your blade is worn down, it will rip grass instead of neatly slicing it, which is both a less efficient process and more damaging to your yard. That’s why you should either sharpen or replace your blade as needed.

Riding mowers will also need a full fuel tank before they can start up. If you have any concerns about the state of your mower, don’t hesitate to contact the Cliff Jones Mahindra Tractor service department so our team of professionals can have a look at it!

Fertilizing Your Lawn

Particularly here in Texas, grass can be vulnerable to dryness. You’ll probably need to combine a few products to get your lawn in good shape and plant some new grass seed in bare patches. Water those seedlings daily until they’ve grown high enough to be mowed, which is around 2”. Plan to add fertilizer to your grass after your first mow of the season to promote growth and keep your yard looking fresh and green.

Trimming Grass

Finally, it’s time to start up your zero-turn mower and begin to cut your grass. If you want it to work a little better, let your mower sit in the sun and warm up for an hour before you use it. While you’re cutting, the goal should be to shear off a third of the height of your grass. At the start of spring, mowing every five days or o will prevent your grass from growing too high, which can make for less effective mowing.

If you’re looking to update your lawn care equipment, you’ll want to pay Cliff Jones Mahindra Tractor a visit. Our Sealy location has a wide array of new and used lawn mowers for sale, including zero-turn mowers. We also have a service department you can contact for all your professional maintenance needs, and our parts finder will help you locate replacement pieces. Cliff Jones Mahindra Tractor proudly serves the greater Houston metro area, along with the cities of Columbus and Victoria, TX.