Spring Lawn Questions And Answers: Midwest Lawn Tips

Today I am addressing some of the most common questions you guys have when you email me. I enjoy hearing from readers and subscribers, so contact me on my contact page anytime.

Here are your lawn care questions: (and answers)

Dale from Springfield, IL asks: “Should I be concerned if I find grub worms in my lawn in the Spring? If so, what should I use to kill them?”

Al says: This is a really good question and one that I get a lot. There is also a lot of mis-information out there about it.

The short answer is: grub worms are NOT a problem for your lawn in the spring. This is because they are the ones leftover from last year (that survived the winter) and they are pretty much done feeding. The grubs you find in the spring are ready to emerge from the soil as June Bugs or Japanese beetles in later May and June. They may come up in April and take a few bites, but remember, lawns grow mega fast in the spring and will not show any signs of damage.

However, the areas you find the grubs in may be damage from LAST year, and that is where some good targeted lawn seeding will do you well.

In short: DO NOT waste money treating for grubs in the Spring, no matter what you see being sold on the shelves of your local store. The time to treat for grubs is in early June and use a grub preventative containing Merit. Be sure to water it in.

Spring Grubs - Not A Problem!

Judy from Dayton, Ohio asks: “When Should I Start Fertilizing My Lawn?”

Al says: once again, another common question that needs to be answered.

First off, Judy, I hope you have my lawn care book! But really, even if you don’t follow my plan, the best bet is to get your first application of fertilizer down in early April at the latest. We need to get the lawn woken up and growing, but we don’t want to apply fertilizer to frozen turf. That doesn’t do any good.

It is also a good idea to aerate the lawn prior to applying your first application. This will help the nutrients get right into the root system.

If you are using organic fertilizers (something I highly recommend) then you will want to also include some sand in your mix to help the organic particles adhere in the soil a little better while they wait for heat to break them down.

Jim from Madison, Wisconsin asks: “What is the best liquid weed killer to use that is less damaging to the environment?”

Al says: This one can stir up controversy, but I ain’t scared of it!

I have always encouraged homeowners to lean towards organic/natural and “green” type lawn applications. That means organic fertilizers and only using pesticides when completely necessary. With that in mind, I certainly know that many of you guys have lawns that are completely riddled with dandelions, clover and other weeds and before you can develop a thick, healthy turf structure, you need to kill some freaking weeds!

Jim does have the right idea, and that being that he should look for a liquid weed killer. This way you can target your weed spraying in areas where weeds are located. On the flip side, if you use granular weed-n-feed products, you are chucking pesticides all over with not control.

I highly recommend you invest in a quality lawn pump sprayer. On top of that, I recommend a low-impact liquid weed control product called “TriMec” by PBI Gordon. It will kill weeds without harming your lawn. Mix according to label directions!

P. B. I./Gordon 791600 Trimec Lawn Weed Killer