Weather

Tips for planting, maintaining a thicker lawn at your home this spring

Sometimes the best defense is a better offense. Crowding out weeds by planting grass is a great way to prevent weeds from ever making their way into your lawn.

>>TRACK THE CONDITIONS: Live Doppler 7 Radar

Specifically, sowing grass seed in bare patches around your lawn will make it much more difficult for pesky weeds to ever become established.

>>Severe Weather Awareness: When do we see the most severe weather in the Miami Valley?

WHEN TO PLANT:

Early fall is the best time to plant grass seed in Ohio. The ground is warm, but you’re generally out of the intense summer heat. Also, heavy dews and cool mornings in the early fall help the germinating process. The next best time to plant grass is in the early to mid spring. You’ll want to attempt to plant after the last frost as a hard freeze can kill off the seedlings.

>>Severe Weather Awareness: What should you have when severe weather strikes?

HOW TO PLANT:

To plant the grass seed, simply rake the dirt where you’d like the grass to grow. Add the seeds. Add a garden soil packed with nutrients on top of the seeds. Rake evenly. Water or plan accordingly with the weather. If a strong storm or heavy rain is expected you may want to wait as the seeds can literally be washed right down the drain.

>>More lawn care tips with Storm Center 7′s Jesse Maag

HELP IT GROW:

In order to help the grass seedlings grow it’s very important to water regularly. It is recommended to water once or twice per day for about 10 minutes or until the soil is saturated. Keep an eye on the weather as Mother Nature typically does most of the watering for you in the spring.

Once the lawn is established, it needs about 1″ of water per week. In the spring that’s typically how much rain you can expect. However, in the summer months you will likely need to water to maintain a healthy, green lawn.

Jesse Maag

Jesse Maag

Hello, Dayton! I’ve made a short trip from the north to join Storm Center 7 for my second job as an on air meteorologist. I started my career at WLIO in Lima, OH where I climbed to the position of Chief Meteorologist. You'll now find me on Channel 7 as the Weekend Meteorologist.

0