When and how to start spring lawn cleanup?

Check downspout extensions, swales, and any low-lying areas of the lawn for debris blockages. Clear leaves, soil buildup, and ice-dam residue so water drains away from the lawn properly.

Before the first use of the season, check your mower's oil level, air filter, and spark plug. Clean the underside of the deck. Inspect trimmer line and edger blades. Replace fuel if it sat over winter without stabilizer.

Before applying fertilizer, pre-emergent, or seed, calibrate your spreader to the product's recommended setting. Measure a test strip on a driveway or tarp to verify the actual output matches the bag rate.

If you have bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, or St. Augustinegrass, resist the urge to rake, dethatch, or fertilize until the grass is fully green and actively growing — typically when nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 60-65°F.

If thatch exceeds three-quarters of an inch on a cool-season lawn, dethatch in early to mid-spring (April) when the grass is actively growing. Use a power dethatcher or dethatching rake.

Dig up a small wedge of turf with a trowel and measure the brown, spongy layer between the green grass and the soil surface. If thatch exceeds half an inch, plan to dethatch during your grass type's peak growth period.

Once snow melts and reveals circular matted patches of gray-white or pinkish grass, gently rake the affected areas to break up the matted growth and improve airflow.

Do a slow walkthrough of the entire lawn once the snow melts. Note bare patches, areas where water pools, vole runs, and spots where the ground feels spongy or rock-hard.

Remove mower blades and sharpen them with a bench grinder or file before the first spring mow. Aim for a butter-knife edge — sharp but not razor-thin.

Wait until the ground is no longer saturated and soft, then rake up leaves, twigs, and winter debris. Walking on waterlogged soil compresses it and damages grass crowns.