In this next in our series on lawn maintenance chores we're going to begin going over certain things that should be done depending on the time of the year. This of course may vary slightly depending on the climate you live in.

We'll begin with the month of March. The reason is that in most places this is when the last big snow has melted and the ground is no longer soggy. You can now go out and do some raking of leaves and remove any debris from your lawn leftover from the cold winter. By raking the lawn you'll remove any thatch that was left from the previous year, and will also aerate the soil. If you're not fond of raking, an alternative is to lower your mower blades and attach a mulch bag to the mower. Use the mower to remove the leaves and debris from the lawn. Set your mower to leave about a three inch cut but don't cut the lawn just yet.

You'll probably want to wait until the first week of April to give the lawn its first cut. That way you can be sure that the cut is about three inches as there will be enough grass to cut. In March the grass probably hasn't grown enough yet. The reason you want to wait is because if you cut the lawn too soon you will weaken it and then you'll be spending April watering it. This way you avoid this problem.

Around the middle to end of April begin your fertilization. Feed the grass once between now and the middle of May. Keep cutting the lawn high so that it develops a thick strong base. That way it will be able to withstand draught, grubs and weeds. Get a fertilizer that has at least a 50% slow release factor. Make sure you only use weed killer when you can actually see the weeds. Most weed killers kill on contact but only if the weeds are visible. Otherwise they are totally ineffective and you will have wasted your money.

As the weather begins to warm up the weeds will begin to show some signs of life. If you have only a few weeds you can spot spray them. If however, you have a lot then you might want to use a hose and a sprayer and apply chemicals to the whole lawn. This can wait until late May or Early June. Also around this time you should apply your crabgrass killer.

One word of caution. That really annoying Ground Ivy or Creeping Charlie is unaffected by 2-4-D, so please check the label carefully that the weeds you're trying to get rid of are covered by the chemical that you're using. If you're unsure of this, consult with an expert. He'll be able to tell you based on what you have what you need to get.

In the next article in this series we'll continue with chores that need to be done in May and June.