In addition to Kids Gardening Month, April is Lawn and Garden Month, and it has perfect timing. Hopefully, your snow has melted (or will soon) and you can start to enjoy your own little slice of heaven.
There are many things you can do to enjoy and enhance your lawn outside of gardening, though. The flowers and the vegetables are great, but what about the sod itself? Fertilizing is good, but not always necessary. That’s why, if you’ve never done it before, you may want to have your soil tested. Usually, this is something farmers do to make sure their crops are getting the nutrients they need, but it might be a good idea to see what’s in your soil as well. There are certified labs across your state that will tell you how to take your soil samples and where to ship them, and within a short timeframe, they’ll tell you what is (or isn’t) beneath your lawn.
In Rhode Island, for example, the URI Master Gardener volunteers are conducting free soil pH testing as a service to the residents of that state and surrounding areas until Oct. 31. The free soil test helps determine soil pH levels and predominant soil texture, and provides basic information and recommendations for gradual correction of soil pH and compaction issues. Learn more about where to get your soil tested or on how to take a soil sample.
And, obviously, mowing your lawn is an important part of taking care of it – but what if you decided not to mow it? Bee City USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society, advocates for “No Mow May.” Mowing your lawn less creates habitat and can increase the abundance and diversity of wildlife including bees and other pollinators, according to Bee City USA. One way to reduce mowing is by participating in No Mow May. No Mow May is a conservation initiative first popularized by Plantlife, an organization based in the UK, but which is gaining traction across North America. The goal of No Mow May is to allow grass to grow unmown for the month of May, creating habitat and forage for early season pollinators. This is particularly important in urban areas where floral resources are often limited. Although it’s only April, now is the time to prep your lawn for the upcoming greener months. Maybe you’ll enjoy the flowers that pop up, seeing the butterflies and bees stopping by and saving time and money by letting nature do its thing.
Either way, remember that a little prep work now means a lot less work later this year when it comes time to relax outdoors and love your lawn.
