Angie's List: 3 things to do to your lawn this month

Stephen Wiley recently bought his home and he already has big plans for the yard this year.

"There's just a lot that needs to be done from a rearranging standpoint," Wiley said. "There are some bare areas in the lawn, some things that I would like to improve."

Our partners at the consumer guide Angie's List says March is the month for him and many other people to start working on that lawn and yard, now that temperatures are finally warming up.

3 Things You Should Do

Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List , said "now is the time to start thinking about your grass so the key here is you want to be sure that you are aerating your lawn, fertilizing and also that you are seeding now."

"And then get ready that first mow is just around the corner so don't forget to lower your mower for your first mowing and then raise it for the rest of the season."

Hicks says the next two weeks are a great time to:

        -Aerate, or at least rake, to help get air to the roots.

       -Spread that first round of "pre-emergent" fertilizer

       -Sharpen your mower blade, before you need to use it.

The worst day to try to have your blade sharpened? The day your lawn is tall, green, and you absolutely have to cut it. Chances are the shop will have a two-week backup at that point.

"When it's on its side you can look at the condition of the blade, and see if it's dull," Mower repairman Chris Arvin said. "And most of the time if you mow 25 times during a typical season, it's dull."

A dull blade will tear the grass, leaving it unattractive and prone to infection.

Mower Hard to Start?
 
Arvin he says if your mower won't start, it may be from ethanol that gummed it up over the winter.

It probably needs new gas and a carburetor cleaning.

So rake or aerate, fertilize, and sharpen that mower blade, so you are ready for spring and you don't waste your money.

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