Wake up the Lawn? Answered by Tom Mugridge

Q: I have always been told to give my lawn a vigorous raking in the spring to wake up the grass roots. I have also been warned not to do it too early or they will "wake up" and then possibly be killed with a late frost.

Are these statements true and is it too early for the vigorous raking?
Thank you,
Mel

A: I caution against too much vigorous lawn activity early in the season.

Many people get overly-anxious and rake their yards very heavily. All this does is create lots of open spaces in your lawn for plants that love open spaces in your lawn -- weeds!

It is best to rake lightly, mainly to remove debris that has accumulated over winter and to "fluff up" any grass that may be laying flat.

Raking can also remove some of the snow mold, much of which occurred this winter due to the extended amount of time that we had snow cover.

As to "waking up" your lawn, it'll wake up when it's ready, basically when soil temperatures are warm enough to rouse it.

Until then, just rake lightly, pick up sticks, the neighbor's toys and other items that have found their way into your yard, and enjoy Spring!