East Texas landscaper shares tips on how to prep lawn for spring

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - It’s the time of year again for homeowners to begin mowing and prepping their yards for Spring.

Jose Maldonado owns EcoVance Landscaping and has over 10 years of experience in the field from working with his Farther.

He shared specific tips on how to get started with caring for your lawn, starting with dethatching.

“Dethatching what that it is you have dead grass that’s been built up over the years inside the lawn maybe several months and you can just get an ordinary rake at your local hardware store and rake up all that dead grass that’s been built up,” said Maldonado.

He said raking up the dead grass helps rejuvenate and restore fresh grass.

Maldonado also recommended aerating the grass to help air circulate through the soil.

“And all you do is push it like a lawn mower and each spike goes into the ground and releases all that trapped moisture that’s been built up over the years,” said Maldonado.

He said if you plan to fertilize or use herbicides, you should first sample your soil.

“And the importance of that is it helps break down the analysis of calcium, nitrate, phosphate, Ph level, that’s been inside that soil and also tells you the negative effects. Negative effects that can help prepare you and guide you in what fertilizer you need,” said Maldonado.

He also recommends moisture testing and using a pre-emergent to help prevent existing and upcoming weeds.

Cary Sims is the County Extension Agent for agriculture and natural resources in Angelina County.

“Now would be a good time to go ahead and put out a herbicide on your yard,” said Sims.

He advised waiting a week or two until we have sustained warm temperatures to avoid fertilizing weeds if the grass is not actively growing.

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