Summer is coming. Chances are you’re envisioning a beautiful summer of rest and relaxation in your backyard. However, no one wants to relax in a backyard that isn’t visually appealing.

If you’re tired of dealing with weeds and ugly patches on your lawn, you can benefit from getting a head start on lawn care in the spring. Check out these five tips to help you prepare your lawn for the summer.

1. Start With A Healthy Spring Raking

Most people only rake during the fall to clean up fallen leaves. Aside from cleanup, raking is an excellent way to manage the amount of thatch on your lawn. Raking in the spring can prevent thatch from getting out of control, which makes it easier to obtain a healthy lawn in the summer.

Starting out the spring with a deep raking will help you remove all the dead grass from your lawn. If you let this dead grass stay as is, it eventually develops into the thatch. If you’ve had issues with snow mold in the past, raking is a great way to keep it under control. Look for matted patches on your lawn and give them a deep raking.

2. Upgrade Your Lawn Mower

No body wants to mow the lawn and using a bad lawn mower makes things even worse. If your mower is known for not starting up or you feel exhausted afterward, you might benefit from an upgrade. If you do decide to upgrade your mower, protect your investment by getting a yearly tune-up. Regular maintenance does a lot for preserving the longevity of your lawnmower.

3. Take Advantage Of A Lawn Service

Lawn services are an excellent way to save time and get a professional touch for your lawn. If you’re hoping to do a lot of entertaining in the summer, it’s worth it to get a professional to prepare your lawn. It makes sense that the last thing you want to do is spend all day outside working in the heat after a long workweek. Lawn services help you save hours of tedious labor.

If your budget is limited, it makes sense to use lawn services strategically. You can use a lawn service to get your lawn healthy and ready for the summer. This will significantly reduce how much work you need to do to maintain a healthy lawn. You can’t replace the effect that professional grade expertise and equipment have on your lawn.

4. Be Generous With Feeding Your Lawn

Springtime is when your lawn needs the most nutrients. Recovering from the long winter takes a lot of energy. You’ll see better results if you feed your lawn while it’s actively growing during the spring. Try using a spring fertilizer, which will encourage vigor while discouraging weeds.

5. Invest In A Sprinkler System

If you live in a really hot area, your lawn needs lots of water to survive the summer heat. Even if you get a lot of rainfall, it still may not be enough to maintain a luscious, green lawn. Setting up a sprinkler system ensures your lawn is getting enough water. Sprinkler systems also operate with an automatic shutoff, which prevents you from wasting water.

Set your sprinkler system to move in a smooth, sweeping motion. This motion helps water gradually penetrate the root level while avoiding runoff. Schedule your sprinkler system to run early in the morning when it’s still cool. Watering in the morning prevents the sun from evaporating water that should be absorbed by your lawn.