Turf Talk With Dr. Brad

Daylight Savings Time & Your Spring Lawn

To help save fuel during World War I the United States established the Standard Time Act in 1918, more commonly known as daylight-saving time. This act also established the nation’s first federal time zones, which had previously only been used by railroads in the U.S. and Canada. The legislation was so unpopular that it was repealed one year later in 1919. For the better portion of the next century, additional proposals and acts were introduced, with daylight-saving time procedures changing. To date, and a little reluctantly in my household as I attempt to remember where all these little timekeepers are located, we change our clocks forwards or backwards twice yearly. However, states do have the authority to remain on standard time year-round, which has me thinking I should move to Arizona or Hawaii.

As I ‘spring-forward’ my clocks, I know spring has or is soon to arrive. As you can imagine, the actual task of turning the dial has little to do with our lawns, but it coincides very closely to a few important environmental characteristics that help our lawns begin the green up process.

Longer daylight hours, combined with warmer daytime temperatures, slowly warm the soil, eventually reaching temperatures that allow for increased photosynthesis and green-up. For cool-season grasses soil temperatures need to consistently reach above 40 ^o F and for warm-season grasses above 60 ^o F for this to occur. While daytime temperatures can fluctuate wildly, soil temperatures are slower to change and fluctuate much less dramatically. An inexpensive temperature probe placed in the soil can provide fairly accurate results.

Have you ever heard the proverb, “April showers bring May flowers?” Well, even slightly earlier March showers can help promote spring green-up. I have heard of homeowners who water their lawns in absence of spring rains, but this can be a dangerous proposition. Often, excessive spring moisture whether from rain or irrigation can lead to more significant disease issues during the summer. While it’s a potential strategy, I encourage you to let Mother Nature do her thing.

If the lawn care itch is upon you and you’re looking for some anthropomorphic strategies to green-up your lawn, consider mowing and fertilization. Once the soil is dry enough to withstand traffic, feel free to begin mowing your lawn. Mowing too early on soft soils could cause irreparable rutting or compaction of the soil. However, when the time is right, mowing will help remove any surface debris, as well as dead tissue from the winter, exposing new shoots to sunlight and promoting growth. I also encourage you to schedule your spring fertilization. Providing the proper slow-release fertilizer, with appropriate nitrogen content a key component required for chlorophyll production can speed up that green color and growth.

For lawn care it is an exciting time of year to see green shoots emerging and to prepare for the season ahead. It may seem slow at first, but warmer weather, longer days and a few inputs from ourselves, will move our lawns in the right direction. In some cases, we may have a few areas that need some attention from winter setbacks, but before long you will again be enjoying that beautiful green space with your family and friends. Let’s all spring-forward together and have a great 2025 lawn care season!

who is Dr. brad?

Dr. Brad DeBels serves as the Vice President of Operations for Weed Man Lawn Care E3 Group.   Brad received a PhD in Soil Sciences & Turfgrass Management in 2013 from the University of Wisconsin (B.S. 2008, M.S. 2010, PhD 2013).   With a graduate degree & over 2 decades of experience in the residential lawn care & golf course industries, Dr. Brad provides direction for our programs & services while also creating a variety of educational pieces to help homeowners better understand their lawn & their lawn care services.