“Whether we live in the city, suburbs or the country, all of us take pride in our lawns,” says Scott MacWilliams, Retail Operations Manager of Lusby’s Sneade’s Ace Home Center. “Taking the time to prepare your lawn at the end of winter and early spring will give your home turf a head start for the active growing season ahead.”

Here is some advice on the steps you can take to help make your lawn the pride of the block this summer:

• In early spring, the condition of the lawn will depend upon the type of winter that just passed, as well as how the lawn was treated in the fall. Some common early-spring problems to watch for are snow mold, dead patches, mole runs, grub damage and brown patches. Ranking the lawn lightly once the snow has melted typically rids the lawn of most of the winter problems, and will help you assess the extent of any major damage. Dead patches are the result of water and ice accumulation, and ultimately, poor drainage. You will need to seed or sod these areas in order for the grass to grow.

• A more thorough raking to remove thatch, which shows up as a light brown layer of decaying vegetation, (mostly old leaf sheaths and clippings from previous years) can be done when the lawn is completely dry. Dethatching, power raking, core cultivation and other cultivation activities should be done when the turf is actively growing, usually during late April early May.

• Seed sown during March and early April will grow successfully if it is well-watered and cared for. Fertilize newly seeded grass with a high-phosphorous fertilizer that fosters root growth.

• To promote early greening of the lawn, cut off the dead leaf blades when the lawn is dry enough to mow. Be sure not to cut it too short. Mow only to about two inches in height during the spring.

• While many people are anxious to start their fertilizing program early in the spring, resist applying fertilizer before the ground is thawed. The best time to fertilize your lawn is in the fall, when the roots that will sustain the plants through the following summer are actively growing. If you’ve waited until spring, be sure to feed the lawn lightly.

• Trimming grass that is creeping onto the sidewalk or driveway won’t help the grass grow better, but will improve the looks of the landscape. Early spring is perfect for this task because the edging blade can more easily slice through dense turf when the soil is moist and grass roots are not as thick as other times of the year.

• Several undesirables are probably growing within your lawn. A weed and feed-type fertilizer can help you rid your grass of weeds. Or, if the weeds are sparse, use some of that early spring energy and pull them out by hand.

For more lawn & garden tips or detailed advice on home improvement, visit your local Sneade’s Ace Hardware store or log on to www.acehardware.com and click “Projects and Solutions.” This section provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on common home improvement projects for do-it-yourselfers.