Raking grass in spring is a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. But if you start raking too early, you can damage your lawn. So, how do you know when to rake the lawn in spring? In this post, I will give you some tips to figure out if it’s too early to rake your lawn, and how to tell when it’s safe to start.

Is It Too Early To Rake My Lawn?

Every spring, I see a lot of my neighbors out raking their lawns way too early. Trust me, I get it.

After the long winter months, there’s nothing you want more than to get outside and start working in the yard! I’m right there with you!

But in early spring the grass is still dormant, and raking it too early can cause damage by pulling out the healthy blades along with the dead grass.

If you rake the lawn too early, the dormant grass won’t be strong enough to resist the pull of the rake.

Even though the air temperature can be very warm in early spring, the soil is cold, and probably still frozen in places.

In addition, the soil is very wet with all that melting snow, and can be saturated. It’s not a good idea to your to rake your lawn while the soil is cold, wet, and frozen.

There may be visible damage from moles, deicing chemicals or road salt damage, or you may see snow mold growing on top of the grass, which makes it difficult to resist the urge to rake it.

But I would definitely recommend waiting to see if spring is here to stay before performing any type of lawn maintenance.

You should also hold off on fertilizing your lawn, or doing any other kind of spring grass care, such as patching or over-seeding, this early as well.

Related Post: How To Cut Grass Like A Pro Using Lawn Mowing Patterns & Techniques

When Should I Rake My Lawn In The Spring?

It’s best to give the lawn time to warm up, dry out and start waking up from dormancy before raking it.

So wait until all the snow has melted, the ground has thawed, and your lawn begins to turn green before you start to rake grass in spring.

I know you’re itching to get out there, and spring is a great time to do other types of yard clean up tasks.

It’s a great time to do things like picking up any fallen tree branches, dog poo, or other debris on the lawn… but leave the lawn rake in storage for a few more weeks.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of spring garden clean up tasks that will keep you busy long enough for your grass to wake up so you can finally rake the lawn! Just remember to resist the urge to rake the lawn in early spring.

More Spring Gardening Tips

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Share your early spring lawn care tips in the comments section below.