Get your lawn ready for the season with 4 simple steps for a successful lawn care plan using MySoil. 4 Steps for a Successful Lawn! with Kris from MySoil walks you through soil testing, product selection, equipment checks, irrigation planning, and pre‑emergent timing so you can prevent weeds and feed your turf at the right time.
Step 1 – Soil test and lawn evaluation
Kris starts by showing why the first thing you should do each spring is pull a MySoil Lawn & Garden Soil Test as soon as the ground is no longer frozen or too wet. While collecting cores, he walks the yard to evaluate weed pressure, winter disease damage, and overall lawn conditions as it begins to green up.
Once the lab report is back, he explains how to read your soil test and use it to choose fertilizer and pH products for the entire season. In his sample, nitrogen is low, phosphorus is high, and potassium is slightly low, so the recommendation is a nitrogen‑and‑potassium fertilizer (no phosphorus) applied every 5–6 weeks, along with pH amendments only if the report calls for lime or elemental sulfur.
Step 2 – Equipment check before the season
Next, Kris covers a quick but important equipment check so you’re not caught unprepared when it’s time to treat the lawn. He recommends inspecting and servicing your spreaders, string trimmers, blowers, and especially your mower—sharpening blades, changing oil, and confirming everything is in safe working order before growth really starts.
Spending 10–15 minutes on this equipment audit at the start of the season prevents uneven fertilizer applications, poor cuts, and mechanical failures right when you need your tools most. This step sets the stage for consistent, professional‑quality lawn care through the rest of the year.
Step 3 – Irrigation planning and system check
Kris then moves to irrigation, showing how to turn on and test an automatic system that was blown out in the fall, checking for broken sprinkler heads, leaks, and coverage issues. He explains why it’s critical to fix irrigation problems early so your fertilizer and pre‑emergent applications can be watered in properly and your grass gets even moisture.
For lawns without automatic irrigation, he talks through planning your manual watering strategy—whether you’ll rely on rainfall or use portable sprinklers—and how to time fertilizer applications ahead of predicted rain to maximize product effectiveness. Newer multi‑head manual systems can make non‑automatic watering much easier to manage over the season.
Step 4 – Pre‑emergent for crabgrass and grassy weeds
Finally, Kris explains how and when to apply pre‑emergent herbicide for crabgrass and other grassy weeds using soil temperature instead of calendar dates. He demonstrates using a simple meat thermometer at 2–3 inches deep, targeting your first application when average soil temps reach about 50–55°F.
He notes that many MySoil users will receive notifications when their local soil temps reach the ideal range for pre‑emergent, and that the first application should be followed about 30–35 days later—around the time soil temps approach 70°F—to catch late flushes of crabgrass. Adopting this two‑step pre‑emergent strategy greatly reduces grassy weeds and keeps your lawn cleaner all summer.
Build your lawn care plan with MySoil
By following these four steps—soil testing and planning, equipment check, irrigation setup, and properly timed pre‑emergent—you’ll have a simple, science‑based framework for a successful lawn care season. Use a MySoil test each year to set your fertilizer and pH strategy, then layer in irrigation and weed control to maximize your lawn’s potential.
Learn more and order soil test kits at: https://www.mysoiltesting.com/
Chapters and Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:11 Step 1 - Soil test, evaluate lawn, develop seasonal strategy
3:13 Step 2 - Equipment check
3:45 Step 3 - Irrigation start up
5:01 Step 4 - Pre-emergent herbicide use
