As temperatures rise and spring growth accelerates, May becomes a crucial month for setting your lawn up for a lush, green summer. But even with the best intentions, many Steiner Ranch homeowners make lawn mistakes during this time that can lead to stunted growth, brown patches, or wasted effort.
Avoiding these common missteps now can save you time, money, and frustration later.
Why It’s a Mistake:
Many homeowners water their lawns too often in May, thinking it will encourage growth. In reality, shallow, frequent watering trains grass roots to stay near the surface—making them more vulnerable during hot Texas summers.
What to Do Instead:
Water deeply and infrequently. Aim for 1 inch of water per week, early in the morning. This encourages deep root systems that withstand drought.
Pro Tip: Use a tuna can to measure 1 inch of water from sprinklers.
Why It’s a Mistake:
“Scalping” your grass leaves it vulnerable to heat stress and weeds. It also removes too much of the blade, which reduces the plant’s ability to photosynthesize.
What to Do Instead:
Follow the “one-third rule”: never cut more than one-third of the grass blade at a time. Adjust mower height depending on your grass type:
Regular mowing (once per week) keeps growth healthy and controlled.
Why It’s a Mistake:
Applying fertilizer too early in the spring or too late in May can lead to excessive top growth with weak roots, or even burn the grass.
What to Do Instead:
May is a great time to fertilize if your lawn is fully green and growing. Choose a slow-release, nitrogen-rich fertilizer designed for your specific grass type.
Need help choosing the right product? Our Steiner Ranch team offers soil testing and custom fertilization services.
Why It’s a Mistake:
After winter and early spring rains, soil can become compacted—especially in high-traffic areas. Compacted soil limits air and water flow to the roots.
What to Do Instead:
May is a great time to schedule lawn aeration to break up compacted soil, promote root growth, and improve fertilizer uptake.
Signs of compaction:
Why It’s a Mistake:
Many homeowners wait too long to address spring weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, and clover. By May, these weeds are already spreading aggressively.
What to Do Instead:
Weeds compete with your grass for water, sunlight, and nutrients—don’t let them win!
Why It’s a Mistake:
Many lawn issues—like fungus, pests, or irrigation leaks—start small. By the time you notice a brown patch, it may already be too late.
What to Do Instead:
Do a weekly walk-through of your lawn. Look for:
Catching these issues early can save you hundreds in repairs or reseeding.
Why It’s a Mistake:
Dull blades tear rather than cut grass. This creates ragged edges that turn brown, increase water loss, and make your lawn vulnerable to disease.
What to Do Instead:
Sharpen your mower blades every 20–25 hours of use or at least once per season.
Sharp blades = clean cuts = healthier grass.
By catching and correcting these lawn mistakes in May, you give your yard time to:
It’s much easier (and cheaper) to prevent problems now than to fix them later in the season.
Your dream lawn is just one call away. Let’s get it right this May
Call Steiner Lawn Care Today!
