Step 1. Clean up the lawn and the area under trees, shrubs, and evergreens. Remove this lawn and garden material to the un-spaded garden areas for spading in as soon as weather permits.

Step 2. Lower your mower blade to a height just above new grass growth. Mow and collect the clippings, which go on the soil as a mulch for perennials, shrubs, and evergreens.

Step 3. If thatch buildup is extremely heavy, either rent a de-thatching machine or have your local landscaper do the job. There are several roto-rake blade attachments available that cut, de-thatch, and bag all at the same time. They’re good; I have one and love it. But they don’t fit all mowers.

Step 4. Always wear golf shoes when walking on the lawn to penetrate the invisible bather called surface tension, which kills more lawns and gardens than any bug or disease infestation by preventing necessary food, moisture, fresh air, and chemicals from getting to the roots. Use aerating lawn sandals when deep penetration is needed.

Step 5. If you want a truly attractive and comfortable lawn area, have your lawn power plugged every other spring. Plugs two and a half to three inches long and half an inch wide are removed.

Step 6. If your lawn was plugged, mow over the soil cores on the surface to break them up.

Step 7. If you’re as into gardening as I am, you’ll test the soil of your lawn area (not just of gardens and beds) to better understand their overall health condition. Use a 1601 Rapid Test kit to measure pH and amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. Any home gardener can use this simple but professional soil-testing kit, understand the results, and make any necessary adjustments.

Step 8. If your test results call for lime, add it now and wait three weeks to feed. (Lime counters acidity in the soil.)

Step 9. If the soil is heavy or if insects were a problem last year, apply gypsum now. Add three cups of diatomaceous earth to fifty pounds of garden gypsum. Broadcast at a medium open setting on your hand-held lawn spreader.

Step 10. If crabgrass or other annual weeds were a problem last year, now is the time to attack them with a pre-emergent weed control, either dry or liquid. If a granular material is used, add a cup of powdered laundry soap to each bag, mix well, and spread. If you use a liquid, add one-half cup of liquid dish detergent to the jar of your hand-held sprayer per twenty gallons of mix.