FARGO — The transformation from snow-covered lawns to lawns needing to be mowed happened quickly this year. The air temperatures so far this May have been mostly warmer than average, but not extraordinarily so. The secret to the rapid green-up has been the temperature of the soil.
Grass goes dormant when the soil temperature gets cold in the fall and requires at least about 50 degrees to even get the least bit of greening. However, once the topsoil warms to around 65 degrees, the fescues and bluegrasses used on lawns in our area will grow vigorously, provided they get enough water. Because of the deep snow cover, soil temperatures were never much below 32 degrees during winter and quickly warmed into the 60s. Now, the recent rain has spurred grass growth, and the lawns are thick again and require mowing.
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