In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, or so Alfred, Lord Tennyson once wrote. For some of us, our thoughts tend to turn to more mundane issues, such as the color of our lawns. Getting a gorgeous green lawn requires a bit of work, and the owners of the best lawns know that work starts well before summer hits.

Raking and thatch removal are probably the first couple of things you'll do in the spring. In fact, this actually starts in the fall, because ideally you'd have raked your lawn then as well.

Raking isn't just about removing leaves and surface mess from your lawn-it's also one of the best ways to control thatch (the build-up of lawn clippings and other solid waste that collects on top of the soil). For this reason, raking thoroughly and deeply is very important both in the fall and the spring, to help get your lawn ready for summer growth.

In general, a thatch of half an inch or more will need raking. If the thatch on your lawn is less than a quarter inch in depth, you might be better off leaving the deep raking until fall, as a light thatch helps improve the condition of your lawn by holding excess moisture. The exception to this is if you live in a particularly humid climate. Even a relatively thin thatch can end up holding too much moisture, and leave your lawn prey to mold.

A thorough spring raking is also a good way of getting reacquainted with your lawn after the winter break. You'll be able to take stock of its condition, find out if there are any bare or matted patches that need taking care of, and check for pests, mold, or diseases.

Removing thick layers of thatch from your lawn is important for helping keep the soil aerated, but if your lawn has been, a high-traffic area for several years, thatching might not be enough.

High-traffic lawns will eventually start to decline due to soil compaction, which means that air has been squeezed out of the soil over time. Compacted soil tends to suffer from excessive run-off, and will make a poor root bed for any new grass you want to sow, so it's important to get it taken care of.

There's one very easy-and fun-way to fix this problem, which simply involves walking all over the lawn while wearing spiked shoes. The holes you poke in the soil will aerate it, and your problem is more or less solved.

However, if your lawn is severely compacted this may not be enough. In these cases, you can rent an aeration machine from your local garden center. This easy-to-operate equipment pulls plugs of earth out of the soil to provide more extensive aeration.

Overseeding

If "dog spots" or heavy traffic has left your lawn covered in bare patches, you'll need to apply seed to fill in the patchy parts. This technique is known as overseeding, and involves sowing grass seed over the bare patches, along with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Once the grass has germinated, apply a quick-release nitrogen fertilizer for a growth boost.

Note that the grass you sow is going to be competing with the existing lawn for vital nutrients. If you need to overseed, cut your lawn short before doing so, so that the seeds have a good chance to get past existing grass to the soil.

Finally, note that it's usually best to overseed in the fall (due to the problem described in the next section). Sometimes your lawn problem will be too severe too wait, of course, but fall is generally regarded as the best time for it.

If your lawn has an annual problem with weeds or crabgrass, you'll want to hold off on spring fertilization until you've applied pre-emergent herbicides. These herbicides address the weed control issue by preventing seeds from germinating, so that weeds are prevented from sprouting at all.

Note that if you need to overseed your lawn, pre-emergent herbicides may not be an effective option. These herbicides don't distinguish between weed and grass seeds-they prevent both types of seeds germinating. There are one or two products on the market that allow you to overseed in spring and still use pre-emergent herbicides, depending on the type of grass you have. These include Tupersan, which is compatible with overseeding cool-season grasses.

In the spring, slow-release fertilizer is a great kick-start for your lawn's new growth. You don't want to push the grass to grow if it isn't ready, so it's best to stay away from quick-release fertilizers, at least initially. This is particularly important if your spring weather is unpredictable, as you don't want a situation where new spring growth is killed by a late frost.

Retest your soil regularly-every few years-to make sure you're applying the right fertilizer for your soil type. When applying fertilizer, make sure you use the right amount for your square footage, and remember that grass growing in the shade will need around half as much as that which is consistently in sun.