Want to Get Your Lawn Ready For Spring? Experts Say That the 'Penguin Shuffle' Trick Holds the Secret

With spring in the air, I can't be the only one looking longingly at my yard and wishing that the grass didn't look quite so bare. I'm desperate for warmer days to arrive, but I need to get my lawn in better shape first. And according to experts, your spring lawn care might be missing one thing: a 'penguin shuffle'.

Like me, you might be focusing on tending to your grass and ensuring that it's in the very best shape before temperatures rise. This hack might sound frivolous, but it's a brilliant way to start off your spring lawn care before you begin sowing seeds.

Once you have cleared away debris like moss and dead leaves (and added a layer of topsoil, if necessary), you'll need to even out any bumps or air pockets, which is where penguin shuffling comes in. It simply means taking small steps across your lawn to create a smooth surface – and experts say that it's a brilliant alternative to simply raking the soil.

What is the Penguin Shuffle Lawn Trick?

The secret to a picture-perfect lawn is a strong foundation, and this means preventing anything that could cause uneven growth.

First, you'll want to remove weeds and debris (and mow first, if you're overseeding your lawn to repair bare patches of grass).

This will help you create a clean, level area on which to plant your grass seed, but you'll also need to smooth out the top layer – and shuffling is a brilliant way to do it.

'One of the things my Dad (who takes immense pride in a lush, green, weed free lawn) always loved to teach me as a child was how to tread the ground before you overseed in the spring to get rid of air pockets,' says Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens.

So-called because it involves narrow, inching footsteps reminiscent of penguins moving through snow, the penguin shuffle method will help you level out the surface of your lawn with ease.

How to Use the Penguin Shuffle Trick For Better Grass

To try out the shuffling method yourself, you'll want to lightly drag your feet across the soil with small, careful steps.

'My Dad would get me and my sister to take small steps over the surface to even out the soil, essentially shuffling like a penguin,' says Rachel.

'Presumably our lighter, smaller steps (and boundless energy levels) were ideal for this job. We would go up and down in neat rows to make sure all the areas were covered.'

Once the ground is even, you'll be ready sow.

You can find plenty of grass seed varieties at True Leaf Market, or pick up a bag of rapid-growing grass seed from Lowes.

You can either sow by hand, if your garden is small enough, or use a spreader like this one from Amazon.

Then, it's simply a matter of pressing the seeds down to ensure adequate contact with the soil.

It can be tricky to know when to start watering your lawn in spring, but after overseeding, you'll need to keep the soil consistently moist until germination. Investing in a soil moisture meter, like this one from Walmart, will stop you from second-guessing.

With a careful watering schedule and regular mowing, the seeds are sure to thrive – and you can be safe in the knowledge that the humble penguin shuffle has helped to prevent any unevenness. Come summer, your lawn will be picture-perfect.

What to Shop

If you're not struggling with a bare lawn, you might still be battling brown grass – which is never ideal. Wondering why your grass is brown but your neighbor's is green? We explain why, and what to do about it.

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