If you’ve lived in the Twin Cities for more than a few years, you know the "Spring Itch." It’s that first Tuesday in March when the sun finally hits 55 degrees, the snowbanks in the nearest superstore parking lot are finally melting, and suddenly, everyone in the Minneapolis metro area is outside staring at their brown, matted grass.

By then, the phone at The Lawnsmith is usually ringing off the hook.

While you can’t exactly talk the Minnesota clouds into warming up any faster, you can get a head start on the one thing we all dread: the spring "to-do" list. Even better? You can get a discount for doing it early.

If you’ve lived around Minneapolis for more than a single winter, you know that "Spring" is a bit of a lie. It’s usually just a six-week stretch of mud, unexpected slush, and your lawn looking like a dirty brown rug. And, of course, the unexpected snow storm out of nowhere, when it felt like winter was behind us.

We see homeowners in Edina and Minnetonka out in their yards the very second the snowbanks melt. No doubt, everyone has “spring fever”!  But if you’re out there while the ground is still "squishy," you’re doing more damage than good. Walking on a saturated lawn in early April compacts the soil and can actually kill the grass crowns before they even have a chance to wake up.

Here’s the real-world checklist for getting your yard back in shape without ruining it in the process.