Now that spring has finally arrived, home gardeners are working overtime getting their yards and gardens into shape.

If you are overwhelmed with garden chores, let your lawn work be at the bottom of the priority list.

There is no need to apply fertilizer or weed killer at this stage of the game.

Actually, you may do more harm than good with early fertilization.

The only treatment that is required at this time is the application of a pre-emergent crab grass control.

If crab grass was a problem last year, this is the ideal time to apply any one of the half-dozen chemicals on the market.

It was formerly thought that the pre-emergent should be applied when the forsythia is in bloom. Penn State research has found that germination begins when the soil temperature reaches 60

F. In our area, this happens when the forsythia blossoms fall.

If applied too early, the short-lived chemical may be exhausted before the crab grass germination season ends and a second application would then be required.

The most common mistake made by lawn keepers is early spring fertilization.

Grass experts at Purdue University and the University of Kentucky have determined that early fertilization benefits the weeds and it pushes the grass growth so fast that shorter roots are the result. The shorter roots create stress or even death of the grass during the summer.

Early fertilization is not necessary because the roots of the grass have stored up energy in the form of carbohydrates.

The plants begin to store the energy in the fall and release it in the spring. This gives the lawn a rich green color at that time.

Adding fertilizer over stimulates the grass and excess growth results.

To keep the grass from getting fat in the early spring, take the Atkins Diet approach. Don't fertilize until late spring.

An exception to this rule is when applying a pre-emergent crab grass control, which is combined with fertilizer. These products should be applied in early May.

Dandelions are currently making a magnificent display in many lawns, but in a short time will just be weeds choking out the grass. Now is not the best time to eradicate dandelions and other broad-leaf weeds.

Applying weed killers (such as Weed B Gon and others) now will burn off the foliage but will not kill the roots. Complete kill of most broad-leaf weeds can be accomplished in the fall when the plants begin to store nutrients in the roots.

Some of the broad-leaf weeds can also be eliminated after the flowers begin to die.

Penn State research has determined that clover can be killed when the flowers fade. Purdue University has had similar results when eliminating dandelions.

While weed and feed products are widely used in an attempt to fertilize and kill weeds in one operation, the experts at Penn State believe that they fail to eliminate weeds in most applications.

The weed killer must stick to the grass blades long enough for the chemicals to be absorbed by the blades to be effective. The grass must be damp for this to occur.

The weight of the granules, as advertised on TV, can make a difference under ideal conditions. Unfortunately the wetness of the grass is critical and is most often not realized when the application is made.

The use of liquid weed killers is recommended. These do not need to be applied to the entire lawn, but can be spot applied. This is the ideal type of application because it is ecologically prudent.

Applying weed killers in the spring may make the grass prone to disease. The weed control chemicals stress the grass and the potential for this to occur is greatest in early spring fertilized turf.

When the vegetable garden has been planted and the bedding plants are beginning to bloom, then it's time to fertilize the lawn.

Penn State recommends that spring fertilizing be done as late as the first week of June. Broad-leaf weed control should be scheduled in September and the first two weeks of October.