Every year homeowners living in four season climates look forward to the return of spring when flowers bloom and the landscape is transformed from brown to green. After the snow and ice is gone, the warmth of the sun coaxes spring bulbs from their sleep, it is time to begin preparation for any landscaping changes that have been on hold. Spring landscape care begins with cleaning up twigs and small limbs from the lawn and gardens; followed by a thorough raking to remove dead leaves and other bits of debris.
Mulch is very beneficial in flower gardens and around shrubbery since it helps control weeds and retain moisture in the soil. Some people prefer to remove all the old mulch and replace it with new, but others simply add a layer of new mulch over the old. Nitrogen is leached from the soil when old wood mulch is worked in and allowed to decay, so organic fertilizer should be added in spring if this is the chosen procedure.
Every homeowner visualizes their lawn as an expanse of green, void of weeds and bare spots. Unfortunately, the vision is only realized with a good amount of planning and maintenance. Successful lawn care includes re-seeding the mysterious bare patches that show up once the snow is gone. If the area of dead lawn is quite large, sodding may be the best way to get the grass growing there again.
Many homeowners enjoy doing all their lawn care and maintenance themselves, but others are not able to since they do not have the time and knowledge. It is worthwhile for these homeowners to find and hire a dependable company to take care of regular lawn maintenance like seeding, aeration, mowing etc, and provide any additional lawn care that may be needed.
- Avoid scaling your lawn
Avoid scalping grass, which is simply cutting the grass too short. A scalped lawn is more vulnerable to diseases and different weed infestation. A scalped yard tends to be weak and sparse, which can expose soil. One of the No. 1 factor to successful weed growth is exposed soil that allows the weed seed to take root. A low cut lawn lawn also lets sunlight reach weed seedlings and give them an unneeded advantage. Last, but not least grass that’s consistently cut way too short has a very poor developed root system, which makes the lawn susceptible to drought or high temperatures.
- Keep your mower blade sharp
Remember to always keep your mower blade sharp to get the best results each time you mow. A sharp lawn mower blade will cut grass cleanly, while a dull blade only tears grass, leaving a jagged, uneven edge. These small tears can actually create openings for unwanted pests and diseases to enter grass blades. You should sharpen mower blades at least a few times during the mowing season. And obviously you want to avoid mowing over fallen tree branches or stones to reduce blade dulling or even damage.
- mow in low sunlight
When you prune a plant, it causes stress. Grass is no different. The act of mowing creates tremendous stress on grass plants. If you mow during the heat of the day, individual grass plants lose more water and recover much more slowly than if you mow during the cooler part of the day. Another option is to wait until shade is on the lawn. Grass in the shade loses less water when cutting and is quicker to rebound.
- Mowing pattern
Avoid mowing in the same direction or pattern each time you mow. When you do this, you risk compacting soil and actually creating ruts. Both compacted soil and ruts can lead to grass that’s less healthy, followed by weeds that thrive in compacted soil.
Again all these points are great for a do it yourself kind of person. But you might find it’s much better and cheaper in the long run to simply hire a professional landscaper. You will get many better results and you will have more time with your family. At the very least it’s a good Idea to get a free estimate from a local landscaping professional.