From the greenest grass to the colorful and fragrant flowers, the outdoors is definitely an excellent place to relax and get rejuvenated. This may be why many homeowners are investing in landscaping their properties.
A carefully landscaped lawn can help keep the place cooler even during warm months. Plus, plants and trees can offer cleaner air and can help prevent landslides during a typhoon.
Make sure that your landscaped lawn stays in tiptop shape to enjoy these perks longer. To do this all-year-round, landscaping experts from Chesterfield, MO recommend breaking down the landscaping maintenance tasks according to the seasons of the year. This will help create a to-do list that is more manageable and more efficient.
Spring
Spring is the season for preparing your lawn, the plants, and the trees for summer stressors. Here are some of the most important tasks you’ll have to attend to between the months of March and May:
1. Fertilize
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to fertilize. The difference lies in where you are in the country.
For those in the northern hemisphere, you might want to perform this task during the fall since cool weather grass tends to get dormant during the winter and save up energy for spring. The rest of the country can apply fertilizer as soon as the grass starts its most active growth in spring.
To get the best results, be sure to heed manufacturer instructions on how to apply the fertilizer properly.
2. Aerate
Aerating entails punching small holes on the lawn to allow fertilizers, water, and oxygen to reach the roots of the grass. When you aerate, make sure that you choose a day when the soil is damp enough but not too soaked to allow the aeration machine to work its magic.
3. Get Rid of Weeds
Weeds can be a big problem when they are not dealt with periodically. To prevent them from taking over your lawn, use a pre-emergent herbicide just as forsythia shrubs begin to bloom.
Crabgrass can be particularly problematic when the soil reaches a temperature of 58 degrees. To check the soil temperature, use a soil thermometer to time your herbicide application right.
4. Prune
Spring is also a good time to do some pruning. Aside from dead, diseased, or broken branches, you can also start trimming shrubs that flower during the summer as well as vines that grow over trellises and arbors. Roses can also be planted and pruned during this time of the year.
5. Plant
Aside from roses, you’ll also want to plant cool-season vegetables and flowers come spring. Berry bushes and fruit trees will also thrive during this time of year, especially when fertilized with fruit-tree plant food a couple of weeks before they bloom. Make sure you water properly and you may find it useful to have a hose splitter for better coverage.
Summer
The sun helps plants thrive, but too much heat might mess up your garden. Make sure to perform the following maintenance tasks during summertime to keep your yard lush and green:
6. Cut grass
Mowing the lawn should be done regularly, but how often exactly?
During summer, the grass starts to grow much quicker, so you’ll find yourself cutting them more than usual. Make sure your lawn remains healthy by leaving clippings on it.
You know! Mowing isn’t hard task if you have such a good quality lawnmower tool to become more beautiful your landscape. Whatever, you have big or small lawn we would like to suggest go with self propelled electric lawn mower that will gives you comfortable services as your requirements and it is eco-friendly too.
Anyways, during summer, the grass starts to grow much quicker, so you’ll find yourself cutting them more than usual. Make sure your lawn remains healthy by leaving clippings on it.
And while it cutting only one-third of the grass’s height at one time is the best practice, you should consider raising the mowing height as the season progresses. This is because taller grass tends to hold up the heat and prevent drought better. If you want to mow in tighter spaces, then a zero turn mower should be an excellent choice for you.
7. Deal with weeds
Weeds are a problem all-year-round. As with springtime, you’ll also need to apply herbicide in the summer but opt for the post-emergent variant. You can also use a garden fork to get rid of weeds that survived the herbicide application.
You can also add mulch, but make sure to keep them at least one or two inches from the tree trunks. You can also consider artificial grass options so you can save time and money by not having to treat them as often. Contact an artificial grass dealer to get the best-quality turf.
8. Look out for grubs
Grub worms are the larvae of Japanese, June, and other beetles, and start feeding during the warm weather. Their favorite meal? Tender lawn root systems.
To prevent patches of your lawn from wilting and browning because of grubs, you’ll need to use chemical pesticides. However, you must remember to resort to this only if you find that white, C-shaped grubs have infested over 10 square feet of the garden. To be sure, check underneath the sod.
You can also use milky spores to control certain types of grub. Again, remember to read the instructions in the label and follow them carefully.
9. Trim and prune
After the first growth flush, you must trim the hedges. Remember to deadhead the faded flowers as well.
10. Water
Summer heat can leave your lawn dry, so make sure to water it regularly. But instead of frequent sprinkles, opt for deep-but-occasional watering. Make sure that lawns get one inch of water every week.
Fall
Fall, which runs from September to November, is the time to prepare your lawn for the winter months. Below are some of the tasks you need to do to make sure it survives the cold season.
11. Patch bare spots
In the autumn, the temperature will begin to drop. This makes it the perfect season to patch bare or thin spots in your lawn. To start, remove any dead grass, and break up the soil using a trowel.
Then, add about an inch of compost to the soil and work it into before seeding. Choose grass seeds that thrive under full sun or shade and spread it evenly across the patch. Then, work the seed into the soil using a hard-tooth rake until it’s buried by about half of an inch into the ground.
After that, sprinkle the clippings all over the soil and water it to prevent it from drying out. Be sure to keep the patch moist until the seeds germinate to about an inch tall.
12. Plant new trees
While you’re not required to do this every year, you can choose to plant new trees and shrubs like oak, holly, and beautyberries in autumn. Be sure to consider hiring a specialist like Elk Grove arborists for tree planting advice.
13. Rake dried leaves and rotten crops
The fall is called such for a reason – it is a time when leaves and fruits fall from trees. To make sure your landscaped lawn remains beautiful, you’ll have to rake all the dried leaves and rotten crops away from it.
Use a mulching mower to break them up and add organic matter to the soil. To prevent it from killing the grass, be sure to remove any lump.
Winter
During winter, your goal is to protect your lawn from the cold. However, there are several other tasks you’ll need to perform, depending on the condition of the landscape.
14. Protect your lawn
Some types of grass stay green during the winter. If this is the case for your lawn, use a small dose of nitrogen fertilizer. To keep it healthy, avoid walking on it if it’s frozen or dormant and use sand or kitty litter to melt the snow.
15. Monitor your plants’ conditions
Make sure your plants stay healthy during the winter by keeping a close eye at them. Water newly planted evergreens and discard rotten wintering bulbs.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining your landscaped lawn requires not just monetary investment, but effort and time as well. Seek advice from landscaping professionals in St. Charles, MO and heed those listed in this article, and you’ll do just fine.