After a long and unpredictable winter, most homeowners are ready to get their lawns ready for Springtime. From mowing, edging, trimming and more, there are a variety of things you can do to prepare for lawn care and landscaping. To ensure you have a beautiful lawn that stands out all season long be sure to follow our helpful tips below. Here, P.O.P.S. Landscaping discusses tips to help you with your lawn care and landscaping this season.
Remove Debris
The first thing to do to get your Spring lawn care underway is to remove all unwanted debris. Pick up any twigs, fruit, trash, or other objects that have collected on your lawn. If you have a large number of leaves in your front and backyard, take a rake and collect everything together to be removed. Bag up any unwanted debris and leaves to be disposed of properly. This will also cut down on pests and wildlife from lurking around piles of leaves and debris.
maintenance Your Lawn Mower
When was the last time your lawnmower had maintenance? With every year of use, it takes on more wear and tear, loosening bolts and dulling blades. Ensure that your lawnmower is working efficiently by having it tuned up. Make sure the tune-up includes blade sharpening so the mower severs the grass instead of tearing it. When grass isn’t cut properly it will start to brown. This is one of the last things you want to start the Spring season.
Prevent and Kill Weeds
Do you have weeds growing in your flower beds or around trees? Not all weeds should be killed the same way. If the weeds around your home are annual, look for post-emergent herbicides. Once the weather is consistently 65 degrees or higher, crabgrass is known to appear. Kill the weeds that already exist with a post-emergent herbicide. With that being said, be sure to apply pre-emergent as well to knock out any seeds that haven’t yet sprouted. Prevention is the best way to keep your yard looking fresh and looking sharp all season long.
Tend To Visible Bald Spots
If your lawn has some bare areas, apply seed to the empty patches. This process of sowing seed on top of the existing lawn is called overseeding. The new seed should be kept moist until it is growing properly. Don’t be afraid to over-seed your entire front and back lawn, not just the bald spots. This can help your lawn grow thick and healthy. It will also mix in new seed varieties with existing ones, helping your yard look lush all Spring.
Fertilize
You can choose an organic fertilizer, such as compost, or opt for stronger fertilizers. Either way, fertilize lightly in spring if you have cool-season grasses. An abundance of fertilizer during the Spring can promote disease and weeds. Be sure to talk with your landscaping professionals to make sure you have a right balance to not kill your grass.
Mow Your Yard
Mow your grass lightly to a height of roughly 3-4 inches, and be sure to not lop off more than 1/3 of the grass blade. Always mow based on the height of your grass, rather than on a fixed schedule. Scalping your lawn can put stress on your grass and prohibits deep root growth. Tall grass smothers weed seeds, and a lush, well-established lawn makes it harder for weeds to compete. When things start to heat up before summer, some lawns go dormant, and you might not need to mow or fertilize for many weeks.
Trim Trees
Winter can be brutal for the trees around your home. Dead tree limbs can fall and even cause damage to your garage or home. This is the last thing you want to deal with once the nicer weather starts to come about. Trim your shrubs and plants for optimal growth. Spring’s blooming shrubs need to be pruned after they bloom, not before.
Edging
Edging your lawn adds a clean appearance that improves your curb appeal and the overall look of the lawn. It can also prevent overgrowth onto sidewalks and flowerbeds as the lawn becomes more active in the late spring and early summer.
Call Us Today
P.O.P.S. Landscaping offers a full range of landscape maintenance services, tailored to meet your residential or commercial needs. The more homes in one neighborhood we serve, the more competitively priced we can be on each property! P.O.P.S. also offers a full-service lawn maintenance program on an annual contract, weekly or biweekly service agreement. Our fee ranges from $250 to $750 per month for most residential or commercial properties. Ask about our referral programs. Give us a call today!
