Preparing Your Landscape for Warmer Weather
When you hear the phrase “spring cleaning,” you probably think about dusting bookshelves and vacuuming along the carpet. While it is important to keep the inside of your house clean, spring cleaning also extends to your landscape. The cold air has probably kept you from doing much cleaning outside, so with the warmer temperatures of spring approaching now is a great time to prepare for spring and summer get-togethers.
Complete the following tasks to give your landscape a proper spring cleaning.
Check for Winter Debris & Damage
The arrival of the spring season marks a good opportunity to clean up any debris left behind from winter. As an example, branches frequently break from trees during winter since the falling snow adds extra weight to them, causing them to snap. Pinecones, acorns, and other items can also fall from the trees, so survey the area and clear them out.
You should also check to see if the winter weather has done any significant damage to flowers and other plants you are growing. If any plants have not survived the winter chill, be sure to remove them as soon as possible. Leaving them in the ground for too long can create problems, since new plants can get tangled with them when they grow in.
Start Applying Fertilizer
To ensure that your lawn and plants stay healthy, you should consider applying fertilizer around your landscape. If your plants suffered damage during the winter, fertilizer can help supply the nutrients needed to let them pick themselves up. Before applying fertilizer it would be wise to survey the area and remove any leftover weeds so they do not disrupt your lawn or flowerbeds.
Here at Hillsborough Irrigation & Landscape Services, we adhere to the five-step fertilization program to ensure your lawn stays healthy. This process typically starts in the early spring, so contact us as soon as possible if you need help preparing your lawn for the rest of the year.
Aerate the Lawn
Aeration is another process that can help your lawn at the end of winter. Soil compacts over time, and when this happens it becomes difficult for it to absorb fertilizer, water, and other necessary nutrients. This makes it difficult for new blades of grass to root properly, which is troublesome when you consider many lawns are at risk thanks to the chills of the winter.
The process of aeration involves poking holes into the soil to loosen it up. This makes it much easier for the soil to absorb fertilizer and other nutrients, therefore allowing the roots of the new lawn to grow more efficiently. Go through this process to ensure that you will have a healthy lawn going into the spring and summer seasons.
We offer lawn aeriation through our seasonal cleanup services, so contact us today if you need help.
Weed & Pest Prevention
Nobody likes having weeds in their landscape, so it is important to deal with them in the spring so they do not pop up in the summer. A common practice used for fighting weeds is to place pre-emergent herbicides in your yard. It is important to get this done early in the spring, because the weeds will pop up more frequently once the weather gets warmer. Consider working with professional landscapers if you are worried about making mistakes.
Besides weeds, you should also figure out how to deal with other pests, including insects and animals that want to eat your flowers. Having animals in your yard can make for a nice scene, but they might ruin the beautiful flowerbeds you are planting. Consider planting flowers that rabbits and other animals will not eat, like daffodils and bluebells. Make sure to spray for ticks and mosquitos to prevent them from growing in large numbers as well.