Tag: Fall Yard Maintenance

Fall Yard Maintenance and Lawn Care

With summer coming to an end and autumn beginning homeowners will need to switch up their approach to lawn care and maintenance.  The cooler temperatures that fall shares with us make it the perfect time of year to get out in the yard and start preparing the lawn for spring.  Don’t assume because the grass is growing slower that your lawn needs less care in the fall then in the summer.  In fact the opposite is true.   Your lawn is busy in the fall absorbing nutrients to with stand the long, cold winter season.  The attention you spend caring for your lawn in the fall will show in the spring.  Here are six things to think about as we begin the descending into fall.

Mowing the Lawn

You will need to keep mowing and watering your lawn throughout the fall season.  As you come to an end of the fall season, once all of the leaves have dropped, take the mower blade down to the lowest setting possible.  Cut the lawn twice on this setting a few weeks apart.  The short grass will allow for more sun to reach the crown of grass thus there will be less of the blade to brown over the winter.

When cutting the lawn it is as important to in the fall as it is in the spring and summer to only cut about a third of the grass blade at any given time mowing.  It is better to cut the lawn once completely and lower the blade setting to mow the lawn a second time for a shorter cut to get the grass short enough for the fall season.

Soil Aeration

It is crucial to aerate your lawn during the fall season.  This will allow for water, fertilizer and oxygen to reach deep into the root system of the lawn.  Aeration can be done with special shoes designed to punch holes in the grass or by renting a walk behind aerator.  If this seems like an all too daunting task hire a lawn care maintenance company to aerate the lawn.

Leaf Care

Raking leaves has to be one of the most daunting tasks to accomplish throughout the fall season.  It is also one of the most important.  Don’t wait until ever last leaf has fallen to begin raking.  The leaves underneath will start to get wet and stick together making a barrier that will suffocate your grass and create a large amount of fungal growth.

If raking isn’t your thing you can mow your lawn with a bagging mower and dispose of the leaves.  Another option is to blow the leaves with a leaf blower.  This may be the most effective way to remove leaves from your lawn.  Some counties allow for leaf burning during certain periods of time.  This option makes disposing of fall leaves a lot easier over the rubbish collection bags.

Lawn Fertilization

If you are only going to fertilize your lawn only once a year plan to do it during the fall season.  Grass blades grow slower in the fall but the same is not true for the root system.  Grass roots continue to grow quickly throughout the fall season and therefore suck in a variety of essential nutrients that they can only get through fall fertilization.  This will give your lawn a healthy start in the spring.

CBA Outdoor Services is a local landscape design firm offering services throughout Livingston and Wayne Counties.  For more information on the services they offer to both commercial and residential clients look online at http://cbaoutdoors.com/.

Transitioning Your Lawn Care From Summer To Fall Maintenance

The care that your lawn needs changes from season to season.  When the bright sun starts to fade into vibrant fall leaves the needs of your landscaping change.  Superior yard care can occur even if you don’t have the time to spend every minute in the yard this article will provide you the exact information you need to maximize the time you do have.

Every job is made easier with the right tools.  This is so true when it comes to gardening.  A mower with a sharp blade is so important.  It is essential that you sharpen the blade to your lawn more at least once a year but more preferable two times.  In addition to a sharper mower blade make sure you buy a hose that is convenient to store, a quality rake, an edger, clippers and gloves.

The best tip anyone can give you is to really take care of your grass.  Lawn care is super important and can be maintained by raking your lawn before and after you mow.  Raking does not have to be difficult simply run a rake through your yard and you will be so pleased with the outcome.  Raking before and after you mow will leave your lawn looking amazing, while keeping problems away.

When it comes to mowing your lawn it is important that you know when to mow and when not to mow.  Never mow when the heat is on.  Mow your lawn during the early morning hours or late after sunset.  The same is true for trimming trees and bushes; never mow or trim in the heat of the day. Mowing in the early morning or late night will prevent shock to the lawn and landscaping.

The next step after the lawn is mowed is to trim the outer portion of the lawn. Don’t take it too close to the ground; match the edges to the length of your grass.  Blending the edging with your lawn’s length will help to blend the landscape and creating a brilliant landscape.

August is the perfect time to take care of all the hedges that have become overgrown with the abundance of rain the spring and summer have created.  Try not to cut too deep, this will leave bare patches.  Cut hedges back, traditional form for hedges is either rounded or squared.  This will help you create a lawn and landscape that is easy to maintain throughout every season.

Creating a landscape and lawn can be rewarding for any homeowner.   Often times it isn’t a matter of money but time that prevents homeowners from creating a perfect landscape.  If this describes you and your home consider hiring a local landscape company.  Local lawn care specialists are aware of what your lawn needs to flourish while you wreak the benefits.

CBA Outdoor Services is a local landscape design firm offering services throughout Livingston and Wayne Counties.  For more information on the services they offer to both commercial and residential clients look online at http://cbaoutdoors.com/.

Summer Landscaping Tips

Landscaping care is important in every season especially summer. As our seasons change so must the manner in which you care for your lawn and landscape. Summer landscaping should be centered on creating and maintaining an environment that can be thoroughly enjoyed without spending too much of your spare time. The following are summer tips to help create a landscape that time can be spent and memories made.

1) The first thing to keep in mind is how the space within your yard is used. If you have children you will want space to allow them to run around that is free of obstructions but that also maintains an outer boundary. If you prefer to use the space for entertainment and know that many weekends will be spent around a campfire you may consider turning your landscape into more of a patio area centering on a bon-fire pit. If you prefer a more adult landscape to enjoy afternoon tea consider special seating with a focus on beautiful flowers that bring butterflies in and mosquitos out.

2) Your landscape and lawn care should incorporate getting water to your landscape plants and lawn. In the summer to avoid grass and flowers from drying make sure that they are receiving at least an inch of water each week. It is best to water in the early morning or late evening to avoid as much water evaporation. Even though plants and grass need a certain amount of water to survive make sure that you are not saturating the area. Too much water can be just as bad as not enough.

3) Weeding is an essential element in every lawn and landscape. In flower beds use weed barrier to prevent an overabundance of weeds. When it comes to your grass consider using weed control treatments. Fertilization and aeration are all essential for your grass as well. Weeds take away valuable nutrients that are needed to maintain a healthy lush lawn.

4) When looking into fertilizers for your lawn consider only those that offer a slow release and low nitrogen content. Slow release fertilizers continue to give the lawn nutrients throughout the lawn and plants growing season.

5) Mow your lawn frequently using a sharp mower blade. Your grass should be about two and a half to three inches when mowing is necessary. Cutting more than one third of the grass at one time can cause damage to the blade and root system which in turn creates bare spots and brown patches.

Seasonal lawn care changes are needed to create a lush space to entertain no matter what season. Use the summer to boost the fullness in your lawn as well as the color throughout your flower beds.

CBA Outdoor Services is a local landscape design firm offering services throughout Livingston and Wayne Counties. For more information on the services they offer to both commercial and residential clients look online at http://cbaoutdoors.com/.

Growing A Lush Green Lawn

Green lush lawn is something all homeowners dream of.  Summertime is filled with backyard picnics and serves as the backdrop for many games of bocce ball and horseshoes. Whether you hire a professional lawn care company or you do it yourself here are some things to consider in your quest to have the perfect lawn.

The first rule whether your lawn is mowed by a professional landscaping company or by you yourself is the one third rule.  The one third rule states that cutting more than a third of the grass blades length with cause undue stress to your lawn.  When your lawn is cut too short it can become burnt by the sun and will eventually being incapable of thriving.

The next rule of thumb when it comes to landscaping, lawn care and the length of your blades of grass it is pertinent to understand that the longer your grass the deeper the grass roots will be.  Roots that are deep within the soil will withstand times of drought better, as well as pests and diseases.

When it comes to mowing your lawn and the lawns appearance a sharp mower blade will help.  Clean cut grass with a sharp mower blade gives your home and landscape the curb appeal all homeowners’ desire.

The next step in having a healthy lawn is to fertilize.  Fertilizer gives your lawns appearance a fresh, green, crisp look.  The time to apply fertilizer will defer between areas so it is crucial that you check with a lawn care professional to ensure that you are applying fertilizer at the correct time of year to obtain the best results possible.

When it comes to diagnosing problems within your lawn consult with a professional lawn care provider.  A number of issues arise with lawns throughout the season including brown spots from fungal diseases or insects.  To care for these areas or to prevent them all together be sure to contact local lawn care professionals for advice on treatment or to conduct proper treatment for your lawns care.

When it comes to watering your landscaping and grass make sure that you are deep watering.  All landscaping needs to be encouraged to develop and grow deep roots.  When watering note that one inch of water is required to actively grow twelve inches of soil.  Deep watering every three days is better for your lawn than infrequent watering every day.

The irrigation of your lawn is just as important as any other piece of your landscaping.  A great way to check to make sure the entire lawn is irrigated properly is to purchase five straight sided cake pans and place them throughout your lawn.  When watering it is important to take note of how much water is accumulating in each pan.  If the pans are getting the same amount of water throughout the lawn you are sure to have adequate irrigation systems in place.  If this is not the case you will want to adjust your sprinkler system or meet with a lawn care specialist to discuss better placement of your lawns watering system.

CBA Outdoor Services is a local landscape design firm offering services throughout Livingston and Wayne Counties.  For more information on the services they offer to both commercial and residential clients look online at http://cbaoutdoors.com/.

 

Perfect Landscape Design From The Start When You Hire The Professionals

When you finally make the decision to landscape your home it is important to hire a landscape designer.  When it comes to hiring a professional many homeowners are concerned with the expense hiring a designer will add to the budget.  This is however far from the truth; hiring a landscape professional can actually save you money.  Landscape designers have the connections to wholesale supplies as well as the know how to get exactly what is needed for your space the first time.  Trial and error doesn’t exist when using a professional landscaper as they know what is needed for the soil type, sunlight and overall outdoor environment.

If the home and landscape is new to you try to live in the space for a season or two before making any radical changes in the landscape.  After a season you will see what it is that you enjoy about the existing space and how you will be using the area.  It will also give you the opportunity to see what needs to be changed.  The worst thing you can do is dive in and start ripping things out and replacing them without getting a true sense of the landscape and yard.

After you have had time to identify the qualities of the landscape that you enjoy and those that need to be changed it is time to seek out a landscape design team. This is the tricky part.  Many people consider themselves landscaping experts.  However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  When hiring a landscape designer look for someone with proper certifications.  You should look at their technical background and referrals.  Hire a landscaper based on a combination of their experience and education.

When you meet with the landscaper it is important to become prepared.  You should have a collection of ideas that you are interested in pursuing for in your own landscape.  This could include pictures from similar homes in your neighborhood, ideas from magazines as well as ideas from the internet.  You may pull together a variety of elements but any good designer will be able to take and pull the elements into one creating a personal space that is unique to your home.

If you would like to involve your family and get their opinions now is the perfect time.  Once you break ground on one idea you won’t be able to make drastic changes to the original plan without wasting time and money.  Your husband may desire a shed for his tools, the children may want to include a play structure, consider a small garden and what about a campfire pit?  All elements should be considered in an original plan.

Complete a wish list of plants and flowers that interest you.  Your landscape design team will look at the requirements in your region, the climate, sun exposure and soil type to determine which elements can be included in your final design.

Together you and your landscape design team will develop a plan that is within your budget, maintenance ability, as well as taking into consideration elements that you desire.

CBA Outdoor Services is a local landscape design firm offering services throughout Livingston and Wayne Counties.  For more information on the services they offer to both commercial and residential clients look online at http://cbaoutdoors.com/.