How to Get Rid of Moss in Lawns

Many homeowners trying to get rid of moss in the lawn fail to realize that moss plants are an indicator that you currently have less than ideal conditions for growing grass. So this weed is not the cause of your problems, but an effect. Please read below about Lawn Care Cary NC.

The potential causes behind the problem are:

• Low soil pH
• Lack of necessary nutrients in the soil
• Poor drainage
• Excessive shade

Consequently, you have to understand that the job of getting rid of moss (permanently) has only just begun when you remove the particular patch of moss growing in your lawn at the present time.

You must follow up that initial removal with some investigative work, to determine why moss would grow in the area to begin with, in spite of your attempts to grow grass there. If you fail to discover which of the potential causes behind the problem applies to your own garden, a new patch of moss will simply take the place of the old one.

Firing the Initial Salvo

How do you get rid of the moss currently growing in the lawn? Well, since moss is shallow-rooted, you may be able simply to rake it out. But if you do need to apply an herbicide, take note that there are both chemical and organic options. Among the latter, baking soda is sometimes used, as well as soap (both Safer soap and the type of soap you use to wash dishes).

For example, some people recommend filling a Lawn Care Cary with 2 gallons of lukewarm water and mixing in a box of baking soda. Others mix dish soap (Dawn Ultra seems to be the preferred product) and water in a garden sprayer (2 to 4 ounces per gallon of water).

But, again, such efforts are only a first step. For long-lasting success, it is critical that you conduct an investigation into the root cause or causes of the problem.

How to Get Rid of Moss Permanently: Is the Root Cause in Your Soil?

A great way to begin your investigation is to send in a sample of your soil to your local Lawn Care Pittsboro NC so that they can test it for you.

Tell them that you are trying to get rid of moss in a lawn and indicate that you need to find out what your soil pH is and whether or not your soil contains the necessary nutrients for growing a healthy lawn. This way, you can kill two birds with one stone: The root cause of your problem could be either (or both) of these soil-related issues.

As C.L. Fornari points out in Coffee for Roses, it is not that the presence of moss, in and of itself, is necessarily an indicator that your soil’s pH is overly acidic. The issue here is not that a more alkaline soil will kill the moss, but rather that your grass may need a more alkaline soil to compete effectively against moss. If this is the case, you will need to apply garden lime to “sweeten” the ground. If the ground lacks the nutrients required for lawns to be healthy, you will have to amend the soil and then Lawn Care Pittsboro on a regular basis (with compost if you wish to stay organic).

If the soil under your lawn does not drain very well and retains excessive moisture, this condition, too could invite moss. What is a good indicator that you have a drainage problem? Well, a type of soil with high clay content should send up a red flag.

Water tends to percolate slowly through overly clayey soils, and that can lead to puddling. Happily, there is a very simple test you can conduct to determine what type of soil you have. Of course, if you remember seeing standing water somewhere on your lawn after a spring rain, that is all the evidence that you need to conclude that you have drainage issues in that area. If clay is the source of your problem, amend the soil (for example, with humus) to make it more friable.

Poor drainage could be due to any of a number of factors (clay content in the soil is only one possible factor). If the lawn receives a lot of foot traffic (as when children play on the lawn frequently), your problem could be soil compaction, for which the recommended solution is Lawn Aeration. When you should aerate depends, in part, on the type of lawn grass you grow.

Aerate cool-season grasses in early fall and warm-season grasses in mid-spring to early summer.

Some homeowners intent on getting rid of moss really need to be focusing on getting rid of thatch. A thick layer of thatch can prevent water from penetrating properly through the soil. The process of removing thatch is called “dethatching.”

In some cases, poor drainage will have to be addressed by re-routing excess water. French drains are often installed for this purpose.

Or Is the Real Reason You Have Moss Excessive Shade?

Finally, getting rid of moss in a lawn can simply be a matter of addressing the issue of excessive shade. At least this problem, unlike the others discussed above, is intuitive: Even total landscaping novices understand the concept of “shade.” There are two angles from which to tackle the problem:

• Open up the area to more sunlight through tree removal (or at least have some of the larger branches pruned off).
• Grow a shade-tolerant grass.

Moss is opportunistic and will sometimes fill in lawn areas left bare because the grass variety that you have chosen is ill-suited to shady conditions. The solution to your problem of getting rid of moss may be as simple as switching grasses. Tall fescue grass is a relatively shade-tolerant grass.

Indeed, as with battling other types of weeds in the lawn, often the best defense is a good offense. Healthy grass will crowd out weeds. Instead of asking, “How do I get rid of moss?” the better question may be, “How can I make my lawn greener?”

How to Winterize Your Yard in Fall

Do you need some motivation to perform fall garden care? Well, just think of all the joy your planting beds provided you during the spring and summer. Don’t you want more of the same next year? Assuming you do, there are tasks you can undertake in autumn to help your landscape get off to a good start once the warm weather returns.

But there’s more than the garden to think about. There are a number of serious lawn care chores and related tasks for the landscaper to complete to winterize the yard in fall and ready the landscape for the next growing season.

Let’s take a brief look at some of the chores you should be performing in autumn, from Lawn Care Cary NC to winterizing trees and shrubs and taking care of your equipment.

Essential Autumn Lawn Care

During autumn, don’t stop trying to improve the health of your grass for next year — or at least trying to maintain the status quo. For one thing, you’ll want to try to remove broadleaf weeds and thereby remove some competition for available nutrients and water. Along the same lines, have a soil test done to check, for example, on the soil pH of your lawn. If the test should show excessive acidity, apply lime immediately (its effects don’t kick in right away). If, on the contrary, your soil is too alkaline, apply sulphur or contact with your local Lawn Care Pittsboro NC.

Everybody knows that we should rake leaves in fall as part of the winterizing process for lawns, but many don’t know exactly why we rake leaves. But anyone who has ever raked them knows that it’s tedious work.

Some people choose to use leaf blowers, instead. Here’s another option: before putting your lawn mower to bed for another winter, fire it up (making sure the grass catcher is attached) and run over the leaves with it. Sort of like “vacuuming” the leaves off your lawn. When you’re done, be sure to provide the proper lawn mower care to winterize it.

Many people who have lawn problems do not realize how detrimental thatch build-up is to their grass. An advantage to raking leaves (as opposed to resorting to gadgetry) is that you can dethatch your lawn at the same time: a vigorous raking will extricate some of the thatch that may be plaguing your lawn. But for cases of severe soil compaction, you’ll probably have to use the technique known as core aeration.

Overseeing Lawns in the Fall

Then there’s the matter of overseeing. Consult the general guidelines offered in the following resources:

• Overseeing Lawns With Cool-Season Grasses
• Overseeing Lawns With Warm-Season Grasses

Note: You should already have applied fertilizer lightly to cool season grasses in late summer / early fall (the “bridge feeding”). Since these grasses are most active during periods of moderate weather (not too hot, not too cold), it is precisely at this time that they can best use the nutrients provided by a fertilizer. Fertilization promotes root growth and helps the lawn recover from the summer heat, while preparing it for the next growing season.

Such fertilizers are designed to help you winterize lawns.

Fall Garden Care: Winterizing Garden Beds and Vegetable Beds

After harvesting your fruits and flowers, Annual Lawn Maintenance should ascend to the top of your agenda. Remove old plant matter from the garden, placing it in your compost bin. Leaving it behind in the garden would invite plant diseases next growing season.

Some people choose to rototill their garden soil at this time, although some experts say that excessive rototilling may do more harm than good. But some people rely on small garden tillers to keep down weeds in vegetable gardens. Rototilling in fall may seem premature; but it will make your spring gardening work go much easier. Drain the old gas out of the rototiller afterwards.

If you are going to rototill the garden, this is the time to apply lime (if soil tests have indicated that your pH is too low).

The effects of liming don’t manifest themselves for several months, so liming in the spring is too late for next year’s crop.

You’ll also need to protect your topsoil from the rigors of winter. You have two options here: You can plant a cover crop for large beds or you can apply a mulch. Mulching is more efficient for smaller beds. And landscapers have a ready source of mulch in the leaves that they rake.

Perennial garden beds ideally should be cleaned up and mulched as part of your work in fall gardens. Remove old stalks and leaves — you’ll have to do so in the spring anyways, so you might as well be a step ahead. But if, for whatever reason, you are not able to mulch your perennial beds in the fall, then do not clean away the old stalks and leaves either — they will serve as a makeshift mulch, affording some small degree of protection to the roots of your perennials. In other words, the cleaning and the mulching go together: either do both or neither one. But it is best to do both, in order to keep your garden disease-free and well insulated.

Some garden experts like Lawn Care Apex NC recommend spreading compost on the soil as well at this time. I personally disagree with this strategy, feeling that it is a waste of compost. I recommend keeping your compost protected in a compost bin during the winter, waiting until planting season to spread it in the garden.

Winterizing Trees and Shrubs

Winterize small deciduous shrubs that have fragile branches with a lean-to or some other sort of structure to keep heavy snows off their limbs. Deciduous shrubs provide no interest in winter anyways, so you are not losing anything visually by covering them. Evergreens, by contrast, are the cornerstone of winter landscaping aesthetics.

To a great degree winterizing trees and larger shrubs can be achieved simply by watering them properly in the fall, since the winter damage that they sustain often stems from their inability to draw water from the frozen earth. “Avoid watering trees in late summer or early fall before the leaves fall so they can ‘harden off’ for winter,” states Sherry Lajeunesse, in a Montana State University Extension article.

“Then in late fall, after deciduous trees drop their leaves but before the ground freezes, give both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs a final deep watering to last them through the winter.” The same source also reminds us to “water under the entire canopy area and beyond,” to cover the entire root area.

Prepare Your Tools for Winter

While caring for the living areas of your yard will take up most of your time and energy, your tools deserve some attention too. Proper storage and maintenance of your gear will help get your spring gardening get off to a great start.

Bring in the garden hose and go down into the basement to turn off its water source in the fall. You don’t want those pipes bursting when the temperatures fall into the teens, do you?

With winter approaching, your “pampered beasts” are no longer going to be the lawn mower and rototiller. The snowblower is again ready to assume that honor. Snow is as much a reality of the northern landscape in winter as grass is in summer. Pamper your snowblower accordingly! Make sure you change the oil, install a new spark plug, inspect belts for wear and replace if necessary, lube the drive and chasis and fill with fresh, clean gasoline

And what maintenance should you perform on your lawn mower before storing it away? Drain out the gas in late fall. You’ll be glad that you did, next spring, when you go to start up the lawn mower again. Letting the old gas sit around in the lawn mower all winter and get gummy is not conducive to having easy lawn mower maintenance next spring, when you begin mowing again — the lawn mower won’t start up easily.

How to Winterize Your Compost Bin

Winterizing your compost bin. You have worked hard all spring, summer and fall building up your compost pile and mixing it to achieve optimal decomposition. Don’t let any of your work go to waste! You don’t want precious nutrients eroding away or being swept off by wintery gusts and feel free to contact with your local lawn professionals and if you are in Lexington so Green Garden Landscaping will be your best choice. If your compost bin has no cover, then cover it with a tarp in the fall. To insulate it from winter freezing so as to hasten its usability in spring, apply a layer of raked leaves on top and all around the perimeter (bagging the leaves if necessary to hold them in place).

While we’ve covered such tasks as winterizing lawns, trees and shrubs and other miscellaneous tasks, you may have specific features on your landscape that will require additional attention in the autumn. For instance, owners of in-ground swimming pools or elaborate water gardens will have to engage in winterizing tasks specific to these features. Always follow manufacturers’ recommendations.

Annual Rye grass Plant Information

The grass shown in the picture above is annual ryegrass. There’s more than one kind of rye; in fact, three different types of grasses contain “rye” in their names. It’s easy to be fooled, and part of the purpose of this article is to distinguish between the three types. Along the way I’ll discuss the various purposes to which these plants are put.

Understanding the Differences Between the Three Kinds of Rye

When the use of common names engenders confusion, it’s helpful to turn to the scientific names of the plants for some clarity.

Here are the botanical monikers for the three grasses in question (along with their most commonly-used common names):

1. Lolium multiflorum (annual ryegrass)
2. Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass)
3. Secale cereale (winter rye)

Note, however, that, when speaking informally, people sometimes refer to the first two, as well, as ” winter rye.” That’s all the more reason to insist on the use of the botanical name when a positive ID is called for.

In addition to Lolium multiflorum, also in the annual camp is Secale cereale. So that’s one important difference to observe between the three: namely, that two have an annual life cycle, while one is a perennial.

Another noteworthy difference is that winter rye (Secale cereale), unlike the other two, is a grain. Thus another common name for it: “cereal rye.” So think of this one in the way that you would think of wheat or a similar grain, not a lawn grass. Another difference — which should now come as no surprise to you — is that winter rye is a more robust plant than either annual ryegrass or perennial ryegrass.

Despite these differences, they all share one thing (besides having similar names): they are cool-season grasses.

Now that we’ve explored some of the major differences between these three grasses, let’s examine some of their uses.

Uses for Annual Ryegrass

The best-known use for annual rye grass is in overseeing lawns, specifically, in overseeing lawns that are composed of warm-season grasses in the South.

When the warm-season grass goes dormant in these lawns during the months of cooler temperatures, overseeding with a cool-season counterpart (annual ryegrass) provides a way to enjoy a green expanse for a longer duration. By the time this annual grass dies out, the weather will have become suitable again for the warm-season grass to take over.

Annual Lawn Maintenance is also used in emergencies to cover bare ground. An example would be to fight erosion in a pinch. The seed is cheap, so people sometimes turn to this grass when they can’t afford a better option. As Green Garden Landscaping’s points out, “Annual Ryegrass is often used as a nurse crop or as a temporary turf to quickly fill in bare areas due to its rapid germination.”

I can testify to that rapid germination. As an experiment, I sowed seeds of creeping red fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and annual ryegrass in small containers on August 21. By August 25, the annual ryegrass had already germinated. The next one (the fescue) did not germinate until August 28; the Kentucky bluegrass germinated shortly thereafter. Even after germination, the three patches were markedly different, with the annual ryegrass being by far the thickest and tallest of the three.

This vigor is a double-edged sword, unhappily.

Its tolerance of a variety of conditions and its ability to reseed quickly mean that annual ryegrass is potentially an invasive plant. If you decide to use it as a temporary measure to solve a landscaping problem and don’t want it to spread, try to keep it from going to seed by mowing faithfully until it runs through its natural life cycle and dies out.

Uses for Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass is used extensively in lawns. It is commonly found as one of the constituents of a grass seed mix. Such mixes are composed on the principle that a weak point of one type of grass (lack of shade tolerance, for example) in the mix can be offset by a strong point of another. In the case of perennial ryegrass, a strong point is that it holds up well to foot traffic.

Like annual ryegrass, another strength of perennial ryegrass is that its seed germinates rapidly.

As annual lawn maintenance observes, “Perennial ryegrass is considered a nurse grass because it is often included in grass seed blends mainly for its ability to germinate quickly and provide shade and protection to the other grass species like Kentucky bluegrass which can take up to three weeks to get started.” As a weak point, Kelly cites its clumping growth habit, a result of which is that “it can sometimes appear patchy”. Perennial ryegrass is different in this respect from many lawn grasses, which possess the ability to spread via stolons or rhizomes, allowing them to fill in better.

Uses for Winter Rye

Winter rye is perhaps the best known of these three grasses to the general public. That’s because it is enjoyed as an edible not only by livestock, but also by people. Its grain is used for the flour that gives us rye bread (deli, anyone?). Others will be more familiar with the use of the grain in producing whiskey.

Here I’ll concern myself with the use of winter rye as a “cover crop.” If you’re not familiar with that term, please read my introduction to the benefits of cover crops.

One of those benefits is weed control, which winter rye excels at due to that horticultural super power known as “allelopathy,” i.e., the ability to inhibit the germination of the seeds of competing plants. The potential drawback, as mentioned by the Lawn Care Cary NC, is that “allelopathic compounds may suppress germination of small-seeded vegetable crops as well if they are planted shortly after the incorporation of cereal rye residue.”

Nonetheless, winter rye, managed properly, is very effective as a cover crop, boasting good cold-hardiness, a deep root system (to prevent erosion and loosen the soil), and good drought tolerance compared to other cereals.

Lawn Care Pittsboro NC used to sow winter rye seed in fall. The exact time for sowing will depend on your region (ask your local extension), but the idea is to get your cover crop established before winter settles in. All you have to do thereafter for a while is wait for winter to end and let the cover crop do its job of “covering for you” until spring returns.

In spring, I would mow the winter rye, then use a garden tiller to turn it under. Some gardeners, rather than rototilling every last bit of this biomass underground, save some to use on top of the ground as a mulch, in which case you’re essentially growing your own mulch. How cool is that?

Either way, the real question becomes, When do I mow my winter rye? If you don’t want your cover crop to outstay its welcome, the timing for mowing is critical, because you face the challenge of something termed “grow-back.”

Why does winter rye sometimes grow back if it’s an annual? Well, it’s important to review just what the annual life cycle consists of. Essentially, a cold-hardy annual such as winter rye will keep growing until it achieves its goal in life, which is to bear flowers so that it can produce seeds. So if you mow too soon, it may make a comeback and put on more growth in an attempt once again to bloom — which you don’t want. On the other hand, if you wait too long to mow, the plants will, indeed, go to seed and live on through a second generation. You don’t want that, either.

A Goldilocks solution is called for (mowing not too early, not too late). While you can often get away with mowing at a height of 12-18 inches (this is what the University of Vermont recommends) without experiencing grow-back, a surer way is to keep an eye out for flowering and mow at that time.

How to Care for the Lawn in Winter

In most parts of the country, lawn grass goes dormant in the winter. In the south, cool-season rye grass is often over seeded into the turf to maintain a Lawn Care. In the north, it’s too cold for any grass to grow, so we wait patiently for spring, sometimes under snow cover, sometimes not. However, lawn care doesn’t quite end in the winter. Try these tricks to keep your yard healthy.

Fertilize

Apply fertilizer with a spreader.

As you move the machine back and forth over the grass, grip the handle like a trigger, it releases pellets when you “shoot.” Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package. Apply only the Lawn Care Cary NC‘s or your local lawn professional’s recommended amount. Be careful because too much fertilizer can burn your grass.

Aerate the Lawn

Lawn Care Pittsboro NC will suggest you to provide some extra air for grassroots by aerating your lawn. Use a spade to take out spikes of soil across your lawn to make holes for planting seeds. If your lawn is large, you might want to rent a motorized aerator or a manual one.

Spread Cool-Weather Grass Seed

Purchase grass seed that says “cool season” or “cool weather” on the package, such as most fescues. You can sprinkle the seed over the lawn with the same spreader you used for the fertilizer. Try to spread the seed evenly so you won’t have clumps of grass later.

Rake and Water the Lawn

Drag a rake for the lawn care to break up soil clumps and cover the seeds a bit.

Water the lawn with the garden hose spray. After that, keep the soil moist, don’t let it dry out.

More Winterizing Tips

• Clean it up. It is extremely important not to leave debris, leaves, or toys out on the lawn. These things can smother the grass, create disease conditions, and invite insects, mice, and other damaging pests.
• Lower the height of your mower by a notch or two the last couple of times you mow. Excessively long grass can smother itself, cause disease, and is at risk of damage from freezing and thawing conditions. However, do not cut the grass so short that you scalp it, thus exposing the crown of the plant to extreme conditions.
• Be aware of traffic. Under snow cover or exposed to the elements, dormant grass will tolerate a moderate amount of traffic, but a heavily worn path will be slower to green up in the spring and cause compaction.
• Monitor weather conditions. Turf is very resilient and can tolerate an extreme winter, but certain conditions can be harmful in the long term. It might be worthwhile to chip away a little-exposed ice in a low spot if you know a winter storm or deep freeze is approaching.

Winters can often be unpredictable and may put your Annual Lawn Maintenance through some extreme conditions during the course of the season. The best thing to do is make sure the grass has hardened off, once you’ve “put the lawn to bed” properly, you can focus on keeping your sidewalks clear and building snowmen. Just remember to keep an eye on the weather.

Top Snow Removal and Lawn Care Tips for Homes & Driveways

We have moved from town to a rural area in a cold weather since two years ago and we have the serious winter experience to share with you here.

Even though our first winter was smooth and only had about a month of snow on the ground, and when heavy snow was started we had managed the low temperature in our inner-property and sustained our life smoothly for two months. We are pleased to report that we had enjoyed that snow season because of our good planning care and snow has not disturbed us.

Read this full article to know about our stunning Lawn Care Apex NC experience.

Use a solid plow to clear the snow

In our first winter we did not have a snowplow or any other tool to remove the Snow, but somehow got lucky. Actually our neighbors had previously realized that what was important for snow plowing, they also had helped us which was nice.

But the last winter was completely different from the first one. We had deep snow everywhere in our lawn and tracks. We had consumed our huge time to remove the snow which was really very hard.

What happens in the snow is really perfect to get rid of it as quickly as possible in areas to be careful. Otherwise, the temperature will rise, dissolve the snow in a disaster and even freeze it and replace your property in an ice rink.

We know people who have fallen snow in their driveway up to three meters, then the rain comes, making it impossible for the snow to be removed from their own equipment. If you have resources (or meaning to find) to get rid of the snow right away, do it and your future self will be grateful!

Even if they can be an investment in advance, they are destined to spend many years and benefit from many families (maybe you can get more money by plowing with neighbors!).

Have the snowmobile easy to push

One of the best tools on our winter site is our snowmobile. Kate really grew up in a place where snow in the winter could be 10 feet deep, and it’s a tool used by locals!

Lawn Service Sanford NC is easy to push when the snow is beautiful and fluffy and makes snowy areas bigger. I think these will be perfect for cleaning small ramps, paths, sidewalks or other small areas where snow is not required. Before we get a snow plow, we clean up our long journey, but need more than one hour of repetitive work: a great exercise if you think it’s “soft” in the winter!

Have a nice snow blower or snow blower

Even with a snowman and a snow plow it is important to have a kick that is good for making snow. While we try to get rid of things before the snow comes, sometimes we need to remove things like hoses or pipes. Teams and scouts are not good at such practices because they are not very accurate.

You can use a shovel of this type that is perfect for pushing the dried snow, but if the snow is too wet or cold, you may need to use a special lawn care services. Again … when snows, the key is to do it early and often, so that the snow has no chance to develop or melt. Nothing worse than removing wet and heavy snow!

Keep plenty of salt in your hand

Depending on the winter, it may be a good idea to have large salt cubes available. Although we keep our entrance and the sidewalks, sometimes the temperatures are hot, the sow gradually melts and then freeze again in the form of ice.

It creates a good ice rink in the driveway, but you can imagine it’s a great way to get to your back (yes, it happened more than once). Do yourself a favor and keep some salt around if things are so uncertain. Ideally, you must remove the snow before you have the opportunity to change in an ice rink, but sometimes it is not possible.

Plan ahead to unload the super snow

Another thing that’s not easy to think until late is when you can throw the excess snow that has been removed. In urban areas it may be more difficult, but we are lucky that we have a great amount of space in our properties. We have many different places where we throw our snow, but they are both far from the traffic of the car on the site. Snow accumulations can grow pretty much in winter, so plan wisely. I said that, on this weekend we got 30 “snow for two days, and we had snow fast where it fit! Finally we pushed a lot of snow for our further pile of wood fuel (we have plans for next year’s pile) to avoid it Do what we say … unlike us!

Keep ice cream in your car

If you are used to living in a cold climate, this is probably a good idea for you, but it was not my first year that I lived in a place that really came back! The windshield ice is not good. Because we live in the grid (we are not obliged to public facilities) we have solar energy and it is important to keep solar panels clean. Ice crabs work well on it, so Landscaping Sanford NC can remove ice without damaging them, and so we continue to get the free energy from the sun. Ice cores are often two-sided: a knife and a brush. The blade is perfect for ice cream and the brush is good for snow powder … our favorite because the temperature is cold!

Put Stacks With Oprit Depending on the amount of snow you’ve got and how your driveway is in your land, it might be a good idea to install the driveway at bets like this one! Jesse’s uncle was really surprised at us by putting reflectors along our entrance, and they were splendid in the snow because we could see where the edge of the entrance was over.

Remove the snow quickly

The best way to remove the snow, which we can really offer, is to eliminate the snow quickly and frequently. There is nothing worse than having snowballs in areas where it is not supposed to be when the temperature rises.  Snowplows and snow scoops are also working well, but not when the snow is on the ground to be removed. It is best to plow only a few centimeters at a time, which should be managed in most climates. Once we get a decent snow, we will work to clear the driveway, clear the trails, clear the snow from our outer terrace and clean the snow from the outside of the stairs. This prevents the snow from being completely governed, so it does not accumulate and does not stay in time! do not be lazy

Have a solid and live winter dress in your hands

Since Lawn Care Pittsboro NC is part of our lives in winter months, we are definitely investing in high-quality winter clothing. We do not want to limit our clothes, but to invest in things that help us improve our work.

Extra tip: Remove the snow during the coldest days to avoid the stress and to work smarter, not harder.

Do not remove the snow when it’s hot outside, even if it means you need to clean the snow at night or in the morning!  We are often in the dark snow and it is surprising we really enjoyed it! It’s a good move to winter when we’re busy with our company all day.

In summary

In the end, avoiding all the suggestions, we always go back to the idea of ​​quickly and frequently removing snow. If you do this as soon as snow, it should not be too fast for you unless you’re in snowboarding style like the last weekend! We hope you find these snow removal and Lawn Maintenance tips useful and if you have anything you want to share.

We want to get some of those ideas and add this page to be the best resource! Do you like this message? If so, help us make more of them! We work hard to get you the best possible content. Discover how to support our blog here without spending a dime!

How to Make a Beautiful Lawn in Winter

Beautiful Winter Lawns

Having a great looking lawn in winter is often thought of as an impossibility for many people, yet as we drive around town we can’t help but notice that for many other lawn owners, the concept is merely a myth. The proof is seen in lush green carpets of lawn at a time when many other lawns are in a state of decline, lacking in color, bare patches and thinning out of the thatch layer.

So what’s the secret of Landscaping Cary NC, what are these miraculous gardeners doing in winter that we are not, that can produce results of such diversity?

Why Winter Is A Problem For Lawns

For most lawn owners in USA, we grow Warm Season Grasses for use as our lawns, which means in warmer weather, the grasses thrive, and as the weather cools, they go into a state of very slowed growth or in some cases, a state of semi-hibernation.

According to the Lawn Care Pittsboro NC Without the rapid and regular growth associated with warmer weather, grasses will lose their dark green color, and will become slower to re-grow and repair damage. As the position of the sun changes in the sky and increases shade, and when combined with lower daylight hours and a reduction in direct sunlight and lower soil temperatures, lawns will generally be at their most vulnerable and unable to repair or maintain good health as well as they can in warmer times.

The Secret To A Beautiful Lawn In Winter

A beautiful lawn in Winter is created in Autumn, PRIOR to the onset of Winter.

That’s the secret! And it’s very simple.

Once Winter arrives, there is very little if anything much at all that can be done to bring a lawn to good health, or to maintain it there if the grass wasn’t already in maximum health prior to Winter arriving. Sanford Lawn Service can give you a amazing lawn care services and make your lawn and garden very beautiful.

The Steps To Increasing Lawn Health In Autumn

Realize and be aware of the importance of the lead-up to Winter as being the only time to create a beautiful Winter lawn and act accordingly.

Increase Mowing Heights

As daylight hours decrease so does the ability of lawns to photosynthesis, by increasing mowing heights and leaving more green leaf we increase the food supply to the grass. This step is essential, and taking the mower up a notch or two should suffice.

Decrease Watering as Air and Soil Temperatures Decrease

Over watering at this time of year can increase the possibility of turf diseases or rotting of the thatch layer.

Treat Winter grass

If we had Winter grass last year, we’ll have it again this year too, and its continuing existence can choke the root system of our lawn throughout the year. Winter grass must be treated when it’s young, and the very best time to treat it is pre-emergent. That means knowing that Winter grass will soon emerge and killing it before it is even seen. Winter grass can be treated pre-emergent from May.

Fertilize Correctly

This means having a plan for fertilizing at the right times with the right fertilizers. Put down a high quality Lawn Care Apex NC Winter Fertilizer in May prior to Winter arriving. The next application of Winter fertilizer should be in July, 8 weeks later. Apply to manufacturers recommendations. Winter fertilizers contain higher levels of Iron which is essential for good lawn health through Winter.

Kill Winter Weeds

Generally broad leaf weeds will become more prominent in Winter as conditions for their survival improve, and as the ability for the lawn to fight against them decreases, best to treat them as early as possible before they spread.

Pruning

Overgrown trees and bushes may increase their shade levels in Winter, and by the time we notice that our lawn has started dying in affected areas, it can be too late to repair the damage. So it’s best to plan ahead and prune trees and other bushes in Autumn.

Some Important Lawn Care Tips

Air your lawn to go with Thatch

Thatch is a layered lawn mower, moss and other organic materials that can be developed on your lawn. If your lawn is covered with a cape, you can not breathe or absorb water or fertilizer. An annual aeration of the Lawn Care Apex NC solve that problem by breaking it down and accelerating its dissolution. Soil plugs resulting from aeration contain microorganisms that digest the cane.

Air for water saving and protection against drought

If your lawn has a cane accumulated, water can not absorb it properly. Even if your soil is hard and compressed, water will swim in your lawn and will reduce the transfer of oxygen and nutrients to the soil. Aerating facilitates compaction on your lawn and improves the penetration of air, water and nutrients to a healthier soil.

Aerate for weeds and insect resistance

The central aeration is good for carrots. Curing the lawn through Lawn Care Pittsboro NC ensures that water, air and nutrients reach their roots, improve growth and, therefore, prevent the herb from spreading. In addition, insects that want to thrive on their lawns, like worms, will fall off, while other insect infections (such as bedbugs) will be abandoned if it breaks their environment.

Aerate for better growth of fertilizer and peat absorption

Airborne soil also increases the influence of fertilizer on the root system. If you light your lawn carefully, you can make the most of your fertilizer investment. In addition, aeration ensures that new lawn locations grow for a stronger lawn.

Air to Free Top Dressing

As you air the lawn, you leave thousands of cores of soil on the surface of your garden. Sanford Lawn Service provides a superior dressing that allows you to keep moisture in the grass and protect your grass until the next rain.

Air when your grass is in maximum growth

Depending on the type of grass on your lawn, you can escape during different seasons. Mainly you want to aerate if your grass is in high season. That means the late spring for the warm season grass, and preferably early autumn for the cold season grass.

Gently wind your lawn

You can use a lot of tools to hear your floor, from a simple fork to a mechanical aerator. But whatever you use, be sure to mark your lawn before you start aerating. Mark brand flags, mark all irrigation heads, cabinets, surface irrigation pipes or surface wiring, and all other components that can be damaged by aeration.

Air completely with multiple passages

When you are ready to go, listen to the lawn according to the same pattern as when you are cutting. For best results, perform several steps with the aerator to prevent inconsistent grass growth with separate grass patches. If your lawn is in good condition, it is sufficient. If your lawn has large bare areas, adjust three to four. The more plugs and holes you have in the lawn, the better.

Air with the right tools

With optional accessories, cultivation, tilting, sweeping, rooting, and, of course, Landscaping Cary NC can work as a workflow, making it a great tool for many garden and garden work. You can also rely on a hand-held speaker and do not necessarily need an aerator, depending on the size of your lawn. Other techniques for lawn aeration include nails, push aerators and lawn aeration shoes. The main difference between nails and plugs is that the previous individual holes will graze their bottom while the latter actually eliminates the grips.

After Lawn Aeration

After the aeration process, properly care for your garden, including fertilization, irrigation and cutting. Depending on the health of your lawn, you can fly every year or two. However, if your lawn is in good condition, you often do not have to go through the aeration process.

Winter Lawn Care Tips

In most of the country, the grass is dormant in winter. The racial season of the fresh season is often exceeded in the field of grass to maintain a Landscaping Cary NC. In the north it is too cold that the grass grows, so we wait patiently for the spring – sometimes under the snow cover, sometimes not. The care of the grass, however, is not entirely in winter.

Winter Lawn Care

1. Fertilize

Apply fertilizer with a spreader.

If you move the machine back and forth on the lawn, grasp the handle as a trigger and release the pellets when firing. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer package. Just adjust the recommended amount by Lawn Care Pittsboro NC. Be careful because too much fertilizer can burn your grass.

2. Aerate the lawn

Provide some extra air for grass roots by listening to your lawn – to make dirt swords on your lawn to plant holes to sow seeds. You can rent a motorized aerator or a manual version.

3. Spread Cool-Weather Grass Seed

Buy grass seed that says “cold season” or “cool time” in the package, like most hinges. You can sprinkle the seed through the lawn with the same spreader you used for the fertilizer. Try to spread the seed evenly, so you will not get grass seeds later.

4. Stir and water the lawn

Drag a rake over the lawn to clean the bottom clogs and cover the seeds a bit. Water the grass with the hose spray.

Then keep the soil moist – do not let Sanford Lawn Service it dry.

More Winter Tips

Wipe it off. It is very important not to leave debris, leaves or toys on the lawn. These things can lubricate the grass, create disease conditions and invite insects, mice and other harmful pests.

Slowly cut the height of your mower with a hook or two (.5 “- 1.0”) a few times. Excessive long grass can avoid the disease causing the disease and the risk of frostbite and thaw damage. However, do not overlap the grass and screw to expose the crown of the plant to extreme conditions.

Note the traffic. Under the snow cover, or exposed to the elements, inactive grass will tolerate a moderate amount of traffic, but a heavily worn path will be slower to grow in the spring and to cause compaction.

Save time. Peat is very resistant and can tolerate an extreme winter, but certain conditions can be harmful in the long run. Perhaps it may be useful to extract a small exposed ice at a low point if you know that a winter storm is approaching or freezing.
Winters can often be unpredictable and can put your grass through some extreme Landscaping Sanford NC conditions during the winter. It is best to make sure that the grass heals, that it has good grass laid down, must control the weather and aims to build in the maintenance of its sidewalks and snowmen.

WINTER CARE LANDSCAPE TIPS

We do not know what to expect in the winter. We can have snow, ice, heat sources, heavy rain and even dry weather. Perhaps there is a mixed bag and while we are hot in the house; Our plants must overcome the conditions.

Taking steps, suggested by Lawn Care Apex NC to prevent the winter of your landscape helps minimize potential damage and makes the landscape ready for the spring season. Here are some winter care tips to protect your plants, trees and shrubs against snow, ice, wind and winter temperatures.

Mulch trees, plants and bushes

Mulch for trees, plants and shrubs to add more protection for the winter. The padding is an important control of the collapse and loss of water. A double-dimensional layer of coating reduces water loss and helps maintain the soil temperature around the plants protecting the veins.

Keep the plants well hydrated

Evergreen plants continue to penetrate, or even lose water through their winter leaves. According to the Lawn Service Sanford NC If the fall rules are insufficient, give the plants a low point that provides water throughout the root system before freezing on the ground.

Warm seasonal irrigation during the months of January, February and March is desirable.

Protect evergreen, plants and trees

Small trees of evergreen, shrubs and trees can be protected by the use of windbreaks made of jute or similar material. They are made by attaching material to a frame around the plant, reducing the power of the air and damaging the plants. A full wrap is sometimes used, but avoid using black plastic.

Cut shorter on the lawn

Sanford Lawn Service will suggest you that during the growing season, the lawn should be cut to 3 inches to 3.5 inches, but the final cut of the lawn should be 2 inches to 2.5 inches.

Beware of winter games

Consider venting the wicker plants in the sun and return them at night.

Be careful when you slide snow

Put the posts on the reflectors next to the plants so that they are well marked so that the snow is not pushed to the top of them. Consider cleaning snow from rides and ramps with snow shovel or blowers. It reduces the amount of melting, said by Lawn Care Pittsboro NC.

Remove broken legs

If a member is damaged by snow, ice and wind, remove it as soon as possible, then the tree or shrubs may be better when the hot temperature is near. Damaged trees are more susceptible to disease.

Do not shake the branches

Owners need to brush snow carefully. Shaking limbs can break them. They should use their hands to remove the snow from the plants to protect them from snow repairs.

Pruning most winter plants

The late season is best for pruning in many regions. Pruning in late winter, before spring growth begins, fresh lesions are exposed within a short period of time before new growth begins.

Landscaping Sanford NC look forward to these tips to protect your landscape from any winter you have in the store. If you have questions about caring for your lawn or landscape – visit the expert. Grass, tree, bush, insect, water or land – you call it and we give you the necessary information.

Stir you to get away from your lawn!

Some Basic Lawn Care Tips

You have a healthy lawn if you see it: a smooth, lush green rug, ideal for cartwheels and croquet. So why does not your lawn look like it? To get that perfect lawn you have to change your mind. You and your lawn. This is how you start.

Set Background

Planting a new lawn is a good adventure: Preparation and planning are important. No matter what vegetable method you are going to use, you should thoroughly prepare the area to prevent weeds and ensure that the soil is not immediately coated or become compact lumps. DIY-proof children are available in child care and catalogs, or you can take advantage of the test offered by your Lawn Service Sanford NC. It may seem like a nuisance, but tasting your land will save you from dumping money on land.

Green lawn maintenance

Start with stripping the area of ​​all weeds, including carrots, even if that means taking the top six inches. Then rototiller to a depth of at least six centimeters to lose denitrification and improve drainage. It is extremely important to add silt and compost to enrich the soil; Many experts suggest that even parts of clay, sand and their original vegetable soil are mixed. You are better off in the long run if you take a slight slope to facilitate drainage and prevent buildup. Finally, use a roller to pack the floor and arrange the area with a metal rake. Be as complete as you can – remember, if you have put your seed you can not go back and reign. Feel free to consult with your locals such as Lawn Care Apex NC.

To sow the seed

No problem, but running a soft carpet is the fastest way to a beautiful lawn. But this can be so expensive, especially if your lawn will cover a large area. The alternative sows the area itself, either by hand or by a method called hydrosiembra, which has recently become popular. Used long time by farmers to plant large fields, watering solves one of the main problems with the seed of the hand: even the propagation of the seeds. Grass seed – a blend of mixed varieties for your climate and the type of use your lawn is – is blended into a pulp made of virgin wood fibers, fertilizers and binders.

Shaving and haircut

When it comes to sharing congealment, the first on the lips of many gardeners is cutting height. Most people cut their lawns too short, as grass stretches. The higher grass promotes better root development, says Robert (a professional gardener), in addition to shading the soil so it does not dry out so quickly. An additional advantage: the larger grass blocks the sun that the weeds need to germinate. And I do not think leaves of grass any longer to cut. “here is a big misconception that many people have when they are shorter, which they should not cut so often. But that’s absolutely false, it’s refreshing so fast you do not always keep it and do not hesitate to contact with your local professionals such as Sanford Lawn Service.

Water, Water everywhere

Water only once a week, but deep water “is the rule according to Paul. A weekly soaking helps expand deeper roots in the soil, while shallow watering tends to reed, that ugly brown corridors Depressing the water can also prevent chinchbugs, a plaque that often attaches to dry lawns across the middle section of the country.To find out how much water your lawn needs, consider your soil type: soil Sandy drips faster, while clayey soils keep moisture longer and do not need water as often.

For a freshly planted lawn, water every day for 5 to 10 minutes. Its purpose is to moisten the seeds without causing drains that can be washed or avoided with the veins. After the seeds sprout and the new grass is half an inch long, water once a day for 15 to 20 minutes.

Please, join me

Even the healthiest turf is hungry and needs a hearty meal. Twice a year, spring and autumn, the minimum minimum of most experts is recommended for fertilization, although some are fed in the middle of summer. But beware of the common N-P-K (nitrogen-phosphate-potassium) fertilizers that are popular with most Lawn Care Pittsboro NC gardeners, says Robert; They do not offer all you need hungry grass. Instead, it advises a complete fertilizer that includes micro nutrients like sulfur, copper and iron. “Like having a multivitamin, your herb should have one too,” says Robert. In addition to regular fertilization, it advises a dolomite lime application every few years. This is because irrigation and fertilization cause the soil to become acidic over time and lime restores pH, while important minerals such as calcium and magnesium return to the soil. In some western areas, soils are naturally alkaline and do not have this problem, so it is best to first test soil pH.

Weeds are leaving

Without a doubt, the grass is the work of the existence of every lawn gardener. But that does not mean that herbicides are essential for a healthy lawn; In fact, many experts avoid them. The real secret to banning weeds, they say, is to grow such a healthy herb that obviously expresses to the invaders. Regular mowing also helps because it comes from weeds such as dandelion and grass before they can spread their seeds. If you have been forced to fight against a weed path, Paul recommends the use of one of the new “natural” herbicides that derive their potency from corn gluten, fatty acid salts or other non-chemical sources.

Air supply

When the grass becomes compact, the nutrients can not penetrate the root system where they need it most. There is aeration in the lawn to improve oxygen circulation. Most people fly with a simple tool that looks like two hollow tubes at the end of a long handle. Of course, you can also roll around your lawn in sports shoes with Landscaping Sanford NC tips – it works well too.

Types of grass

Some lawns have finer textures (think golf courses), while others feel like Astroturf under their feet. There are hundreds of types of grass available, and new varieties are developed annually.

As with all plant options, climate plays an important role in determining what type of grass is best for you. Soil type, rainfall and other factors are also included. In general, cold season grass will fall asleep during hot weather and warm season varieties will go to sleep in the colder months of the year; In areas where green grass is all year round, you want a mix of both species. “I lived in seven different states and had seven different lawns,” says lead gardener John Griggs, who believes a local nursery is one of the best sources of information on what type of grass works best in his area.