Seasonal landscape maintenance tasks are extremely critical in keeping your landscape healthy and beautiful. Landscapers have their mental checklist, prune this during spring, turn that off during fall, and so on. Each season we have our to-do list that we follow to make sure our properties are looking great all year long. The beginning of the season is always hectic for landscapers. It seems to be our busiest time with getting irrigation systems up and running, cleaning up properties to get ready for the season, and applying pre-emergent herbicides to reduce weeds during the summer season.
And if mother nature has its way, we may be doing some snow removal and ice control long into the spring season. Ask your customers when they want them up and down and plan out your crews to accommodate. Get yourself a wholesaler in materials for lights and other Christmas items and put your designs to the test to brighten up any house on the street.
Your work is on display each off-season and could make you a busy and in-demand company come to the next off-season. Does anyone enjoy raking leaves? If you have customers that have plenty of trees, and maybe you planted them, an add-on to your project work could be lawn maintenance.
And that includes leaf removal. Depending on how long winter snow holds off for, it could be up to eight weeks of leaf removal. If you have decided to go with a landscape business management software that includes a design element, there is always time to brush up on new techniques and get more training in your software. Never stop learning as a landscaper.
A tool, module or element inside your landscape software may change the way you look at off-season business. And whoever turned down revenue? Spring is the season when your lawn needs maximum attention after it has endured all the harsh conditions of winter.
Whatever you do during this season will determine how healthy or unhealthy your lawn looks for the next several months. The reason for this is that its roots still store enough carbohydrates from last fall to facilitate early spring growth. As a general rule of thumb, fertilizer tends to be more useful after a plant has exhausted its own resources.
Besides, liquid feeds and tonics are more recommended than granular fertilizers for quicker absorption by the plants. You should water your lawn no more than an inch a week. If you live in an area with regular rainfall, avoid turning your sprinkler system back on. Overwatering your lawn will drown the roots and encourage weed growth.
The best time to start watering your lawn in spring is after grass starts to show signs of wilting. It is during this time that plants grow more and deeper roots which come in handy during those extended dry periods later in the summer. Overseeding is the process of replenishing grass by scattering grass seeds over a lawn.
However, there is a debate on whether overseeding for cool-season turfgrasses is effective or not during spring. New seeds for these kinds of grasses only tend to grow shallow roots since the higher temperatures in the following summer cause photorespiration. This is the process where a plant uses more energy than it manufactures. But if your lawn has warm-season turfgrasses, then overseeding is generally recommended around this time. As the spring weather warms the soil, earthworms and other bugs emerge toward the upper soil levels—but moles can return as well.
Moles attack and damage the root systems of lawns in their search for worms and other food. Most moles in North America are found in the eastern U. The most common family of moles in the U. However, the best time to lay mole traps is during the spring just before they build more tunnels.
Weeds, such as crabgrass, begin to germinate during late spring and emerge fully during the summer, but you can curb and eliminate their presence. These herbicides are readily found in supermarkets and should be applied days before the germination periods of weeds. Later on in spring, you may consider using post-emergent herbicides to control any grassy or broadleaf weeds that often show up during summer.
Remove any leaves and twigs that might have accumulated on your lawn over the winter using leaf rakes and similar tools. Cleaning up these old debris paves the way for easy application of herbicides and fertilizers. This helps to ensure that oxygen, water, and nutrients from feeds reach roots for healthy lawn growth.
The University of Wisconsin compiled a list of common lawn diseases throughout all four seasons. When it comes to lawn care, the majority, if not all, of us do it with summer in mind. It is during this season that lawns are used intensively as nearly everyone is spending more time outdoors and having lots of fun. As you can imagine, your lawn also is likely to suffer the most during this time due to the longer and drier days as well as increased foot traffic. Mowing height adjustment is probably the most important practice to prepare lawns for hot weather.
The reason is that lawns maintained at taller lengths, at least three inches or slightly higher, develop deeper root systems. Avoid mowing too frequently, especially if your lawn has cool-season turfgrasses.
Their growth naturally slows down when temperatures become hotter and drier. Weekly mowing is reasonable and recommended. This will prevent you from cutting more than a third of the grass blade at a time which is key in keeping your grass looking healthier and stronger. If you have cool-season grass in your lawn, mow it at inches while for warm-season grass, that level should be down to about inches high.
After mowing, leave the clippings as mulch to keep moisture levels steady throughout the hot days. Dull blades can harm and increase stress to your grass which is exactly what you want to avoid with all the unforgiving summer heat.
Summer is the time to turn your sprinkler system back on. Watering your lawn deeply during this hot season is crucial to the development of deep root systems, which are the basis for resilient and durable lawns.
Deeply-rooted turf grass can withstand stressful weather conditions much better than shallow-rooted plants. Be sure to water deeply as this promotes the development of deep root systems.
But what does it mean to water deeply? The answer depends on your soil type:. Once you determine the soil type of your lawn, you need to set the appropriate sprinkler time. The Soak and Cycle method is the best measurement you can use here:. Proper distribution of sprinkled water is key in preventing brown patches in your lawn and also enhancing the health of your grass. Refresh gravel or mulch as needed. Replace wiring or bulbs on outdoor fixtures. Tune and sharpen lawn mower and pruning tools.
Mow regularly and as needed. Leave the clippings on the lawn, and remove only one-third of the grass height at one time. As summer progresses, raise the mowing height; taller grass holds up to heat and drought better. Alternate your mowing pattern to avoid creating strips or ruts. Water in the morning as needed; soak until the lawn receives about 1 inch a week.
Weed as needed around trees; add mulch, keeping material inches away from tree trunks. Regularly check for insect or disease damage. Water new shrubs and trees once a week, moistening soil to a depth of 1 foot. Trim hedges after the first new growth flush. Deadhead faded flowers.
Prune spring-blooming shrubs, such as lilacs, after flowers fade. Mulch beds as needed. Cut flowers and herbs in the morning; harvest vegetables as needed and fruits when ripe. Prune fruit-bearing shrubs and replant strawberries after fruiting. Maintain vigilance for insects and diseases.
Water containers when dry. Fertilize flowers and vegetables monthly. Deadhead flowers for fall. Train vines by tying or light pruning. Clean tools after each use. Clean and repair cold frames. Weed between pavers in pathways; repair cracks as needed.
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