Eastman, Georgia
Getting Lawn Care in Eastman
Guarding the health of your lawn is an important part of taking care of your home. Not only can regular maintenance enhance curb appeal, it also protects the home's structure from experiencing water or pest damage. With trim grass, healthy soil, and neat edges, good lawn care can add value to your property and to the neighborhood.
Because new problems can arise every season, it's important to regularly practice lawn care. Finding help through professional lawn care in Eastman can be worth it, especially with the amount of tools and equipment required to keep lawns in spotless condition. This helps establish a new and revived appearance for your lawn, as well as more time to enjoy it throughout the year. Read on to learn more about common lawn care practices used by professionals and homeowners alike:
Mowing— Mowing at the incorrect height is one of the most common mistakes in lawn care. Some grass types require a different mowing schedule, depending on the season and climate. Mowing your grass too low can cause scalping, which destroys the roots and stems. To avoid lawn damage, grass should be cut to the appropriate height for the season.
Watering— Even though plants need plenty of water to grow, overwatering could limit grass growth. This may lead to lawns becoming exposed to weeds and diseases. Nevertheless, watering is essential, especially during seasons of drought. For the most part, lawns are best watered in a deep and infrequent cycle rather than a single flooding.
Fertilizing— Fertilizing your lawn is a major part of growing strong and healthy grass. There are some things to consider when fertilizing, such as the climate, grass type, and grade of fertilizer. Fertilizers can be organic or synthetic, composed of food compost or created with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus nutrients. Despite popular belief, adding more fertilizer does not mean grass will grow faster. In fact, over-fertilizing should be avoided at all costs.
Aerating— Aeration may be commonly used on lawns with compacted soil, but even healthy ones can still benefit from having it done. In loosening the soil, more air can reach the roots of plants, in addition to more nutrients and water. If your lawn is in a region that experiences heavy rain or foot traffic on lawns, it's likely you will need to aerate the soil at some point.
More about Lawn Care in Southern Cities
In most places, including Eastman, lawn care can change depending on the season and what type of grass you have. For most Southern cities, having warm-season grass involves heavy maintenance in the summer and spring and less activity in the fall and winter. Some of the most common grass types found in the South are warm-season grasses, such as:
To keep a lawn healthy, a combination of watering, fertilizing, weed control, and general maintenance should be utilized year-round.
- Bermuda
- Bahia
- Centipede
- Zoysia
- St. Augustine
Spring
In the South, the spring offers one of the best times to prepare and build a new lawn. This is due to the ideal weather combination of warm temperatures, slight humidity, and periodic rain, which all contribute to healthy-growing lawns.
If you mixed in a cool-season grass while overseeding during the winter, make sure it dies off completely before beginning a mowing schedule. If you didn’t overseed for the winter, begin fertilizing with a spring fertilizer treatment.
Create a regular mowing schedule once fertilizer has been applied and the weather becomes progressively warmer.
Pre-emergent herbicide should be applied before it gets too hot – otherwise, it could kill the plants.
Tweak and test drive lawn mowers to prepare for the high growth season of summer.
Summer
Southern lawns thrive in the summer. This means mowing becomes more frequent and pests and diseases will need to be watched for. To prepare for the mid-summer heat, perform overhaul tasks such as aerating, dethatching, and fertilizing.
Regular watering is essential to the survival of Southern lawns in the summer. Using either a garden hose or irrigation system, water the lawn in the morning so that it has the entire day to evaporate.
Set the lawn mower blades low enough to cut more grass. Anticipate mowing at least twice a week. Grass that is lower deters pests and weeds more effectively, reducing the need for weed or pest control.
Soil can become compacted if there is too much or too little watering. To remedy this, aerate the lawn periodically to make sure water and oxygen are reaching the roots.
If you need to reseed any bald patches, do it late in the summer just before the season turns cool. Warm-season grass seeds require warmth in order to root and grow properly.
Fall
Fall is the time to preserve and prepare Southern lawns for colder temperatures. Switch over to fall fertilizers and apply the last bit of pre-emergent herbicide. Mix in cool-season grass seeds, such as annual ryegrass, to overseed and strengthen your lawn against the cold.
With watering, cut it back to twice a day for 10 minutes to allow the ryegrass to grow. Do not mow more than once a week or its growth will be stunted.
If your lawn has gone dormant, stop watering and allow the grass to grow and strengthen. You can still mow a dormant lawn, but avoid scalping it.
Winter
If your grass turns brown, don’t panic – most Southern lawns go brown in the winter as a sign of dormancy. Once the weather warms up, it will likely turn back to green.
If the winter is turning out to be a dry one, water the lawn once a week to keep it hydrated and alive. Even dormant lawns need to be watered periodically to keep it from dying.
During this time, refrain from mowing non-overseeded lawns and mow slightly with overseeded lawns. Lower the frequency of watering, especially when frosts occur. You should also take this time to service your lawn mower to make sure it’s ready for spring.
Weeds can pose a major problem in the winter. Dig them up when you see them or apply a spot-spray like Roundup on warm days to prevent them from seeding and spreading. For taller weeds, use a lawn mower to get rid of them (this should be the only time you mow a lawn in the winter).
Most of all, Southern lawns in the winter should remain as untouched as much as possible. Because the grass isn’t growing as fast, foot traffic can cause damage that lawns may have difficulty recovering from.
Hire Professional Lawn Care Now!
Doing lawn care on your own can be rewarding, but it also involves a lot of work. Lawn can be time consuming, especially on top of other household priorities. This could lead to lawn deterioration, a drop in property value, and overall disrepair.
Avoid this by seeking help from a Eastman lawn care expert. Allowing a professional lawn care company to take care of your lawn can help save valuable time and money spent on lawn care. You'll also save on costly damages by preventing them early on. What are you waiting for? Contact a Eastman lawn care company today and get started on a healthy, green lawn now!
