Gardner, Massachusetts
Getting Lawn Care in Gardner
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 Gardner 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.
Northeast Lawn Care Techniques
The Northeastern U.S. is known for its hot summer and snowy winters. Any lawn care Gardner methods should coordinate with the local climate to make sure lawns are green and healthy all year long.
Below are some of the most common grass types in the Northeast:
- Kentucky bluegrass
- Creeping red fescue
- Hard fescue
- Perennial ryegrass
- Tall fescue
Spring
Northeastern lawns mostly contain cool-season grass types that grow well in the fall and winter and go dormant in the spring and summer.
To protect lawns during the off season, a pre-emergent herbicide and grub control should be applied.
Do a pH test on the soil and add lime if the result it less than 6.0. If there are any damaged areas, overseed with the same type of grass seed.
Summer
Summer is the off season for most lawns in the Northeast. Let it go dormant and set a watering schedule.
Instead of herbicides, use fertilizer and water more consistently. Avoid cutting more than 1/3 of the grass while mowing.
Once the weather starts to cool, use nitrogen-only fertilizer with a small amount of water to avoid drought damage.
Fall
Take fallen leaves and grass clippings to create compost for fertilizer.
Continue watering new plants and overseeded lawns, but stop when the temperature drops and the water freezes. Mowing should still be done, but less frequently as the end of the season nears.
Winter
Place markings around the lawn so that you know where to avoid shoveling snow - you could accidentally plow the grass at the same time and cause damage. Abstain from walking on the lawn when there is snow. The grass could becomes crushed and have a more difficult time recovering.
During this downtime from lawn care, do maintenance on your lawn mower. Check and make sure that the driver belt, spark plugs, oil, and stabilizer are repaired or replaced.
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 Gardner 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 Gardner lawn care company today and get started on a healthy, green lawn now!
