Continuing from our September blog post, when it comes to yard maintenance, certain things need to be done every fall (before winter hits) so you can have a beautiful outdoor space in the spring. Here is a quick punch list of the biggest items that will need attention.
Dethatching Your Lawn Fall is the best time of the year to dethatch your lawn, removing the thick layer of dead leaves, stems, and roots, to promote healthy growth in the spring. You can do this with a special dethatching tool, or you can opt to aerate your lawn to prevent bare spots that may occur with dethatching. Reseeding Your Lawn After dethatching your lawn, it is a good idea to reseed your lawn to cover both open areas and thinning spots in your lawn. Reseeding is an excellent corrective and preventative step to help have a beautiful, thick lawn. Fertilizing Lawn and Planted Areas Adding fertilizer to your lawn and planted areas in the fall is an excellent way to give a boost to your plants, so you have a healthy, vibrant yard in the spring. Be sure to give your lawn and plants plenty of water after fertilizing so they don't "burn" and so that your fertilizer doesn't blow away. Pruning Your Trees Fall is a good time to prune your trees. Not only are trees dormant in the colder months, but it is also easier to see a tree’s structure when there are no leaves on the branches. Proper pruning is vital to the health of trees and plants, in part because it helps relieve stress on trees and keeps them growing. Spreading Mulch One of the best things you can do to protect your newly planted fall bulbs, shallow root plants, and young trees, is to cover the soil around those items with a generous layer of mulch. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to lay down mulch somewhere between 2-4" deep, avoiding touching trunks of trees or stems of plants so you will avoid any rot or disease issues. Winterizing Your Irrigation Winterizing your irrigation is not difficult to do, but it must be done properly and before freezing temperatures hit to prevent costly damage. A few simple steps can prevent things like busted irrigation lines, damaged hose bibs, and ruptured pipes. Protecting Your Water Features Similar to winterizing your irrigation, your water features may also need special protection from the colder weather. Generally speaking, it is okay to let your water features run year-round. There are two key considerations, though, to make this work. 1) your pump must have access to free-flowing, clean water at all times and 2) you must keep your pond or water feature free of leaves and other debris that could cause a blockage for your pump. If this sounds like a lot of work, or simply more than you care to do yourself, please let us know. Our crew of experts would be happy to help you care for your yard.
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What is thatch?
Comprised of leaves, stems and roots – some living, some dead – thatch forms as a natural part of your lawn's growing process. It lies on top of the soil, a tightly woven layer beneath the visible grass blades. What does thatch do? As long as it doesn’t get thicker than 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, thatch contributes to lawn health. Thatch serves to protect the crown of the grass plant, and it helps to prevent soil compaction. However, if let to grow too thick, thatch can, in turn, hurt your lawn. Thick thatch can become so dense that it keeps rain and nutrients from reaching the roots of your lawn. Does your lawn have a thatch issue? Here are 3 ways to find out:
How do you get rid of thatch? There are a few methods for removing thatch from your lawn with the most popular option being dethatching - using a special tool to rip out the thatch up through your grass. Another common approach to dealing with thatch is aerating your lawn - a method in which "air holes" are poked through the grass and thatch to allow water and nutrients to reach the roots and prevent soil compaction. If your lawn has mild thatch, a plug aerator may be effective. The aerator dethatches the lawn in each spot where plugs are removed while avoiding the creation of bare spots that a dethatcher causes. How do you prevent thatch build up? The best method for preventing thatch build up with your lawn is by having a regular maintenance program, including regular aeration. Thatch builds up the most during the heavy growth season, typically spring and summer, and is ready to be removed in the late fall. Also, once you have removed the thatch, it is important to prep your lawn for the spring by reseeding bare areas, applying fertilizer and giving your lawn lots of water. Where to get help If this all seems like too much to take on, Graham Landscape & Design provides regular maintenance services to both residential and commercial properties. Contact us today to discuss the maintenance schedule that would be right for you and your home or business. |
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