Of all the landscape projects around your property, the one that takes the most amount of maintenance and care is your lawn. It’s a year round process to make sure that your lawn stays healthy and many important lawn care projects happen in the lead-up to winter. While some lawn care can be done by homeowners, some of these projects need to involve professionals. Here’s how lawn care near me can prepare a landscape for the colder weather in Flat Rock and Brownstown Charter Township, MI.
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Assessing Damage
Grass relies on a robust and healthy root system to survive the changing extremes of winter and summer in good shape. Any diseased or damaged grass should be identified and taken care of well before the ground freezes. We recommend replacing large areas of dead lawn areas with fresh sod that will become established much faster than growing grass from seed. Smaller dead patches can be overseeded successfully. Your lawn care professionals will also keep a lookout for fungus growth and areas of overgrowth that could rot as autumn rain starts to fall, spreading disease throughout your lawn.
Mowing As Long As Possible
Mowing is an important part of keeping a lawn healthy and it needs to continue for as long as the grass keeps growing. Grass needs to be at an ideal height that will promote healthy growth. Your lawn care professionals will make sure that the mowing is consistent and precise. Grass that is cut too short will expose the soil, allowing for weed growth and excessive drying of the soil. Grass that is left to grow too long will cover the lower parts of the plant in shade, allowing for moisture to increase, potentially causing mold growth and attracting pests and disease.
Lawn care professionals use very sharp mower blades, which will cleanly slice through the plants, allowing them to grow back quicker and stronger. Mowers with dull blades (which is what many homeowners use) will tear at the plant, causing structural damage and unsightly brown tips across your lawn. All grass trimmings will need to be removed or mulched, as wet piles can damage the healthy grass.
Adding Fertilizer
Lawns need as much assistance as possible in making it through the winter. Lawn care professionals will apply a slow-releasing fertilizer after growth has finished that will help the root systems retain nutrients through the cold season.
Aeration and Dethatching
Part of enabling a healthy ecosystem for grass to grow is aeration, which loosen soil that has been compacted by summer heat and drought, to allow water and nutrients to be absorbed into the root systems. Likewise, dethatching (the process of removing excess undergrowth) impedes absorption of water and nutrients. Both processes will greatly help the grass during the cooler weather.
Removing Leaf Debris
The dry leaves that fall from trees during autumn can look pretty, but if left too long they can become a major problem. Once it rains and the leaves get wet, they will hug the grass like a cold blanket, suffocating the plant and attracting pests and disease as it rots. Without proper leaf removal during this period, your lawn is almost surely in danger. Make sure leaf debris removal is part of your lawn contract, and decide whether you want the leaves removed entirely or whether you want them mulched and spread over your lawn to add nutrients to the soil.
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