Following the fundamental rules for lawn care from landscapers near me in your Homer Glen, IL, yard can yield huge dividends during the growing season. Proper yard maintenance can be essential to a gorgeous landscape.
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Aerating and Overseeding
Late fall can be an excellent time to have a landscaper aerate your lawn with a machine that removes small plugs of dirt and grass from the earth. These holes can serve several purposes, the first of which can be to provide a spot for fresh grass seed to land and stay protected while it is germinating.
As the seeds start to grow, the holes also allow more oxygen, sunlight, and water to penetrate the roots of the existing grass which fortifies the roots for the dormant season of winter. Planting more grass in the late fall can give the tender new shoots time to develop roots so that when the springtime returns, they have a head start.
Fertilizing
Most soil does not have enough nutrients for your lawn, so fertilizer can provide that nutrition for your lawn. Fertilizer is composed of three primary nutrients that give your grass what it needs to withstand the harsh winter as well as the hot summer sun.
Known as the “Big 3”, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen are essential to healthy grass growth. Phosphorus is related to a plant’s ability to develop and grow and also to its energy usage. Potassium can help a lawn resist disease, strengthen the root system and improve the quality of the leaf, while nitrogen is the most absorbed nutrient and is crucial to the formation of the proteins that make up the plant tissue.
One key thing to remember about fertilizer is that unless it is spread by a knowledgeable landscape specialist, it can actually do more harm than good since too much can burn the grass instead of providing nourishment.
Watering
Deep watering can be much more effective than watering every day. Your landscaper can program the irrigation system to water the lawn early in the morning before the sun comes up for maximum absorption. When the watering is timed well, the soil should be damp to 3 inches deep where the roots can soak up the moisture slowly before the hot sun comes up to burn off the water. Having your landscape specialist reduce the amount of evaporation can bring the most benefit to your lawn and help you manage your water bill.
Lawn Mowing
While mowing the lawn might be the most visible rule for caring for your lawn, even this task can be done in a way that sabotages all of the hard work done in the preparation stage. A landscaper knows that mowing the grass on a high setting can protect the tender roots from burning in the hot summer sun.
Because they mow lawns daily, their machinery is maintained to keep sharp blades that cut the grass leaf instead of tearing it as dull blades can. Torn blades can be susceptible to disease and pests, undermining all of the efforts to nurture lush, healthy grass. Varying the mowing pattern can be another excellent way to encourage vital grass growth as grass tends to lean toward the direction of mowing. Changing directions can encourage upright growth.
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