Planning Landscape Maintenance for 2021: The When and How of Lawn Treatment and Irrigation in Lagrangeville NY

Despite the growing season being several months away and the summer even further, planning landscaping care and taking care of certain tasks can start now. In fact, year-round landscape maintenance is the way to go, to make the summer less stressful. It’s also important to set up a lawn-care contract with your trusted landscaping professionals now. Scheduling a home visit soon will ensure that your lawn gets the best treatment starting in the late winter, and your lawn will grow to its full potential. Here are some tips for planning landscape maintenance for 2021: the when and how of lawn treatment and irrigation in Lagrangeville, NY.

Related: 6 Essential Steps in a Lawn Fertilization Program in Westchester County, NY

First Steps

As much of the plant life in your landscape lay dormant during the colder months, it seems like winter is when landscaping tasks can take a break. In actuality, winter is one of the best times of year to stay ahead of the game. The advantages are clear: set up a plan for the rest of the year and get ahead on maintenance. 

Every lawn is unique and each one presents challenges that are well identified and easily preventable. A site visit in between snowfalls can ensure that a landscaping professional can see the damaged parts of the lawn that might need mitigation or replacement. One of the biggest issues facing lawns in the winter is excess snow buildup. Snow that has been pushed to the side or piled on top with plows or shovels will suffocate grass as it takes months to melt. Normal snowfall is relatively light and will easily seep into the soil past the root systems. Include snow removal in your landscaping contract so that packed snow doesn’t damage your lawn or foliage.

Turbo-Charging

As spring brings the thaw and the warmth begins to return, plants go into high gear with growing and strengthening. Fertilizers assist the roots in gathering nutrients; the best is a slow-release fertilizer designed for lawns. As well, your landscape professionals will aerate the soil, dethatch your lawn, and check for any areas that are diseased or damaged that need overseeding or new sod; these three practices will get your lawn off to a fast and robust start.

Mowing and Weeding  

Once the grass has reached an optimal height, your landscaping professionals will start regular mowing. Many homeowner-grade push and rider mowers are not properly maintained, with dull blades that brutally tear the grass instead of slicing it cleanly. Dull blades can damage the tips of the grass, giving them a dry brown tint on the surface of the lawn. Sharp blades ensure that grass is mowed cleanly to keep your lawn healthy. 

After mowing, the crews will remove or mulch the clippings since mounds of clippings can invite rot and disease. Regularly scheduled mowing continues until the growing season ends.

Grass growth also means weed growth, so your crews will apply pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides as needed to control weeds and keep your lawn looking great.

Finishing and Improving

Then, just as quickly as it went away, winter comes back again to finish off the growing season, although your landscaping contract continues. As the slow season begins but the ground isn’t frozen yet, it’s the perfect time to install professional irrigation and sprinkler systems for the following year, or perform repairs and routine maintenance on existing irrigation systems.

All year long, your landscaping professionals will ensure that your lawn receives proper care and maintenance through a carefully planned schedule and contract.

Related: Why It's a Good Idea to Invest in a New Irrigation System in Lagrangeville