The Right Way of Taking Care of Your Yard
No matter your weather, this is peak time for spring yard cleanup! From pruning to crabgrass prevention, here are the top 3 yard maintenance tips to cover all you need to know now. There’s a right way to care for your yard, lawn, and garden beds. Lawn and yard care is all about being proactive. We put a lot into our home and property, so it’s time to refresh our memory on what’s next.
Clean Up Leaves — Go Easy
Even if you cleaned up some leaves in the fall, there are many trees (such as oaks) that shed leaves (and broken or fallen branches) over the winter and well into spring. Now let’s not go crazy as if we have to clean up every single leaf off our lawn to compete in the neighborhood beauty pageant. A little leaf litter helps our pollinators and wildlife survive the winter. Remove any debris or heavy piles of leaves or any layers of leaves. This invites mold and disease and decay.
Address Aggressive Weeds — Early!
Deal with weeds in early spring. Invasive or aggressive weeds will only get worse as daylight hours increase during summer. As they grow, their roots will strengthen and they will be very difficult to pull out. You may also choose to apply an organic or traditional “pre-emergent” herbicide. The best time to apply a pre-emergent is when the temperature in the top 1 inch of soil has been 55 degrees F for five consecutive days (often in March and April).
Seeding Bare Patches — Carefully
Winter can reveal some damage to your yard from pets, snow plows, and traffic. You may wish to re-seed some spots. The conundrum is: If you’re using a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring for crabgrass, it’s nonselective and will deter grass seeds from growing, too; this is why fall is a better time to seed grass. However, if you just can’t stand those bare spots, try spot-seeding bare patches as early as possible (by April) before you apply any pre-emergent for crabgrass control.
Looking for a quality yard maintenance service in Newcastle, WA? You can always get in touch with Northeast Landscaping Services to help you. For inquiries and information, be sure to contact us at (206) 580-0924 right away.
