Lawn Maintenance Educational Content
LAWN SERVICES
On top of keeping the lawn mowed, lawn maintenance can include everything from seeding grass and trimming shrubs to weeding. Hiring a lawn maintenance company makes things easier. Lawn maintenance companies often offer lawn treatment or tree services, too.
TYPES OF GRASS
When you choose the type of grass for your yard, you’ll need to take a few things into consideration. The climate in your area is important. Also think about how much sun your yard gets through the day. Most grasses are classified as either warm season or cool season. Keeping your grass green year-round can be difficult. Depending on where you live you might be able to seed your yard with a mix of grasses for a lawn that never goes dormant.
Warm-season grasses. Warm-season grasses originated in tropical regions. They’re well-suited for the intense sun and heat of the southern US. As the weather cools in the fall and winter, these grasses turn brown and go dormant. They green up and start growing again in the spring. Common warm-season varieties include Bermuda, centipede grass, St. Augustine, and zoysia.
Cool-season grasses. Cool-season grasses have a high tolerance for freezing winters and warm summers. They’re commonly found in the northern and western parts of the US. Popular cool-season grass varieties are Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and tall fescue.
TRANSITION ZONE
The Transition Zone forms a band that stretches across the midsection of the country. It’s a region where both cool- and warm-season grasses thrive, due to the area’s more moderate weather. Tall fescue is a great transition zone grass because it tolerates heat and dry weather.
BUSHES AND TREES
Bushes and trees need to be pruned periodically. Pruning at the wrong time of year, however, may keep a bush from blooming. Your lawn maintenance company should customize its pruning schedule to fit your shrub types. Shrubs need to be trimmed approximately five times per year. Trees typically need to be trimmed every three to five years. Over-pruning a tree or shrub increases the chance of insect and disease problems.
FLOWERBEDS
The key to easy flowerbed maintenance is a layer of mulch. Mulch helps prevent weed growth and soil erosion. Mulch decays, so your lawn maintenance company should refresh it twice per year. This helps maintain an adequate mulch layer.