When you live in a region that goes through all of the seasons, you may think of lawn care as something you only have to worry about in the summer. But, lawn maintenance is still a year-round job even in the face of snow, falling leaves and the spring thaw. Read up on these helpful summer, spring, winter and fall lawn care tips you can use to make your lawn look its best.
Winter Tips
A key winter lawn care tip is to shovel walkways to keep visitors from crossing the lawn so grass blades do not flatten or break. Trees and shrubs should be cared for by brushing snow off of their branches after a heavy snowfall so they don't break. If needed, winter is also a good time to trim branches, while the limbs are dormant, the plant will sustain less damage than it would if you cut down branches when it's in full bloom. If you're ready to start thinking about spring, you can get a jump on it by ordering seeds and plants later in the winter.
Spring Tips
After the snow melts, it's time to start treating your lawn. Remove debris that accumulated during the winter, like leaves, sticks and twigs. If your lawn was damaged from snow blowing, plowing or shoveling, replace the divots, or lay down new seed. This is also the time to apply fertilizer and herbicides to get the grass off to a good start, and weeds off to a losing start. Be sure to water regularly to bring your grass back to life.
As spring gets underway, it will be time to mow your lawn before you know it, so prepare your lawn mower with basic maintenance. If you find the lawn mower isn't working properly, you now have time to buy new lawn mower parts and perform repairs.
Summer Tips
During the summer months, your lawn maintenance should focus on cutting the grass and regularly watering it. When you mow the lawn, try not to cut the grass to less than two inches in height. When the grass blades are too short, they are more likely to dry out and become damaged because they cannot shade the soil and roots from the sun. You can water the lawn with either a sprinkler, or a seep hose. Move the sprinkler or hose every half hour to ensure even watering. Also, it's best to water either early in the morning or in the evening, when it's cooler; this prevents the scorching of the blades when the sun is at its hottest.
Fall Tips
In anticipation of the dormant season, you can fertilize the lawn one more time. Boosting its nutrients prior to winter can help it stay healthy and come back more quickly in the spring. Another good fall lawn care tip is to mow your grass a little shorter than normal so it is not damaged by snow during the winter. Don't forget to clean your yard by raking leaves, removing debris, storing garden lights and emptying flower pots.
The fall is also a good time to re-seed any dead areas since most birds have migrated away, and won't be able to pick at the new seed. The snow will hold the seed in place through the winter so the seed can start growing in the spring.
365 Days a Year
Your yard has the best chance of looking its greenest and fullest when you tend to lawn maintenance throughout the year. Caring for your property is also easier when you've got tools with functioning outdoor power equipment parts. By inspecting your machines on a regular basis, you can replace worn or aging parts, and get back to your lawn care.
