A well-maintained backyard can be a thing of pride for homeowners. Being a bit proactive and having the right kind of knowledge can go a long way to assist with yard care. Read on to know more about some expert tips for doing it right.
1. Winter snow often causes the branches to get disfigured badly. You should thus start by cutting them off from late winter. The pruning time of shrubs is determined by its blooming season. For example, spring-flowering shrubs like lilacs, azalea, wisteria, etc. need to be pruned once the spring flowers fade. Excessive early pruning can increase the risk of cutting its buds. Summer flowering shrubs like roses, butterfly bush, etc. can be pruned before the start of new growth during the end of winter or early spring.
2. The clean-up requirement of backyards rises rhetorically during fall months. But this is something you need to do throughout the year for maintaining your yard in tip-top shape.
Leaving piles of leaves or debris leads to mold buildup and invites more pests into your backyard. Once the situation gets out of hand, you can seek out the help of experts to tackle pest invasion diligently and make the most of those outdoor sessions with friends and family at https://www.rovepestcontrol.com/.
3. Early spring is the best time to deal with weeds. Invasive weeds tend to worsen during summer as they receive more daylight. Over time, their roots strengthen and we face a lot of difficulties trying to pull them out. Following good cultural practices like applying some organic herbicide can be of great help in minimizing the weed onslaught in your garden. Annual weed seeds start germinating once the soil temperature crosses the 55 degrees threshold.
You should start with the application of pre-emergent herbicide when the top 1 inch of the soil maintains a 55-degree F temperature over 5 consecutive days. This usually happens during March and April. Spraying an organic or traditional post-emergent herbicide is advisable to tackle weeds during the spring season. Once the weeds flower during late spring, you can apply broadleaf weed killer. It is advisable to apply the weed killers evenly over your whole lawn for the most effectiveness.
4. Snowplows, pets, and traffic can be damaging for your yard, and thus you might need to re-seed certain spots. We often spray pre-emergent herbicides to deal with crabgrass and thus can deter the growth of grass seeds. Given such a scenario, it is always advisable to seed grass during the fall months. But if you cannot accept the bare spots, then they can be spot-seeded by April before pre-emergent herbicide is applied for crabgrass control.
The area needs to be scuffed up with a steel rake before seeding. Doing this loosens the soil so that you can easily scrape some compost and sprinkle some grass seeds. The soil has to be kept moist and the area needs to be covered with a material that can keep the seeds in place. For this, you can use grass clippings or straw material.
5. Thatch refers to the dried-out matted areas which act as an anchor of snow mold.
However, you need to be aware of not placing thatch exceeding ½ inches on the ground. Raking properly can prevent disease, promote airflow and help with germination. Primarily you need to ensure dryness of the ground and grass. It is possibly still moist if you can find footprints after walking. You need to rake when the grass is still brown as being late can harm its healthy roots.
6. Autumn is the perfect time for fertilizing as it provides grass plants with adequate food which can assist in building roots. Often people fertilize during the spring season. However, doing this too early can divert the plant’s energy towards leaf development and deprive its roots of the phosphorus needed for their development. May month is the best time for the application of spring fertilizers as it promotes a green lawn. Plants can easily rebuild their food supply with the feeding of fertilizers worth ¾ to 1 pound. If you’d like to know more about instant lawn and lawn care be sure to check out Lilydale Instant Lawn.
However, the fertilizers should be applied lightly as heavy nitrogen fertilization can cause disease problems for the grass. Darker lawn color hints at a higher level of nitrogen while a light bright green hue indicates a properly healthy lawn. It is advisable to start with a light shade and make additions until it reaches the color of your choice. You can save valuable time and energy by using a mulching mower.
7. The soil of flower beds tends to become compacted post-winter. You can deal with this issue by removing thick leaf layers which cover the ground beds. For the thin layers, you can either leave them alone or mulch them later. On breaking down they will enhance the organic wellness of your backyard soil. Once the soil becomes loose it will aid oxygen in easily reaching the plant’s roots.
Tilling is mandatory for larger areas although a hand tool can have your back in smaller places. People walking over a grass lawn can cause its soil to become more compacted. You need to aerate the lawn on seeing signs of decline or patches of moss. Aerating helps the air and water to reach the root zone on a prompt basis which fosters root development. This practice is usually done in the fall months.
8. During springtime, we often try redrawing the boundary between the grass and garden beds. The lawn care requirements are lesser for wider beds. You can do it yourself by marking out a line using a garden hose. Next, you need to drive a sharp metal edger as deep as possible along this bed line. Once you have dug along the hose line, it creates a nice bed. This will now have to be filled up with preferably pine bark mulch of 2-3 inches. Finally, you can plant or transplant perennial flowers.
Final Words
Maintaining a backyard requires considerable time and patience. It is a great hobby and can be a rewarding experience once guests start showering you with compliments for your lovely backyard. To make your backyard safe and protected, make sure to install a fence from illinoisfencecompany.com. A fence can act as a physical barrier, preventing unauthorized access to your backyard. This is particularly important if you have children or pets, as it provides a safe and enclosed space for them to play without the risk of them wandering off or encountering potential hazards.
