Making Sure Your Property Looks Good this Spring
Spring is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for some seasonal home and lawn maintenance tips to prevent winter damage. After enduring another harsh Lynchburg winter where we saw much more snow and ice storms than last year, your property may need some repair before spring officially arrives. Springtime calls for maintenance in your yard for the upcoming growing season that doesn’t always require the same attention other times of year.
To make sure your yard looks great for spring, the first thing you need to do is to perform a visual survey of the yard and landscape and assess the damage and areas of concern such as bare spots. Here are some lawn care tips that you can do in order to keep your home ready for the spring season:
Avoid Landscape Damage During Winter
The winter is when you spend the least amount of time thinking of your lawn. Unless you live in an area that is relatively warm all year long, chances are you have stowed the lawn care machines and equipment away and are ready for a few months of relaxation before you have to start the lawn maintenance routine again.
Earlier on in the winter there is still a window of time to apply fertilizer to the cool season grasses. Since the majority of the lawns in North America are made from particular grasses such as Bermuda and bluegrass, there’s a good chance your lawn has a typical cool season blend.
Before the first winter freeze, you can easily go through your lawn using grass seed and applying pre emergent fertilizer to help with weed control; this can help protect your landscape plants as well. After the ground freezes, it needs to replenish all of the nutrients that may have been lost from the soil during the hot summer months. Once the weather turns frigid, the fertilizer will remain in the soil and feed your lawn’s roots all winter long.
When spring comes back around your lawn will be full of healthy, lush, green grass that has been feeding on good fertilizer nutrients underneath the snow.
Keep it Clean
During a long winter season, it is easy for items to be left on the lawn when no one goes outside very often. Stray logs, toys, and even lawn furniture can be accidentally overlooked before the first snow comes. If you do an occasional sweep of the lawn you can make sure that you clear the lawn of all objects.
This helps prevent large dead spots because of the weight of the object. Otherwise in the early spring the grass in those areas will be stunted and thinner than the rest of the yard. Not to mention, removing object from the yard in the spring can help protect your lawn mower and prevent damage to your mower blades.
Avoid Excessive Lawn Traffic
When the grass is brown and short it can be easy for people to forget that it shouldn’t be walked on. Try to prevent very much foot traffic on your winter lawn. Grass is relatively resilient, but it will have a difficult time recovering if a path becomes well worn across the lawn.
When snowfall comes it can be easy to take the shortest path across the lawn to the curb, avoid this to avoid trails of dead spots come spring.
When it comes to pets and other four-legged friends, be sure to keep both your pets and your yard safe. Keeping your pets indoors or in a nice shaded area for a limited time outdoors helps eliminate foot traffic on your lawn and helps to keep your pets staying cool.
