March:
Check trees and shrubs for broken or tangled branches. Prune before leaves emerge, and preferably before temperatures reach 50 degrees, to avoid fungal disease and insect invasion of fresh pruning cuts.
Contact us with any additional services for which you’re not already scheduled, such as:
lime - to raise pH and make nutrients more available
gypsum - the “unknown hero” of spring lawn care. Gypsum is very similar to pelletized lime, but without changing soil pH. It is great to neutralize the effects of salt, sand, and compaction along snow plowed areas.
Bed weed control - We can apply pre-emergent weed control to your planting beds just as we do for your lawn.
Seeding - We can seed your lawn.
PLEASE let us know if seeding will be done in certain areas so we can minimize the amount of pre-emergent weed control in those areas.
April:
Rake up matted areas gently, with a leaf rake, once the lawn is clear of snow and it is dry. Don’t do this while it’s still wet because you may tear up and damage the turf. You may dethatch and/or core aerate at this time but, again, be very careful not to damage turf that has not yet broken dormancy. This is especially true when using a power lawn thatcher of any sort, including those on commercial mowers. Unless you’re doing a lot of repair work in the spring, it’s best to wait until late summer/fall to aerate. There are far more benefits to aeration at that time (see below).
Spot seed plow damage.
Apply gypsum on edges of lawn affected by salt and snow removal debris.
Apply lime, as needed.
Prepare your irrigation system for the season. Turn the water supply on and be sure to repair broken heads . This does NOT mean that you should start watering regularly. If we’re having a good, rainy day each week during typical April/early May weather, then it probably doesn’t need to be run. We will ask that the first application be watered in, but only water it in once if we don’t get rain within a few days after. FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONS!
May:
Mow to 2 ½”. Leave clippings if they’re less than 1” long and advised to do so by us. Work with your mowing professional to see what works best for you.
Be prepared to begin watering regularly around Memorial Day.
Spray for ticks. Mosquitoes may emerge later in the month, depending on rainfall.
June:
Raise mowing height to 3 – 3 ½” as weather gets into mid 80s.
Water as instructed, if possible. If not, then mow to the highest tolerable setting.
Avoid hitting trees and shrubs with lawn irrigation, if possible. Drip irrigation is best for them.
Spray again for ticks, if population was heavy before first spray.
Regular mosquito control should begin on a 3 week interval until mid-September.
July/August:
Mow to maximum height. Water regularly, as instructed.
Keep traffic to a minimum on showcase areas of lawn during hottest days.
Best time of year to core aerate and seed is from late August through October. Core aeration helps drought stressed areas to recover, penetrates a thick thatch, and creates a good seed bed.
Prune rhododendrons and azaleas after bloom to best redirect development of next season’s flower buds to remaining branches.
Trim hedges after flush of spring growth.
September:
Keep watering regularly until 2nd-3rd week, or until the weather cools down into the 70s and we get 1” rain weekly.
Apply lime, as needed.
Core aerate. Combine with seeding to help fill in thin areas
Lower mowing height to 2 ½” about 3rd week.
October - November:
The final cut should be to 2”. If you do it right before the major leaf drop, it makes leaf removal easier. It will also prepare your lawn for winter by minimizing matting down of the grass under snow, which often leads to snow molds and other winter damage.
Remove leaf litter from beneath any trees and shrubs that have had disease and/or insect issues. Many pathogens may overwinter in leaf litter beneath their host plants.
Treat trees & shrubs for protection against desiccation and deer feeding.
Spray for ticks in mid-October if population was heavy before first treatment. This targets the adult ticks going into winter cover.
December - March:
Prune trees and shrubs. This is an excellent time to reduce the size of overgrown plantings, correct shape, repair damage, and remove invasive vines.
Keep traffic to a minimum on “showcase” lawn areas to avoid compaction damage.
Try to keep snow piles off any areas that were seeded in the late summer/fall.