Harrisburg Lawn Care focuses on improving the health of turfgrass and soil. This includes lab soil tests that reveal the percentages of sand, silt and clay; weed control; and lawn maintenance tasks like mowing, watering, edging and raking.
Hiring a professional lawn service frees up homeowners’ time. This is especially true if lawns are regularly treated for weeds and other issues.
Lawn mowing is a critical element of lawn care, especially during peak growing seasons. Professionals use specialized equipment to mow your lawn properly, and will also trim the grasses around trees, shrubs, bushes and other landscape elements. They will also clean up the clippings and weeds.
A good lawn is a sign of homeowner pride and a great way to add curb appeal. Professionals know the best times to fertilize, aerate and mow to keep your lawn healthy and looking its best.
Many homeowners confuse lawn maintenance with landscaping, but the two are not exactly the same. Landscaping deals with designing and transforming outdoor spaces, while lawn care is more about routine seasonal tasks like mowing, trimming, mulching, fertilization, weed control and tree and shrub pruning.
In the most basic form, mowing involves cutting your lawn regularly with a mowing machine or push mower to remove grasses at the proper length. A well-maintained mower is essential for a clean, crisp cut and to avoid damaging your lawn with uneven or ragged edges.
Most turf diseases are caused by fungi that thrive in lawns that are overfertilized, under-watered, cut too short or stressed by weather conditions. A preventative fungicide treatment can help protect your lawn against disease.
Mulching your garden beds is another important lawn care task that can be done either with a rented mulching blade on your mower or by hand with a soil rake. Adding a layer of organic mulch moderates soil temperature, retains moisture and inhibits weed growth.
Aeration
Aeration punctures small openings into your lawn to alleviate soil compaction, enhancing the flow of oxygen, water and nutrients to grass roots. This is the same technique golf courses use to achieve that famous greenery, and it’s a vital maintenance task for any healthy lawn.
Soil compaction is a serious problem for any lawn. Thatch is a layer of organic material that sits on top of soil, and the area’s clay-like soils can easily compact. Organic matter from fallen leaves and stems can add to this compaction, suffocating grass roots like a seal. Aeration loosens this material, allowing grass to grow thicker and healthier.
You may know you need aeration if the turf looks thin or brown and doesn’t bounce back after mowing, or if your lawn develops diseases such as brown patch or bare spots. Compacted soil also doesn’t drain properly during rainstorms, leaving puddles and encouraging runoff.
To aerate your lawn, our professionals mechanically remove small plugs of thatch and soil (also known as coring, spiking and raking). To ensure optimum results, aeration should be performed when the grass is in growing season. We recommend aerating cool-season grasses in the spring or fall and warm-season grasses in late spring.
Water absorption is enhanced after aeration, and this can reduce your need for supplemental watering. It also improves the effectiveness of fertilizer, allowing the grass to absorb and metabolize nutrients more easily. This also helps the grass better compete against weeds for available resources. To ensure the health of your lawn, we recommend aerating every one to three years. Be sure to thoroughly water your lawn a day or two before aerating to soften the soil.
Fertilization
Fertilization strengthens the grass to make it more resilient and encourages growth. It is important to know the right time to fertilize. Grass uses up the nutrients in the soil, and without replenishment the lawn can struggle to survive. A soil test can show you the levels of N-P-K in your soil and help guide the timing of fertilizing.
For granular products like weed-and-feed treatments, the best time to apply is early in the morning when the dew has just formed. This allows the weed killer to stick to the leaves of the weeds and kill them off more effectively. Liquid treatments work faster if the lawn is already wet, and will absorb into the soil more quickly.
For new seed or overseeding, the soil should be tilled and then spread with a spreader (drop or broadcast). Water appropriately so the seed can sprout and grow. A lawn specialist can recommend the proper seeds and fertilizer for your area, as well as overseeding and aeration services. Adding grass seed will fill sparse or bare areas of the lawn.
Weed Control
Weeds are plants that invade turfgrass areas and compete with grass for space, water, nutrients and light. They can also indicate underlying problems with soil, water, or lawn care practices. For instance, ground ivy invades lawns in shade while knotweed often indicates soil compaction or poor turf management.
Practicing sound lawn care habits will reduce weed invasions by strengthening turfgrass density and encouraging deep root growth, which makes the turf more resistant to stress and weeds. Mowing to the correct height (3 to 4-inch cut), watering, thatching management and related practices promote a vigorous grass canopy that will compete with weeds.
A variety of selective and nonselective herbicides are available for lawn weed control. These are often mixed with penetrants, surfactants or spreaders (also known as wetting agents) to increase the effectiveness of the herbicide. When used correctly, these products will kill the weeds without harming the grass. It is important to read the label and follow instructions carefully.
Some fertilizer products contain preemergence or postemergence herbicides for weed control (usually crabgrass preventers or broadleaf weed killers). When selecting a fertilizer product that includes weed killer, be sure the active ingredient is effective against the weed species you are targeting and the timing of the application is appropriate.
Many lawn weed killing solutions, especially those available at the hardware store, are nonselective and will kill all types of weeds. When selecting a company to provide weed control and lawn fertilization services, look for one that exclusively focuses on these two areas of the lawn and has a solid reputation and reviews from real clients. Do not select a lawn care service that combines weed killing with fertilization services as this will reduce the biodiversity of your yard and can have negative environmental impacts.
Raking
Lawn Care is the recurring work that makes grass healthy, vibrant and full of life. This includes fertilization, aeration and disease management. It also includes mowing, watering and seasonal cleanups. Lawn Maintenance is the ongoing routine tasks of mowing, trimming shrubs and trees, dethatching, mulching, planting, and soil preparation. It also includes weed control and insect pest management.
If you live in an area with lots of deciduous trees, raking leaves is necessary for the health of your lawn. A layer of thick leaves smothers the grass and can prevent it from growing as well. A good raking also removes dead grass blades and helps eliminate thatch layer buildup. Raking can be a back-breaking chore, but it’s important to avoid overexerting yourself. Before you start raking, stretch and tighten your abdominal muscles to help keep the stress off of your back. It’s also helpful to wear gloves and a mask when raking to protect your lungs from dust.
Don’t throw your raked leaves in the street or onto other property. These materials can clog storm drains and make their way into local streams and the Bay, where they increase nutrients that lead to algae blooms and dead zones. Instead, consider using your raked leaves as mulch for garden beds and compost piles or running your lawn mower over them to chop them into smaller pieces and incorporate them into the turf.
A professionally-maintained lawn looks great and adds curb appeal to any home or business. Professional lawn care services can help you get the most from your lawn, with regular aeration, mowing, weeding and other treatments. They can also identify problems like pest infestations or nutrient deficiencies before they become a serious issue.