With life being so hectic these days, not everyone has the time in their day to research their property's landscaping needs, let alone maintain it themselves. Landscaping and maintenance itself may not interest everybody either, so hiring a landscape professional to service and upkeep your lawn will not only help your property look its best, but it will also free up much needed time in your day. With that being said, let's look into the typical landscaping calendar of services that are recommended to optimize the health and curb appeal of your yard. 

Spring Cleanup

The winter can take a beating on many lawns, especially here in New England. That is why in the early Spring, after all the snow melts, it is important to take the time to prepare your yard for the upcoming season. Winter storms can lead to nasty debris, rocks, and sticks accumulating in your yard throughout the Winter. The first step of a spring cleanup is a good overall raking of your beds and lawn to collect all this matter and dispose of it off your property. 

Over the course of the growing season and cold winter, dead organic matter can pile up and form a thick layer at the base of your grass called thatch. When this thatch builds up, it can be detrimental to your lawn by blocking out the sunlight, nutrients, and water it needs to grow and thrive. Not only this, but the thatch can also be a home to many harmful insects and fungi that can damage your lawn. This is why another important process of the spring cleanup is to dethatch your grass and remove its thick layer of thatch. It is important to do this every Spring to prepare your lawn for optimal growth during the warmer months. 

A good Spring cleanup will not only improve the overall appearance of your lawn, but it will also get it happy and healthy going into the landscaping season. 

Lawn Maintenance

As most people already know, mowing your lawn is of the utmost importance to do for any property owner. Outside of keeping your yard aesthetically pleasing to look at and not letting the grass get too overgrown, there are plenty of additional benefits to mowing your lawn on a consistent basis. 

Keeping a lawn healthy is crucial to having a beautiful outdoor space, and that can only be accomplished if the grass is cut on a consistent basis. A regular cutting schedule will allow the roots of your grass to become strong and capable of absorbing nutrients and water that are beneficial for it. If your grass is at an appropriate short length, water and nutrients will have an easier time penetrating the ground and then eventually to its roots. Also, a large aspect of your lawn’s health comes from lawn clippings decomposing into the ground after a lawn mowing. If the lawn is cut on a consistent basis then stronger clippings will be able to decompose as a natural fertilizer, but if the grass is too long the clippings will be dead and lacking in nutrients which will not be accepted for decomposing by the ground. Overgrown grass also welcomes unwanted weeds, insects, animals, and other obstructions that are not visible while walking through a longer yard.

Ultimately, as a homeowner, the first and most important action to reap the benefits of an eye-catching outdoor space is cutting your lawn. A strong and green lawn leaves an instant impact on your property and family in terms of the safety of your children and guests while enjoying the outdoors while adding a tremendous amount of curb appeal to your home. 

Shrub Pruning

Many of the shrubs and trees around your property require pruning at different times of the season. Pruning is an important part in ensuring the plants throughout your property remain jubilant and healthy. To start, it is always beneficial to make sure all the dead-growth, shoots, and excess growth is trimmed away from the plant as these can suck away nutrients as well as invite harmful insects and diseases. 

Many different perennial shrubs and trees require pruning at different times of the season so it is important to do your due diligence on the optimal pruning times for your shrubs. It is also important not to cut too much as you could delay the future growth or blooming window of your plants. 

One of the many benefits in choosing a professional landscaping company is that they possess the knowledge and experience necessary to not only trim your shrubs in a visually appealing way, but also ensure that they remain happy and healthy for many seasons to come.

Lawn Aeration & Overseeding

Aerating and overseeding your lawn is something that should be done at least every other year and can provide a multitude of benefits. This process uses an aerator to puncture cores (or plugs) into the compact soil and helps encourage deeper root growth establishing a healthier lawn. Once completed, an aerated lawn will be covered in 2-3" holes throughout. These cores are then filled with seed to assist in reclaiming those bare spots in your yard with lush grass. Aeration also allows water and oxygen to easily flow into the soil resulting in thicker, stronger grass. 

We recommend aerating your lawn in the fall and when this is done in conjunction with overseeding, it allows for the best conditions for new the seed to germinate. 

Fall Cleanup

New England is at the forefront of seasonal beauty during the fall months with vibrantly warm leaf colors that can be seen on every tree you look at. From the mountain ranges of Maine and New Hampshire to your neighborhood, the leaves in New England are second to none, but all leaves need to come down to the ground at some point. This is where a fall clean up comes into play. It is vital to have these leaves picked up and disposed of off your property to ensure your lawn is ready for the pending winter months.

Massachusetts is one of the only places where you can have your property surrounded by gorgeous foliage in the trees one week to that same foliage completely covering your lawn the next. Fall clean ups, or leaf removal as some call it will solve this problem. A fall clean up entails the removal of all leaves from the lawn, mulch beds, under decks, and anywhere within the woodline of a property. With the help of a rake or leaf blower, leaves should be made into piles that are baggable or should be transported from a wheelbarrow to a dumping location around your property. It is typically best practice to move leaves from the perimeter of the yard to an open central location to make piles easily accessible or enough space to fit leaf removal equipment. A good landscaper will bring a crew of lawn professionals, quality equipment like commercial leaf blowers, leaf vacuums, lawn mowers, etc, and conclude it with a final lawn cut for the season to prepare for the cold winter months. 

It is strongly recommended that every homeowner have a fall cleanup done at their property. If the leaves are not removed, they will begin to cake up and suffocate the lawn over the course of the winter and early spring by depriving it of much needed oxygen and nutrients. These leaves also release harmful bacterias and fungi into the lawn that can be detrimental for its growth during the upcoming season. A successful clean up will set the stage for a fantastic spring followed by summer months of great times and fun activities in your healthy outdoor space.