The calendar indicates warmth ahead, even though the weather has not. Harsh winters take a toll on once well-groomed properties. Damaged or dead plant life can hinder the growth of your annuals, perennials and shrubbery. The soil, coming out of a deep freeze, needs love and care to bloom out that deep, welcoming green grass. It is time for spring clean-up, preparation and landscape management in the Twin Cities. Here are some things you can do to enhance the health of your landscape as we move into our balmier months.
• Annual plants do not handle winter well. Once spring rolls around, seek out soggy, spongy, unhealthy brown growths. Yearly by nature, remove those plants and replace with new. As part of an effective landscape management plan, these waste materials are great for composting!
• Perennials often fall prey to similar issues faced by their annual counterparts with regard to soggy, spongy and unhealthy brown leaves. Do not make the mistake of assuming these plants are dead. Being recurrent plants they have a strong rootstock and thus will regrow, outwardly from those very roots. Be patient and give them some time to grow back, well into the new season.
• Shrubbery needs only minimal treatment come spring. Simply look for areas of discoloration as well as broken branches. Simply remove these blemishes and allow for standard, optimal growth.
• The Five Steps of Spring Maintenance For Shrubs and Trees: Inspect, Prune Dead Branches, Plant New Trees, Mulch Your Landscape and Fertilize Plants.
• Your lawn needs love after a cruel winter. Break out the rake (yes, leaves again, but also accumulated matter). A compacted soil prevents healthy grass growth (seek out moss—a good indicator of general compaction, soil acidity and need for aeration). If moss is present, a good liming of the lawn can help reduce the acid content. Should you find barren patches in your yard, overseeding (filling those patches with seed) with a nitrogen-based seed is a solid plan of attack (this typically is a more effective treatment when used in autumn). Nurture the health of your lawn through fertilization (composting or simply using a mulching mower are effective fertilizing means). Your to-do list in spring landscape management should contain most of these tasks.
• Of course, if you do not wish to perform any of these landscape management tasks yourself, and you reside within the greater Twin Cities area, you may call in the professionals at Classic Lawnscape!
Are you interested in learning more about professional landscape management services in the Twin Cities? Call Classic Lawnscape at 763-780-7231, or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.