Our lawn maintenance services team talks about leaf cleanup

 

Ah, it’s autumn and that means cooler weather, fall colors, and cozy evenings. Landscaping companies know that autumn also brings with it the fall of the leaves as the trees prepare for the coming winter. This is the time when many of our customers call our lawn maintenance services team for our leaf cleanup service.

Why it’s important to clean up the fallen leaves

As your grass starts preparing for winter, fallen leaves can be a hindrance to essential sunlight and air that’s needed. A layer of leaves can also block access to nutrients and hamper the healthy growth of your grass.

It can also reduce the evaporation rate and trap water between the leaves and the soil which can lead to other problems such as mold, fungus, brown patch, and other diseases in the leaf blades.
To compound things, grass that’s constantly damp also is an open invitation to mosquitoes which can really put a damper on your evenings in your garden.

Come spring, you could be dealing with having to nurse your garden back to health rather than it coming back to life naturally.

What our lawn maintenance services team does with the leaves

It’s important to plan your lawn care services even in the fall. Beyond having pre-and post-emergent and potassium applied to your lawn, it’s good to have your lawn maintenance services team handle your fallen leaves.

It may be tempting and fun to make a leaf pile for the kids to dive into, but once that’s done, you still have some cleanup to deal with.
Another option is to rake all your leaves, bag them, and wait for trash collection day.
Instead, our lawn maintenance services team recommends mulching or composting the leaves as an eco-friendly option.

Mulching requires a lawn mower with the added functionality of mulching down the leaves. The leaves then re-cycle their nutrients back into the soil and feed the grass and other plants. Leaf mulch like others helps regulate the temperature of the soil during winter and also decrease the chances of weeds. It’s important though that the leaves are disease free to avoid spreading disease to other plants in your garden.

To use the leaves as compost, our lawn care services team bags the leaves during mowing which makes it easy to add to your compost pit or pile and convert them into nutrient rich soil for your plants and trees. Not only are you ridding your lawn of strewn leaves, you’re putting them to good use for the rest of your plants.

Author: Percy LaPoint

Contact us:

Lawn care services

Address : 2315 Gaylynn Dr. Sulphur, LA 70665

Fax: 337-313-0489

Landscaping companies share tips on avoiding soil erosion

Landscaping companies know that soil erosion is a common enough problem that can cause pain and heartache.  After designing and establishing your lawn, it can be quite a surprise to find that over time, your yard is no longer level or that heavy rains have washed away precious soil from your trees and plants.

Understanding soil erosion

Simply put, soil erosion is a loss of soil.  Although erosion is a natural and expected phenomenon in nature, soil erosion in a yard can mean loss of nutrition for plants and trees, blockage in drains, and possibly uneven patches in your yard.
Soil erosion on a small scale is expected, however, to avoid larger scale erosion and surmounting erosion issues over time, it’s best to identify landscaping companies that can proactively inspect and address problems areas before they happen.

How landscaping companies identify and combat soil erosion problems

Landscaping companies recommend different and possibly several measures depending on the severity of the issue.  Once a thorough inspection has been done of your garden, potential problem areas are identified and addressed.  Details about past problems can also be very informative when trying to create an action plan to minimize soil erosion. 

1.Checking your watering and drainage
One of the first things landscaping companies will check is your watering schedule.  Are you overwatering your lawn?  How often you water your garden and for how long?  If rains are expected, your watering schedule should be adjusted so that the yard doesn’t get smothered.

2.Plant trees, shrubs, and grass
Trees and shrubs when planted strategically are great for soil retention as their root system holds on to the soil and keeps it in place.  Their leaves can act as umbrellas to block rain and reduce the impact on the soil.

3.Use mulch to reduce soil erosion
Mulch has many benefits beyond soil erosion, so it’s always a good idea to use mulch in your yard.  Whether your landscape maintenance services team uses grass clippings as mulch or spreads bark chips, both work well as they weigh down the soil, and help keeping it in place.

4.Put in pathways and walkways
Pathways and walkways enable you to navigate your lawn without stepping on the soil directly.  This ensures that the soil doesn’t get clumped together and compacted which reduces erosion due to water runoff.  It also enables roots to be better established in the soil.

5.Use borders, retaining walls, or fiber logs
Borders, retaining walls, and fiber logs contain the soil that gets washed away due to water runoff.  This is especially useful around flower beds, raised areas, around trees, and sloping areas.  From time to time, the soil will need to be leveled to reduce soil buildup against the structures.

6.Aerate soil
Landscaping companies know that good soil is the foundation for a robust lawn.  Hence it’s important to retain as much of it as possible to keep your garden healthy.

Author: Percy LaPoint

Contact us:

Lawn care services

Address : 2315 Gaylynn Dr. Sulphur, LA 70665

Fax: 337-313-0489

Learn about hydroseeding from our lawn care services experts

Our lawn care services team is often engaged to establish a lawn for new homeowners.  Establishing a new lawn can be accomplished in different ways depending on preference, requirements, and area of the land.  Common options are growing a lawn from seed, laying out sod, or even hydroseeding.

What our lawn care services team recommends you consider before getting a new lawn started

It’s important to not only consider how your lawn space is going to be used, but also think about the aftercare and long term landscape maintenance needs of your lawn before getting started.
Different grasses require different levels of care.  Discuss your grass preferences and lawn uses with our landscape maintenance services team so that the right type of grass is established in your lawn.
Talk about irrigation and drainage needs with our lawn care services team before you start with the lawn.  This ensures that you don’t have to dig up your lawn after your grass has been established and any custom drainage needs can be determined so that you’re not dealing with drainage woes later on.
Once your irrigation and grass needs have been discussed and worked out, our landscape maintenance services team can advise you on the best method of establishing your lawn.  A popular method for medium to large lawns is hydroseeding.  This method enables us to quickly spread the grass seed across a large area of land in a fairly short amount of time, saving you money on labor costs.  It’s especially effective on sloping areas as the seed is sprayed on directly to the soil surface and can adhere easily.
Before the seeding work begins, the dirt work needs to be completed.  A thin layer of topsoil is essential to allow the seed to take root.  Our lawn care services team ensures that the grade work is as smooth as possible to avoid dips and humps which affect the appearance and future maintenance of the lawn.

The hydroseeding process

Once your lawn is ready for seeding, our lawn care services team will discuss your seed options.  Bermuda seed is the most popular choice due to how quickly it germinates. The grass germinates within 10-14 days and the first mowing usually happens after 1 month.  Other popular options are centipede – which is really slow growing – and zoysia.
The Hydroseed mixture consist of seed at 1 pound per 1000 sq. ft. with a fertilizer to stimulate good root growth.  This is mixed in 100% wood fiber mulch with a tackifer that helps it stick to the ground so that the seed doesn’t blow away with the wind or get washed away in case of rain.  The ingredients are combined and then transported to the final location.
Before the slurry mixture is hydraulically sprayed on the ground, our landscape maintenance services team covers fences and other structures to ensure that they are protected from any spray.
Our team knows that the key to successful germination is the mulch as it’s essential for the growth of the seed.  The mulch retains moisture that’s needed during germination, protects the seeds from extreme heat, and also helps adhere the seed to the soil thereby preventing erosion.  Over time, the mulch also decomposes and mixes into the soil.

Aftercare and lawn maintenance services you should plan for

Landscaping companies make it a practice of sharing some simple after care instructions for a new lawn.  With hydroseeding, the most important thing to keep in mind is watering the new lawn.
If you haven’t opted for a sprinkler system, you can place sprinklers around your yard and water the lawn twice a day in the hot summers.  Each watering should be for 10 to 20 minutes.  It’s helpful to put timers on the faucet to avoid having to keep track of the duration each session.
If you have sloping areas, keep in mind that water runoff can occur, so rather than over water, you may want to water an extra time each day but for a shorter duration.
Although hydroseeding mulch doesn’t contain any weed seeds, it is still possible to see weeds germinate as the combination of top soil, mulch, and fertilizer can make it an ideal breeding ground for weeds to take root.  You can weed as needed or talk to our lawn care services team about preventative measures and other ongoing lawn maintenance services.
Hydroseeding can be a very beneficial method of establishing a new lawn as it provides cost savings due to effective and quick application.  The germination rate of the seed is also higher with hydroseeding and you can enjoy your new lawn quickly with the short duration of time required for lawn establishment.

Author: Percy LaPoint

Contact us:

Lawn care services

Address : 2315 Gaylynn Dr. Sulphur, LA 70665

Fax: 337-313-0489