Landscaping For Homeowners: FAQ

Blog

All homeowners want a landscape that is healthy and adds visual appeal to the neighborhood. Attractive landscapes, however, don't just happen by accident. A lot of planning and effort is required to make your landscape a site that everyone can admire. This article answers some key questions that homeowners might have regarding this intriguing topic. 

Do You Mulch or Rake the Leaves?

When it's autumn and the leaves start falling, you have a decision to make. Do you rake up the leaves or turn them into mulch with a lawn mower? Both are possible, but lawn experts recommended that you mulch the leaves rather than raking them. Turn the leaves into mulch and leave the mulch on top of the lawn. Mulching your leaves will help keep your grass healthy because the mulch adds nutrients to the soil. 

As a practical matter, mulching will save you a lot of time because it is much quicker than raking.  Whatever method you choose, do not let piles of leaves lay on the ground for an extended period of time because this can smother the grass.

What Is Aeration?

Aeration is a lawn improvement technique that pulls out 2-inch cores from your lawn as you move an aerator machine over the grass. Aerating your yard breaks up compacted soil and gives it needed oxygen. This technique is helpful for lawns that receive a lot of foot traffic and for yards where rainwater does not soak into the grass. 

If you have cool-season grass, such as rye or fescue, aerate during the late summer through early fall. For yards with warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda it's best to aerate sometime from April through June. Water your grass a day or two before doing the job. You can rent an aerator machine at your local home improvement store.

How Do You Stop Weeds?

Weeds are a problem in virtually every homeowner's landscape at one time or another. One of the best ways to prevent weeds from gaining a foothold on your property is to maintain a healthy lawn. Fertilize your grass as needed and avoid cutting your grass any lower than 2-½ inches high. Leave grass clippings on the lawn rather than disposing of them. Applying a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch to your garden will help prevent weeds from harming your flowers or vegetables.

Another good plan is to apply pre-emergent herbicide pellets to your lawn during the spring. If weeds do sprout up despite your best efforts, you can either hand-pull them or apply a herbicide spray.

Creating a beautiful landscape is a lot of work and many homeowners do not have the time to do this job properly. Contact a local landscaping service to learn more. 

Share

18 May 2023

Beautiful Landscaping Can Transform the Look of Any Home

When my husband and I bought our house years ago, we thought it would be our "starter" home and we would move in a few years. We soon had two children, and we then decided against moving since we live in a great school district and we love our neighbors. However, I was growing very tired of the appearance of our home. We painted it a different color, and it still seemed like the "same old house" that we were tired of. We finally deciding that maybe good landscaping would "do the trick" and make our home more enjoyable to use again. We were right, and I now love our home! I now love spending time in our yard and just enjoying the scenery. I have such a passion for landscaping now I decided to create a blog about it. I plan to share many landscaping tips, so come back!