Prime Cut Lawn and Landscaping are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct focuses. While lawn care focuses on the health and appearance of grass, landscaping encompasses a wider range of outdoor elements.
Regional material costs and climate considerations impact landscaping pricing. However, cost-effective landscaping techniques like xeriscaping and mulch minimize maintenance costs.
Lawn care is a wide range of tasks designed to nurture grass and other turf elements to keep them healthy and aesthetically pleasing. It includes lawn mowing, trimming, fertilization, disease treatment and pest control. A well-maintained lawn provides a comfortable place for kids and pets to play, a shaded retreat during sunny weather, and an attractive setting for your home landscape.
There are a number of different turf grass varieties that thrive in specific climate conditions. Using the right grass type, along with best management practices (BMPs), ensures your lawn will be healthy and visually appealing.
A healthy, thick lawn with good root structure is a good barrier to soil erosion and floods. It also resists weeds and helps retain moisture in dry periods. Regular mowing, proper fertilization and watering are essential for a healthy, aesthetically pleasing lawn.
When the temperature rises, many lawns become less tolerant of intense heat and sun. Using the right grass type, combined with proper mowing and irrigation, will help your lawn withstand the summer heat and stay greener longer.
Fungus and insects love to invade weak, unhealthy lawns. Preventative chemical treatments are often more effective than curative treatments. Proper aeration, dethatching and mowing techniques will help reduce the need for preventative chemical treatments.
Remove debris and trash from your yard to keep it free of pests. Recycle or compost your yard waste instead of throwing it away. Avoid bagging grass clippings and leaves, as this takes up space in landfills and pollutes the environment. Avoid overusing herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers. When possible, use organic products. If you must use these chemicals, follow the instructions and reapply as directed.
Weed Control
Weeds are an unsightly and time-consuming nuisance that detract from your property’s aesthetic value. They also compete with desirable plants for water, nutrients, and sunlight, stunting their growth and reducing their ability to thrive.
Regular weed control treatments help prevent weeds from germinating in the first place. Pre-emergent herbicides are applied in early and late spring, blocking weeds from emerging while they’re still dormant. Post-emergent herbicide is then used as needed throughout the summer to remove existing weeds as they surface.
Investing in a proactive weed control strategy helps reduce maintenance time and effort and preserves the health, beauty, and value of your lawn and landscape. This approach protects your financial investment and frees up your time to spend on other activities.
Maintaining a healthy lawn free of weeds requires an integrated approach, tailored to your specific yard’s needs. Regular mowing with sharp blades, precise nutrient management, strategic aeration, and smart watering practices all strengthen grass roots and make them more resilient against weed invasion.
Using mulch, frequent hand-pulling, and selective herbicides are other effective methods that reduce overall weed populations. We recommend combining these approaches for a holistic weed control strategy that’s effective year-round.
Fertilization
Performing proper lawn maintenance is the most eco-friendly way to keep your landscape healthy. This will help reduce your need for fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. These chemical products aren’t good for your lawn or the environment. In addition, aeration, dethatching, and proper mowing techniques will encourage deep root growth, which can also reduce the need for fertilizers and other chemicals.
A soil test is one of the most important tools in your lawn care arsenal. It can tell you the proportion of sand, silt and clay in your soil. It also lets you know the soil’s nutrient levels and how acidic or alkaline it is. A soil test will also suggest a fertilizer program. The test results will suggest if you should use liquid or granular fertilizer and what N-P-K ratio (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) is best for your lawn.
Watering properly is another important part of eco-friendly lawn and landscape maintenance. It’s recommended to water your lawn 1 to 1.5 inches a week. This amount of water is sufficient to promote a deep, healthy root system. It’s also less wasteful than frequent, shallow irrigation.
You can also lower your reliance on water by reducing your irrigation frequency and by using a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering. This technique is known as xeriscaping. It’s an alternative to traditional landscaping that focuses on water conservation by combining drought-tolerant plants and efficient irrigation systems to create a beautiful yard while conserving water. Xeriscaping can also help reduce the need for fertilizers and other chemicals, as well as save you money on water bills.
Pest Control
A healthy, lush lawn is the goal of every homeowner, but unwanted pests can quickly turn your yard into a nightmare. Whether it’s aphids eating your flowers, lawn insects feeding on the grass roots, or grubs devouring your turf, effective pest control can restore peace of mind and beauty to your outdoor spaces. But many homeowners rely on harsh chemical pesticides that can harm beneficial insects, pets, and the environment. At Linehan Landscaping, we specialize in eco-friendly pest control landscaping to help you enjoy a thriving garden without toxic chemicals.
The first step in controlling pests is to understand the ecology of your landscape. In addition to mowing at the right height and watering at the best times of day, good maintenance practices can help repel insects and prevent them from attacking your yard. Pests thrive in damp environments, so mowing and dethatching your lawn regularly can keep it dry and less attractive to pests. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to fungal diseases that attract mosquitoes and slugs.
Some plants naturally repel pests by their fragrance or chemical makeup. Planting lavender, marigolds, and chrysanthemums can help keep insects like fleas, ants, and mosquitoes at bay. We also recommend installing birdhouses, bat boxes, and frog habitats to encourage natural predators that will help control pest populations. In addition, removing standing water and reducing clutter can reduce pest hiding spots. And using natural repellents like garlic spray, neem oil, and thorny bushes can help deter birds, slugs, and insects while protecting your crops and vegetables.
Linehan’s year-round lawn and landscape services include core aeration, fertilization, spraying pre-emergent weed controls and spot treatments for pesky weeds and crabgrass, mulching, tree and shrub trimming, leaf cleanup, and sprinkler services. If you’re looking for professional, reliable service from a family-owned and operated business, contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Watering
Whether you have young children who need to play on the lawn, pets that love to run and explore or simply want to create a green landscape with beautiful flowers, shrubs, trees, and a well-watered lawn, your yard will benefit from proper watering. The best time to water your yard is early in the day, when the soil can soak up the moisture before it evaporates due to the sun’s heat. This will also give your lawn time to dry out before nightfall, which can help prevent fungal diseases that thrive in dark and moist environments.
How often you water your yard depends on the season, climate, and how much natural rainfall your yard receives. Too little or too frequent watering can cause the grass to grow shallow roots and weaken the turf. Watering less frequently but for longer periods of time can promote deeper root growth and more resiliency to drought and heat stress.
We can recommend a custom schedule for your yard based on your specific needs. We can also suggest watering times that work with your home’s irrigation system to reduce water waste and save you money.
It takes a lot of time, effort and proper care to get new trees, shrubs and flowers established in your yard. Irrigation is essential to ensure that the new plants are receiving enough water so they can thrive.
The quickest way to test for the need of water is to push a garden spade or trowel into the ground at least four to five inches down. If the soil is hard or crusty, the lawn and/or landscaping may need to be watered. Another quick test is to walk across the lawn; if you leave footprints, the turf is under drought stress and should be watered immediately.