As the summer sun bathes your trees and lawns in warmth and light, it’s the perfect time to focus on the essential landscaping tasks that will ensure your outdoor space remains vibrant and healthy throughout the season. At Croy’s Mowing, we are dedicated to helping you achieve and maintain a stunning exterior. Read on for a list of the tasks our professionals say are the most critical to landscaping success over the summer – plus some helpful tips on how to get the job done right.
Mowing and Lawn Care
Maintaining a lush, green lawn is the cornerstone of summer landscaping. Regular mowing keeps your grass looking neat and promotes healthy growth. During the summer, mow your lawn weekly, adjusting the frequency based on the growth rate. Set your mower blades to the highest setting (between 3 and 5.5 inches) to encourage deeper root growth and shade the soil, reducing water evaporation. Alternating your mowing pattern helps avoid soil compaction and ensures an even cut, giving your lawn a professional, manicured look.
Watering
Summer heat can quickly dry out your plants, making consistent watering crucial. The best time to water is early in the morning to minimize evaporation and allow plants to absorb moisture before the heat intensifies. Water deeply, but less frequently, to encourage roots to grow deeper into the soil, promoting drought resistance. Utilizing soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems ensures efficient water distribution, targeting the roots directly while conserving water. Aim to give your lawn around 1” of water per week, depending on the soil type – lawns in sandy soil need to be watered more frequently than lawns in clay soil.
Weeding
Weeds can quickly overrun your area if not controlled, competing with your plants for nutrients and water. Keeping them in check is essential for a healthy landscape. Pull weeds by hand, making sure to remove the roots to prevent regrowth. Applying a layer of mulch around your plants suppresses weed growth and helps retain soil moisture. For stubborn weeds, use eco-friendly herbicides, carefully following the manufacturer’s instructions to protect both your plants and your local ecosystem.
Fertilizing
Feeding your plants is essential during their peak growing season, as it provides them with nutrients necessary for robust growth. Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer sometime from mid-May to late June. Follow the recommended dosage and evenly distribute the fertilizer around the base of your plants, taking care not to over-fertilize, which can harm your plants. Fertilize in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid burning your plants in the midday sun, ensuring they receive the nutrients they need without stress.
Pruning and Trimming
Regular pruning helps maintain the shape and health of your plants. Summer pruning should focus on shaping plants and encouraging flowering. Use sharp, clean pruning shears to make precise cuts, remove dead or diseased branches, and trim back overgrown areas. This enhances air circulation and sunlight penetration, which are necessary for healthy plant growth. Prune flowering plants after they have bloomed (avoid cutting off future buds) to ensure continuous blooms throughout the season.
Pest Control
Summer brings an array of pests that can damage your plants. Regularly inspect your plants for signs of pests, such as holes in leaves or discolored foliage. Introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs and use organic pesticides to control pest populations naturally. Physical barriers, such as netting or row covers over a garden, can also protect your plants from pests, ensuring they remain healthy and vibrant.
Adding Color
Summer is the perfect time to add a burst of color to your landscape with vibrant flowers. Choose a variety of annuals and perennials that bloom at different times to ensure continuous color throughout the season. Planting flowers in groups creates a striking visual impact. Consider using containers and hanging baskets, which will give you more flexibility on placement (and less weeding to do). Regular deadheading, or removing spent blooms, encourages plants to produce more flowers, keeping your foliage looking fresh and lively.
Adding Shade
Creating shaded areas in your outdoor spaces not only provides a cool retreat from the summer sun but also protects delicate plants from intense heat. Strategically planting trees and shrubs can offer natural shade for you and the surrounding foliage, giving you more options to plant flowers and shrubs that don’t grow well in full sun. In lieu of trees, pergolas, arbors, umbrellas, and shade sails are also excellent structural additions that provide shade and add architectural interest to your outdoor spaces. Focus on creating shade for rest and play areas, large windows that let in a lot of heat, and hardscaped walkways that can get dangerously hot in the summer sun. These shaded areas often become focal points for outdoor gatherings, making them the perfect places to rest and relax, get a little work done in the fresh air, or hold outdoor parties and events.
Ready to transform your outdoor space into a summer paradise? Let the professionals at Croy’s Mowing take the hassle out of landscaping. With our expert knowledge and top-notch services, we will ensure your landscape remains lush, vibrant, and healthy all summer long. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how we can help you sit back and enjoy the outdoors this summer – no weeding necessary.