Efficiently Nurture Your Turf Year-Round- Recommendations From Kansas City Landscapers

| Sunday, April 7, 2013
By Jeremy Michaels


There's no need to pay full price for a full-care lawn service. However the normal watering and mowing routine is not going to make a great yard. This article will give you an idea of the broad spectrum of lawn care approaches that professional Kansas City landscapers employ.

You must acknowledge your yard as a living, breathing, feeding creature. Recognizing that and answering the plant's wants will end with a happy and healthy yard. Over time you can learn to read your lawn and be aware of signs of disease or stress. And ideally you will be equipped to handle these issues correctly.

Kansas City Landscapers understand that the first 3" of soil should be conditioned if the lawn is going to reach its full potential. Correct preparation will use sand or organic materials like manure to result in a texture that is rich in organic matter and somewhat "sticky", retaining moisture but also draining correctly. Kansas City landscapers aim for soil with a composition that provides the best possible water and gas exchange.

The health of your lawn will also rely on the pH level of the soil. Kansas City landscapers employ simple pH testing tools that can be found at many landscaping stores. Then balance the acidity with organic material that will also furnish nutrition- acidifying nitrogen, compost, plant foods, and lime are the most common. 6.7 is an ideal pH level. The variety of materials and methods for adjusting soil pH levels make it necessary to speak to a Kansas City landscaping shop.

Kansas City's water run-off tendencies can mean pools of standing water or heavy erosion on your property, which will result in bare areas and potential disease. Proactive management will save you a headache later on and prevent damage to your house and property. Water left standing too long can suffocate roots and leaves or promote disease. Heavy and fast water movement will wash away unestablished grass. Standing water is easily avoided by removing the source water and re-grading low spots. Heavy erosion may require more than re-grading, however, and landscaping to change the yard itself may be needed.

After the soil has been prepared and graded you will want to cover any bare spots (or even plant the lawn itself). You will have a huge variety of grasses to choose from and can either spread it as seed or install it as sod. Seed is much cheaper but is more difficult and labor-intensive while it establishes itself.

Some yards have issues like heavy traffic and erosion, which will mean you should look into two or even three types of grass to be planted together. It is very common for professional Kansas City landscapers to use a seed mixture for battling the diverse threats to Kansas City lawns. Seek advice or help from a professional for your unique regional needs.

Watering is a commonly misunderstood subject. Many people unknowingly water at the wrong times or too often, resulting in a stressed and unhealthy yard. A large number of Kansas City landscapers employ a once-per-week watering routine that saturates the soil just right. Thatch and fungus thrive when a yard is too wet. Thatch is a layer of dead grass that blankets the soil and results in patched grass, leaving a hiding place for pests and disease. With correct soil preparation, watering should be done once per week at 1.5-2 inches.

Thatch cannot be ignored for years or it will become a major factor in stress and disease. It has the ability to choke and stress the grass. But, some thatch is seen as a good thing. Water and nutrients are actually held in the soil, protected by wind and sun, when there is a thin layer. But it should be treated if this layer becomes too thick.

Often this means even a prospering lawn needs a de-thatching. A hand rake or power-rake are the two options when de-thatching. Raking should bring the dead grass to the surface and uncover the soil's surface. The dried grass can be a fire hazard so ensure that you dispose of it or compost it.

The weather all year round can gradually compact the dirt in your yard. This compression will prohibit healthy gas and water diffusion, thus keeping the yard from thriving.

Aeration is the solution Kansas City landscapers apply to this condition. This process cuts uniform holes all through the yard and breaks the surface of the soil. When done efficiently, this will simulate natural processes that lessen the compression and enable the roots to increase and expand correctly.

To stop weeds before they even start, Kansas City landscapers take advantage of a pre-emergent. Once the weather gets consistently above freezing weeds begin to germinate. Before the weed germinates, the pre-emergent will stop the seed from activating and sprouting. The grass will then develop and spread quickly to establish itself. Just be careful not to use the pre-emergent when you are seeding grass since it will do the exact same thing to grass seed as it does to weed seed.

Every living thing needs nutrition and grass needs it as much as you do. Over time essential nutrients are extracted from sunshine, wind, and other processes. These must be replaced several times a year if the yard is going to be healthy and strong. Professional Kansas City landscapers advise two or three feedings every year to replace the leeched nutrients. Chemical fertilization is not the only option. Manure and compost are better alternatives.

Be aware that fertilizing should be done when the grass isn't too high so that the nutrients reach the soil, otherwise the pellets of fertilizer will not be spread properly. Yet, if the grass has just been cut the fertilizer can do some major harm to the already stressed plants. It's beneficial to point out that Kansas City landscapers and lawn-care pros usually set their equipment higher than many people would because of the fatigue grass experiences when it is cut too close to the ground.

Using a fungicide once a year is commonly advised by Kansas City landscapers for stopping fungus before it can even start. Yards that get flooded or have poor drainage can be infected suddenly, almost overnight. Professional landscapers in Kansas City may offer treatments for an infected lawn, but sometimes a yard can be lost and must be destroyed.

Defending the lawn should be a proactive job and not reactive. There is no alternative for a vibrant yard as the best way to prevent problems. Neglecting the yard not only makes it look bad now, but means it will be prone to disease and pests and eventually need complete replacement.

These strategies are the foundation for ever good Kansas City landscaper and do-it-yourself home owner. Growing a beautiful yard is difficult though it is worthwhile. So get out there and enjoy the work!




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