Your lawn and plants require different maintenance and care throughout the year. If you take on the work yourself, sometimes knowing when to what type of treatments and maintenance can be confusing. In an effort to help you keep your landscaping looking gorgeous and healthy all year long, we at Mickey’s Lawnscapes would like to share a basic seasonal landscaping guide.
Spring Lawn Care: March Through May
Mulch the beds early in the season if the yard was not properly mulched in the winter. Broadcast a light application of 10-10-10 over the perennial beds. Get the lawn mower blades sharpened and set your lawn mower to 3- 31/2 inches. In order to avoid cutting more than 1/3rd of growth at any one time, make certain you mow the lawn once a week. Most spring-flowering shrubs can be cut back and fertilized after flowering. After they flower to extend the bloom times in most species, deadhead perennials. Apply a pre-emergent to lawns in early March in order to prevent the crabgrass invasion. Spray the broadleaf weeds as they appear in the lawn.
Summer Landscaping: June thru August
Be certain the spring-flowering shrubs the pruning and fertilizer is finished after blooming. Be sure to apply the 2nd round of pre-emergent in early June. As they grow in the lawn, continue to spray the broadleaf weeds. Apply a 2nd application of 10-10-10 over the perennials and perform deadheading when needed in mid-summer. Inspect the plants, trees, and grass for any insect infestation and spray when needed. Also, weed beds as frequently as needed to avoid flowering and setting in more seeds. Water deeply and consistently throughout the summer.
Fall Lawn Maintenance: September Until December
Aerate and seed the lawn any time from late August to early October. Fertilize the lawn from September to November. Continue to water throughout fall, particularly the evergreens and newly planted trees and shrubs until weather cools and frost is common. The perennial gardens should be cleaned up and the plants cut back. In September, the trees and shrub species that should be pruned in fall should be done. The new growth is stimulated which would be otherwise killed off in the early frost by pruning. It would be better to wait as you do not prune heavily after September. Plant the spring flowering bulbs in November to early December. Ensure the leaves are cleaned up weekly, particularly on newly seeded lawns.
Winter Landscape Care: January and February
To avoid pushing down the branches, gently brush the snow with a broom from shrubs and tree branches using am upward motion on the branches whenever possible. Getting the snow off will prevent the limbs from breaking under the weight.
As they fall to the ground, continue to clean up the stray leaves. Now is a good time to mulch with the beds cleaned up and the bulbs and perennials being dormant. Due to freezing and thawing, mulch offers more protection for the plants, preventing them from heaving from the ground as well as offer the soil more protection from drying out. In February, hollies and boxwoods and other evergreens should be pruned and fertilized and the crape myrtles can be thinned.
Landscape Design & Construction, Lawn Maintenance & More in Amagansett, Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Cutchogue, East Hampton, East Hampton North, Greenport, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Montauk, Nassau Point, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, Springs, Wading River, Westhampton Beach in East End of Long Island, New York
The care of your lawn and landscaping can be overwhelming. For your convenience and to help you properly maintain the landscaping on your East End New York property, call Mickey’s Lawnscapes today!
