How effective was your 2011 lawn care maintenance program? Are there things you would have done differently or things you didn’t know were important? Have you thought of your 2012 program?
TruGreen, a ServiceMaster company and the nation’s largest residential and commercial lawn care company, provides year-round maintenance programs to ensure that lawns and landscapes have the best look to make a lasting impression.
While lawn care is often thought of as spring and summer activity (depending on your region), cooler weather is the perfect time for corporate and academic campuses to fertilize trees and shrubs and renovate lawns. The healthier your lawn and ornamental plants are through the winter, the better they will respond to treatments in the spring. The result is a more pleasing campus appearance to employees and visitors year-round.
The first step towards renovating your lawn is a professional assessment. As state laws allow and weather permits, apply a fall fertilizer to help aid in root growth through winter months. For lawns, the best program for fall fertilization includes two applications—one in early fall and one in late fall. Experts recommend any time from September to early December as the best time to feed trees and shrubs.
The fall season also offers optimal conditions for successful turf seeding for renovating or improving lawn areas, especially after a long heat-stressed season. All cool-season grass types such as bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, turf type tall fescue, and fine fescue are best seeded in late-summer to mid-fall depending on the area of the country.
The cooler temperatures and shorter days cause plants to reduce top growth but increase root growth. This enhanced root growth increases the plant’s utilization of applied nutrients, enhances good lawn response in color and density, and provides quick root establishment with newly installed plants.
Some of the actions you can take to positively impact your property’s green spaces include fertilization, weed control, aeration, tree and shrub care and grub control. Take the opportunity during the winter months to carefully inspect the condition of your property and plan ahead for a beautiful impression in the spring.
“Having a plan in place can help improve your business’s curb appeal,” said John Crossmock, director of technical training and support for TruGreen. “Consider contacting an expert such as TruGreen to have your lawn assessed and customize a unique plan to help meet your needs.”
