Sunday, March 31, 2013

Efficiently Care For Your Grass Year-Round- Tips From Kansas City Landscapers

By Danny Williams


You won't need to pay full price for the benefits of a professional lawn care servicing. Yet the normal watering and mowing routine is not enough for an immaculate yard. Kansas City landscapers implement a range of methods that we will cover briefly.

You must acknowledge the requirements of your grass as a living thing. Failing to meet these needs will result in a lawn which will be unsightly and prone to disease. And yet realizing the wants of this creature called "grass" isn't going to answer them. You must apply that understanding attentively and with strategic skill.

Professional landscapers in Kansas City always treat the first few inches of soil, if possible. The correct preparation should ideally provide a loamy texture. Professionals know the important of soil that is conditioned for the ideal water retention and oxygen exposure.

Your soil's pH level will also be an issue. Kansas City landscapers use simple and easy pH testing kits that can be found at many landscaping stores. Then adjust the levels up (more alkaline) or down (more acidic) to provide the perfect acidity and texture. A pH level of between 6.5 and 7.0 is ideal. Kansas City landscaping stores will have the tools and materials you need. Each material will have its own method for applying to your lawn so ask the supplier what they suggest

Erosion and standing water tend to be a problem for many yards in the Kansas City area. There is no other remedy than preemptive management. Erosion will remove nutrients and loose soil at the least and the grass and yard soil itself at worst. And stagnant water will bring pests, disease, and stress to the yard. Solve the issue by changing the level of the low areas and steep areas with soil. Sod, erosion blankets, and new landscaping itself are more drastic solutions for drastic erosion issues.

When cultivating a new lawn or covering a bare area you'll need to choose between sod or grass seed. The less expensive option will always be seed, but it takes far more time and labor to bring it to maturity.

If your yard has one or more stressful condition that one variety of grass can't handle well you should look into two or even three types of grass to be planted together. This is a common practice used by professional landscapers in Kansas City to provide a healthy shield against varied conditions and knock out competing plants. Seek advice or help from a professional for your unique regional needs.

Proper care in how you water is crucial. Too often unawareness and assumption lead to a vulnerable and patchy lawn. A lot of Kansas City landscapers employ a regular watering cycle 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 can generate problems for your turf if it is uncontrolled. This layer of dead grass lying on top of the ground will choke the grass, not to mention become a breeding ground for disease. Thatch itself is not bad, however. A small amount under healthy turf can promote the health of the grass.

Many types of grass may need a regular thatch-treatments. A power-rake is the most common tool for this task, but, if one is not available, a stiff hand-rake will do. Try not to harm the grass as you rake the dead thatch out from the yard. As long as there is no disease or pest infestation, this dead grass is an ideal material for composting.

Each year water fall (rain and snow) will compact the soil around your grass roots. Water and nutrients will be held away from roots, thus preventing the yard from prospering.

Kansas City landscapers treat this dilemma by aerating. The aerator cuts holes throughout the yard that simulate the natural holes of foraging birds and animals. This not only decompresses the soil but also provides surface-area for the exchange of needed elements.

Late Winter/Early Spring is when Kansas City landscapers apply a pre-emergent chemical that keeps weeds from germination. Before weed-seeds activate, this chemical stops the activation process. The grass can then flourish and spread quickly to establish itself. Just be careful not to use the pre-emergent if you're seeding grass because it will do exactly the same thing to grass seed as it does to weed seed.

Just like any other organism your lawn needs nourishment to grow. Nutrients are leeched out of the soil from sunshine, wind, and other processes. The yard must have these essential elements or it will be malnourished and prone to deadly stresses. Professional Kansas City landscapers recommend two or three feedings every year to replace the leeched nutrients. Chemical nutrients are a common method for feeding or, the more effective method, garden compost and manure.

Understand that fertilizing should be done when the grass isn't going to seed or too long so that the nutrients reach the soil, or else the nutrition will be concentrated in some areas and never reach other areas. Cutting the grass too short is at least as bad, however, since the the cut leaves will be vulnerable to chemical burns. Keep in mind that cutting the grass too short will force the grass to switch into a survival mode and stress it. Professional landscapers in Kansas City understand this and use higher settings to avoid it.

Once a year Kansas City landscapers apply a fungicide for preventing the spread of disease. Untreated grass will be prone to mold, mildew, and fungus that can destroy a yard. Kansas City landscapers keep a continual eye on the yards in their care, but the ounce of prevention will cost much less than the pound of cure.

Intelligent Kansas City landscapers will keep the yard in the healthiest state possible. Strategic care will always save you work and headaches later on. Neglecting the yard not only makes it look bad now, but means it will die in tough times and consequently need to be replaced.

The good Kansas City landscaper will tell you that it is hard work but it is necessary if your lawn is going to be healthy and happy. Nobody said it would be easy but it usually is worth the time. And there are few activities that will so quickly and completely become a source of joy and value for you and your household. So get out there and enjoy the work!




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