Monday, April 1, 2013

Assistance On How To Nurture Your Turf From Landscapers in Kansas City

By Claire Jimmerson


A well informed and inspired person does not have to leave a professionally kept lawn to the professionals. But it is definitely true that a full service takes far more than a weekly cut and water. In this article we will cover fundamental methods that many professional Kansas City landscapers apply.

It is important to understand the demands of your grass as a living thing. Neglect will result in an unfit lawn that will be vulnerable to pests and disease, not to mention ugly. Being aware of the needs of your grass will not fix anything, however. You must also recognize how to answer them.

Kansas City Landscapers know the top 2" of earth are essential to prepare if the grass isn't already established. Try to create a texture with the right balance of organic material, sand and clay. The purpose of this texture is proper hydration and gas-diffusion. Grass roots need both water and oxygen.

Your soil's pH level will also be an issue. Any Kansas City landscaping shop will have a test-kit. Then you can use certain organic materials to raise or lower the pH, such as manure or sulfur (to lower) and firewood ash or peat moss (to raise). A level of around 6.7 (slightly acidic) is good. With all of the various methods and materials out there, refer to a Kansas City landscaping supplier.

For grass roots to anchor properly there must not be excessive water-erosion or stagnant pools of water. Proactive management will save you a headache later on and prevent damage to your house and property. Loose soil will be washed away by fast water-flow and stagnant pools suffocate the roots and leaves. 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 will have to choose between sod or grass seed. Sod requires less time and labor but it is much more expensive, while Seed is cheaper and allows you to mix varieties of grass.

Yards with a number of conditions may require multiple species of grass to fight each issue, such as full sun and dark shade within a few feet. This will cause the yard to thrive, though the lawn may not be uniform in color and texture. Once again, inquire with a professional Kansas City landscaping supplier or contractor to answer your specific needs.

Proper care in how you water is crucial. Many people unknowingly water at the wrong times or too often, resulting in an unhealthy yard. Kansas City landscapers view watering as an art that must be customized to each yard. Watering too often can support the growth of thatch, a dead layer of vegetation just above the soil, while watering too little will obviously dehydrate the roots. With correct soil preparation, watering should be done once per week at 1.5-2 inches.

Your yard can become choked and overly stressed by thatch over time. The grass itself can be choked or over-shaded by it. A small layer is fine as long as the shoots and leaves are easily covering it.

Some varieties of grass, such as Zoysia, require a consistent thatch-treatments. The most common method employed by Kansas City landscaping professionals for de-thatching is a power-rake. Try not to harm the grass as you rake the dead thatch out from the yard. Remove the thatch with a mower or by hand, being careful not to mulch it back into the yard.

Soil around the roots of your grass will become compressed over time. As a consequence the grass roots will not be able to diffuse oxygen and carbon dioxide productively; a big hindrance in growing a wholesome yard.

To deal with the compacted soil Kansas City landscapers aerate the ground. Hire or borrow an aerator and run it over the yard twice (at right angles) to break up the soil's surface. This will eliminate the problem of compacted soil and permit the roots to thrive and expand effectively.

Kansas City landscapers know that late Winter is the time to apply a pre-emergent. A pre-emergent is a compound that, just as you may guess, stops weeds before they even come up. This provides your lawn a huge boost over weeds in the pivotal early-growth phase.

You have to nourish your yard with proper food just like you have to feed any living thing. Over time essential nutrients are extracted from sunshine, wind, and other processes. Nutrients must be replaced or the yard will become sickly and prone to disease. Spring and Fall are the best times to replenish the soil. You can feed the lawn with chemicals or, a more natural method, manure and compost.

The grass should not be too long when it is fertilized or else the nutrition will never reach some areas of the yard and be too strong in others. And do not apply the fertilizer just after mowing either. That will add stress to the grass as it tries to grow back and potentially burn the cut leaves, sucking water from them. Often home-owners think that cutting the grass as short as possible is good for the yard. But this will be detrimental to the grass over time and in the Summer.. Professional Kansas City landscapers always advise cutting it at a medium height so that the grass does not have to continually recover.

Once per year Kansas City landscapers utilize a fungicide for preventing fungus spores from sprouting. Grass that is continually moist for long periods will attract spores that, if allowed to establish and grow, can destroy an entire yard. Kansas City landscaping is specifically susceptible to fungus in warmer months while it rains and the water does not dry completely.

The best defense is a good offense when it comes to lawn care. Keeping the yard healthy will provide it with the best chance of fighting off disease and pests, just as your body fights off stress and disease if it is healthy. A stressed or underfed lawn can be fragile and permanently harmed by even one day of bad weather but a strong yard will last through drought and disease much better.

You cannot neglect any of these issues if your are going to have a professional-quality yard. It will add value to your home and give you and your family a beautiful place to be together. So what are you waiting around for? Get going!




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