When the rains start hitting the Sunshine State, the green stuff starts growing. When your grass, hedges, flowers, and trees start growing, they begin to look vibrant green and alive. Unfortunately, they also often end up looking a little, well, wild. Dare we say, unkempt?
While the color and the growing indicate that your landscaping is healthy, keeping them healthy is dependent on a little human help – maintenance.
We know the image in your mind automatically goes to the lawnmower. While you aren’t incorrect, there is more to lawn care than just mowing! Chores like trimming, edging, blowing, and mulching are essential to keeping your landscaping the envy of the neighborhood.
Isn’t Trimming and Mowing the Same?
When you trim your hair, you’re cutting your hair shorter than what it was before, right? Of course! So, in theory, shouldn’t trimming your lawn be the same as mowing? Not quite.
When your lawn is mowed, it cuts vast and large swaths of your grass horizontally. A nice, big mower makes cutting the grass a faster and more efficient process. But think about it: the bigger the equipment, the more difficult it is for the mow to occur in the harder-to-reach spots of your yard.
The corners of your yard, where your fencing begins, are one great example of where trimming shines. Trimming the spots your mower can’t reach keeps the aesthetic that neat and clean look, as well as makes sure the health of your landscape stays intact.
What is Edging Exactly?
Like areas that need to be trimmed, a few other important areas aren’t the greatest for a big ol’ mower to get to. These areas are like where you mow or trim as they need to be cut vertically rather than the horizontal the majority of your grass does.
To give your yard a picturesque look you want, getting the edges of your yard sharp is essential. This assists in establishing a visual boundary, as well as helping you keep track of any trouble spots that may invite things like weeds.
An edger cuts on the vertical at the edges of your yard – places like where it meets the sidewalk, the driveway, flowerbeds, and islands that may have your palms planted are where the edging equipment shines.
What About Hedge Trimming – Is That Important Too?
Why do you trim your hair? Typically, you get haircuts routinely for a couple of reasons: you want to keep it a particular length for aesthetic or feeling purposes and the overall health of your hair follicles. If you cut off the dead hair and splitting, it allows new hair to grow stronger, healthier.
The same principle applies to your yard and your hedges. When you make hedge trimming part of your landscaping routine, you will see amazing results. Trimming the dead bits off your hedges strengthens it down to the roots, allowing it to grow thicker and greener.
Thicker hedges provide better shade for your soil, more privacy for you, and a luxurious look for your yard. Well-kept hedges also allow you to see where you need to see along your walkways and helps prevent tripping hazards.
Is Blowing Good for My Yard?
There is quite a bit of controversy in the green industry about blowing and whether it’s good for your yard or not. Keeping your yard free of leaves and other small debris is important in most situations, which would lend to the argument that blowing is a necessary landscaping project.
However, if you have areas that would be suitable for mulching – flowerbeds, plant beds, herb gardens, and bare soil around your trees – then blowing may not be the perfect answer. At least not in the traditional sense.
Taking the leaves that you are trying to blow away and upcycling them to transform into an amazing, organic mulch may be the answer for you. This option is suitable for properties looking for the most natural method to create mulch. Talk to your professional buddies to find out if your tree type would allow for good mulch in the first place, as not all tree leaves are suitable mulch material anyway.
If you are looking for a cleaner look with coveted curb appeal, using other materials for mulch and blowing away, the undesired leaves would likely be the best choice.
Can You Tell Me More About Mulch?
Since we brought it up, let’s talk mulch for a minute. As we said, mowing isn’t the end all be all of the routine maintenance your landscape requires. Along with trimming, edging, hedging, and blowing, keeping a close eye on whether your mulch needs work is important.
As long as your mulch is living its best life and is doing the job it is designed to do, mulch is fairly easy to take care of. Organic mulch sometimes has to be replaced a little more frequently as it breaks down to provide sustenance to your soil.
How Often Should These Tasks Get Done?
So much of the how often timing question of these projects is dependent on your individual landscaping. Your landscape is unique. Your grass may be different from your neighbors or have needs that depend on the seasons.
As a rule, every other time your lawn is mowed, edging and trimming may need to take place. Blowing is going to be more of a seasonal task and truly depends on the type of trees you have.
Evaluating and changing out your mulch is a little different. You may need to replenish it, especially organic mulch, once or twice a year. An entire replacement is more suitable every five years or so.
It seems Like a Lot – Do the Pros Handle This?
Your team at Premier Lawn Care is your go-to for all of these needs – and many more – to save you on time, energy, and costly equipment. Our services are conducted with care, attention to detail, and great communication with our customers. We are ready to love your landscape like our own!
