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Quick Tips

Clearing Leaves

Quick And Easy Tips For General Care of Your Property

  1. Keep outdoor outlets covered and unplug electronics both inside and outside when not in use.
  2. Keep leaves and other debris off of your lawn as much as possible because they can create uneven spotting in grass.
  3. Always make sure that someone can watch over your house if you have to leave for an extended period of time.
  4. Try to make sure you are trimming away dead parts of plants and watch for diseases that might try to take over your gardens.
  5. Keep plants away from touching the edge of your house to help keep the inside of your home bug free.
Vacation Tips

How to Take Care of Your Lawn While You're on Vacation

With all the planning and packing involved, your summer vacation to-do list is overwhelming! The last thing you need is to stress over the state of your lawn while you're away. Thankfully, if the weather conditions are favorable, a well-cared-for and healthy lawn should withstand your absence for a week or two. To ensure your lawn stays healthy during the summer heat, there are some easy steps you can take before and after your trip. Even if your lawn is dormant, you can help it recover and regain its lush, green look.

Before you leave town, take these simple steps to prepare your lawn:

  1. If you plan to go on a trip, mowing your lawn just before leaving is advisable. During the summer, grass growth slows down, providing flexibility to your lawn care routine. Therefore, before embarking on your journey, you can mow it as usual.
  2. Make a watering plan. If you have an irrigation system, it's best to keep it running as usual. However, if the forecast shows little rain, consider adding an extra day of watering each week you're away. For those who rely on a hose and sprinkler, it's recommended to soak the lawn for an hour in each area before leaving. Alternatively, you can ask a reliable neighbor or friend to water your lawn and flowers (remember to return the favor!).

After returning from a vacation, your lawn might require additional attention:

  1. You might consider mowing your lawn at a slightly higher height than usual. If you've been away for a while, your grass has likely grown quite long. To prevent cutting off more than a third of the blade at once, increasing your mowing height and mowing more frequently until you achieve your desired grass length is best.
  2. Water (or don’t). If you were away and your lawn experienced heavy rainfall, it may be excessively waterlogged. In such a case, it would be best to wait for some time to allow it to dry out. Conversely, if it appears to be extremely dry, it would be advisable to water it deeply and continue with your regular watering schedule.

Dealing with Summer Dormancy

If you plan to be away from home for an extended period, your lawn will likely go dormant. However, there's no need to worry. This is a natural survival mechanism for your lawn. During dormancy, the foliage of the grass plant will turn brown and dead, but the roots and crowns will remain alive.

To help your lawn recover from summer dormancy, patience is vital. Most healthy lawns can survive dormant for 3 to 4 weeks without rainfall or irrigation. Once you return, water your lawn immediately and continue regularly. As temperatures cool, the grass will recover, emerge from dormancy, and grow.

If you're looking to achieve a lush and healthy lawn, here are seven valuable tips to follow:

  1. Make sure to mow your lawn regularly, but avoid cutting it too short.
  2. Water your lawn deeply and infrequently rather than frequently and shallowly.
  3. Ensure you fertilize your lawn with the appropriate nutrients at the right time of year.
  4. Promote healthy root growth by aerating your lawn.
  5. Keep weeds at bay by removing them regularly.
  6. Fill in bare spots and improve thickness by overseeding your lawn.
  7. Properly maintain your lawn equipment to ensure it runs efficiently.
Healthy Lawn
Watering Tips

Here are some tips for watering your lawn:

WATER YOUR LAWN WHEN IT NEEDS IT. If you're a homeowner who takes pride in having a beautiful, healthy lawn, you know how important it is to take good care of it—having a reliable lawn care service and making sure to water and mow regularly. However, knowing if your lawn needs more attention can sometimes be challenging. Weather conditions, humidity, and precipitation levels can all be unpredictable, making it hard to strike the right balance between watering enough and too much. To help you keep your lawn healthy, VanBeck has some valuable tips to share.

  • When is the optimal time to water your lawn?

    As a homeowner, having more leisure time in the evening is understandable, but there are better times to water your lawn. Nighttime watering can cause water to become stagnant since there's no sunlight to help moisture absorb into the soil and dry up excess droplets. It's best to water your lawn early in the morning to avoid overwatering and prevent moisture-loving turf diseases. This will enhance water penetration and keep your lawn healthy.

  • It’s important to consider whether or not to water your lawn after rainfall.

    To maintain a healthy lawn, it is essential to note that it only requires one inch of water weekly. To optimize water usage, you can measure the rainfall in your area by placing empty tuna cans on your turf. A full can indicates that your lawn has received the necessary one inch of water and does not need extra irrigation. However, if the tuna can is not filled, you must provide more water to keep your grass in good shape. Installing rain sensors helps determine precipitation patterns and allows homeowners to decide whether they need to irrigate their lawns. These options are budget-friendly and help conserve our water supply, saving money.

  • What is the recommended duration for watering my lawn?

    It's best to water your lawn deeply and infrequently for a healthy root system. You can achieve this by using your sprinkler system to water a specific lawn area for 45 minutes to an hour. An even, thorough soak will create enough moisture reserve in the soil, allowing you to avoid watering your lawn for several days.

  • What should I use to water my lawn?

    Using a lawn sprinkler or a professionally installed irrigation system is recommended instead of a handheld garden hose. This will ensure that water is distributed evenly throughout the yard, preventing the formation of puddles that can damage your grass and lead to turf disease.

  • Keep track of weather conditions and temperature changes.

    Keeping your lawn healthy usually needs around 1-1.5 inches of water each week. It's important to consider things like temperature, sunlight, and rainfall patterns in your region. If it's hot and dry, you may need to water it more often, but if there's a lot of rain, you might need to reduce your watering schedule.

  • BE WATER SMART

    It's important to position your sprinkler strategically to cover as much turf as possible to conserve water. This will reduce unnecessary water usage.

  • It is important to be aware of the signs of drought.

    It’s important to observe any alterations in the appearance of your lawn. If your grass appears bluish-gray, it could be a sign that it needs watering. Additionally, footprints may leave more noticeable marks on the lawn. In such cases, watering your lawn immediately is recommended, irrespective of the time of day.