Spring is upon us! Or haven’t you heard? As Texas winter entertains the idea of its departure we’ve already begun to see signs of spring sneaking in to our weekly forecasts. For some this means sandal weather and baseball season; for others it means one thing and one thing only: it’s time to prep the yard for spring! While we love a long day at the ball park here at Clients First Landscape Solutions we want you to know a few things that can kick-start your own field of dreams.
There are many ways you can wake up your lawn. Here are a few simple steps that even the most novice home owner can take.
1) Cut the grass very short to help establish growth in the new season, this is known as ‘scalping’. Rather than scattering the clippings across the yard, go ahead and bag them up for this initial mowing. By setting your mower to a low setting and bagging the clippings the lawn will have room to absorb the sun and nutrients it needs.
2) Aerate your lawn for the same added benefits. This is the best time of year (before the Texas heat strikes) to do this.
3) Water deeply just once or twice a week. Be careful not over water in the event of rain.
This simple list begs the question; what about fertilizer? Cool-season lawns such as blue and ryegrass may be fertilized this month but do not fertilize warm-season grasses just yet. The choice is ultimately yours, so if you decide you simply can’t wait, just remember when it comes to fertilizer that less is often more. While a 4-1-2 or 5-1-2 ratio is easier to find, 2-1-0 is plenty for St. Augustine. Any nitrogen not used by your lawn will fill the bellies of pesky weeds and fungus.
Now is a great time to mulch in Texas for many reasons. Mulch provides nutrients to the soil which will assist in jump starting growth of new plants. It also serves as root support and temperature regulator for your soil. Mulching while the temperatures are still mild outside will help keep the ground cool as we enter into summer’s scorching months. No need to completely clear out the mulch left over from winter, you can keep about an inch’s worth and simply add in an inch or two of fresh materials.
At this point your grass and flower beds are well on their way to winning yard of the month, but no outdoor oasis is complete without the proverbial sprinkling of spring’s finest florals. So will it be Amaranthus, Dianthus, or Coleus? Which flowers are full sun and which are shade? Deciding what to plant in your front yard can feel a lot like choosing a haircut. You want everything to flow and compliment the most prominent structures.
However, landscaping doesn’t have to be complicated to be impactful. You’ve set the ground work (literally) now let us top off your efforts with a simple, classic, and custom design to make your landscape the talk of the neighborhood!