We have compiled the best landscaping maintenance tips to prepare your yard for summer.
The weather is finally warming up, spring is in the air, and it is the perfect time to get to work in your garden! Soon, it will be time for barbeques, pool parties, and growing season for trees and plants. Now is your last chance to prepare your landscape and be ready to take advantage of the summer growing season. We have compiled the best landscape maintenance tips to prepare your yard for summer. Keep reading to learn more!
Inspect Your Yard
The easiest way to keep your landscape healthy is to spend some time in it. Don’t be afraid to get up close and personal with your plants. Look at the leaves and turn them over; touch the soil; look closely at your grass and tree roots. Inspecting your plants may show signs of pests or diseases before they worsen. Healthy soil and early diagnosis are your landscape’s best defenses against diseases and pests.
Mulch Your Trees
Now is a great time to ensure your sensitive trees and plants can stay cool through the summer. The best way to keep the soil moist is to apply a layer of mulch. Adding a few inches of mulch will reduce how much water your plants will need because the mulch keeps the roots cool and retains moisture for longer periods. Additionally, certain species of trees are susceptible to sunburn, and almost all tree varieties could benefit from extra solar protection.
Adjust Your Watering
When temperatures rise, you must monitor how your trees, shrubs, and other plants respond to the heat. This will help you notice and fix any minor issues before they become a problem. Short and shallow watering sessions are typically ineffective as they prevent water and nutrients from reaching the whole root system and waste water.
Longer and slower watering sessions are best because the water penetrates deep into the soil. This helps maintain the long-term health of the root system and can make a tree less susceptible to drought.
Store Your Landscape Materials
When storing extra organic materials like mulch or topsoil, you want to slow down fungus growth, decay and rot, and the leaching of nutrients. To prevent this, you must avoid excess moisture and keep the air flowing. This will help keep your landscaping materials in good condition until needed.
Mulch, especially those with wood chips, can sour during storage. Never store them in areas with no air, as the oxygen in the pile starts to reduce, and organic carbohydrates in the mulch break down and ferment. The result is high-pH acids that are toxic to plants.
For bagged mulch or topsoil, ensure the bags have holes for air circulation. Then, set the materials in a dry area like a garage or garden shed. To store surplus bulk mulch, place the landscape material on a tarp and cover the pile with a second tarp to keep it dry. Leave some of the edges free so air can easily flow underneath the tarp and through the mulch.
Questions? Lehnhoff’s Supply is Here to Help
If you still have more questions about landscaping in the month of May, the trained professionals at Lehnhoff’s Supply are here to help you.
Find us at 2708 Belair Road, Fallston, MD 21047 and give us a call at 410-510-7646. For tips, tricks, and to see what we have been up to, be sure to follow us on Facebook, X – Twitter, and Pinterest!
We serve but aren’t limited to, the following parts of Maryland: Harford County – Fallston, Forest Hill, Joppa, Edgewood, Bel Air, Churchville, Havre de Grace, Jarrettsville, Street, Aberdeen, Abingdon, and Joppatowne. In Baltimore County: Kingsville, Perry Hall, Overlea, Fullerton, Nottingham, Parkville, Towson, Carney, Loch Raven, Lutherville, Timonium, Hunt Valley, Cockeysville, Sparks, Glyndon, Pikesville, Reisterstown, Ruxton, Parkton, Glen Arm, Baldwin, Monkton, Long Green, White Marsh, Rosedale, Phoenix, and Fork.