November’s weather in Rochester was lousy! Every day it seemed to either rain or snow and the weekends were cold! With the unfavorable weather conditions, many people neglected to winterize their landscape in the fall of 2018. This coming spring, landscapes all around Rochester will be in need of a good cleaning! You can always contact your favorite landscaper for a quote, but if you have the time and energy, the completion of these 5 maintenance projects in March or April will save you money and make your landscape the best looking on the street!
Clean up the front foundation planting beds.
Prune and shape the front foundation plantings.
Fertilize your lawn and repair winter damage.
Powerwash your walkway.
Plant spring flowers!
1. Clean the front foundation planting beds.
Landscaped planting beds should be cleaned of all fallen leaves and branches. Early spring is a great time to cut back perennials and shrubs prior to new leaf growth, as there will be less to prune and debris to clean up. Plants will also benefit from early pruning, replacing interior deadwood with new growth which will improve the plants growth habit. Additionally, the removal of undesirable plants and replacing anything has died will upgrade the looks of your landscape. Having the wrong plant installed in the wrong place along your house front will always look better once it’s removed. Other maintenance steps can be to:
Edge the outline of the planting bed with a foot spade to a depth of about 3”, remove old sod and soil edging debris.
Install a 1” layer of fresh mulch around plantings to add color and help in the control summer weed growth.
Apply a slow release granular pre-emergent on top of mulch to hinder summer weed germination.
2. Prune and shape the front foundation plantings.
Removing dead branches and cutting plants back from walkways, door openings and window panes can make a huge improvement to the front of your house. It's also vital to long term plant health to remove dead wood and undesirable branches. Allowing sunlight into the planting bed, will improve air circulation and help control moisture and weed germination.
3. Fertilize your lawn and repair winter damage.
A thick green lawn can really make your landscape stand out! After a long Rochester winter, most yards will need some degree of attention for them to look great this spring. The time to begin repair work on your grass can be as early as the month of March. Once the snow banks have melted, these following steps can help jumpstart your lawn for the summer season.
Remove all leaves that have matted in grassy areas.
Go over your lawn with a leaf rake and try to remove dead grass and loosen compacted soil.
In lawn areas that have patchy grass, March through April is the perfect time to apply grass seed. When choosing grass seed, use a higher ratio of 'Fescue' seed for shady locations and a 'Perennial Rye' blend for full sun areas. Lightly rake in the seed after applying to dirt patches.
Apply a high in nitrogen lawn 'Starter' fertilizer over all newly seeded areas.
4. Powerwash your walkway.
Over time, drt, mildew and moss will stain your walkway surface and deposit between paver joints causing your walkway to look grungy. By renting a power washer for the day, you can easily remove the dirt and mildew! Power washers can be either electric plug or run by gas powered engines. If you're looking to purchase a power washer, select a model with a minimum spray intensity of 2000 P.S.I. Electric power washers will be less expensive than the gas engine models, but they also have less spraying power and often do not clean as well as gas operated washers. An average 200 square foot walkway can be cleaned in under an hour and will look great for over a year! There's no need to use detergent soaps on concrete and paver walkways as the high pressure water spray will remove most dirt and mildew easily.
5. Plant spring flowers!
Planting fall and spring bulbs like crocus, tulips and daffodils will liven up your home and landscape, as they begin flowering in March and April. Plant cold hardy annuals like violets as early as April!
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