Your Yard Maintenance Guide

Yard maintenance is just as important as maintaining the inside of your home. Whether you decide to do all your yard maintenance yourself or you want to hire it out, there are a few key things you need to know about landscape maintenance. This yard maintenance guide will help you maintain a healthy yard throughout the entire year!

Yard Maintenance by Season

Summer

The summer season generally requires mowing your lawn on a regular basis. The more rain you get, the more you’ll have to mow. Depending on the rainfall, you may have to water your lawn frequently throughout the summer. If it doesn’t get enough water, the heat and intense UV rays can slow growth, cause browning, and eventually kill your grass. 

Additionally, you’ll need to fertilize your lawn and manage weeds and pests. You should fertilize your lawn about once a month in June, July, and August. Weeding should be done at least once a week or as needed. For pest control, applying a pesticide to your yard once a month will help deter and kill most pests.

As plants grow throughout the summer season, be sure that they are not touching the exterior of your home. Trim shrubs, flowers, and grasses away from the walls.

Fall & Winter

As temperatures begin dropping and trees shed their leaves, you’ll need to rake leaves and pick up any fallen sticks or branches and move them away from your house. Check for leaves and debris in gutters. Remove any hoses and drain exterior faucets before winter. You may also want to plant bulbs, grass seed, or other plants for the following growing season.

Spring

Spring is the most important month for taking care of your yard. During spring, you’ll want to follow a strict schedule for fertilizing, weed control, pest control, and watering.

As soon as your grass returns to a bright green, fertilize your yard once a month for the remainder of the season. Apply pre-emergents, which stop weeds from growing, once a month in the early days of spring. As the temperature rises, applying a post-emergent as needed will kill any weeds that sprout up.

Insecticides should be used monthly once your grass turns green. If the insecticide you’re using only requires one treatment, then apply this treatment at the beginning of spring. Water your lawn once a week, or as needed if there is a lot of rain, and water your plants according to their individual needs. Be sure that the sprinkler system isn’t directing water onto the surface of your house.

Spring is also a good time to ensure that rainwater is draining properly away from your house. When your home was completed, the lot was sloped to allow water to drain away from the home. Be sure that this slope is maintained. If there’s settling and water begins to collect near the foundation of your house, you may need to add extra soil to maintain positive grading.

Maintain a Beautiful, Healthy Yard

When you commit to proper homeowner maintenance, you can keep your house looking its best for years to come! While landscaping maintenance takes some time and effort, the results will be well worth it. You’ll love looking out the window at your beautiful, healthy yard.