Design and installation are the first steps in your landscape design. Then comes the week-in, week-out care and consideration of the landscape. Houston lawn service is a year-round affair which requires attention to maintain the overall design intent, plus some particular tasks caused by our climate and environment.

The Elements of Houston Lawn Service

• Lawn Service

Residential landscape maintenance begins with the lawn. Houston lawns require mowing and trimming weekly from March through October and bi-weekly from November through February. Rotary lawn mowers are the most common type used in Houston because of the prolific use of St. Augustine. Reel lawn mowers are used on zoysia, Bermuda or 419 Tiff varieties. Dethatching, the process of removing thatch or excessively thick grass, promotes healthy lawns. It is done with machine or by hand.

Over-seeding with winter grass (also known as rye grass) is a great way to keep your lawn beautiful throughout the winter months. The local temperature range normally dictates that winter rye seed can be spread in early to late October. It is important to know, however, that rye grass has some disadvantages. For example, the rye grass can compete with the St. Augustine grass for space and nutrition, which makes it difficult on the St. Augustine in the spring. This struggle is particularly apparent in shaded area where grass already has a hard time growing.

• Fertilization

Types of fertilizers include organic, semi-organic, fast release, slow release, winterizer and low salt. Two other important treatments are insecticides and fungicides, which help control fungus and insect infestations, an always present danger in Houston lawn service care.

• Lawn Aeration

Lawn aeration, also known as core aeration, is a recommended lawn care practice for compacted, heavily-used turf and to control thatch build-up. Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn by a core aerator. The aerator extracts ½- to ¾-inch diameter cores of soil and deposits them on the lawn. Other types of aerators push solid spikes or tines into the soil without removing a plug, a procedure known as spiking. Spiking is not as effective as core aeration because, with Houston's soil, spiking can actually contribute to compaction.

• Irrigation

Watering long and less often ensures deeper water penetration, which gives your plant material stronger root systems and healthier plants. It also makes for a more drought-resistant lawn and you can water less, thus saving money. In the fall and winter months, you should run your irrigation system in the late morning to reduce standing water, which is a perfect breeding ground for fungus.

An investment in an irrigation system can be a time and energy saver for your Houston lawn service program. However, quarterly inspection of your system is required since irrigation systems, like all machines, break down and need repair from time to time. This regular survey prevents the loss of water from undetected leaks, something that is important for the environment and your pocketbook. Attention to this detail is extremely important on large properties or for commercial landscape maintenance. In short, proper lawn maintenance requires proper irrigation system maintenance.