As we roll into balmy, busy May, yard maintenance is on everyone’s minds. Everything starts growing like crazy at this time of year. The challenge is keeping outdoor spaces large and small looking trim and tidy yet lush and green. It’s when mowing, lawn care, and other maintenance services kick into high gear. In Northern Virginia, we have lots of choices for lawn care, and recommendations fly by on social media. As you make plans for your lawn care needs, make sure you’re getting quality, value, and excellent service by asking great questions. Here are a few topics to touch on with your lawn care professionals.
What Should I Ask About Mowing?
As the weather warms up, Loudoun is abuzz with the sound of mowers every day. We’re coming into peak mowing season, and having a reliable partner you can count on is essential.
- How often do you mow? Your lawn care company should mow weekly during heavy growth periods and vary their schedule during dry periods later in summer to avoid damaging your grass.
- How often do you do edging and weed eating? Keeping edges and borders neat and clean is a vital function of a professional lawn company. We recommend weed eating at every visit and edging every other mowing for the best results.
- How do you dispose of grass clippings? Grass-cycling is the top environmentally-friendly trend for lawn care companies. Instead of raking and bagging, high-quality mowers recycle clippings into the soil, reducing waste and nourishing the soil.
- Will my lawn get the attention it needs? While a one-man operation may be cheaper, you may not get the attention and care your lawn needs. A company with a team approach means you get experts on many levels and you’re not dependent on just one person.
What Should I Ask About Lawn Care?
A professional lawn care company should always be ready to take you beyond mowing and provide additional lawn care services. Keeping your lawn healthy and gorgeous means getting it the nutrients it needs while controlling weeds and pests.
How Do You Control Weeds and Pests?
- Your lawn care company should have a complete weed control plan, including pre-emergent treatment in spring to get a jump on crabgrass and weed control throughout the spring and summer months.
- Ask about fungicide applications to keep Virginia’s well-known fungi at bay and preserve your lawn’s lush beauty, preventing brown-patch, summer-patch, dollar-spot, and other common local diseases.
- Does your lawn care company offer insect management, including products to control root and surface-feeding insects? Do they provide a separate flea and tick-control program for your lawn? If you have specific questions about products used, don’t hesitate to ask.
How Can You Enrich My Soil?
Along with keeping weeds and pests at bay, your lawn care company should offer options for keeping your lawn healthy and green by enriching the soil.
- Fertilization is not something you want to DIY since overdoing it can hurt your lawn. A reputable lawn care company knows the right amount of fertilizer to use and how often to apply it. They’ll test your soil and set up a customized schedule designed for your lawn. Lawn fertilizers generally include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and it’s essential to get the levels just right.
- Lime applications regulate soil pH and provide a better growing environment for your lawn. Lime provides calcium which is an essential nutrient for cool-season grasses and helps boost the effectiveness of fertilizers.
- Aeration and overseeding are helpful prep steps you can take each fall for a healthy lawn. Aeration improves air, water, and nutrient movement in the soil. Overseeding fills in bare patches, boosts density and color, and improves disease and drought resistance.
- Topdressing is a soil amendment applied to the lawn to create healthier soil. It helps control thatch and works with aeration and overseeding to promote seed germination.
Do You Offer Mulching and Pruning Services?
Mulching and pruning are essential maintenance services to keep your yard looking its best. Look for a company that offers spring and fall mulching, along with pruning services for shrubs and trees. A one-stop shop with a qualified team is the way to go. Your service providers should have extensive knowledge of plants, their growth cycles, and bloom times to protect your valuable shrubs and trees. Late winter and early spring are often the peak times for pruning, but every plant has different needs.
Asking The Right Questions To Meet Your Lawn Care Needs
When you’re deciding on a lawn care company, ask the right questions to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. You may get pitches from bargain mowing services with inconsistent schedules and substandard equipment. But will they give your lawn the care it needs? Asking excellent questions will help you find a company that offers:
- A consistent and carefully planned mowing schedule.
- Broader lawn maintenance, including weed and insect control and soil enrichment.
- An experienced and competent team with a deep knowledge of plants and their growth patterns.
Epling Landscaping and Lawn Service has decades of experience serving Loudoun for mowing and so much more. We offer complete lawn care delivered by a reliable and knowledgeable team. And we love questions, so ask away.
