Winter Landscaping & Lawn Care in the South

winter lawn care All services offered by Landscape Management continue year -round, even though specific landscape tasks change as the seasons change. A LMC maintenance crew is scheduled to visit a client for service and inspections a minimum of every six to ten days.

Winter lawn care & landscaping tasks:

Turf Care:

Mowing- This area of the country (Climate Zone 7) is located with the “turf transition zone”. Our climate allows the use of both cool season (fescue) and warm season (bermuda/zoysia) grasses, however because weather conditions can fluctuate to extremes all turf grasses are susceptible to environmental stresses. As we move from summer to fall/winter, the warm season bermuda and zoysia turf grasses’ growth slows so less mowing should be required of these grasses. Fescue, our cool season turf grass stays green during the winter and looks its best in the spring and fall. Fescue grows more in the spring and fall and will require more mowing whereas the bermuda and zoysia become dormant (brown out) and require little mowing, if any, during the winter.
Fescue Lawn Fertilizations: In November, a high Nitrogen fertilizer is applied to fescue lawns to promote “greening up” and growth. In February, another high Nitrogen fertilizer is applied again.
Weed Control: One of the weed control treatments we do on cool season, fescue lawn areas as well as warm season, bermuda and zoysia lawns in late winter is the application of pre and post emergent herbicides to inhibit annual broadleaf weed seed germination and to help control existing weeds.
Lime Applications: Another winter service offered by LMC is the application of lime to turf. Soil samples are taken from our turf care clients’ lawns and tested for pH in-house to determine the amount of Lime that needs to be applied. Turf grass performs best within a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. Generally soils in our area range from desirable to acidic. Lime is applied to raise an acidic’s soil’s pH to within a desirable range. LMC’s turf care lime applications take place in December.

Leaf Clean-Up:
Along with fall and winter seasons come leaf fall. LMC becomes extremely busy during late fall and early winter with blowing and collecting leaves for our clients. Leaves are collected from lawns, planting beds, and paved areas every visit during the leaf season and placed at the curbside for pick up by the City of Gainesville Solid Waste Division or we dispose of the leaves on the client’s composting/dump area. Any leaves which must be removed from site will be transported to LMC’s composting facility.

Mulching:
After leaf fall and the collection and disposal of leaves, LMC becomes extremely busy with applying mulch to planting beds and natural areas during the winter months. Pine straw mulch or various types of bark mulches are applied as needed. Mulch is not only utilized for aesthetics, it also benefits plant growth by retaining soil moisture, moderating changes in soil temperature, and weed suppression.

Pruning:
Once ‘leaf season’ is over there are many pruning tasks that must take place while or before the mulching is going on. Some of these pruning tasks that take place in mid to late winter are: Pruning trees such as raising tree canopies for mower clearance and safety; pruning crape myrtles as necessary – (LMC’s policy - we do not severe prune crape myrtles unless necessary or if they need to fit a specific space.); cutting back groundcovers such as liriope and cleaning up daylilies and spent perennials; severe pruning (‘cutting back hard’) those receptive plants to re-establish plant boundaries; pruning ornamental grasses that are so numerous in the southern landscape; and pruning landscape plants such as certain hydrangeas, roses and butterfly bushes.

Seasonal Color Care:
We are fortunate to have a climate that allows the installation of certain annuals that remain hardy through our winter months and then provide a beautiful spring flush of color. Installation of winter hardy annuals such as pansies, violas, snapdragons and ornamental cabbages and kales takes place in October. Inspections and care of color plantings such as applying fertilizers to encourage flower production, weed control, identification of diseases and insects, and removal of spent blooms continues throughout the winter months.

Landscaping (Tree Installation)
In general, LMC encourages landscaping, especially most deciduous tree installations to be done during the late fall/winter months in our area when the rate of water loss from planted trees and shrubs is much less than if installed in the spring and summer months. A fall/winter installation in our area gives the plants time to become established before the summer’s heat, humidity and water stresses set in.

Landscape Management Company provides landscaping and lawn maintenance services to clients throughout North Georgia. Contact us today for more information on winter landscaping and lawn care.