What’s Included In A Spring Clean Up?

Spring is officially here! While spring brings the promise of warmer weather, spring break and summer vacation in the next few months, it’s also the perfect time to start thinking about your lawn care and lawn maintenance needs for the upcoming season. However, prior to getting started on a regular lawn care and maintenance package, we highly recommend a spring clean up. A spring clean up is a necessary first step towards a beautiful, green lawn and immaculate yard. If you’ve never hired a company to complete a spring clean up on your property, we wanted to share a breakdown of the standard services we provide to our customers. We want to be sure that you have the facts to be able to compare service providers and understand what type of services you should expect when hiring a professional lawn care and maintenance company.

Clean Up of Entire Property

Although this may sound like a no-brainer, it is often overlooked. During a spring clean up, the whole property gets cleaned up. Although you think not much is happening during the winter months, there are often weeds and other debris, including leaves and even garbage, that have accumulated throughout the winter that must be removed. With those unwanted items removed, the property is left with a fresh, clean look that’s ready to take on the fresh start that spring provides.

Redefine Plant Beds

The winter months can be harsh on bed lines. Each spring the bed lines need to be redefined. Redefining the bed lines allows for the mulch to meet the sod and create that fine line between lawn and bed that creates the crisp, finished look at the start of the season to be maintained all season long.

Fertilize All Plants and Shrubs

During the spring clean up is when we fertilize all plants and shrubs on the property. The best time to fertilize during the spring season before new mulch is installed - adding the fertilizer right to the soil around the roots. Fertilization during the spring clean up gives the plants a jump start for the season and provides a consistent time to fertilize each year.

New Mulch Installation

Once all of the weeds and debris are removed and fertilizer is applied, we install new mulch to complete the spring clean up for a fresh and clean look. For us, there’s just something about the bright green grass and buds on trees combined with fresh mulch that makes us happy throughout the spring season. And, we’ll admit, it’s tough to make a property look better than it does in the spring right after a clean up.

A spring clean up service gives your lawn and property a head start into the rest of the season to ensure it maintains its beauty all season long. Now is the time to schedule your spring clean up - so why not leave the dirty work to us? Give us a call at 609.861.5050 today or contact us for a free estimate.

Lawn Care Tips From The Pros: Your Lawn Care Questions Answered

We get it. You have many lawn care questions. Well, today is your lucky day, as we’ve got the answers. Well, we’ve got some of the answers to your most common lawn care questions. That’s right, each month we’ll be answering your most head-scratching and infuriating lawn care questions. So, without further ado, here are the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions answered.

Question: My lawn is looking a little bleak at the end of a long winter. What do you recommend?

The winter months can be especially brutal to our lawns in south jersey. We have snow, ice, rain and sometimes, flooding, that can cause harsh conditions for lawns to overcome in the spring. The best recipe to get your lawn nice and green in spring is to dethatch, fertilize and mow low. Find more in this post about spring lawn care tips.

Question: My lawn has a lot of weeds or crabgrass. What can I do?

If your lawn has a lot of weeds or crabgrass, unfortunately, your lawn is going to need some renovating due to neglect.  However, all is not lost, at least not yet. First, the damage to the lawn must be assessed to understand the appropriate course of action. If the lawn is 10-25% weeds, it can be brought back with a year of proper care, which includes the proper preventative care (weed and pesticide control) and fertilizing. If the lawn is 25-50% weeds, it will take a year of care and plus some overseeding to get the lawn back to a healthy state. If your lawn has more than 50% weeds, renovation of the entire lawn is recommended. Yup, you read that right, we recommend starting over from scratch.

Question: What do I do if my lawn has a lot of bare spots?

If your lawn has a lot of bare spots, the first step is to determine and assess the cause of the bare spots. Common causes include fungus, dog spots and dry spots. Once the problem has been determined and fixed either by killing the fungus, building a fence to keep the dogs out or adjusting your sprinkler system, the spots can be seeded.

Question: I've noticed a few brown spots on my lawn, what could be the problem?

If you have noticed a few brown spots on your lawn there are a few causes that could be the problem.  If it has been very hot and humid and you don’t have a preventative program, fungus could be causing brown spots on your lawn.  If the irrigation system isn’t giving a certain area of the lawn enough water that can also cause brown spots where your lawn is dry.  Also, if someone lets their dog urinate on the lawn it can cause dead spots. Brown spots are much like bare spots, once you assess the cause and fix it, you can reseed.

Do you have a lawn care issue that you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work to solve the problem? Share your question with us below in the comments and we may answer it in an upcoming post.

Have a problem that can’t wait? Give us a call at 609.861.5050 or contact us for a free estimate today.

Top Spring Lawn Care Tips For A Green Lawn

Yep, we said it. Spring! And, it’s right around the corner. We’re ready to get the season started and that means it is time to start thinking about lawn care for spring. Everyone wants a beautiful, green lawn. However, it is sometimes easier said than done. So, what’s the secret to a green lawn? Read on to learn our spring lawn care tips to ensure you can enjoy a green lawn all season long.

Top 3 Spring Lawn Care Tips for a Green Lawn

Lawn Dethatching.  During the winter months, thatch, which is a loose, intermingled organic layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots develops between the green vegetation and the soil surface of your lawn. There is a buildup of dead thatch over the winter. Too much thatch buildup suffocates the lawn and creates an environment for disease, preventing your lawn from growing green and healthy. Dethatching your lawn during spring is a very important first step in removing harmful debris to allow fertilizer to reach the soil to promote healthy growth.

Lawn Fertilization. During the spring season, lawn fertilization at the right intervals is key. We recommend two fertilizer applications 4-6 weeks apart starting in mid-March. Why mid-March? We all know that the weather in South Jersey in the spring can be unpredictable. The ground needs to be completely thawed and unfrozen prior to applying fertilizer or else you will be wasting valuable time and money. You’ll want to find a fertilizer compound of 3/4 to 1ib of nitrogen per 1000 square feet to ensure the lawn greens up quickly.  It is also recommended that one if not both of the fertilizer applications are combined with pre-emergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass and other troublesome weeds as early in the season as possible.  As we always say when it comes to fertilization and pesticides, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Mow low. Grass blade length is an important factor to consider during all seasons, and spring is no exception. The key to getting a lush, green lawn for the season is to mow a lower for the first mowing. By mowing lower than normal, you are giving room for new grass to grow. Also, by cutting low, you’ll gain a nice green look to your lawn, rather than green mixed with dead grass as the new grass grows.

Following these spring lawn care tips will ensure that you lay the proper foundation during the spring season to achieve the greenest, healthiest lawn as quickly as possible. By setting the proper foundation with the right combination of dethatching, fertilization and mowing, you’ll ensure a lush, green lawn throughout the summer and fall months.

At Barber’s, we know South Jersey lawns. With over 40 years of experience, we can turn your lawn into a lush, green oasis. From thatching to fertilization and mowing to pest control, we have the knowledge and know-how to get results. Contact us today or give us a call at 609.861.5050 for a free in-home estimate.