Landscaping chores reach their peak during the summer, but as the days start to cool, the work isn’t over. Landscape maintenance now means less work next year - and a more beautiful, healthier landscape. Here are five landscaping services to consider for late summer in Glenview and Northbrook, IL.
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Lawn Maintenance and Assessment
Lawn maintenance throughout the summer includes consistent mowing and weeding as necessary. Toward the end of summer, you may notice brown patches, areas that are overrun by weeds, or even signs of pests or disease. Late summer is the ideal time to lay sod over damaged or dead areas, so roots can successfully take hold before the ground freezes. It’s also important to continue with weed management during this time, since many weeds go to seed in late summer.
Organic Material Removal
Throughout the growing season, many of your plants likely enjoyed a lively growing season. Towards the end of summer, certain plants - or parts of plants - begin to die off. This organic material should be removed and mulched to keep your plant beds looking tidy. As the first leaves start to fall, it’s not a big deal but an early frost, or strong early fall storms could cause trees to drop their leaves early. Once these leaves blow into plant beds or become a wet sodden mess on the lawn, they’re much more difficult to remove. Like other organic material, leaves should be bagged and removed, or better yet, mulched so they can return nutrients to the soil.
Tree Maintenance
Trees are hardy and generally self-sufficient, but they do require some occasional maintenance. Sometimes trees grow lopsided and may start to lean toward the house; or disease could cause limbs to die off. Either way, the tree becomes a major hazard. While tree pruning and shaping is best done in spring, early fall is the time for removal of dead or diseased trees or limbs, which will eventually succumb to strong winds and heavy snow loads, sometimes with dire consequences. It’s important to have a professional prune dangerous limbs and cut dangerous trees now, before winter.
Refreshing Your Landscape with New Plants
Refreshing your landscape with new plants will give your front and backyards a facelift that will come to fruition next season. Many plants thrive when planted in late summer, including many native perennials, shrubs, and trees from the Great Lakes and Great Plains regions. Natives will require little maintenance and watering throughout the year as they are perfectly adapted to the environment. They also provide incredible color and visual interest to your landscape. Your landscaping professionals will be able to help you choose plants for specific areas of your landscape.
Fertilization and Aeration
As the growing season is starting to wane, your lawn is starting to divert resources to the roots. But before any fertilizer is applied, it’s important to prepare the soil to receive the nutrients. Summer heat can bake the ground dry, and thatch (dead grass leaves) can accumulate at the base of the grass. Both of these will prevent water, air, and nutrients from reaching the roots. Aeration and dethatching can completely rejuvenate a lawn and prepare the soil so fertilizer can absorb deeply into the root system. Application of a slow-releasing fertilizer will help the plant obtain nutrients through the winter.
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