Good morning. I have not kept up with my blog for the last few years and my intention is to rectify that in the upcoming months.
A quick update on myself. I was working as a courier for almost three years but, made the decision last fall to come back to the landscaping industry. Working in the shipping industry was simply not for me. I put everything I had in to it but, felt no sense of reward or value in what I was doing. I caught on with an amazing landscaping company last fall and have continued with them this spring. I am probably doing the best mentally at this point in my entire adult life. My addictions are in check and my general mood overall has been quite balanced. I still have a ways to go to be where I want to be but, I am pleased with the current trajectory I am on.
I wanted to share some of my personal landscaping tips for this time of year. Although I have written a lot about my struggles with bi polar 2, it does not define me as a person and I believe I have value in sharing other aspects of my journey.
Spring is here. It signifies a fresh start in a way and renewed strength for those who may have had a difficult winter. Flowers blooming and grass shooting up gives us insight in to the ebs and flows of mother nature. Spring brings hope amidst a challenging time of our existence as a society.
As many of us cannot afford landscaping services, I wanted to share a few ideas of mine for the upcoming growing season.
First I wanted to start with lawns. I have worked endlessly on my front lawn over the years and my efforts have been rewarded. I have already fertilized and it is thick and lush already at this point of the year.
What I would suggest for getting started would be to give your lawn and good hard raking to remove thatch and debris from the winter. Some lawns would have some gravel on it from winter damage. In that case you would need a hard rake to get that out. Aerating your lawn at this time of year is not a bad idea as well. You can also do aerating in early fall. It is very beneficial for lawns and you can usually find it at a reasonable price in the paper or by researching some local landscaping companies. Compacting your lawn with a roller is also a good idea for lawn health.
This time of year is a great time to fertilize your lawn. A fertilize high in nitrogen at this team of year is ideal. I am not in the habit of promoting companies that often but, Nutrite fertilizer is still the best fertilize on the market in my opinion. I use their 20-5-15 and it has had spectacular results. I put it on 3 or 4 times a year. You want to fertilize right before getting a good amount of rain if possible. So it can get in to the soil and do its job effectively. Do NOT fertilize during a dry spell in the summer. It will burn off your grass and have negative impacts on the health of your lawn. Unless you have an irrigation system, I would not recommend fertilizing in the hotter months of July and August.
When I fertilize, I often throw some overseed mix on my lawn. You can find overseed mix at most nurseries or landscape supply businesses. I have found over the years that the key to limiting weeds in your lawn is in fact that strength of your lawn. The thicker your lawn and the more seed that can be established will limit the ability of weed species to take over your lawn. Yes you can have someone spray your lawns for weeds or spay it yourself but, that will not really solve the long term health of your lawn. I have worked on a lot of properties that have had their lawn sprayed by a company and the results are very limited. Spraying a lawn that is overtaken by weeds may kill the weeds but if there is no root structure for good grass then it will defeat the purpose. If a lawn is at a point where a large portion of the lawn is overtaken by weeds , then taking out that section of lawn and starting fresh with soil and seed or sod may be the way to go.
With the rain and warmer temperatures, the grass around here has shot up and if you have not started cutting yet, you probably should. There are a variety of push mowers on the market and you should take your time in choosing one. Buying the cheapest one may not be the right play for the long term. Read reviews online about mowers and choose the best fit for you. A self propelled mower is a good option if you do not want to have to work as hard cutting your lawn. A push mower with a mulching attachment is also a good option as it limits the need to bag. If you have a larger property, you may be in the market for a ride on mower. Lawn tractors are often used for larger residential lawns but, I bellieve a zero turn mower is the best option. They give you more manoeuvrability and provide a nicer cut. I have ridden a lot of zero turns in my 12 years of landscaping and John Deere is still the best one I have used by far. It certainly has the best traction and also has a mulch kit option which is great for the fall. You would be amazed at how well it churns up leaves. There are a lot of good options out there and at varying price points. Again, do your research and find the best ride on for your property and budget.
When cutting your grass, try your best to vary your lines. It is better for your grasss to roate the direction you cut each week. If you cut the exact same way each week, it can often creatge ruts in your grass. Also in my opinion, I find it quite boring when I seee lawns cut the exact same way each week. If your rotate the direction you cut each week, you can create a type of diamond look to your lawn.
That is it for my tips for today. I will write some more ideas for the season later this week. Hope all you are keeping welll and wishing you good mental health.
Take care
Shawn
