Year-Round Lawn Care for NJ Residents
Ensuring a vibrant and healthy lawn demands consistent care throughout the seasons. As the weather shifts, so too must your lawn care regimen to address varying environmental stresses. Follow this seasonal calendar for lawn care in NJ to maintain a lush green lawn year-round.
Looking for personalized advice for your NJ lawn? Reach out to Borst Landscape & Design at (201) 822-9327 or contact us through our website.
Spring (March – May)
With the arrival of warmer weather, spring breathes new life into your landscape. It’s a critical time to kickstart healthy growth and fortify root systems after the chill of winter. These tasks are essential to help prepare your lawn to thrive throughout the growing season:
Tidy Up Your Lawn: Remove winter debris like fallen leaves and branches to prevent smothering and encourage healthy growth.
Fertilize the Grass: Early to mid-March is a great time to fertilize your lawn. Provide your lawn with essential nutrients like nitrogen, iron, phosphorus, and potassium to promote vigorous growth. Opt for a slow-release or organic fertilizer for best results. With lawn care in NJ, where winters are very cold, fertilizing in the Fall protects cool-season grasses that go dormant in the winter. Fall fertilizing helps roots store energy for Spring.
Apply Herbicides: Combat aggressive weeds like crabgrass in early to mid-March with a pre-emergent herbicide application. Spring brings new growth, but it also brings weeds that take every opportunity to find a good spot in your lawn. Crabgrass begins to germinate when the soil reaches 58 degrees, so when warm weather arrives, it’s just waiting to invade.
Regular Maintenance: As spring blooms in New Jersey, maintaining your lawn becomes essential to upholding its beauty and health. Rapid growth across your lawn, plants, shrubs, and trees can make it easy for things to spiral out of control. Weekly mowing, diligent weeding, and regular pruning will help to maintain a tidy landscape.
Consistent upkeep not only ensures aesthetic appeal but also wards off pests and diseases. Just as weeds thrive in neglected lawns, insects and lawn diseases pose a threat to poorly maintained ones. Therefore, prioritize a routine maintenance and pest control regimen to safeguard your lawn’s vitality as summer approaches.
Summer (June – August)
Summer presents its own set of challenges for maintaining a vibrant lawn. Here’s how to tackle them effectively:
Combat Insects: Keep an eye out for grub worms and beetles, which can cause ugly brown patches or areas of wilted grass. If you think you have an infestation, talk to your local landscape company about pesticide treatments for your lawn care in NJ.
Weed Control: Be vigilant against weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, and foxtail that may have escaped spring treatments. Remove them promptly with a garden fork or hand tool to prevent their spread. Ask your landscape provider about additional post-emergent herbicide treatment if the weeds are getting out of control. You don’t want to apply the wrong amount of herbicides to your lawn, as it can do more harm than good to your grass.
Water Wisely: Ensure your lawn receives about one inch of water per week to promote deep root growth and prevent it from going dormant. Deep and infrequent watering is better than frequent, short sprinkler applications that promote shallow root growth. Deep watering will promote longer, stronger roots that can reach further underground for water. This is important in Summer heat and sun.
Regular Mowing: With rapid summer growth, weekly mowing is crucial. Maintain a moderate grass height to promote healthy roots and deter weed growth. As a rule of thumb, don’t cut your grass too short because it grows faster. If you mow your own lawn, set your mower blade height to three inches.
Fall (September – November)
As temperatures cool, it’s time to prepare your lawn for the coming winter months:
Fall Yard: To prepare for Winter, a Fall yard cleanup is essential. Clear away fallen leaves and debris to prevent smothering and maintain a tidy lawn. Rake fallen leaves or chop them up into fine pieces. They will decompose and nourish your soil.
Fertilization: Provide your grass with essential nutrients to withstand the winter cold and prepare for spring growth. If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, Fall is the best time. In northern New Jersey areas with harsh, cold winters, Fall fertilization will help protect your grass during Winter weather. Your grass will store nutrients from the fertilizer in its root system during Winter. As the following Spring approaches and the soil becomes warm, the nutrients will be released to promote Spring growth.
Overseeding: Enhance your lawn’s resilience by overseeding with cool-season grasses during the fall months in October or early November, so the seed has time to take hold before any frost appears.
Continued Maintenance: Keep up with regular mowing and maintenance to ensure a healthy lawn throughout the season. Although temperatures are cooler and rainfall is more abundant, your lawn still needs weekly mowing to stay healthy. The last thing you want to do right before cold weather arrives is let the grass become overgrown, which invites insects, diseases, and pests looking for a safe winter habitat.
Winter (December – February)
Though lawn care may take a backseat during winter, there are still steps to take to maintain its health:
Debris Removal: In harsh Winter weather, your lawn can collect debris from storms and wind. Clear away any debris to prevent dead spots and maintain overall lawn health.
Adjust Mowing Height: Trim grass shorter to deter burrowing animals while ensuring it’s not too short to withstand winter conditions. Burrowing animals can quickly destroy your lawn by building tunnels and nests that create dead spots in the grass.
Minimize Foot Traffic: Limit walking on the lawn during winter to prevent damage to dormant grass.
Proper Lawn Care in NJ with Borst Landscape & Design
By following this comprehensive seasonal calendar, New Jersey residents can achieve and maintain a vibrant, healthy lawn year-round. Consider partnering with Borst for expert guidance and assistance in maintaining your outdoor oasis. Call (201) 822-9327 or reach out through our contact form.