Maintaining a Yard is a Continual Chore

Most people think that maintain your lawn or yard is just mowing and weed whacking. This is a main part of the job, but there is so much more. Usually you mow and weed whack once a week during the growing season. Sometimes mowing twice is necessary. But owning a house, you will quickly discover what other details you need to pay attention to.

It is best to fertilize your lawn with weed and seed in the fall and spring. If you can’t do it in the fall, at least get it applied in the spring. And this involves buying a spreader. Depending on the size of your lawn, you can easily go through 2 bags of weed and seed for a normal sized front yard. And this should be done on damp grass, and preferable before rain. In the fall, it is a good idea to aerate the yard as well. This entails buying or renting an aerator. I have one that attaches to a riding lawn mower, and you weigh it down accordingly. It basically just pokes holes in your ground. This allows the ground to get air in it and keep it from compacting, as well as letting the fertilizer and grass seed bury deep enough.

Once you have fertilized, it is a good idea to spread some new grass seed out. They make seed for new and established lawns. The established lawn version just basically fills in bare spots and makes the grass thicker. The grass has to be a specific height before spreading the seed, and you have to keep it moist and do not run over it with a mower until it is well established. I have found this a yearly task.

If you have any sort of bushes in your yard, you will need to prune and fertilize them, as well. Any blooming bush should be pruned after it has bloomed. And you shouldn’t cut too much off at once, or you can shock the plant. Different bushes require different fertilizers. Hydrangeas like acid, so they have a certain type, and then azaleas have their own. Make sure you rake out old leaves and breakage in the springtime, to let more air get to the roots.

Trimming trees is another big job at our house. We have lots of different kinds of trees. The river birch is a weak tree, so any force wind will knock limbs down. We constantly pick branches up. Keep trees trimmed away from your house. And limbs hanging over the roof can rot the roofing materials and siding material, as well as clog gutters, which leads to leaks. Keeping trees trimmed away from the house also keeps insects from invading your home. They like to climb through windows from trees, especially ants. Be certain that taking care of a yard requires more than a lawn mower! You will soon find yourself shopping for chain saws, ladders, and all sorts of yard gizmos. But once they yard looks its best, it is very enjoyable.

Remodeling and keeping up with maintenance on your home requires continual work.