lawn maintenance

Residential Landscaping Company Boca

Your Lawn Requires Fewer Cuts in the Winter Time

South Florida residents are proud of their lawns and rightly so. During the winter months when other U.S. locations are suffering with cold and snow, Florida temperatures are warm, mild, and green things are still growing. A big concern for many residents is managing their lawn during cooler months and the No. 1 rule is don’t cut it as often.

Many people have lawns comprised of warm-season grasses, such as St. Augustine grass, which tends to grow much slower in cooler winter temperatures. For that reason, ryegrass is often overplanted so lawns will remain vibrant and green. Ryegrass is a cool-weather grass that does great during South Florida winters for a green lawn year-round.

Lawn

It’s important for individuals to understand that their lawn will need less mowing during the winter months. Cutting it too often will result in a lawn that appears weak and unhealthy. Even ryegrass, which grows well in cooler weather, will still grow at a slower rate. Warm weather St. Augustine grass will still continue to grow during colder months, but at a much slower rate.

Rainfall

Another factor that affects lawn growth and frequency of mowing in the winter is rainfall. October to May is the dry season in Florida and less rain means slower grass growth. Lawns typically need about 1 inch of rain during winter months.

That amount provides enough moisture to reach the roots without saturating the soil and creating runoff. If precipitation falls below that level, those with irrigation systems will need to have them adjusted to deliver the appropriate amount of water.

A word of warning about fertilizer – don’t do it during the winter. Fertilizing the lawn during winter won’t make the grass grow better, longer or lusher and can actually harm it. Lawns should be maintained at a height of about 3 inches for optimal health.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

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Can you Cut your Grass too Short?

If you’re experiencing brown outs and bare spots in your lawn, you may be cutting the grass too short. Like any plant, grass requires a certain amount of available green growth to remain healthy. Shorter isn’t always best when it comes to lawns. You should only be removing about 1/3 of the grass blade each time you mow, which makes the optimal grass height for mowing about 3 2/3 inches.

When you cut your grass too often and leave it too short, you’re setting the stage for a myriad of problems to develop and they only grow worse over time. If the damage is severe and has been going on for a while, you may have to reseed the lawn.

Many people mistakenly believe that fertilizing the lawn will alleviate the problem. Instead, it can burn the lawn. If the damage isn’t too severe, fertilizing will make it grow lusher and lead to a vicious cycle of additional growth and mowing, while failing to address the original problem.

Lawns that are too short are ripe for the invasion of weeds and damage from heat. Grass that’s too short doesn’t have the necessary energy reserves from the roots for growth. The blades of grass will weaken and can even lead to its demise with no hope of coming back.

It’s also important to keep mower blades sharp to create a clean cut and prevent grass blades from being torn and shredded. The frayed ends of grass will turn brown and leaves the lawn vulnerable to a variety of diseases that can be expensive to address. Grass that’s growing in shaded areas can benefit from being left at a slightly longer height when mowing.

Cutting your grass too short will deplete root resources. If the brown spots in your lawn are the result of cutting too short, they can grow back if they’re only a few inches across but the process will be slow.

The best solution is to increase the blade height of your mower, even if it means mowing more frequently. Alternately, you can hire a professional lawn care service that has a deep understanding of lawn grass and can establish an appropriate lawn mowing schedule.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

Read more
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