Peoria lawn care services
Whether you live in the north or the south, there are some general principles that you will need to keep in mind while taking care of your lawn. Mowing regularly, weeding, and tidying up are among them. However, certain aspects of lawn care are highly dependent on the geographical location of your home. On fertile plains, you will need to use little to no fertilizers. In a cold region, only certain tough varieties of grass will survive on your lawn. With temperatures varying between average extremes of 105.3°F in July and 43.0°F in January, Peoria is much hotter than most of the US. Annual rainfall of 9.5 inches also makes it drier than normal. The land has the characteristics of a desert and doesn't support most types of plants. Your best bet is to grow warm-season grasses on your lawn and apply a sufficient quantity of different fertilizers in combination with other strategies.
Improving the quality of your soil
One of the major problems faced by homeowners in Phoenix and its vicinity is that the soil is mainly composed of clay. The deposition of calcium carbonate in it makes it so alkaline and hard that it's often difficult to dig into it even with a trowel. This sort of soil is not very favorable to plant growth. To enhance its quality, you should consider the following tips and tricks.
Test your soil
A thorough soil test will reveal a lot of the properties of your soil, including its acidity or pH level. Most plants show optimum growth in slightly acidic to neutral soil. The soil in Peoria can be quite alkaline in certain areas, hindering a flourishing lawn. To make it more acidic, try adding a bit of sulfur that tends to lower soil pH.
Top-dress
Regularly top-dressing your lawn with compost or good soil can increase its drainage and resistance to drying out. The best time to do so is in spring. You should apply a half or a quarter-inch of compost at a time and then rake the soil.
Aerate
The importance of aeration can't be emphasized enough, especially in Arizona, where the soil can become very compacted. Compacted soil has poor drainage and water-holding capacity. Also, it's deficient in air, which the roots need to exchange respiratory gases. You can aerate the soil using a manual tool or a power aerating machine. The latter is easier to use and gives better results.
Remove the thatch
Thatch is a layer of organic matter that builds up around the base of the grass on your lawn. It consists of dead grass, microbes, fungi, and a lot of other organic components. Many of these organisms can act as pathogens and cause disease in plants. So, it would be wise to remove it before this happens.
The professionals found through Lawn Love can help you with all of this and much more. Your provider can meet all your lawn care demands.
Fertilization in Peoria lawn care
The soil in most locations in Phoenix will require fertilization, preferably with acidifying fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and sulfur-coated urea. They will not only neutralize the alkaline pH but also supply ample amounts of nitrogen. Plants need this nitrogen to make amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, and many other molecules of biochemical importance. While applying fertilizers to the soil, make sure to keep the following things in mind:
Use at the right rate
Sometimes, eager homeowners use fertilizers too frequently in the hope that it will yield quicker results. This approach is wrong in so many ways! You're not only wasting valuable fertilizer but are also harming the environment. The reason is that, in such cases, many of the nutrients are not absorbed by the soil, and are instead washed away with water.
Use at the right time
Although infertile soils require repeated fertilization, there are certain times when you should apply larger quantities of fertilizer to obtain the best results. Actually, the growth rate of plants varies throughout the year, and so do their metabolic rates. Fertilizers are most needed during periods of high metabolism, such as in the germinating season. In the case of most grasses in Peoria, these seasons are spring and early fall.
Do not overuse
Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn is a big no-no. Most of the fertilizer won't be absorbed by the soil and will not be available to the plants for uptake. The excess fertilizer can also encourage the growth of algae and weeds, which can ruin even the lushest of lawns.
Do not expect immediate results
Lawn care is a slow and tedious process. You can't expect the soil to become fertile overnight even if you follow all the tips. You should keep your expectations reasonable and your goals achievable. If you don't see results after a few weeks, keep trying.
Why choose us?
There's a lot of competition in the Phoenix lawn care industry. With so many options to choose from, why should you opt for our services? The answer is simple: we can find you an affordable, simple, and efficient way of maintaining your lawn. From simple yard cleanups to sowing exotic seeds, the pros we connect you to can do it all. We at Lawn Love want all our customers to be satisfied.
If you have any more questions regarding our services in Peoria, give us a call or drop us an email.
