Kansas City lawn care services
This beautiful city is located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, and it has a rich history, exceptional culture, and renowned culinary cuisine.
Kansas City is a transition zone for grass
DC is in the transition zone of America, which means it experiences hot hot summers and freezing cold winters. This can make it very difficult to grow and maintain grass. Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, Buffalo, Carpet, Centipede, St. Augustine, and Zoysia typically grow in the southern U.S., where winters are mild and daytime temperatures are high. Alternately, cool-season grasses grow in the northern parts of the country with harsh winters and cooler summer temperatures. Grasses like Ryegrass, Bluegrass, and Fescue grow best in the north.
Transition zoners such as yourself have a decision to make; do you want to grow cool-season grass that can stand up to the cold and stay lush green but dies when it gets warmer in the summer? Or do you want to grow warm-season grass that thrives in the summer heat but goes dormant and brown when it gets cold?
Tall Fescue is a cool-season grass that tons of Kansas City lawn services recommend. It has broad, coarse, deep green blades, and withstands the moderate heat and drought of summer. It can also withstand a lot of foot traffic. Tall Fescue is considered a low to moderate maintenance grass.
Zoysia, a warm-season grass is the least likely to be damaged or killed by a harsh, cold winter. Zoysia is naturally weed resistant, and the dense canopy also helps it stand up to heavy foot traffic. Unfortunately Zoysia grows very, very slow and requires a super sharp mower blade to provide a nice, even cut.
The seasons in KC
Spring begins in mid-March and is the best time to get back into your full-swing Kansas City lawn care maintenance routine. Begin by clearing your lawn of any leftover winter debris such as dead leaves, sticks, clutter, etc. This will disrupt anything living under the layer of debris and protect your lawn from any disease. Also, look out for pesky spring weeds such as dandelions, henbit and chickweed. You can use spot-treatment to get rid of these if necessary. Crabgrass is another (worse) type of weed that can pop up during spring. Crabgrass requires its own type of weed control and prevention. Remember that a good, thick lawn is the best weed prevention.
Before you begin Kansas City lawn mowing, make sure your mower is sharp and has not dulled from lack of use. When you first begin mowing your lawn again, you want to remove the tips of the blades of grass to cut off any dead or damaged pieces.
Spring is also the best time to fertilize your lawn! Fertilizing your lawn in the spring will help it become lush and green again after a harsh winter. These are also prime months for growth. You can seed over any bald spots that may have occurred during winter. This will give shady areas a better chance of growth, and there are no leaves falling to disrupt your seeds.
Additionally, Kansas City gutter cleaning and Kansas City gardening are additional services that you will see great success with in the spring months. Your garden will thrive in the ideal spring temperatures.
Obviously more water is required during summer, your grass gets thirsty too! It can be tempting to stay inside and enjoy your air conditioner, but if you want your lawn to thrive you need to give it some love during the summer. You should water your lawn 2 to 3 times a week. It's much better to water deeply and infrequently than to water a little bit every day. It's important to find a healthy balance when watering your lawn. Light, frequent watering causes shallow, weak root systems that are susceptible to drought and disease, but heavy, fast watering can lead to unnecessary runoff and soil erosion, especially because Kansas City soil has a lot of clay.
If you've planted cool-season grass then your lawn may be approaching its growing season once fall comes around. Oppositely, if you've planted warm-season grass then your lawn is absorbing energy, moisture, and nutrients in preparation for winter dormancy. It's easy to assume that because the weather is cooling down, you can ease back on the amount of mowing. But if you let your grass grow too long, it can mat and become a breeding ground for disease and fungus.
Fall is also a good time to fertilize and aerate your lawn, in preparation for winter. Aeration will ensure ample amounts of water, air, and nutrients reach the root system. Over time, soil becomes compacted and covered with thatch, a thick layer of roots, stems, and debris. We recommend removing this once a year. Aerating involves perforating the lawn with tiny holes by removing small plugs, which alleviates the compacted soil. You can combine aeration and fertilization with overseeding and topdressing to see even better results. Fall in Kansas City is beautiful but a thick layer of leaves on your lawn is actually bad for it. You can also mulch the leaves back into your lawn, which acts as a natural fertilizer.
Although we recommended seeding in the Spring, there is also a seeding process you can do in winter that is beneficial to your grass. Dormant seeding is the spreading of grass seeds over the ground in the winter months when the ground is too cold to induce germination of grass. When spring comes around, the seeds that were previously spread will warm in the ground and sprout, which will both repair and thicken the grass. We recommend dormant seeding in Kansas City between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which will give the seeds adequate time to sink into the ground. Dormant seeding mimics nature's natural cycle of germination, with seeds lying untouched during the winter and ready for action in the spring. The seeds will germinate in the spring before spring seeding happens and therefore will be stronger and better able to survive the hot months of summer.
Are lawn care services right for you?
Whether you prefer to spend your extra time getting out of the house or relaxing on a comfortable couch, you can do so without worrying about the condition of your lawn. When you connect with Lawn Love today, you can book a lawn care service that is tailored to meet your needs. Whether you need to trim your grass or you need more comprehensive lawn care services, Lawn Love can help you to get the job done. Our crew will arrive shortly with all lawn equipment and supplies needed, and you can sit back and watch the results take shape. Schedule lawn service in Kansas City through Lawn Love today.
Commonly asked questions
Are there any watering restrictions for Kansas City?
There are currently no watering restrictions for Kansas City. Kansas City is in a fortunate position when it comes to water supply. The Missouri River provides an abundance of water flowing through the metropolitan area, more than enough to provide for Kansas City's drinking and irrigation needs, without the need for water restrictions.
When do I need to create a landscape plan?
Landscape plans must accompany all required development and site plans, site plans for special use permit, and final development plans in Districts MPD and UR, and site plans for setback and open space tracts. All landscaping plans must be sealed and certified by a registered landscape architect licensed in the State of Missouri and include information as required by city planning and development department staff.
What is the height limit for trees?
Unless otherwise expressly stated, required trees may be broadleaf (deciduous) or conifers (evergreen). Trees provided to satisfy the requirements of this zoning and development code must comply with the following minimum size requirements: Broadleaf trees must have a minimum caliper of two inches and evergreen trees must have a minimum planted height of five feet. If more than 8 trees are required, no more than 40% may be of a single species. If more than 25 trees are required, no more than 25% may be of a single species. This requirement applies to trees being planted, not to existing trees.
What is the height limit for shrubs?
All shrubs must have a minimum planted height of 2 feet and a minimum height of 3 feet after the second full growing season. Broadleaf shrubs must have a minimum container size of 2 gallons. Evergreens must have a minimum container size of 5 gallons. Shrubs may also be balled and burlapped. If more than 25 shrubs are required, no more than 75% may be of a single species.
