Houston lawn care services
With Houston's bountiful rain, having a lush green lawn isn't as difficult as it is for some other areas of the country. Even though the climate creates ideal growing temperatures, it is still up to you to ensure your lawn's health with proper mowing and maintenance! .
Lawn care in Houston
The first step to creating a beautiful, envy-inducing yard, is to choose the right type of grass to grow!
St. Augustine grass is an aggressive lawn that spreads and grows rapidly. If managed properly, this type of grass can form a dense cover that can stand up to foot traffic and combat weeds. This grass doesn't need a specific type of soil to thrive, and tolerates all the elements such as heat, shade, salt, and even light drought! However, due to its rapid growth, you'll have to perform more mowing than with other types of grass to keep it healthy. This type of grass also makes a great home for pests and disease, so you'll have to keep a strict maintenance routine.
Bermuda grass is a fine textured grass that you have probably seen in golf courses. This is also a fast growing grass. It has a high tolerance to foot traffic, and is drought and salt resistant. It does not have a tolerance for shade, and is a high maintenance grass. You also need to keep this grass mowed relatively low, which can be hard to do if you don't have the correct type of equipment.
Zoysia is a find to medium textured grass, that grows best in the summer. It is popular for its aesthetics, and its low, easy maintenance. It is a highly adaptable grass that is drought tolerant due to its deep root systems. It tolerates shade, and withstands high foot traffic. Although its more expensive, Zoysia may be your best bet in the Houston climate.
Fall and winter Houston lawn care
Warm-season grasses grow best in Houston, meaning the grass will stay green late in to the fall, but will grow dormant and brown during winter.
Snow in Houston is rare, meaning you'll have to water your lawn in the winter. You need to give your grass at least one to two inches of water per week. The golden rule for watering your lawn is to water deeply and infrequently. This will allow the moisture to soak deep into the soil and roots, and also prevent wasting water. The second golden rule is to water in the morning. This will give your lawn the maximum amount of time to soak up the water, and you run less risk of developing lawn fungus or disease in the cooler overnight temperatures.
Your lawn is already battling the cold in the winter, don't make it worse by letting leaves shade create shade! If you let leaves sit on your lawn, this can create a bacterial environment, and can eventually lead to disease. It's important to remove leaves and debris from your lawn, and even more so in winter. You can chop leaves up with a mulching mower to use them as natural fertilizer for added nutrients.
It is very likely your lawn experienced a high level of foot traffic over the summer and as a result may be a bit damaged. There are a few things you can do during the colder months to get your lawn back into its best shape before spring and summer comes around. Aeration is the process of creating tiny holes in your soil, loosening up any compaction which in turn allows nutrients, water, and oxygen to get down into the roots of grass.
You can also overseed your lawn during fall. The weather is ideal because the air is cool but the soil is more than likely still warm. The earlier in fall you perform the overseeding, the better. This will help thicken your turf so that it can protect itself against any potential diseases and weeds that may occur during fall or winter. It is recommended to combine overseeding with aeration service.
The beginning of fall is also a great time to perform Houston gutter cleaning. If you let leaves and debris build up in your gutters, chances are some of it will end up on your lawn, or worse cause damage to the exterior or interior of your home. Take the time to clean out your gutters before it starts to rain, as this will heighten the chances of damage.
Spring and summer Houston lawn services
Houston gets hot and dry during the summer, so you need to take the necessary precautions to protect your lawn! Most people want to water more when summer comes around, as they feel this will help protect their lawn. However, frequent shallow watering just ends up wasting water, and can have negative effects on your grass. We mentioned the golden rule earlier, and we recommended continuing the deep and infrequent watering to help keep your grass roots strong. If you can, start watering your lawn even earlier than normal during the summer. The moisture will protect your lawn from the hot Houston sun. You'll also reduce the potential for wasted water, as there will be little chance for evaporation.
Houston often places water limits during the summer months in order to protect against droughts. Pay attention to your local ordinances, and plan your watering schedule around the city's water allowance in order to maintain your lawns healthy roots.
The heat is already a stressor to your grass, so maintaining a good mowing height will help the grass stay healthy. Each grass type has its own preferred height, and you shouldn't mow your grass shorter or taller than specified. Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade height at one time as this can cause damage to the grass and leave the tips open to disease. A good idea for when the weather is hotter, is to mulch the grass clippings on to your lawn. This will help your grass retain moisture, and also returns nutrients into the grass and soil.
Spring is an ideal time to fertilize your lawn in Houston. You shouldn't use too harsh of a fertilizer, or ones that contain chemicals during summer as they might burn your lawn. Organic fertilizers use a process for slow-release and are more sensitive to your lawn that is susceptible to stress during the hotter months.
Summer is a good time to get a handle on weeds. Applying weed treatment when temperatures are lowing than 80 degrees, will keep your grass safe from burns, and also will prevent weeds from germinating and seeding when fall comes around.
Pests and insects come out of their homes, looking for water in the summer, and most of the time end up in lawns. They'll lay their eggs which will in turn hatch into grubs that will eat and ruin your beautiful lawn! The best prevention for bugs is a healthy lawn, but sometimes that isn't even enough.
Professional services for lawn care in Houston
The climate in Houston is great for maintaining a well manicured lawn but if you don't have the time, or the heart to put into your yard, it will suffer. From simple services like Houston lawn mowing and maintenance, to more complex services such as aerations, and even Houston gardening, you might want to consider utilizing a Houston lawn care professional. Our team of yard care professionals can assist with cleaning gutters, lawn mowing and trimming the lawn, and planting and weeding the flower beds. Let us give you the gift of time today, because the more time we work on your yard and garden, the more time you have to enjoy it. While we take care of your yard work, you have more time to enjoy the incredible attractions that Houston has to offer with your family and friends. You work hard, so remember to take the time to play hard, too. After all, you've earned it.
Commonly asked questions
Are there any watering restrictions in Houston?
Houston residents are only allowed to water between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. Homeowners with even-numbered addresses are allowed to water on Sundays and Thursdays, while odd-numbered addresses are allowed to water on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Watering during times other than those specified may result in fines.
When is a landscape plan required?
A landscape plan for the building site shall be submitted to the department by an applicant for a building permit for approval. The landscape plan may be depicted on either the development plans or parking lot site plan, provided the drawing scale is sufficient to properly depict the landscape plan requirements. The landscape plan shall identify and show the locations of existing and proposed utility lines (both above and below ground), roadways, sidewalks, street lights, trees, shrubs, understory, natural features, other landscape elements, and planting or construction details.
A plant schedule shall also be provided which includes quantities, minimum size at time of planting, and botanical and common names keyed to the plan.
What is the distance trees can be planted?
Trees and shrubs in esplanades shall be planted according to the following requirements:
Trees in any major thoroughfare street esplanade shall not be planted closer to the end of the esplanade than 75 feet. Trees in any local street esplanade shall not be planted closer to the end of the esplanade than 50 feet. Trees planted in any esplanade shall be located not closer than 50 feet from any mid-block opening in the esplanade.
