What is a transition zone?
Before hiring a Richmond lawn service, it helps to know where your property is locateds. A nationwide swath divides the country between cool season grasses and warm season grasses. If you're on the cusp of that swath, then both types will grow on your lawn. Richmond is on the cusp.
Closer to home, being part of the Tidewater means that geological conditions only support certain types of grasses. Add in the heat and humidity of summer as well as the chill and possible snow of winter, and you have a narrow gauge as to what grass will flourish there. Further south, more hardy grasses grow due to the intense heat and humidity. Further north, only certain types of grass can handle the cold.
What type of grass grows best in Richmond?
Lawn care in Richmond consists of knowing how to blend cool season grasses and warm season grasses so that the chill of early spring doesn't kill your grass. Nor do you want the heat of summer to burn it. A compromise is in order, so consider these types of cool and warm season grasses for your Richmond lawn.
As the ground temperature rises to 50 degrees and over, cool season grasses will be the first to green up. Even a late spring frost won't impede its growth. Cool season grasses need time in the spring to create a balance between strong roots and pretty leaves. If left alone, and by that we mean not fertilizing the lawn just yet, it will find that balance due to the nutrients it hoarded over the winter.
Tall fescue is the best cool season grass for use in all of Virginia. It has the deepest root system and can get water and nutrients from deep in the soil, so drought doesn't bother tall fescue. Full sun and a little shade are okay with tall fescue. This grass tolerates many types of soil chemical profiles and is best cut at two to three inches.
Zoysia grass is a warm season grass typically mixed with cool season grasses due to its formulation specifically for the Tidewater area. It's winter-friendly and won't be damaged by a very cold winter. Zoysia is notable for its thick growth choking out weeds as well as not having pest problems. Its water retention is superior. The only drawback for homeowners is its slow growth rate. The rewards are zoysia's low maintenance and dense growth. It performs well when cut to one to two and one half inches in height. The blades need to be very sharp, though.
The number of Zoysia sod producers is small, but they're available. While Zoysia grows quite well, plugs are the most common way to plant the grass. It takes three to four years for either plugs or sod to produce a lush lawn. They will go dormant or turn brown in winter, but will perk right up in late spring to early summer.
Richmond gardening
Richmond gardening is part of lawn care in Richmond. Flowers and plants need attention, too. Weeds and pests invade them just like they do the grass. The quality of the soil, the mulch homeowners use, and the sun or shade should be considered for the peak good health of your flowers and plants.
Keep plants and flowers planted at least three feet from the structure. This prevents pests from gaining entrance to the house. Built up beds using railroad ties or pre-treated wood helps keep pests at bay.
Richmond gutter cleaning
Homeowners are told to clean their gutters twice a year in the spring and just before winter hits. Spring cleaning rids the gutters of twigs and other debris from winter. Winter cleaning clears out the leaves from fall. Not many homeowners consider Richmond gutter cleaning part of Richmond lawn care, but your local Richmond lawn care service does. Lawn care in Richmond is a comprehensive service encompassing anything to do with nature.
Cleaning gutters isn't easy. Ladders tip over or get blown out from under homeowners by a gust of wind. Hands get abraded without gloves. Garden hoses don't always splash away the crud, so it has to be scrubbed. Richmond lawn care professionals have the proper tools (and better ladders) for the job.
Professional Richmond lawn care services
Richmond lawn care specialists know the type of soil and its chemical composition along with what grasses grow best in it. They know which fertilizers work best with both and when to use it. The height of their mower blades will be correct.
They will aerate the lawn which allows sunlight, water, and nutrients to penetrate the soil. The grass roots will get the food, water, and light they need to grow. If your lawn is some to mostly shade, these Richmond lawn service professionals will tell homeowners which grasses grow best in it. Richmond lawn care service specialists will know how to get rid of weeds so they won't come back.
Commonly asked questions
Are there any watering restrictions in Richmond?
The following non-essential water uses will be prohibited during periods of declared drought emergencies. Please note the exceptions that follow each prohibited use. Unrestricted irrigation of lawns is prohibited.
Newly sodded and seeded areas may be irrigated to establish cover on bare ground at the minimum rate necessary for no more than a period of 60 days. Irrigation rates may not exceed one inch of applied water in any 7-day period.
Gardens, bedding plants, trees, shrubs and other landscape materials may be watered with hand held containers, hand held hoses equipped with an automatic shutoff device, sprinklers or other automated watering devices at the minimum rate necessary but in no case more frequently than twice per week. Irrigation should not occur during the heat of the day.
All allowed lawn irrigation must be applied in a manner to assure that no runoff, puddling or excessive watering occurs. Irrigation systems may be tested after installation, routine maintenance or repair for no more than ten minutes per zone.
What is the height limit for weeds? Can I be fined for overgrown weeds?
It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or occupies property within the city to permit any grass, plant, bushes, weeds or any other vegetation 12 inches high or over, other than trees, shrubbery, agricultural plants, garden vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants, to exist on such property.
Violations of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty, not to exceed $50.00 for the first violation, or violations arising from the same set of operative facts. The civil penalty for subsequent violations not arising from the same set of operative facts within 12 months of the first violation shall not exceed $200.00. In no event shall a series of specified violations arising from the same set of operative facts result in civil penalties that exceed a total of $3,000.00 in a 12-month period.
In the event three civil penalties have previously been imposed on the same defendant for the same or similar violations, not arising from the same set of operative facts, within a 24-month period, then such violations shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor, which shall not also be classified as a civil penalty.
What is the minimum tree size?
Trees to be credited toward the tree coverage requirement shall meet the following standards at the time of installation: Deciduous trees shall have a caliper of not less than 2½ inches measured six inches above the ground. Evergreen trees shall be not less than six feet in height.
