Tips For Pruning Shrubs

 

If the bushes in your garden are overgrown, you probably have the urge to begin cutting them. But before you make haphazard move, you have to know some basic things about lawn care chores such as pruning shrubs.

How to start pruning shrubs?

Start your lawn care Myrtle Beach routine by pruning damaged or dead branches using a saw, lopper, or shear. Your tools have to be sharp so it could create clean and straight cuts. It is not a good idea to leave ragged edges. Think about using bypass loppers or anvil pruners because they can let smaller hands cut branches up to 1 ½ inches thick. You should have a wood saw, small powered chainsaw, or a metal hacksaw if you need to make cuts on trunks and thicker branches.

Where should you start cutting?

You should prune above the branch collar, which is a bumpy tissue that forms a small ring at the junction of the main trunk and the branch. The bumpy part is filled with plant growth cells. If you leave this part intact, your shrub will have better chances to recover and grow back. Always cut at a 45-degree angle. A flat cut will cradle alter, which will invite disease and fungus.

Pruning Shrubs

Use the heading back pruning technique for a more natural look. Find the tallest main branch. With your hand and eye, follow it until it you reach the lower side brand that is more likely pointing upwards. Cut it off on the part that is just above the lower one. Do the process again on all the main branches. Don’t forget to step back to check the results.

Needled Evergreens

You can prune needled evergreens in early spring. That’s fine as long as you don’t overdo it. Once you need signs of new growth, you can prune again so you can reduce the evergreen shrubbery’s height. Dealing with needle evergreens can be tricky. In case you prune just below the green growth, you might not see a new branch sprout again.

Foundation Plantings

For the bushes in the foundation plantings, you should prune away branches that are rubbing against a wall or house. Your neighbors will not see the backside of the plant, so you should cut back for as much as 12 inches of clearance. Lawn care experts say that this will help improve the circulation of air around the branches at the back and lead to a healthier bush.

When Should You Prune?

Do you have to cover the cuts with wax or tree paint? No. If you have created an angled and good cut at the right time, every species will heal its wounds safely without any damage from disease, insects, or frost.

The right time to prune pines and other needled evergreens is during the winter dormant period. It’s trickier to trim flowering shrubs because doing so in the wrong time can mean you won’t see any flowers next year. The general rule is that when the bush blooms during the fall season or late summer, you must prune it during the early spring before new growth comes up. On the other hand, in case the plant flowers during the spring season or in the early summer, you have to wait until it has completed its flowering before you can start pruning.

 

Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service and let our team of experts help you with your lawn care needs.

 

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/

Lawn Care Tips For Winter

Lawn grass becomes dormant during the winter season in several parts of the country. The cool season ryegrass is generally overseeded into the turf down south so that a green lawn can be maintained. In the northern area, grass are unable to grow because it’s too cold. So homeowners wait for the spring season to come. But lawn care does not end in the winter season.

Tips To Keep Your Lawn Healthy Despite The Colder Weather

Fertilize – apply some fertilizer using a spreader. While moving the machine back and forth on the grass, you must grip its handle just like a trigger and it will then release the pellets whenever you shoot. Be sure to follow all the instructions listed on the fertilizer package. Don’t apply too much fertilizer. You have to follow what’s written on the label since adding too much fertilizer will burn the grass.

Aerate the lawn – aerating the lawn should also be part of your lawn care Myrtle Beach routine. You need to add some extra air to the grass roots. Take out some parts of the soil by using a spade. This will help create holes that you can use to plan seeds. In case you have a large lawn, you should consider renting a manual or motorized aerator.

Add cool weather grass seed – buy grass seed that are labeled as cool weather or cool season. Sprinkle them over the lawn using a spreader. Make sure it is applied evenly to avoid having clumps of grass once spring comes.

Rake and Water – break the soil clumps and then cover the seeds a little bit using a rake. Once done, add water by using a garden hose spray. Always keep the soil moist and never allow it to dry out.

Other Lawn Care and Winterizing Tips

Clean up the lawn – never leave toys, leaves, or debris on the lawn because they can smother the lawn grass. It could also lead to diseases and invite damaging pests.

Lower the lawn mower height – if the lawn grass is too high, it could smother itself and lead to a higher risk of damage from thawing and freezing conditions. But that does not mean that you have to cut the grass too short. If you do, you will be exposing the crown of the grass to extreme weather conditions.

Be aware of foot traffic – dormant grass can take a moderate amount of foot traffic. But if there’s too much foot traffic, a path that’s worn out would be very slow to green up once spring comes.

Check weather conditions – turf is extremely resilient and could tolerate extreme weather conditions but not for a long time. You need to monitor the weather conditions so that you can prepare your lawn for the weather.

 

The winter season can be unpredictable. Make sure that your lawn is ready for the colder temperature. Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service now and let us help you prepare your lawn for winter.

 

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/

Is Dormant Seeding The Lawn This Winter Important?

 As winter comes, many homeowners think that they can no longer help their lawn. That’s not true at all. Dormant seeding is one lawn care routine that’s worth doing. It will prepare your lawn for next spring, making sure that it will look great and healthy.

Lawn Care: What is Dormant Seeding?

Dormant seeding is a lawn care Myrtle Beach process that involves seeding your lawn following the usual growing season. Once the temperature falls under 40 degrees, the seeds will grow into little baby grass. Dormant seeding works best during December and January. The cold weather lets seeds stay dormant in the soil, awaiting the temperatures to rise during late March. August and September remains as the best months for seeding. In case you were unable to do so, you still have the option of dormant seeding.

Why is Dormant Seeding Important?

1. Dormant seeding creates grass plants as early as 13 days before spring seeding.
2. Since we dormant seed during the winter season, the soil becomes drier and more pliable, making it easier to have the seed to soil contact.
3. The lawn with dormant seeds will not need water until spring season as nature will get this job done.
4. During the colder season, there would be lesser need for disease and weed control strategies.

Other Lawn Care Reminders

In case you dormant seed during the winter season, you should put off the crab grass prevention application until you’ve mowed the new grass seed at least two times. Obviously, you have to follow the directions written on the label of your preferred weed control for specific directions. We will take care of the schedule. For ideal results, we suggest using the services of a reliable lawn care expert to make sure that your lawn enjoy the benefits of dormant seeding.

Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service now if you have questions about dormant seeding or if you need the help of a trustworthy lawn care company to prepare your lawn for the winter season.

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/

Lawn Care Tips For Winter

 Although your lawn may not need that much care during the winter season as it does during fall, spring, and summer, you should never ignore it. Here are some lawn care tips you can take to make sure that your lawn is in good shape once spring comes.

Winter Lawn Care Tips

Aerate and Fertilize Your Lawn

Don’t forget to aerate and fertilize your lawn. Aerating your lawn allows it to breathe before the lawn grass becomes dormant, and assist in relieving any soil compaction that may have accumulated during the warmer season. After that, you have to fertilize your lawn to give the grass the nutrients it needs while preparing for winter. The grass roots absorb and keep the nutrients during winter. Then, during spring, your lawn will use these stored nutrients, allowing it to have head start, which makes it lush and green. By having a lawn that’s well taken care of, you will prevent diseases, pests, and weeds, from damaging your lawn.

Keep it Clean

If leaves have piled up on your lawn during the fall season, it will cause your lawn grass to suffocate. If you leave leaves on the lawn, they could become overly wet, which could lead to lawn disease. In case the leaves are not too wet or thick, you should mulch them using your mower into small pieces so the nutrients can be recycled back to the lawn. In case the leaves are too wet, matted down, or thick, you should rake and get rid of them. Don’t forget to get rid of lawn furniture and any debris from your lawn.

Avoid Too Much Lawn Traffic

If your lawn is dormant or frosted, don’t walk on the lawn too much. Even strong and healthy lawn grass could become weak when the same exact spots are walked on too many times.

Prepare Your Lawn While You Can

Finally, you have to make sure that your winter lawn care Myrtle Beach plan has been set in place in advance. Once you feel the chill in the air, you should monitor the forecast and give yourself enough time to set up your plan before winter comes.

Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service now and let our lawn care experts help you prepare your lawn for winter.

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/

Taking Care of Your Lawn This Fall Season

 The days have started to become shorter but that doesn’t mean you can no longer enjoy a beautiful lawn during the fall season. Listed below are some fall lawn care tips that will make sure that your outdoor space will be an excellent place to retreat during these months.

Now that the summer season is over and you’ve had your fill of fun with friends and family, the time has come to prepare your lawn for the upcoming colder months. By following the tips provided here, you’ll get to enjoy your lawn a bit longer while making sure that it would look great next spring.

Fall Lawn Care Tips

Mowing

Start cutting back on your lawn mower’s height. During the fall season, your lawn will prepare to become dormant for the remainder of the year and it won’t grow fast. You don’t have to mow it as frequently over the last few weeks in the fall. However, you need to decrease the height of your lawn so it’s shorter than what you used to have during summer. But you need to do this gradually until the grass length is around one and a half inch high. How often you have to mow will depend on how fast your lawn grass grows. You have to remove 1/3 of the mower blade or much less. Anything more than that would shock your lawn grass. It’s also recommended to move in the evening.

Weeding

Hopefully when fall comes, you have already won the fight against weeds in your lawn. In case there are holdouts, it’s crucial to address them before the snow and leaves make it harder to manage. Not only is it harder to look for and address weeds, but there are weeds that could be aggressive and control during the fall season once your grass is a lot less active.

Shrubs and Trees

Give your shrubs and trees a helping hand this season by providing them with fertilizers that contain essential nutrients that they could store up for the winter season. Your shrubs and trees would get a head start when growing faster and fuller during the spring season.

Rake Your Lawn

Get rid of the leaves that build up in your lawn. Make sure to rake your lawn thoroughly. As time goes by, the leaves will begin to decompose, sap moisture out of the soil and giving a welcome home to pests that may damage your lawn. The thick layer of decaying leaves may also leave dead spots in your lawn during the spring, letting weeds to take over quickly. So be sure to include this in your lawn care Myrtle Beach routine for the fall season.

Aerating

As time goes by, the soil in your lawn will become compacted. This will cut back the air pockets that let water and nutrients get to the grass roots. To fight this off, be sure that your lawn is aerated every year. Fall is the perfect time to get this done and provides your lawn the best opportunity to get the water and nutrients to grow healthy throughout the season.

Overseeding

For a weed free, lush, and healthy lawn, it is important to overseed. Once your lawn ages, it will become tired and the reproduction of grass will become slow. Noone wants to see unhealthy grass in your lawn. Aside from being aesthetically unappealing, these spots make it much easier for weeds to take full control. You should spread grass seed over your lawn at the suggested rate. This would encourage brand new lawn grass to grow and fill in those spots that are unhealthy and help make your lawn look good once spring comes.

Conner’s know how much you value your lawn and that’s why our lawn care experts decided to come up with this quick guide. If you need help in controlling weeds, seeding, fertilizing, or preparing your lawn for winter, call Conner’s Lawn Care Service now.

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/

How To Save Your Lawn While Keeping Your Pets Safe

 Unlike what most people say, having pets doesn’t mean sacrificing your dream of having a beautiful lawn. Apart from that, you can have the green space that you’ve always wanted without having to risk the health of your pets. With the appropriate products and lawn care practices, it’s possible for you to get a beautiful lawn. Here are some lawn care tips you need to kno.

Lawn Care Tips

If you have had a pet before, you know the struggles involved when it comes to keeping your lawn looking green and lush. As you know that dog urine could create brown spots in your lawn grass. In some cases, it may even kill the grass. However, if you know the proper lawn care Myrtle Beach methods that are turf friendly and pet friendly, you could still have a green and thick lawn, even if you have dogs.

Here are a few tips to cut back the effects of dog urine on your lawn grass.

1. Let Your Dogs Drink Plenty of Water

This will keep your dog well hydrated but also dilute the urine. Add water to the diet of your dog by letting him have several water bowls throughout your house and lawn. You could also add water to your dog’s diet by giving them wet food or even adding water to your dog’s dry food.

2. Assign one area as your dog’s bathroom.

Giving your dog a special spot where they can do their business is an excellent way to keep your lawn grass healthy and green. Train your dogs to use the designated spot and that may include giving them treats.

3. Plant Grass Seed that Helps Develop A Hardy Lawn

Plant a strong and dense grass type in your lawn to help protect it against urine stains as well as your pet’s everyday wear and tear. The tall fescue grass is an excellent option. It grows densely that is why it could easily camouflage the urine stains and handle heavy paw traffic.

4. Dilute Your Dog’s Urine

Flush the area where your dog peed using water. Although this task may require some effort on your part, diluting the urine of your dog using a watering can, dousing it using a bottled water, or quickly spraying it using a garden hose is extremely helpful in letting the urine get into the soil without damaging or killing the grass.

5. Take Your Dog Out For A Walk

Your pet will do their business when you take them out for a walk instead of doing their business in your yard. You can benefit from it too since walking is good for your health.

6. Add gypsum to brown the dog spots

You can neutralize the urine of your dog by using gypsum. It could also restore the lush green color of your lawn. This mineral will work to heal your lawn grass and it will encourage the growth of new grass. You can use it whenever you have to fix the urine spots in your lawn.

Keeping your pets safe is important too while having a green and beautiful yard. Here are some tips to keep your pets healthy.

1. Keep your pets inside your house when you’re applying a lawn care prod
3. Follow the instructions on the label of the weed and feed products and know when it’s safe for your pets to play in the lawn.
4. Don’t forget to water your lawn after applying liquid or granular lawn fertilizer.
5. Consider using natural or organic lawn care products.

Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service if you need help in maintaining your lawn.

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/

Tips To Keep Your Lawn Healthy

 Summer could be among the toughest times of the year for landscapes and lawns especially when we reside in a place with a warm climate. Although summer is the perfect time for lawns to thrive, it is also a time for less well maintained turf to suffer several issues that could result in poor health and stress. With a few basic lawn care practices, you should be able to significantly improve your lawn while you enjoy the warm summer months.

Effective Lawn Watering

Water is among the most important aspects of lawn care. The right lawn care watering practices will help your lawn send water down to the roots and deeper into the soil, beyond the evaporation level of the top part of the soil, which consequently will make your turf more drought and heat tolerant.

You can also train your turf to develop a deep root system by just ever watering the lawn once it shows signs of leaf withering, and then providing the lawn with a water at that period. This is a simple way of growing a deep root system for all kinds of turf.

Fertilizing Lawns

A lawn that is healthy before summer comes is a much better solution to get a healthy summer lawn, compared to waiting until summer and then trying to create a healthy lawn. The same holds true for winter lawn care Myrtle Beach.

Fertilizing your turf must be performed before the onset of these two harsh seasons, winter and summer. So you have to be sure that you have fertilized your lawn using high quality fertilizers before the onset of Summer so that the lawn will remain in its peak condition once the heat comes.

Lawn Mowing

Moisture loss in soils is the main cause of most lawn problems. You can greatly improve this problem by correctly watering your lawn so it promotes deep root growth. However, you can also help the soil further by lowering the amount of water that is lost through evaporation.

Although a strong and healthy lawn that is growing in full sunlight could be cut short, for many lawns which are much less than perfect, their best health benefit during the summer can come about by boosting the lawn mowing height. This significant increase in the leaf length of the lawn will then provide shade and insulation to the soil and protect them against moisture loss, which will result in less heat stress for the landscape.

Pest and Weed Control

There are lawn treatments that are designed to get rid of pests and weeds. Don’t treat pets and weeds using chemical pesticides during the hot days of summer rather than wait for milder days to carry out any such spraying or better yet, treat for weeds or pests before summer comes.

Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service if you need professional help in maintaining your lawn.

Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/