Lawn Care & Lawn Maintenance in NJ

Get ready for the spring lawn care season in Bergen County by emptying any gas from last season out of the mower gas tank, or add an additive called a gas stabilizer. If you did not service the lawnmower over the winter, make sure to change the sparkplug, oil, and filter.  It is important to also sharpen the mower blades.  One reason this is important is that a sharp cut is much better for the grass because a dull blade can tear rather than cut.  You will notice when your mower blades dull because they tear rather than cut the grass. This makes the grass turn brown due to pathogens that enter the tear.

Before your first cut, spend some time picking up sticks and the occasional piece of windblown trash from your lawn. You may want to rack out any areas with matted leaves so that oxygen and beneficial organic materials and fertilizers can easily enter your lawn.

The nutrients in your soil can change over the year.  An inexpensive soil test can take all the guesswork out of applying the correct nutrients your lawn will need. Ask your lawn care company for more information on conducting a soil test.

When the pH of your lawn is correctly balanced, there is less need for fertilizer, so while we recommend fertilizing in the spring before the growing season begins, we also recommend a year-round lawn program that focuses on contiguously adding natural organic matter to the soil. For the Bergen County, NJ area, your lawn may need additional potassium and phosphorus.  You may also want to apply a crabgrass pre-emergent. This should be done when the Crabgrass plants begin to germinate at soil temperatures between 53 and 60 degrees. Your Bergen County lawn service will know when the correct time is for applying this herbicide. They will also monitor your lawn during excessive rainfall and high temperatures and may apply more herbicide to prevent a crabgrass outbreak at any time of the year. The reason herbicides are used in April is that the lawn is not stressed, and treatments will not harm the grass plants. It is best to discuss your lawn’s history with your Bergen County lawn service – especially if you know of other weeds that periodically affect your lawn.

During late spring, beetles lay eggs that hatch into larvae, better known as grubs.  Grubs feed on the roots of your lawn and left alone, can kill part or all of your beautiful grass. It is best to treat your lawn for grubs only when the larvae are likely hatched and eating because then you only have to treat the lawn a few times. Your Bergen County lawn service will test and determine the correct time to treat for grubs and other pests such as chinch bugs, sod webworms, and billbugs that feed on the grass above the soil surface.

Lawn fertilization can be done all year, doing so in the fall promotes root growth in Spring. Mulching leaves and blowing or raking away matted leaves will oxygenate the roots and allow more light to reach grass for photosynthesis. It will also prevent the fungus from growing.  Your Bergen County lawn service will likely suggest a core aeration which removes soil plugs at regular spaces to promote root growth and aerate the soil. Many lawn professionals also add new seed at this time to thicken the lawn.  If so, they may water the areas they seeded for a better chance of germination. Fall is the best time for grass seeding.