SERVICES

Proper mowing frequency is the key to a successful turf maintenance. It's best to maintain the grass height at 3 inches throughout the year. If mowed too closely, weeds are more likely to invade, and turf root growth is slowed. In addition, turfgrass holds vital moisture and nutrients in the blade; when cut too short, your lawn becomes stressed, and its tolerance to heat and drought is greatly reduced. Even during low-growth periods, it is critical to continue regular mowing to remove any browning and encourage new vigor.

Turfgrass clippings contain measurable amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Research has shown that when clippings are removed, 20 to 25 percent more fertilizer was necessary to maintain comparable color and quality as areas where clippings were returned. Contrary to popular belief, turfgrass clippings do not contribute to thatch accumulation if proper mowing practices are followed.

Classic Lawn & Landscape's cutting season is from April to mid November. Cutting until the end of the season is vital. If your lawn is too tall, your grass will lay over on itself causing matting and smothering of your turf. Bent down by snow and wind, it will retain too much moisture and may develop fungus diseases such as snow mold.

Great looking landscapes share one thing in common — they are kept in "good trim." Whether this involves a formal or a natural look, tree and shrub maintenance is essential for a beautiful lawn.

Not all trees and shrubs need pruning to the same degree, but they all require some amount of regular pruning. Trimming produces plants that are strong, healthy and attractive.

There are three main reasons for frequent trimming:

•     Safety: Especially for trees, limbs are heavy. When they are torn off and fall due to bad weather, they can cause serious injury or major damage with very expensive results. It's bad enough if it's you or your property; it is even worse if a falling limb strikes a neighbor or passerby

•     Health: Pruning removes certain plant parts that are no longer effective or of use to the plant. It is done to redirect additional energy for the development of the flowers, fruits, foliage, and limbs that remain.

Trimming undesirable growth can foster plant vigor through the removal of weak, overcrowded limbs.

Removing dead, diseased, or broken branches will also aid the health of the plant

•     Aesthetics: When you trim with aesthetics as your priority, you're doing so to create a more pleasing shape and to maintain or to stimulate flower production. Regular trimming also can prevent a plant from overgrowing its space in the landscape and eliminates the need for drastic cutting or replacement in the future

Mulching can be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your soil and your plants. If you have not considered mulching your garden in the past, you may want to reconsider.

Mulches are a labor-saving device for the gardener and non-gardener alike. A layer of mulch will help prevent the germination of many weed seeds, reducing the need for cultivation, or the use of herbicides. Mulches help moderate the soil temperature and retain moisture during dry weather, reducing the need for watering.

Mulches also enhance the look of your garden. The mulch helps keep plants clean by reducing the splash of soil onto leaves during rainstorms and helps rainfall infiltration into the beds.

Nothing can improve the overall tidy appearance of a property more than edging beds where they meet grass areas. Bed definition greatly reduces bed weeding since the grass rhizomes are stopped dead in their tracks by the edging process. Without edging, the grass will grow into the bed, and when grass is in a garden bed, it is a weed. Classic also includes a pre-emergent which further reduces weed nuisances.

Spring and fall are pivotal times in lawn maintenance and landscaping. Preparing your property for the summer and winterizing your property in the fall should be the requisite for a well-maintained property.

Our cleanups combine triple-shredded mulch installation, tree and shrub trimming, bed weeding and definition, pre-emergent weed control, and debris removal.

The lawn maintenance task that is practically synonymous with autumn is raking leaves. Appearance aside, this chore is necessary since a layer of leaves left on your lawn over the winter would smother the grass below. Furthermore, pine needles and oak leaves must be removed since either will leach horrible amounts of acidity into the soil.