Ever felt as though your grass resembles a jungle rather than a yard? Yep, we see that frequently in Central Florida. With the extreme hot summers and the mid-afternoon thunderstorm that arrives on the dot, maintaining a nice-looking lawn is a challenge. For over 15 years, we’ve assisted homeowners in the greater Orlando, Winter Park and Altamonte Springs areas with their lawn care needs, and we’ve figured out several tips and tricks to help maintain your property in Central Florida’s weather conditions.
Landscaping Installation That Can Survive Your Climate
There’s one thing you need to understand about landscaping installation in Central Florida – what works in northern climates does NOT work in southern climates. A homeowner in Alaqua Lakes planted azalea in direct sunlight simply because he liked how his neighbor’s azaleas looked back in Georgia. After three weeks, the azaleas were toast. Azaleas love shade, not sun, and Central Florida’s extremely hot summer sun combined with our sandy soil means you need to choose plants carefully or spend an awful lot of money on them.
When we do a landscaping installation project, we begin by identifying the micro-climate within your yard. That shaded area beneath your oak tree? Perfect place for ferns and hostas. That sunny location by your driveway that cooks all day long? Needs to be something durable such as coontie palms or muhly grass. We primarily use native and Florida-friendly plants because they can withstand Central Florida’s harsh weather without constant babying.
Most of the errors we see? Folks planting too deeply into our sandy soil and not using enough mulch. You need to have at least 3″ of mulch to retain moisture when your yard is experiencing a dry spell. And, irrigation — don’t even get me started on individuals who believe they can water at any time. Orange County has very specific watering restrictions, and we design all of our landscaping installations to follow the guidelines established by the county.
Lawn Mowing Services Done Properly
Now let’s discuss lawn mowing for a moment. Sounds simple, correct? Just
mow the lawn, bag it, done. However, you don’t know the amount of stress that occurs in the lawn due to improper mowing. The height at which you mow your lawn during the summer months is far more important than you would believe. Your St. Augustine should be at a height of 4 inches during the summer months. Any lower, and you’re placing undue stress on your lawn, which may increase the chances of developing chinch bugs or brown patch fungus.
We mow lawns in Central Florida year-round, however we mow at varying intervals depending on the time of year. Summer mowing may require weekly mows, whereas winter mowing may be every 2 weeks. Additionally, we never mow more than one third of the total length of your lawn at any given time. This causes undue stress on the lawn.
Our lawn mowing service includes trimming around all of your beds, trees, and hardscapes. We also blow all of the clippings off of your driveways and sidewalks. Grass clippings stuck to wet concrete after an afternoon rain can be unsightly. Several of our clients reside in Heathrow and have older brick pavers, and we are particularly cautious around those since they can become dislodged if you’re not aware of the potential hazard.
Professional Edging Will Give Your Yard a Clean Appearance
A little-known fact is that professional-grade edging can make even an average lawn appear professionally manicured. By creating a clean border between your grass and your beds or sidewalk, we create an attractive appearance for your home. We utilize a stick edger to create a precise trench for your lawn edging and never simply use a string trimmer to “mush” the edges.
Central Florida’s rainfall creates aggressive grass growth during the rainy season, including St. Augustine and Bahia grasses. These types of grasses produce runners aggressively in an attempt to conquer your beds and sidewalks. If you fail to maintain edging, you’ll have unwanted grass growth through your mulch and over your concrete before you know it.
We edge every time we mow your lawn during the active growth period. Yes, it requires additional time; however, that’s the reason why your yard appears maintained versus professionally manicured. Many of our clients in Longwood have Homeowners Associations (HOA) that are quite particular about curb appeal.
Shrub Trimming to Maintain Shrub Health
Shrub trimming isn’t merely about making them look tidy — it’s about keeping them healthy. We see numerous overgrown ixora, croton and hibiscus bushes in the area. When shrubs are overgrown, air cannot pass through and disease-causing fungi can develop. In addition, properly trimmed shrubs promote new growth and flowering.
Timing is essential when it comes to shrub trimming in Central Florida. It is crucial to avoid trimming your shrubs prior to a cold snap because new growth is delicate and susceptible to damage. We perform most of our major shrub trimming in early spring, and provide maintenance trimming during the remainder of the growth season. Additionally, we use sharp tools — dull shears cause damage to the plant tissue as opposed to cleanly cutting the stems, which promotes disease development.
Shrub trimming varies greatly depending upon the type of shrub being trimmed. Large viburnum hedges that are popular in Winter Springs can tolerate a formal, square-cut trim. Conversely, something like Loropetalum should be trimmed in a more natural manner. As shrub trimmers, we’ve developed sufficient knowledge regarding which shrub species benefit from a formal trim and which shrub species require a more natural trim.
Annual Planting for Year Round Color
Annual planting allows you to have fun with colors. In Central Florida, we have two primary annual planting periods – cool season annuals in the fall and warm season annuals in the spring. Currently, a number of our clients are inquiring about petunias and snapdragons for winter color. Come April, we’ll be planting annuals like pentas, marigolds and vinca.
The key to successfully planting annuals in Central Florida is preparing the soil. Due to the nature of our sandy soil, it lacks nutrient retention and therefore we always amend the soil with compost and apply a slow release
fertilizer. We also ensure that the bed receives adequate drainage, as even drought-tolerant annuals will rot if they remain submerged in water.
When we’re planting annuals, we plant them closer together than indicated on the plant tag. This sounds unusual, but in our hot climate, you desire the full effect of the plant as soon as possible, and the plants will grow together perfectly. We also remove the spent blooms during our visits to maintain the freshness of the plants and to encourage further blooming. Many of our clients in Oviedo and Casselberry appreciate the colorful pop of annuals at their front entrances.
Tree Maintenance for Safety and Health
Tree maintenance is something you rarely consider until a branch falls in a storm. We manage everything from routine pruning to eliminating dead limbs that pose a threat to your house. Central Florida experiences some significant storms, particularly during hurricane season, and having your trees properly maintained can significantly reduce damage caused to your home.
We focus on eliminating dead wood, crossing branches, and any branches that are growing too close to your roof or power lines. Oak trees are abundant in Central Florida and require consistent maintenance. We also manage a large quantity of palm tree trimming, as dead fronds can be substantial and hazardous when they drop.
If you require larger tree services, such as removing a dead tree or removing a tree that is too close to your residence, we have the necessary equipment. We are licensed and insured, which is considerably more valuable than many people realize. We have heard horrific accounts of unlicensed arborists damaging homes or causing electrical fires. Tree services should only be performed by qualified professionals.
Sprinkler Repair to Keep All the Plants Alive
To your lawn care system, a functioning sprinkler system is essentially life support. When it fails, your landscape rapidly deteriorates. We repair sprinkler systems for various reasons – broken heads, leaking valves, zones that won’t activate, and controllers that got zapped by lightning (it happens often in Central Florida).
The most frequent issue we encounter with sprinkler repairs is when mower blades or automobile tires crush or crack sprinkler heads. It is a frequent occurrence in neighborhoods with parked automobiles along the streets. We also repair damaged irrigation lines that occurred during a landscaping installation or when someone dug around in your yard and didn’t recognize where the pipes were.
Water pressure problems are another common issue. Sometimes a valve isn’t fully opening or there is a hidden leak somewhere beneath your yard that you cannot see. We have developed a high level of proficiency in detecting leaks without ripping up your entire yard. We also evaluate your irrigation system’s coverage – no point in installing sprinklers if they are not watering your plants.
Why Local Knowledge Is Important
Over the past 15 years, we have managed to see nearly everything related to lawn care in Central Florida. We know which plants can endure our hurricanes. We know which neighborhoods have the worst infestations of chinch bugs. We know that the soils in east Orlando differ from those found in Apopka. And we know that every yard is different.
We are not a national corporation sending anyone that is available. When you contact us, you will receive individuals who reside in Central Florida, work in Central Florida, and battle the same severe weather that you face. We have assisted hundreds of residents in Winter Park, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Casselberry, Oviedo, College Park, Baldwin Park, and Winter Springs with their lawn care needs.
Your lawn is likely one of your largest investments. Regardless of whether you require standard maintenance such as lawn mowing and edging, more extensive services like landscaping installation, or emergency services like tree removal after a storm, we possess the expertise to execute your lawn care needs properly.