Spring Yard Cleanup

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Ah, springtime. The cold, dreary winter snow is melting, the birds are chirping their hearts out, and spring flowers are starting to bloom. It’s time for spring yard cleanup! This year, don’t let the unpredictable weather catch you by surprise. We decided to give you a little bit of advice to help you prepare your lawn and garden for the growing season with our spring yard cleanup checklist. Use this blog Spring Yard Cleanup Checklist: Lawncare, Gardening, and More, to help get your yard summer-ready or contact us today to do all of your dirty work! This blog post will discuss six essential categories to help your yard ready for gardening.

General Yard Cleanup

Grab some heavy-duty gloves and get going. You’ll first need to remove leaves, branches, and twigs built up over the winter before mowing the lawn. Getting leaves and trash off of grass is essential for the grass to breathe. A thorough spring cleaning prepares the ground for new mulch and yearly flowers. If you were diligent about thoroughly raking your leaves in the fall, you most likely avoided “snow mold.” However, there will always be some stray leaves to rake, and raking helps prevent thatch accumulation on lawns.

Tip: When raking the lawn, be sure to sweep up pinecones or limbs. Pinecones need to be shredded because this helps them break down more readily in a compost bin.

Trees and Shrubs Cutbacks

Remove dead and decaying branches. It’s good to prune back to living stems on both trees and shrubs. Pruning helps to get rid of branches that have been harmed by the cold, snow, and wind. However, there is a “best time” to prune living stems and branches. As a result of pruning too soon, things can go wrong with the blooming pattern.

If you have lawn care questions or need landscaping help, reach out to us for more information or schedule a free consultation.

Perennials and Grass Cutbacks

Perennials need to be cut back and divided on an as-needed basis. Regular pruning helps your yard look tidy. Additionally, pruning these plants also helps the other plants and bushes from suffocating.

Edging and Cleanup Around Plant Beds

While it may be stating the obvious, it’s time to rake out dead leaves and foliage (which may smother plants and promote illness), remove spent annuals, and fill a wheelbarrow with additional organic yard waste once the spring yard cleanup is complete. Remove any existing mulch once the danger of frost has passed to set up for a new layer when you are ready to plant in the spring. Deep edging around flower beds and tree trunks is similar to framing landscaped areas.

Shapers and spades are tools that make clear borders between your turf and flower beds. This type of edging is done before pre-emergent, and fresh mulch is applied.

Grass, bushes, and vines can be snagged and pulled from a landscaped bed. A manicured edge will keep grass and weeds from encroaching on your garden. It also makes mowing along flower bed edges much more manageable, resulting in less risk of harm.

Prep Yard for Spring Seeding

Nex up on our Spring Yard Cleanup Checklist is prepping your yard for seeding! Grass will germinate in April, but testing the soil’s pH early in the spring is brilliant since it allows you to mix the right seeding formula for our yard. To prepare for seeding that will take place in a few weeks, remove salt-damaged turf, plows, or diseases. Mulch can also make a world of difference to a tired winter yard. Spring is the best time to add a new layer of mulch.

Tip: It can help control weed germination and growth, keeping soil wetter and cooler as temperatures rise. During the summer heat, this is quite important.

Cleanup Hardscapes and Patios

Rake gravel back into walkways and patios from winter storm damage. Use a pressure washer with a low-pressure nozzle to remove slippery algae spots or leaf marks from patios and pathways. Sweep in fresh sand or stone dust to refill joints between flagstones; water the area with a hose, then repeat.

Maintaining your landscape adds to the value of your home, but it also provides a secure outside environment for everyone who visits, works, and lives on it. Do you need a hand with your spring garden? At Paradise Landscape and Hardscape, we provide expert spring cleanup services in Annapolis, MD. We can help you with various spring lawncare services and offer weekly and monthly landscaping packages. We will collaborate with you to discover methods to enhance your property and make the most excellent first impression on your clients, consumers, workers, residents, or guests.

Contact us to learn more about our commercial and residential landscaping cleanup services for spring!

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What is the Best Mulch for Vegetable Gardens?

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It might seem like one more step, but mulching vegetable gardens goes a long way. The best mulch for vegetable gardens works like a dressing on your salad- it adds flavor and nutrients, breathing new life into the vegetable. So, what is the best mulch for vegetable gardens?

What is Mulch?

We use mulch as a blanket term for all kinds of materials that we cover the soil with. These could be organic or inorganic and range from straw to gravel. Mulch is extremely useful in keeping the ground moist, keeping weeds away, and helping keep soil healthy and perfect for growing.

Organic or Inorganic?

Organic mulches were alive at one point (think leaves, compost, or grass clippings) and will decompose. As icky as this sounds, it’s great for growing things, and having mulch made of organic material gives nutrients and organic matter to the soil. This measure makes the soil healthier and is excellent for root health.

Inorganic mulches are synthetic (we’re talking decorative gravels, landscaping fabric, and black plastic) and don’t decompose or do so very slowly. These are great for preventing weeds, making sure you don’t have to mulch often, or decorating.

The Most Important Thing About Mulching Vegetable Gardens

Keep it light and breezy. We’re looking for materials that will break down quickly, nourishing the soil and helping veggies break through. Using heavy material like hardwood will keep the little sprouts down and give nothing to the earth.

Light, organic materials like grass clippings or straw will give nutrients to the soil and are easy for your budding salad toppings to break through.

Compost

This one is great because you don’t have to pay for it (make it yourself) and save the environment while you’re doing it. Compost is a mix of decomposing organic matter, and it’s packed with nutrients. By saving banana peels and eggshells for your compost (among other things), you can add a lot of healthy food to your veggies.

Avoid putting these in your compost, as it can make you sick or (gasp) ruin your garden:

  • Meat
  • Cheese
  • Animal Droppings
  • Diseased plants
  • Weeds

Grass Clippings

Another bargain mulch is grass clippings which are full of nutrients. They help prevent weeds and can be spread easily after mowing your lawn. (If you don’t cut your lawn, talk to your lawn care service to see how they can accommodate your need for the green)

Avoid using grass treated with harsh pesticides. Instead, you should mow grass with milder pesticides a few times before using it on your veggies.

Straw

Lawn care services in Annapolis don’t just operate during the summer. There are essential things to do during the winter as well. For example, straw is an excellent winter mulch. Protecting the soil from frost retains the moisture and insulates the soil. Straw can also be used during the summer, making it a great and inexpensive option.

Although we sometimes use the terms interchangeably, make sure you buy straw and not hay, and purchase from a reputable dealer who won’t give you weeds with your straw.

Contact Lawn Care Services for Mulch

We know you might not have access to all these things (or the inclination), and it’s okay. We’ve got you. Not only do we have access to the materials (we’ve been mowing the lawn all day, we have grass-clipping coming out our ears), but we’ll come to lay it out for you. Please fill out our form below for a free quote on how much it will cost to have professional lawn care services in Annapolis mulch your vegetable garden.

Follow us for more great tips on how to make your lawn look much, mulch, better.

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Fall Weed Control is Crucial

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Fall is here and it’s time to start thinking about weed control. Fall Weed Control is Crucial! What are some of the most common reasons why Maryland’s fall weed control is neglected? Spring weeds will sprout with a vengeance, that’s how.

Although fall may appear like a good time to put your lawn on ice, continuing maintenance now can guarantee that your grass thrives throughout the year, particularly when weed pressure is greatest and drought threatens your lawn in the summer.

The first reason, which we’ll look at now, is that fall weed control keeps your grass healthy and robust all year. If you wait until spring to eliminate your weeds, they might already have damaged your lawn! This article goes into further detail about the other two reasons why fall weed control is crucial in Maryland – go ahead and read on!

Let’s review the reasons why fall weed control is crucial in Maryland and is so important to the overall success of your lawn.

3 Reasons for Fall Weed Control in Maryland

Nobody likes weeds; we don’t, you don’t. Now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about weed control. All you want is for weeds to be controlled, but this is why lawn fall weed control is so important.

Embracing a plan that emphasizes weed management throughout the year with minimal inputs and maximum results is what will deliver you the weed-free lawn you want. It’s easy to forget about your grass when the weather gets chilly in the fall. But there are several reasons why you shouldn’t do so.

In the fall, it’s simple to forget about your lawn. But why not?

1. The Best CURE is WEED PREVENTION!

Autumn is the ideal moment to prepare your Maryland lawn for the months ahead.

There’s an optimal time to take care of any lawn maintenance activity, from aeration to seeding to bug control, that makes the entire process far smoother, more cost-effective, and easier.Understanding your lawn and the best times for various activities can provide you with a thick, green grass without requiring you to go through much aggravation or difficulty. Despite your brain’s urging you to cease focusing on the outdoors in the fall because it appears apparent that the grass is satisfied, this is actually a wonderful period to continue adding items to your checklist.

2. When cool season weeds germinate, it’s fall.

The fall may appear to be a harmless season for weeds and grass. There’s not much going on out there. The elegance of cool-season weeds that germinate in the fall is that they are largely dormant during the winter months. The following are the most common reasons you can’t neglect weed control in the fall. Bittercress, Chickweed, Crabgrass, Clover, Ragweed, Pokeweed and Henbit are some of the terrible ones. That list is both spring and fall. They are difficult to spot to those who aren’t familiar with them.

Do you need a refresher? Here are the weeds we’re talking about.

Chickweed: Chickweed is a winter annual that grows in dense clusters of smooth stems and leaves.
Clover: This clover isn’t having any luck, to say the least. It is a low-growing, three-leaflet plant that is quite common in lawns in Central and Southern Maryland.
Bittercress: This plant prefers to grow in thin lawn areas that have been mowed too short or in shaded regions. If you leave it alone, it will grow up and become aggravating.
The seeds of these weeds begin to germinate in late August and may be seen throughout the fall season. In January, February, and March, they develop into even more apparent.

3. Cool-Season Weed Control Is Easier in Fall

If you don’t detect cool-season weeds while they are germinating in the fall, you’ll find them in February and March, when they’re considerably bigger. And, sadly, that’s when things get much more difficult to manage.
Why? They have had more time to develop and, as a result, their roots are stronger and their above-ground appearances are uglier. Second, the use of herbicides in the spring is ineffective against these bad boys. When weeds are young and tender, herbicides work the best. As a result, fall is an excellent time to start weed control since these cool-season weeds are only infants, and you can manage them.Problem solved.

If you live in Annapolis or the surrounding areas, give weed control in fall a chance
Team Paradise hopes you get a better sense of why fall is a great time to continue battling those weeds we all can’t stand. Don’t forget, in addition to weed control, creating a healthy, thriving lawn is the best defense against weeds.

This is accomplished through frequent mowing, enough water and fertilization, as well as aeration and over seeding. Use these methods together to ensure that your Maryland lawn is always excellent.

Want to improve your lawn’s health and eliminate weeds for good? Paradise Landscape and Hardscapes can help. Get started today with a free quote by clicking the button below. We’ll build a strategy that will make your neighbors jealous of the gorgeous lawn you have.

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Common Signs of Deer Damage In Your Yard

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Deer can cause a lot of damage to your yard and landscape – especially in the fall. Deer control is one of the most popular and frequently requested services at Paradise Landscaping & Hardscapes right now. We can help reduce the presence of deer in and around the edges of your property. But how do you know that you’ll need our services in the first place? Deer are quite active in the fall. They leave behind traces of damage that may be confused with pest animal damage at times. In any case, it’s better to be safe than sorry! The following are some common signs of deer damage in your yard.

Early Indications of Damage

You use ornamental plants to improve the look of your lawn, garden, and landscaping. Unfortunately, they are a major food source for deer. Because they consume the buds, leaves, and stems, this depletes the plants of what they require to live. Deer are known to hang out in farms, orchards, nurseries, and residential neighborhoods. When the lower branches on trees begin to disappear, there are likely deer in the area. Arborvitae is particularly prone to this type of damage. Twigs and stems will appear to have been aggressively pruned as a result of the damage.

The Problem of Antler Rubbing

Deer engage in a behavior known as antler rubbing, which is a habit. Their antlers are covered in velvet, which is quite unpleasant for them. The rubbing affects the growth of animal antlers, as well as tree trunks and limbs. The velvet is used to assist mature bucks (male deer) in growing larger antlers. The normal breeding season is fall, therefore the velvet begins to shed at this time. This process aids in the polishing of the antlers before they are detached and dropped in midwinter. Deer rubs are small trees’ prominent locations where deer rub their antlers against the bark, removing it from the tree until only hardwood remains. This damage is permanent, and many times will diminish the health of the tree.

Managing Deer on Your Property

Deterring deer with repellents or scare devices is one way to go. Deer control is simpler if the deer can’t link your yard with a convenient eating spot. In the fall, once deer have adjusted to several noises, you may switch between these approaches as needed. Once deer are used to a particular sound, they cease ignoring it. If there was little damage over the summer, you may not have noticed; as winter draws near, it will become more obvious. Temporary fencing, permanent fencing, and tree guards can all help. However, if none of these solutions work, it’s time to call the experts!

Paradise Landscape and Hardscapes in Annapolis, MD

We’ve been in business for decades in our home town of Annapolis. We are a small business independently run and service Anne Arundel County and parts of the Eastern Shore. From trimming and pruning to total lawn care and property maintenance during the growing season, we have the team of Annapolis landscape professionals here for you to put your mind at ease. A few of our lawn care services are:

    • Weekly Lawn Mowing Services
    • Customized Fertilization Programs
    • Aeration
    • Seeding
    • Thatching
    • Sod Installation
    • Complete Lawn Restoration

No matter how large or small the scope of work is, our goal remains the same – to ensure that each customer is happy. Every member of our team consistently provides professionalism, reliable construction, and top-notch quality to exceed your expectations. In fact, you’ll see me (Michael Clautice) on every job site!

My passion for perfection is what keeps our companies’ standards of excellence set so high! I truly love what I do — let Team Paradise to your dirty work.

Are you ready to expand your outdoor living space? Let’s connect this year! We have the education, experience and expertise to bring your space to life in addition to offering a wide variety of other full range of Annapolis landscaping services such as: lawn care and maintenance services, complete yard restoration, lawn clean-up, storm clean-up, plant and tree installation, mulching and weeding, leaf removal, snow removal and hardscape installations such as paver driveways and walkways, lighting, waterfall units, fire pits and more! Are you on social? Come say hi to us here: FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM

Fill out our short form by clicking the estimate button below and let’s connect!

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Tree Care In the Winter

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As we roll into the fall, we start to ponder tree care in the winter. During the winter, it’s critical to pay attention to your trees and shrubs in Maryland, especially if you live in a rural area. With most woody plants dormant during this time of year, pruning back dying or intrusive branches is more viable. Pruning trees is crucial since well-pruned plants produce greater fruit and flowers. It also helps your plants defend against pesky insects and diseases. Team Paradise is here with helpful advice on why, where, and when you should start pruning your trees.

The tree is a symbol of life – it’s green, full of leaves and provides shade. When winter comes around, the tree sheds its foliage to protect itself from the cold. This makes tree care in the winter different than tree care at other times of year. Let’s discuss these factors in detail so you know if now is a good time to plant a tree in your yard.

Decide On Tree Type – Evergreen or Deciduous

Consider the kind of tree you want to plant before deciding whether to undertake it in the winter. Spruce and pine trees, for example, never shed their needles. Evergreens have a smaller planting window than deciduous trees. This is because they need the nutrients they can absorb before the ground freezes. The key is to plant evergreens when the soil is no lower than 60 degrees.
 
Deciduous trees, which go dormant in the winter and shed their leaves, need less energy to grow in the winter months. This implies that when you seed them, the temperature may be cooler. Plant deciduous trees in the fall or early spring before they begin to bud, when the soil is 50 degrees or higher.

Climate Zone

The climate has a big influence on when you may plant a tree in your yard. Throughout Annapolis and most of northern United States, fall is the best time to plant trees. The heat of summer has passed, but the searing frosts of winter have yet to appear.
 
But, in more southern regions, you have more time to plant trees. These states tend to include In Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Upcoming Weather Forecast

Seasonal and short-term weather can all have an impact on your ability to plant a tree, as well as your climate. Even if you live in a northern location, a particularly harsh winter may be ideal for planting trees. Yet, owing to an early September snowstorm, you must wait until later to plant new trees.

Early, Mid, or Late Winter

The winter season is three phases. The early part of the winter season is like fall. This makes it ideal for tree relocation. When the ground freezes or snow falls, though, it’s best to wait until late winter or early spring. New saplings are more vulnerable to frost damage. Their roots can also dry out if planted midwinter.

Special Considerations

Here are some pointers to help your sapling survive the winter. This is good information for any type of tree you want to grow:
 
  • Keep watering: Every few days, water the earth surrounding the young tree until it is frozen. Give it a bigger watering than usual before a major freeze.
  • Mulch: Roots in particular are harmed by the freeze-thaw cycle. Mulch might insulate the surface and maintain a more constant temperature. It also inhibits evaporation, allowing the roots to receive water a little easier.
  • Stake the tree: Windy conditions during the early spring might impede a sapling’s growth. To assist the tree grow straight and true, bind it to three or four supports.
  • Consider applying anti-desiccant: Evergreens that include broadleaf are protected from desiccation (drying out) during the winter with anti-desiccants, which give a waxy covering.

A Few More Tips for Tree Care in The Winter

  • Don’t fertilize: You don’t want a sapling to sprout new limbs right after being planted. Compost and bone meal are both acceptable, but wait until the soil is fertilized in the spring.
  • Don’t prune: Transplanting is tough enough for a sapling without you taking any of its branches away. This occurs if a limb is damaged while being carried and must be cut off.
  • Protect from deer: Deer repellents are one of the most efficient deer deterrents available. To keep your young tree protected from deer browsing, apply a deer repellent to it. Install a protective tube over the trunk to prevent deer rubbing their antlers on it to avoid damage.
Trees and shrubs are susceptible to harsh winters. Cold weather can desiccate leaves, bark, and branches, as well as flower buds and roots.Humans and animals contribute to winter tree maintenance issues in their own way; salt on the road and sidewalk destroyed soil health, and animals generally eat tree bark and twigs as a result of winter food shortages. These threats, especially when combined, can damage your trees and plants if you aren’t prepared!
Thanks to this guide, you should now know whether you can plant a tree this time of year. Feel free to contact our amazing team at Paradise Landscape and Hardscape! We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Spring will be here before you know it, so it’s wise to start planning. Contact us by clicking the button below to request a FREE JOB ESTIMATE today!
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