After a few nice days Calgary is becoming a bit of a muddy mess, which is typical for this city when the temperatures start to rise. But since we’re going to dry out fast it’s not too early to start thinking about scheduling in your spring clean up.
For both residential and commercial properties, a good spring clean up is pivotal for getting your lawns and gardens started off right for a great growing season. Of course, we never have any real idea what the weather will bring as a whole, but it can be pretty much guaranteed there will be several beautiful days during which we can enjoy the outdoors.
Why Your Spring Clean Up is Important
We have a relatively short growing season here in the Calgary area, which means it’s best to have your vital spring landscaping tasks completed at the right time for the best results for your lawn and gardens.
If you were able to get your fall clean up thoroughly completed, your spring clean up should go very smoothly. A fall clean up removes fallen leaves and branches from your property, which make cozy homes for bugs and pests to overwinter. Combined with a clean yard, our absolutely frigid February should have also helped kill off many of the more stubborn pests. This is great news for anyone who has suffered the affects of the dreaded red lily beetle, oystershell scale, and the leaf roller caterpillar.
A spring clean up will pick up where your fall clean up left off. We’ll rake out any additional fallen leaves from your beds and off your lawn, which will also help clean out any pest larvae waiting for the opportune time to hatch.
Additional spring clean up jobs that will get your garden on the grow include:
Spring aerating: Aeration removes small cores from the soil bed of your lawn, creating punctures that allow for air, moisture and nutrients to get in to the roots of your grass. Aeration also prevents soil compaction. The result will be stronger roots and the improved overall health of your grass.
Spring power raking: The primary objective of power raking your lawn is to get rid of thatch. Thatch is made up of stems, roots and dead plant material, creating a subsurface layer that can build up to levels that will harm the growth of your lawn. Too much thatch is a bad thing; it can prevent water from reaching the roots of your grass, block airflow and inhibit nutrient penetration. This winter’s snow will have compressed your grass and also inhibited the flow of air, which provides the perfect conditions for developing a thick layer of thatch that should be removed. Compressed grass also provides the perfect conditions for snow mould, which is unsightly and harmful to grass. It can leave large dead spots that take some time to repair, making it take a little longer for you to be able to bring out the lawn bowling and croquet kits.
Spring fertilization: Fertilizing introduces much-needed nutrients to the ground in order to jumpstart your lawn for the season. It also reduces weed growth by improving your lawn’s natural resistance. A spring fertilization should be followed by summer and fall applications as well, which we will apply if you sign up for our continued lawn maintenance services.
A Spring Clean Up Also Helps Mitigate Pet Damage
We all love our pets, but they can wreak havoc on our lawns during the winter. It’s not their fault, they have nowhere else to go, and there’s no rain or irrigation to assist with diluting urine.
The power raking, aerating and fertilizing included in your spring clean up will all help heal the yellow spots associated with pet damage. If you have large dead spots that don’t look like they will fill in naturally, we can reseed. We’ll spread high-quality top dressing soil over the areas, and then generously apply layers of seed. These will need to be watered regularly to “take,” which is, of course, much easier to do with an underground irrigation system.
Count on Mirage Landscaping for All Your Property Maintenance Needs
Our family-owned company has been specializing in helping property owners in southeast Calgary keep their homes and businesses looking great for low prices. For three generations, we’ve been delivering affordable services that exceed customer expectations. Familiarize yourself with our work by browsing our online portfolio of just a few of our past projects.
We are pleased to offer custom quotes that allow you to put together a uniquely designed service package, according to your specific needs. Simply use our online form, enter your information and project details, and one of our team members will perform an evaluation and get in touch with you to offer a low and affordable price quote. It’s fast and easy!
