Lawn Care Tips for the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne Area
The climate in the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne areas is very beneficial to lawn grass. In fact, as long as the winter is fairly mild, you can look forward to a green, healthy lawn year-round. Follow these tips to keep your lawn looking great at any time of the year.
Over-seeding
The first trick to making sure your lawn looks good even in the winter is over-seeding in the fall. It’s important to make sure you use an annual winter grass rather than a perennial, however, because you want something that’s going to die off when the weather gets hot again. This way it won’t compete with your regular grass for water, nutrients, and sunlight.
Before you over-seed, mow your lawn a little shorter than usual (two inches is a good length to shoot for). This will give the new seed a better chance to grow. You can use fertilizer, but make sure to avoid weed killers, since these will prevent the new grass from sprouting. It’s a good idea to water your lawn a little more often while the new plants are germinating.
Watering
The second thing you should do to keep your lawn looking nice no matter what the temperature is water on the proper schedule. Once or twice a week usually works well, but be sure to adjust this schedule for rainfall or if the lawn looks particularly dry. Look for a bluish tint to the grass color, slow growth, or footprints that stay in the grass after it’s been walked over, which are all signs that your lawn needs more water than it’s getting.
Make sure to check your city’s guidelines on sprinkler usage. Many in central Florida specify which days and times you can water, as well as how long you can run the sprinklers each time. These may change depending on the season and rainfall, so it’s important to stay on top of it.
Stay Alert for Insects
No one wants a damaged lawn or one with lots of brown patches. The best way to prevent this is to watch for the first signs of insect infestation and treat the lawn (or have your lawn service treat it) right away. Common bugs that cause lawn damage in central Florida include chinch bugs, which are most active during the summer months, and fire ants. In addition to damaging your lawn, fire ants can also be dangerous for your family, so it’s vital to address an infestation immediately if you see signs like dirt mounds without a hole in the top.
Staying on top of over-seeding and alert for issues with watering and insects might sound like a pain, but in truth, it doesn’t take a lot of time. Your reward will be a lush, green lawn that looks great all year.