You did a great job preparing your yard for the summer heat, but now it’s probably looking a little bit less-than-lush. Thankfully, now is the perfect time for a summer touch-up including pruning and mulching. Here are out best tips for keeping your yard green all summer long.
Summer Pruning
Summer pruning is typically known as off-season pruning, but it definitely has a place in almost every yard. Summer storms can do damage to the trees and plants in your yard, so take some time to walk through your landscaping. Prune any ragged edges on broken branches and deadhead flowers so that you can get another batch of blooms. If there are any tender branches growing on younger trees in your yard, it’s a good idea to prune them off so that they grow back huskier. The best time to complete your summer pruning is July and early August, before growth starts to slow in the fall.
Summer Mulch
Mulch is an essential part of any successful summer garden and even if you already put down a layer of mulch at the start of the season, now is the time to touch up. Mulch is vitally important in your summer yard because it helps to conserve soil moisture and reduce surface evaporation in the heat. A yard with the right level of mulch can be watered an amazing 35-45% less. The protective layer that mulch creates will help to feed the good bacteria and prevent the bad bacteria from ever reaching your precious plants.
Before you touch up your mulch, take the time to remove any existing weeds in the area and water down the area that is going to be mulched. The layer of mulch around each tree or plant should be no more than 2-4 inches thick, otherwise you run the risk of attracting fungus and doing more harm than good.
Cross Things Off the List
Did you go into the summer with lots of landscaping and hardscaping goals? Mid-summer is the perfect time to revisit your list and see what you still need to tackle. If you have things remaining on your list that you want done but won’t have time to get to, give JFC Grounds Maintenance a call and let us transform your yard.
Looking for help keeping your landscaping beautiful all summer long? Give JFC Grounds Maintenance a call at (410) 655-2887.