Spring Clean Up

It begins with mowing and cleaning up the debris left over from the previous seasons.  Although several spring clean-up tasks require 50 degrees or better, mowing does not. Right after all the snow melts, grass that survived winter begins growing.  Make sure your mower is oiled and prepped and set the blade to three inches. You want the grass to be clipped but not too short as that affects growth. This is a good time as you mow to see how the trees, and shrubs are doing as well as improvements you may want to do. Clearing out the broken branches and leftover leaves from around bushes, shrubs and gardens is also a good way to see if there are things you want to do differently.

• Do you have a tree that is just too big?
• Are there broken limbs too high for you to reach?
• Are there trees you would like to have, but are unsure of what kind is best?
• Does your lawn have bare patches?
• Is there a stump that needs removing?

Trees can grow too big for the space they were planted in or overwhelm a yard with the canopy size, preventing anything from growing under them.   Others can threaten a home by towering directly over it. This is a concern in much of Northern Jersey, in rural areas like Sparta, Mansfield, or Blairstown where there often are more woods than roads, having safe haven on your own property is important.   Maybe you have a few spaces that you would like to fill in or some trees that were already removed and you want to plant more.  The professionals at Precision Tree and Landscape can help.  They can help you with designing a landscape that most benefits you and your family’s needs, assist with the best trees and shrubs to add to your property, shape up and prune your existing trees and shrubs. They can fertilize as well as provide weed removal and perform stump grinding so there is room to plant more trees.

Ornamental grasses like Fountain, Little Bunny or Zebra can be a wonderful focal point in a yard. They come in different shapes, colors, and sizes.  Ground covers are great for hard-to-grow spots, like under leafy canopies or under evergreen trees. Creeping Phlox which prefers soil with medium moisture. It has good shade tolerance and blooms better with some sun. This species self-seeds in good growing conditions. Virginia waterleaf grows in medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Blooms well in shady locations in spring. As with many groundcovers, the soil should not dry out.

Planting trees, ornamental grass, or shrubs native to New Jersey is beneficial to the ecosystem as native plants are already adapted to the soil and are used to both extreme cold and heat. For bees, butterflies, and even ants, it means access to native nectar. Calling Precision Tree and Landscaping is the first step toward a property your family can enjoy through all seasons.