Tips for Patching Up Lawn Damage

Tips for Patching Up Lawn Damage

The lawns at many homes and businesses in Baton Rouge can be somewhat delicate. Pests, disease, too much water, extra heat, or traffic on your lawn can leave you with unattractive brown spots on your turf grass. Before you plan to resod your entire lawn, it is often possible to fix small areas of patchiness with a few careful steps.

How to Fix Thinning Grass in Baton Rouge

Reseeding is the first line of defense for many homeowners against lawn damage. Reseeding has you apply additional seed over your existing grass where it can help supplement your lawn to create a fuller turf and fill in any areas where grass may have to become thin. 

This can be done in spring or fall as long as there will be several more weeks of warm weather to create the right environment for warm season grasses, giving your new seed a good chance to become established in the following months. To reseed your lawn, follow these steps:

  • Identify Your Turf Grass – For a uniform appearance in your lawn, you will want to use the same type of grass that is already growing. If you are not sure which grass you have, start by determining the species.
  • Mow Your Lawn – Mow your grass to a height of 2 inches. This ensures new grass will get plenty of sun and water and will also keep things looking neat since you will not be able to mow after reseeding. 
  • Aerate the Lawn – Compacted dirt makes it difficult for new roots to spread. Aerate your entire lawn to relieve compaction before planting.
  • Plant Seed – Spread new grass seed as evenly as possible over patches or sparse areas.
  • Water – As grass is becoming established, it will need regular watering. You can set your sprinkler system accordingly or remember to water regularly manually if rain is not enough. Your top layer of soil should be consistently moist while the grass is growing.
  • Fertilize New Grass – Approximately 6 weeks after planting seeds, you should fertilize to provide additional nutrients. Spread an even layer of fertilizer in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions over your lawn.
  • Avoid Mowing – New grass is delicate and running a mower over it can put too much stress on the turf. It should be safe to mow once the blades are approximately 4 inches tall, after which you can mow on your regular schedule. 

This method of repairing grass damage works well when the majority of your grass and soil is healthy, but if you are having more challenging problems with dying grass or uninhabitable soil, more in depth methods may be necessary.

Leeson Landscape provides full service landscaping all year long. Our team is experienced at cultivating lawns in Baton Rouge and can handle dying with services that include receding and lawn patching to make sure that your lawn looks its best. Contact us to learn more about our lawn care and landscape maintenance services.

Why Upgrade to a Smart Sprinkler? 

Why Upgrade to a Smart Sprinkler? 

Homes and businesses with an irrigation system in Baton Rouge already experience a wide range of benefits when it comes to helping their landscape thrive. The automation and additional control you get in watering your lawn and other landscaping features offer both convenience and cost savings.

A smart sprinkler that incorporates WiFi and data analysis into your watering can provide additional advantages that make upgrading to a smart irrigation system the right choice for almost all of the homes and businesses in Baton Rouge.

How a Smart Sprinkler Can Benefit Your Property

Irrigation systems in Baton Rouge make it possible to give your yard uniform watering throughout the year regardless of rainfall levels. Automating the process is also generally more efficient than watering with a hose or above ground sprinkler. 

But traditional automatic sprinkler systems are still responsible for wasting hundreds of gallons of water a month on average since they tend to use more of a “set it and forget it” approach to lawn watering. Smart sprinklers keep the automation but have the ability to fine tune watering in order to give your yard or business property the exact amount of water it needs, preventing underwatering and overwatering through the following methods:

  • Rain Detection – Many smart smart smart sprinklers will know if it is raining or has rained recently, and they will change the amount of water they provide accordingly so you are never overwatering the grass.
  • Weather Monitoring – Smart sprinklers can provide real time weather monitoring. If a forecast predicts rain later in the day, a smart sprinkler will reduce the amount of water it provides beforehand.
  • Moisture Tracking – Some systems have moisture trackers in the ground and can adjust watering based on readings. This is helpful as rain and evaporation rates change from day to day.
  • Damage Indicators – A smart sprinkler can tell you if any damage or low flow areas are detected in the system so that you can fix the issue immediately rather than waiting until you find it on your own.
  • Set Sprinklers from Anywhere – By using your phone, you can control sprinklers anywhere with a WiFi connection. This enables you to monitor sprinklers while on vacation or without needing to come into your commercial building

All these benefits will significantly cut down on the amount of water you are using, letting your smart sprinkler system automatically conserve water that could otherwise be lost due to rain, leaks, damage, overwatering, and other issues, saving costs on your water bill. Smart sprinklers can also help prevent landscape damages that result from overwatering, such as flooding, fungus, and disease. 

This means that an investment in a smart watering system can quickly pay for itself in cost savings. To get started with the process and get a cost estimate for installing a smart sprinkler system at your Baton Rouge home or business, contact Leeson Sandscape. We are the number one residential and commercial landscape maintenance and irrigation company in Baton Rouge with solutions that we can customize to your property. Contact us to learn more about how this technology is changing the way properties manage their landscapes.

Lawn Maintenance Checklist for Commercial Properties in Baton Rouge

Lawn Maintenance Checklist for Commercial Properties in Baton Rouge

Owning a commercial property in Baton Rouge comes with a list of responsibilities for building maintenance. When your building is surrounded by a beautiful lawn, you have an additional checklist to complete to keep your grass looking professional and attractive.

The timing and frequency of tasks will depend on many different factors, including the type of grass you have and the season. But in general, every commercial property in Baton Rouge will need to perform a set list of tasks that you can schedule throughout the year.

Checklist to Keep Your Commercial Lawn Attractive and Healthy 

In order to determine how best to care for your lawn, it is helpful to know what kind of grass you have and familiarize yourself with the Baton Rouge climate as it relates to grass growth so that you know when to perform each of the following tasks:

  • Lawn Mowing – Mowing your lawn can often be a weekly or bi-weekly task in the summer. How often you mow your lawn will depend on the grass type, season, and how fast it is growing in the specific environment around your property.
  • Trimming and Edging – Almost as frequently as lawn mowing, you will want to clean up the edges of lawns around foundations, planters, sidewalks, and other borders to keep things looking neat.
  • Debris Removal – Leaves, twigs, and grass clippings on your lawn look untidy. They can also limit grass growth. Most commercial properties will want to clean grass clippings after each mowing and remove debris regularly year round.
  • Weed Control – There are multiple ways to reduce the number of weeds on your lawn. Regular mowing will be helpful, as well as more targeted actions like pulling weeds or applying herbicides to kill weeds. The common times for weed treatments include pre-emergent herbicides in the late winter to get rid of seeds and post-emergent herbicides throughout the summer to get rid of weeds that have sprouted.
  • Fertilizing – Fertilizer can be beneficial at least once in every season to give your grass the nutrients it needs. The specific type and application of fertilizer will depend on the grass and the time of year.
  • Aerating – Aeration helps relieve soil compaction and makes it easier for grass to spread roots to take in water and nutrients. Commercial grass aeration is most commonly done in the spring, but can also be performed a second time in the fall when necessary. 
  • Overseeding – Overseeding can stimulate new grass growth in areas that are patchy. Spring and fall are the best time for overseeding and it should be done right before fertilization so the new seeds can benefit from the added nutrients.
  • Sprinkler Maintenance – If you have an irrigation system, you want to be sure it is watering efficiently. The best time for irrigation maintenance in Baton Rouge is in the spring before you turn the system on for the first time. 

Steps like weekly lawn mowing and annually aerating a large lawn can be time consuming. Others may go quickly as long as you can remember them at the right time of year. In either case, having a team that manages your commercial landscape maintenance for you will give you a beautiful lawn without the effort. It will also help you avoid any damage that a mistake could make to your lawn’s health. 

Leeson Landscape provides commercial landscape maintenance. Our Baton Rouge lawn mowing and lawn care is a year round service that enables us to anticipate the needs of your lawn and landscaping as we maintain your schedule and lawn care checklist for you. Get more information on our commercial landscaping services and an initial estimate for having Leeson Landscape manage your lawn care.

Most Common Landscape Mistakes in Baton Rouge

Most Common Landscape Mistakes in Baton Rouge

A well maintained landscape makes a property look great and a beautiful design can elevate a property to be stunning. But at the same time, mistakes in landscaping and landscape maintenance can quickly deteriorate the entire look of your property. 

Most of these challenges are common mistakes that many properties in Baton Rouge make. Yet when you know what to avoid, they are often easily manageable.

Landscaping and Landscape Maintenance Mistakes 

As a homeowner, having a neat and attractive yard in Baton Rouge does not need to take hours and hours of work. While there can be rare challenges, such as pests and disease, avoiding these mistakes during the initial landscape installation and ongoing maintenance will significantly limit the time you have to spend on your yard:

  • Not Planning for Irrigation – Lawns and many flowers and shrubs can require extensive water, needing more than Baton Rouge regularly gets. When you can plan for irrigation needs with sprinklers and drip systems as you are installing landscaping, you will save yourself from having to hand water or have plants dying of drought later on. 
  • Not Considering Flooding and Drainage – Pooling water is never good for plants, often leading to bugs and disease. During the landscape installation phase, you want to be sure that any necessary sloping and grading is done and that you have installed drains where needed.
  • Missing Landscape Functionality – The best landscapes are more than lawns, plants, and trees. They also include functional features like walkways, areas for seating, lighting, and other features. Failing to plan out these features can leave you with a landscape that people find it difficult to spend time in even if it is beautiful. 
  • Not Maintaining Plants – Landscapes may look beautiful when first installed. But a few months without the right maintenance for plants will quickly cause the entire landscape to degrade and risk your investment. When planning the landscape, it is important to consider the amount of effort you have to dedicate to maintenance and plan accordingly.
  • Not Maintaining Hhardscaping – Hardscaping can also age and degrade over time. You should pay attention to any potential repairs that need to be made since this will keep everything looking nice. You may also consider replacing and regularly upgrading any elements that are no longer adding to your overall landscape appeal.
  • Planning Landscaping Yourself – With all of these different considerations for landscaping, it is also best to leave the work to professionals who are already experienced in accounting for each of these various challenges. The process of planning and installing landscaping is an intensive one, but professionals can make sure you have considered all the available options. Although DIY landscaping often starts off as an attempt to save on costs, it can quickly become more expensive once you start accounting for fixing these mistakes.

Leeson Landscape is a Baton Rouge landscaping company that can plan and perfect your landscape. We manage each landscaping project, successfully helping you avoid any of these mistakes. We can also provide regular, high quality upkeep with landscaping maintenance and lawn care in Baton Rouge to make sure you get the most out of your initial landscaping investment. 

Contact us to discuss landscaping ideas for your commercial or residential property and get the process started.

The Science Behind Commercial Lawn Mowing

The Science Behind Commercial Lawn Mowing

Having a well maintained lawn around your commercial property in Baton Rouge is a reliable way to accomplish a professional and attractive landscape. A lush, green lawn can form the basis of your exterior design or complement other landscaping and hardscaping features, all creating a welcoming exterior that shows the care you put into your property and business. 

But despite how commonplace lawns are at Baton Rouge commercial properties, they are not the easiest landscaping feature to maintain. Keeping them looking great and maintained can require far more than going over them with a lawn mower once a week. In fact, there is a science to lawn mowing that is important for guaranteeing the health and appearance of your lawn.

Correct Techniques for Mowing Commercial Lawns

Lawn care is necessary for far more than simply keeping your grass to a manageable and good looking height. When done correctly, mowing can promote healthy growth and prevent disease or pest problems. Conversely, the wrong bowing techniques can stress your glass and make it weaker.

The best strategies to use for commercial grass mowing are:

  • Mowing at the Right Time – A mowing schedule keeps you up to date on your grass cutting so that it never gets too long and you never cut it too soon. But this schedule needs more than an arbitrary number. It needs to take into account the type of grass, how fast your grass is growing, the time of year, and the amount of water and fertilizer your grass is getting, all impacting how quickly your grass grows.
  • Cut to the Right Length – Cutting grass too short stresses the blades and results in patchy areas, but you still need to cut grass short enough to ensure individual blades get all the sunlight and nutrients they need. The right height is based on grass species and growing conditions, as well as the time of year.
  • Follow the Right Path – Mowing in the same pattern over your lawn on each mowing day can cause the grass to grow in different ways. Changing up your mowing strategy at your commercial property can still provide those clean lines without harming your grass.
  • Grass Edging – Commercial landscaping does not stop after mowing. Since unkempt edges and grass growing over sidewalks can deteriorate any professional appearance gained by precise lawn mowing, services also need to include edging and trimming along sidewalks, flowerbeds, and patio spaces for sharp meat edges.
  • Work with the Right Equipment – Better equipment makes the job go faster and produces a more professional result. In addition to having the right lawn mower for the size of your commercial property’s lawn, you also need mowers and edging equipment that will let you handle any difficult parts of your landscaping, such as using zero-turn lawn mowers to safely navigate slopes on your property. 

Fine tuning a lawn mowing routine requires knowing the science behind lawn care and your grass specifically, as well as being able to observe changes that may necessitate a change in your lawn mowing

approach. This science, in addition to all of the other factors involved in lawn care including watering, fertilization, sunlight, and more, can make lawn maintenance at commercial properties a time consuming task. This is why it is often easier and more effective to leave both the science and the task of lawn mowing to the professionals at Leeson Landscape.

Our experienced commercial landscape care keeps your lawn always looking its best by using in depth science to provide for all of its needs and a customized approach that views lawn mowing as a chance to stimulate growth in your lawn rather than simply cutting it to keep it attractive.

Get more information about our commercial lawn care services in Baton Rouge when you contact police and landscape.