Want your lawn and garden to look great all year long? If so, you need different services for every season. In this guide, we go over the gardening and landscaping services we provide, month-by-month. You can get a clear picture of your grounds maintenance throughout the year.
Spring: Spring Cleanup, Cultivating and Bed Care
The growing season starts in early spring. Some plants will begin to perk up when the temperature reaches 45°F, and most plants will come out of dormancy by 60°F. Around early April, we will begin our spring cleanup services. We remove unwanted debris leftover from fall and winter, and we start edging and mulching the garden beds.
Weeds may not grow until the later part of April or early May, depending on the area. However, we recommend starting spring cleanup as early as possible because the busy season ramps up in late April. We provide regular bed care every three weeks, where we check for weeds, monitor plant health, and provide a high-level of detail to ensure the property looks pristine.
If you have any rose bushes on your property, we will trim those in the early spring. Many guides will tell you to trim rose bushes in the winter, but we have found that spring is better for homes and businesses in Michigan. By waiting until spring, we ensure that all the nutrients get pushed to new growth. If a frost comes in late winter, it will kill any growth that occurred after pruning.
Summer: Trimming and Maintenance
June is when we typically start shrub trimming and other pruning services. The schedule for this will depend on the plant material on your property. This is also the time we will plant annuals, such as marigolds, petunias and begonias. Adding pops of color with florals can keep your property looking fresh vibrant.
The summertime is mostly about maintenance. We establish a healthy foundation in the spring months with soil conditioning, deep root fertilization, and other services. This encourages growth during the summer. We maintain the lawn and garden beds, treating any weeds, pests or disease that may develop. Because of our persistence, we notice issues at the first sign so we can treat them quickly and effectively.
Throughout the Growing Season: Mulching, Lawn Care and Fertilization
Mulching, lawn care and fertilization happen throughout the growing season. If you’re a first-time client with Berns Landscaping, we recommend a soil test at the beginning of the season. This gives us a clear picture of your roots, soil content, and overall lawn health. We use this information to customize our fertilization services and determine if dethatching or aeration are necessary.
General mowing services may occur weekly, bi-weekly, or once every three weeks, depending on the time of year and the growth on your property. As for mulching, we typically replace mulch during spring cleanup. We will remove the old mulch, cultivate the soil and apply a thick layer of new mulch. We apply a small amount of new mulch with each bed care session to replace the mulch that has broken down in that time.
Fall: Fall Cleanup and Winter Prep
Fall landscaping services are mostly focused on cleaning up and preparing for winter. We start with leaf removal from the lawn, garden beds and paved areas. This usually occurs in October. We will also cut back perennials during the fall and prepare the garden beds for winter. If you have an irrigation system, we will winterize the lines when the time is right.
Early November is when we start our fall cleanup services, marking the last landscaping cleanup for the year. This involves a thorough cleaning of the property, including gutter cleaning. If you have trees on the property that hold onto their leaves longer, we can do touchup leaf removal closer to December. Pear trees, oaks, lindens, and some maple varieties are known for keeping their leaves late in the year.
At the end of fall, our goal is to make your property look great even if there is no snow fall. If you have boxwoods or other shrubs on the property, we may recommend burlap wrapping to protect the plants from the winter cold. The following spring, the plants will look green instead of yellow, and they will take less time to flourish.
Winter: Snow Removal, Holiday Lighting and Touchups
The winter is considered the off-season for gardening and landscaping, but there are still services you may need. At Berns Landscaping, we provide snow and ice removal, holiday lighting installations, and other services for winter. We will also do touchup cleaning as needed. If you have a fallen branch after a winter storm, we will come out to the property to remove it. As always, we want your property to look amazing all year long.
Every Property Has Unique Needs
At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all schedule for gardening and lawn care. The plant material and soil content on your property impact the care it needs. If you would like a personalized landscaping schedule, contact Berns Landscaping for a free consultation. You may reach us at 586-756-1145 or visit our main office:
Berns Landscaping
23500 Blackstone Ave
Warren, Michigan 48089