Lawn Care Vs. Landscape Maintenance
Many homeowners use the terms lawn care and landscape maintenance interchangeably. Contrary to popular opinion, lawn care and landscape maintenance are not the same thing. The main aim of lawn care is to keep the grass in your lawn green and healthy. On the other hand, lawn maintenance involves carrying out activities to maintain your lawn in tip-top shape all year round and provide care for the other areas of your garden.
What Does Lawn Care Include?
Lawn care involves carrying out activities to improve the health of lawn soil and turf. Lawn care specialists focus on disease prevention and aim to improve the vitality of lawn vegetation.
A lawn care specialist has the experience and knowledge required to tweak lawn care management plans according to seasonal changes.
Some common lawn care services include:
- Fertilizer application
- Pest control
- Mulching
- Soil testing
- Thatch control
- Pre-emergent crabgrass control
- Weed control
- Fungus control
Some commonly used lawn care tools include:
- Lawn aerator: to punch holes into the lawn for better air exchange and water penetration
- Soil rake to get rid of unwanted materials and prepare the soil for seeding. A rake can be used to scoop, scrape or gather soil, leaves or mulch
- Dethatcher: to hard rake through the thatch layer
- Soil probe: to inspect underground for moisture content
- Spreader to evenly distribute fertilizer and grass seeds across the lawn
- Hose with a spray nozzle to water garden beds and flowers
Homeowners who want to maintain shrubs and trees in their lawns should also consider:
- Hand pruner to shape shrubs and flowers
- Hedge shear to shape and clean up hedges
Landscape Maintenance: What to Expect?
Landscape maintenance focuses on the aesthetics of your lawn and landscape. A landscape maintenance professional keeps lawns manicured and also typically cares for flower beds, perennials, shrubs and trees. Equipped with specialized knowledge, they are able to come up with plans to keep lawns and yards looking great all year round.
Lawn maintenance services include:
- Regular lawn mowing
- Regular watering and weeding
- Fall yard cleanup, which involves removing leaves and other debris in the spring to prepare the yard for winter
- Edging patio areas, walkways and driveways
- Spring yard cleanup, which involves removing dead winter growth and debris that can affect the appearance and health of lawns
- Water/irrigation management
- Weed control and pest control
You Need a Combination of Lawn Care and Maintenance
Lawn care and landscape maintenance go hand in hand. A lawn care program focuses on keeping the lawn healthy and disease-free, while a landscape maintenance plan focuses not only on the aesthetic appeal of the lawn but of your entire landscape and garden areas.
A lawn care provider and a landscape maintenance company in Sonoma County will work together to prevent diseases, lawn damage, and unplanned expenses. These specialists will ensure your lawn looks great and stays healthy throughout the year.
Gardenworks is a leading Sonoma County landscaping company. We have years of experience designing, constructing and maintaining landscapes. To learn more, call (707) 857-2050.