04 Jun 2021

The Ultimate Guide to Over-seeding

Over-seeding is possibly one of the best things you could be doing for your garden to keep it healthy, thick, and weed-free. In theory, over-seeding the lawn is nothing more than spreading grass seeds over an existing property to regulate turf quality. It doesn’t use any expensive tools, but the only way to do it is to do it correctly.

With that being said, you should know that not every grass species requires over-seeding. Landscape grass is only over-seeded if it has been damaged or diseased. So, for those of you who need it, this guide is for you:

Why Is Over-Seeding Needed?

Each blade of grass survives a total of 45 to 60 days; for this reason, the production of new tillers must consistently outpace older leaves. Since the reproduction rate of mature plants slows down significantly with the passage of time, your lawn needs younger grass to produce tillers faster to tackle the dieback of older grass. Over-seeding is, therefore, an essential process that keeps the grass young and helps maintain a healthy, thick lawn.

A new plant sprouting as a result of over-seeding

How To Prepare For Over-Seeding?

A seed must come in contact with the soil in order to germinate, which is why you must first mow your lawn to a height lower than two inches. For collecting the grass clippings, you can make use of a metal rake whose tine scratches the surface. Lastly, you can choose just about any method to distribute the seeds. You can divide the seeds in half and broadcast them over the entire area by walking in different directions or make use of a rotary spreader for more precision. Moreover, you should over-seed when the air is calm since the slightest breeze can cause the seed to rest on the grass or other surfaces that prevent germination.

What Follows Over-Seeding?

There’s a little work that goes into over-seeding after the seeds have been laid. Firstly, you’ll need to keep the soil moist by lightly sprinkling every two to three hours across the germination period. Secondly, in lawns with regions of exposed soil and dirt, you will need to rake the soil to cover the seed with a layer. Lastly, you will need to apply a fertilizer with higher amounts of phosphorus to facilitate the tiny roots. This process may also have to be conducted before seeding if your soil tests were relatively low for phosphorus.

Cut & Trim professionals address all your lawn care needs in Michigan— be it over-seeding, aeration, cleanups, detaching, fertilization, or trimming. We specialize in grass cutting, lawn care, lawn maintenance, and lawn mowing services to keep your lawn in Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, or Holland looking top-notch. Book one-time cuts to try out our service; contact us today!

04 Jun 2021
Grass in a lawn

The Importance of a Well-Maintained Lawn

Think lawn care and maintenance isn’t worth your time, money, or effort? Think again!

You may reason that your lawn is just an accessory that comes with your home, but it’s really not. In fact, the lawn is as important to the exterior of your home as the décor in your living room is vital to the interior of your home.

Here’s why having a well-maintained lawn is important for your home.

Green Lawns Purify Air Quality

Everyone knows that plants produce oxygen. Plants and trees are nature’s air purifiers and the best things to have around your home, especially if you live in an area full of air pollution. Well-maintained lawns are able to create a healthy environment for both humans and animals, reducing the impact of dust, noise, and air pollution. Healthy soil increases the production of oxygen, making air quality much better than before.

Having a well-maintained lawn will also reduce your carbon footprint and contribute towards a brighter, healthier, and more beautiful neighborhood.

They Lower Energy Bills

Not only does having a cared-for lawn provide you with oxygen, but it also lowers energy bills. Having trees and plants shading you from the sunlight during the warm summer months can significantly difference to the temperature inside your home.

Having a green lawn or garden reduces the temperature around your home, especially compared to asphalt and concrete areas, which increase the temperature. Since lawns help reduce the temperature inside and around your home during the summer months, it allows you to cut back on cooling costs over some time.

A person digging in soil using a shovel
Well-Maintained Lawns Boost Curb Appeal

A well-maintained lawn boosts the curb appeal of your home. This is especially important if you’re thinking of selling your home off in the future since research shows that curb appeal boosts your property’s value significantly. Taking care of your lawn, adding some landscaping, greenery, and pops of colors through flowers is a relatively inexpensive means of boosting property value. It’s the first thing that buyers and visitors see when they enter your home, and it’s what makes your home stand out from the rest of the homes in the neighborhood— making it worthwhile to invest in. All you need to do is regularly water it, weed and mow it, and occasionally plant a couple more flowers here and there.

If you don’t have the time to mow and weed your lawn yourself, we suggest hiring the experts. At Cut and Trim, we’ve got affordable lawn care and mowing services in Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Holland, MI, since the beginning of the 21st century. From landscaping services and grass cutting services to lawn maintenance, you can count on our professionals to provide you with the best lawn care in all of MI!

Get in touch with us at 616-446-5711 for more info on our services.

04 Jun 2021

3 Ways to Boost Your Curb Appeal

Boosting your curb appeal is a great way to increase your home’s property value.

Whether you plan on selling your home in the near future or just want it to stand out— boosting your curb appeal will go a long way.

Here are some simple tips to boost your home’s curb appeal.

Add Some Greenery

A simple and easy way to boost your curb appeal is by adding some greenery to your lawn. All you need to do is hang some planters and add some flower boxes to your windows. These plants and flowers can be used to accentuate the visual focal points of your home, like your entryways and windows.

Adding plants and flower boxes to your entryways will not only spice them up, but they’ll also take attention away from some of the grimier aspects of the exterior. A cheap and affordable way to add some spice and color to your home, flowers and plants require little everyday maintenance and care.

Paint It Fresh

Just a little bit of fresh paint can make a massive visual difference to your home.

We suggest picking a bold color like red or yellow to make your home stand out from the other homes in the neighborhood. If you live in a warmer area, you should consider painting your exterior something lighter or more pastel since white has the highest reflective value. Doing so will keep your house cooler on the inside while still looking fresh and appealing on the outside.

For some added visual appeal, paint your home’s trim, doors, and shutters with a contrasting shade. This way, you won’t have to spend so much money, time, effort— and your home will still be able to stand out!

A home next to the sea

Take Care of Your Lawn

When your walkways are clean and fences are freshly painted, but your yard is browning and full of weeds, there’s much left to be desired. The easiest and quickest way to boost your home’s curb appeal is by taking care of your lawn. Since your lawn is one of the first things visitors see, we suggest that you invest in regular maintenance, weeding, watering, and planting. Just doing a little bit of this every day will take you a long way— it’ll make the grass and landscaping look fresh, adding a finishing touch to the exterior of your home.

If you don’t have the time to mow and weed your lawn yourself, we suggest hiring the experts. At Cut and Trim, we’ve got affordable lawn care and mowing services in Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Holland, MI, since the beginning of the 21st century. From landscaping services and grass cutting services to lawn maintenance, you can count on our professionals to provide you with the best lawn care in all of MI!

Get in touch with us at 616-446-5711 for more info on our services.

04 Jun 2021
A Man Plucking Weeds Out of Some Soil

Lawn Services: Is It Time For Overseeding Or Reseeding?

You may consider overseeding as a precautionary tactic we lawn experts use to improve thinning grass before it gets worse or even just staying ahead of possible issues before they can arise.

Reseeding, on the other hand, is carried out to treat dead spots, to make the grass grow anew, and just to start the whole interrupted cycle from scratch. Here’s how to go about overseeding or reseeding your lawn.

A Blow-by-Blow of Grass Overseeding

A lawn care service like this needs to have an elaborate setup.

  • Buy Seeds
    Does your overseeding project aim to make the grass thicker or improve thinning traits? Once you know this, you can then get your hands on the appropriate seed from a nursery.
  • Prep
    Make sure the soil and grass are in a condition to be overseeded. Check for alkalinity and take care of the bare spots. Aerating the grass is also an option you might want to try. Next, get a lawn mowing service to shave the grass to the lowest setting and clean up the mess.
  • Main Event
    Spread seeds by hand or with a spreader to speed things along. Instead of overdoing the overseeding, follow instructions on the seed packaging.
  • After the Fact
    Water your lawn right away. Keep things damp for at least a week to allow the seeds to dig in and do their thing.
    Wean off the watering over the next few weeks until it’s back on schedule, at which point, you’ll probably start to see some growth. This is when you can start mowing again.

A Park with Trees and Picnic Tables, Riddled with Bare Spots

A Step-by-Step of Reseeding
Here’s how to treat barren land.

  • Buy Seeds
    Investigating the cause of dead spots is important if you want to get the seeds right. If want to get a high-resilience seed, we recommend taking a sample for testing before getting out your wallet if it’s a disease or fungus.
  • Prep
    Weed out the problem area, and run a rake to work it up. Some like to pre-fertilize or lay a thin layer of soil to stimulate seeding.
  • Main Event
    As with overseeding, you might want to read the packaging and following those instructions to the letter. Cover them with a layer of compost or mulch for protection. Run a rake over everything to make sure it stays put.
  • After the Fact
    Like we suggested with overseeding, you should water the grounds right away and keep the soil damp thereafter. This time, the seeds might take more than a few weeks to germinate.

Once that happens, wean off the water until it’s back to normal. Start mowing again when you’re sure all the seeds have germinated and you won’t be removing any from the surface.

Revamp Your Courtyard with Affordable Lawn Carein Grand Rapids

Every lawn is unique, and it’s possible that some additional support might be on the cards before going ahead with either overseeding or reseeding. In some cases, repeated cycles might be required to get the desired result, which can be tiresome for someone who’s not used to it.

Our ground maintenance crew isn’t just running a grass cutting service. It deals in every aspect of lawn care.

Give us a call at 616-446-5711 to discuss specifics and quotes, or leave us an email.