Properly maintaining a lawn in Westfield, NJ, can be a significant challenge. We’re in a 7a hardiness zone, meaning you need cool-season grass and a lot of care to ensure it survives our hard winters. A great landscaping contractor can help you maintain your lawn, but it’s also possible to handle all the work yourself.
Castle Point Landscape Design are your experts for lawn care services in Westfield and surrounding areas. We know the area and its specific climate well, so we’ve put together an easy-to-follow guide for maintaining your New Jersey lawn year-round!
How Can I Maintain My Westfield, NJ, Lawn?
I. Spring Lawn Care in Westfield (April – May)
For your lawn to look its best, you should be especially careful with how you prepare in the spring. Your lawn is coming out of its long winter dormancy and could be damaged if you aren’t careful.
Most of the time, it’s best to wait until April, when the temperature has firmly warmed up and remained steady. Starting on your lawn too early, in March, could harm your lawn if there’s a surprise early-spring freeze.
- Do you need to aerate? If your soil is clay, or tightly compacted from heavy snows or regular traffic, aeration can do wonders for your lawn. This should be done roughly two weeks after the last hard freeze, but not before the grass has started growing. Be careful not to damage young shoots!
- Be sure to fertilize. Apply your first round of fertilizer in early to mid-April. Your lawn needs these essential nutrients to come out of dormancy with enough energy to thrive in the months to come. If needed, you can apply a second round in late Spring.
- Overseeding is fine. As the grass starts to grow, keep an eye out for thin or bare areas. You can patch these with seeds to fill in the gaps. Also, consider using some perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), which looks nice and grows well in the local climate.
- Mowing tips: Start mowing as soon as the grass starts to grow above 2.5-3.5 inches, which is where your mower blade should be set.
- Watch for weeds. Use a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring, to prevent crabgrass and other invasive weeds. Afterwards, it’s typically better to pull the occasional weed by hand, rather than over-relying on herbicides.
II. Summer Lawn Care in Westfield (June – August)
Once summer sets in, you should look to protect your lawn from the heat while maintaining its healthy growth.
- Higher mowing: You want taller grass, to help shade the roots and retain moisture in the soil. Your mower blade should be no lower than 3.5 inches, and possibly even taller.
- Water deeply, but infrequently. You should aim for around 1 – 1.5 inches of water per week. We recommend watering early in the morning, so it has time to soak into the soil before the sun starts to evaporate it.
- Don’t fertilize. Your lawn shouldn’t need more fertilizer, especially if you did a second round in May. Over-fertilizing a lawn can damage it.
- Watch for pests. Harmful pests such as grubworms can damage your lawn, creating brown or dead patches. Introducing beneficial nematodes (tiny roundworms) can prevent pests from setting in.
- Keep weeding by hand. Be vigilant about pulling up any weeds you see.
III. Autumn Lawn Care in Westfield (September – November)
Now it’s time to start preparing your lawn for the long, hard winter ahead. Proper winterization will help ensure the grass emerges happy and healthy next spring.
- Keep mowing. Maintain your summer height in early autumn but start slowly lowering the blade as the days get colder. Stop when the grass stops growing.
- Aerate and overseed. Fall is the best time for aeration and overseeding, between August and mid-October. It keeps the soil healthy and gives any new grass time to establish itself before winter hits.
- Fertilize twice. Fertilizer ensures there are plenty of nutrients in the soil for winter and early spring. Applications should be in August, and then in late October or early November.
- Manage any fallen leaves. Fall leaves can smother the grass, if left alone. Do plenty of raking to keep oxygen flowing to the grass.
IV. Winter Lawn Care in Westfield (December – March)
Your lawn is going to be dormant, so there’s not much you need to do with the lawn itself.
- The final mow. You may have already done your final mow in November, but if the grass has continued to grow into December, give it one last mow before the ground freezes. You want the lawn short, so snow doesn’t matte down long blades.
- Keep debris clear. Continue raking as needed and keep your lawn free of any other debris such as fallen sticks or branches. If left alone, these will damage the grass beneath them.
- Drain your sprinkler. Always drain your sprinkler system before it begins to freeze, or else frozen water could burst the pipes and lead to a very expensive repair job which would also damage your lawn.
- Winterize your equipment. Any gasoline-powered equipment, like your lawn mower, should also be winterized by draining out the gas or else adding a fuel stabilizer.
Call Castle Point for the Best in Westfield Landscaping and Hardscaping!
If maintaining your lawn is too much of a chore, leave it to the experts! Castle Point Landscape Design has over 35 years’ experience as a Westfield landscaping contractor. We are experts in installing and maintaining residential landscapes and hardscapes. We can also maintain commercial landscapes, year-round. From initial lawn design to long-term maintenance, we’ll ensure your lawn is always amazing!
To get started, all you need to do is apply for a free quote. Or, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us directly and you’ll get a quick response.
