Lawn Care in Apopka, FL

Ask anybody from the town, and they’ll tell you how important Apopka, FL lawn care is. Ordering lawn service or lawn maintenance is a high priority here, not just because Apopka tends to be a big tourist stop on the way to places like Miami and Disney World, but because the town itself takes pride in being one of the most beautiful communities in Florida.

Home to the third largest lake in Florida, Lake Apopka, this midsized town of about 50,000 is one of the best places to go on a camping trip and view some of Florida’s natural wildlife.

There’s plenty more to do in Apopka as well like visit Kit Land Nelson Park for a game of Tennis or Racquetball, or even check out the local Hutchinson Farm Winery. In fact, there’s so much to do here that the last you want to be spending a lot of free time on is taking care of a run-down, diseased lawn.

In order to help you maintain your lawn with minimal effort, let’s take a look at some of the most important things you should know about lawn care in Apopka, besides just lawn mowing, that will help you keep your lawn in picture-perfect condition.

Apopka Soil Types

Any good lawn starts with good soil. You might have one of a handful of different types of soil found in the Apopka area, but that just means you’ll have to cater to it differently. You can find out what kind of soil you have by grabbing a soil PH test from your local hardware store. The main types of soil in Apopka are as follows:

• Sandy Soil
• Peaty Soil
• Clay Soil
• Loam Soil
• Silt Soil

Of these 5 main types, loam and silt are the best at holding nutrients and water while draining at a perfect rate. Peaty soil is very prone to getting waterlogged, sandy soil drains water and nutrients far too quickly, and clay is prone to getting compacted and not draining them fast enough. Depending on the results of your test you’ll want to adjust your watering and fertilization habits.

Watering and Local Restrictions

Because Apopka is in Central Florida, it tends to be rather hot most of the time. This means your lawn needs more water than most unless there’s been a recent hurricane or downpour, which happen somewhat frequently in Central Florida.

Watering restrictions in Apopka currently state that you are not allowed to water your lawn between the hours of 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. You should also not let your grass or weeds get more than 12 inches long because it’s against city ordinances.

Types of Grass in Apopka

Currently the most popular grass in Apopka is Bermudagrass, at an ownership rate of 57%. The next most popular is Centipedegrass at 16%, Zoysiagrass at 9%, Buffalograss at 7%, Tall Fescue at 5%, Perennial Ryegrass at 4%, and Kentucky Bluegrass at 2%.

All of these grasses with the exception of Kentucky Bluegrass are warm-season grasses, meaning they do best in warm weather. Most of these grasses are best kept at a length of 2-3 inches, though they can be kept anywhere from 2 to 7 inches on average.

67% of residents cut their grass twice per month in Apopka, with only 11% cutting it weekly. This is because cutting it too often can stress it out during the summer heat wave. One very common practice to save on fertilizer is to leave your grass clippings scattered around the yard so they can decompose into the soil and provide it with nitrogen and nutrients. Proper grass cutting requires a good understanding of what grass you’re working with.

Common Weeds in Apopka

Nowadays you’ll find that most grasses are resistant to weed and bug infestations as well as lawn diseases, but they do still pop up from time to time—sometimes seen when you’re lawn mowing. Here are the most common weeds found in Apopka lawns:

• Dandelions

These are known for their big yellow flowers that turn into easily blown away seeds which can rapidly germinate all over your yard. They are easy enough to spot, but you’ll want to have them removed before they turn white and begin spreading.

• Crabgrass

This weed is known for its trademark sharp, hairy, broad, flat, and coarse leaves. Left untreated, it can take over an entire lawn before you know it. Frost usually kills it off, but if you’ve gone too long without one you’ll want to keep an eye out for it.

Other nasty weeds that can ravage your lawn include:

• Quackgrass
• Nutsedge
• Matchweed
• Yellow Woodsorrel
• Pennywort
• Bull Thistle
• Goosegrass
• Broadleaf Plantain

Other enemies of your lawn include diseases like Brown Patch and Dollar Spot. They like to feed on healthy grass and will leave your lawn with either big or small patches of dead grass all throughout. If the issue is serious, ordering a lawn service professional is recommended.

Common Lawn Pests in Apopka

If you notice any of these pests in your lawn while grass cutting, it’s time to act right away.

• Chinch Bugs
• Mole Crickets
• Fire Ants
• Army Worms
• Sod Web Worms

Chinch bugs and Mole Crickets resemble grasshoppers and crickets, albeit off colored and smaller, with different features like shovel legs for Mole Crickets and red legs for Chinch Bugs.

Fire Ants are easily spotted by their gigantic mounds in which they live. Don’t disturb them or they will swarm you and attack with burning painful bites that could hospitalize you if you take too many.

Army Worms and Sod Web Worms look like tiny caterpillars with strange designs on their backs. They love to feed on Bermudagrass, which is the most popular grass in Apopka. Again, if pests are too prevalent for you to handle, requesting an Apopka lawn service professional to help is a good call.

Hiring An Apopka Lawn Care Company

Apopka is a hot and humid city because it rests in Central Florida. During the summer, many grasses, especially cold-season grasses, struggle when temperatures average 90+ degrees Fahrenheit. Getting up early in the morning to mow is a necessary hassle—but sometimes it’s nicer to just sleep in. That’s why many Apopka residents choose to hire a lawn service professional.

Now by lawn service professional, we don’t mean hiring your neighbor’s teenage son. Professional lawn care services offer many benefits beyond just having someone grass cutting for you. Lawn treatment services, such as pest control and fertilization, are generally offered, and it’s good in general to have an expert assess how much lawn maintenance your property needs.

Top Lawn Care Companies in Apopka

You may be wondering however: where to find a Apopka lawn care service near me? Since finding a high-standard lawn mowing service can be challenging, we offer a list below that ranks the best Apopka lawn care services based on our review of online customer satisfaction. WikiLawn.com is in no way affiliated with these, nor have we used them.