Virginia Beach, VA Lawn Care Guide
The #1 Lawn Care & Grass Maintenance Resource for Virginia Beach, VA Residents and Local Professionals Get Quotes NowVirginia Beach, VA Lawn Care Tips
Virginia Beach is a fantastic place to live. You have the beach nearby and dozens of activities, plus lovely weather for most of the year. Residents need to take into consideration their unique climate, along with the among of salt in the area. Taking care of your lawn and ensuring it looks nice year round can be tricky.
Lawn Mowing Through the Season
All homeowners have to mow their grass, but it isn’t as straightforward as you might assume. You want to do it correctly to properly maintain your lawn. Here are some tips for the best results.
Sharpen the Blades
A sharp blade cleanly cuts the grass blade and extends the life of your engine because it doesn’t have to work as hard. When the blades are dull, they rip and shred the grass, which allows pests and diseases to cause problems.
So, make sure you sharpen the blades before the start of the season.
Raise the Blade Height
Never cut your grass too short because it invites weeds and diseases to your lawn. Short grass is weak, and it exposes the soil to weeds.
Leave Clippings on the Lawn
Make sure you leave the grass clippings on the lawn. The clippings decompose quickly and send nutrients and nitrogen back into the lawn. They act just like a natural fertilizer! Plus, there is no need to bag up all those clippings!
Cut When Grass is Dry
It is important that you only cut the grass when the blades are dry in order to get a nice, clean cut. Wet blades fall together and create a raggedy cut, and the clumps might clog up your mower.
Remember the Golden Rule
No matter what height you mow your lawn, there is one golden rule – never remove more than one-third of the grass blades at a time. If you do, you risk overstressing your lawn and removing vital food storage for the blades. So, don’t lower the blades in the middle of summer one random day. You could severely harm your lawn!
When to Aerate Your Lawn
Core aeration allows your lawn and the soil to loosen up after the winter or summertime. Both seasons tend to compact the soil, whether it’s from the heavy foot traffic throughout the summer or snow in the winter. Aeration is the process of making small holes in your lawn, which allows air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots. If you want a lush, green lawn, all of these things need to reach your roots.
Aeration can be done in the spring or fall, and it’s often a task people forget about! If you don’t own an aerator, you can rent one or hire a professional company to complete the task for you.
The Best Time to Overseed in Virginia Beach
In the spring, you might notice dead spots throughout your yard. You can leave spots that are smaller than 4 inches in diameter. They will fill in by themselves throughout the growing season. Any spot larger than 4 inches needs to be overseeded.
The best time to overseed is when the temperatures are in the high 50s and into the 60s. You don’t want to seed when the temperatures are too high or when conditions are dry. Seeds prefer moist conditions to germinate.
Fall is the other time of year when you might want to consider overseeding. The temperatures are cooler and conditions aren’t as dry as they are in the summer. Overseeding in the fall prepares your yard for the upcoming winter and the cold temperatures that are common in Virginia Beach.
Common Grass Types for Virginia Beach, VA
Picking the right grass for your Virginia Beach lawn is complicated. For obvious reasons, sandy soils are problematic for the area. The other issue is that Virginia Beach is in the Transition Zone, which is where warm-season grasses do wonderfully in the summer but turn dormant in the winter. Cool season grasses do fine in the winter, but they die in the hot summer weather. You’re looking for the perfect blend.
Zoysia Grass
Zoysia is a good choice because it does well in porous, sandy soils. Even though it is slow growing, Zoysia is drought tolerant and doesn’t mind infertile soil. Compared to other grass types, it stays green long and doesn’t turn an ugly brown color when going dormant.
Zoysia prefers sun, but it will tolerate being in the shade.
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass does best in well-draining lawns, so it tolerates sandy soils. It is an aggressive-growing grass that can handle drought periods and flooding.
One thing to note is that Bermuda doesn’t do well in shade. You need full sunlight in as much of your lawn as possible for it to survive. Once properly established, Bermuda grass stays green just as long as Zoysia does!
Bahia Grass
Bahia is a good choice because it has an extensive, deep root system that helps it perform well in sandy soils. You don’t have to worry about watering or fertilizing often, but it will go dormant during long drought periods.
The only problem with Bahia grass is that it has a dull color that most homeowners don’t find appealing. It doesn’t create that lush, green lawn that everyone wants to see. If appearance isn’t a huge factor for you, then Bahia might be a good pick.
Cool-Season Fescue
Cool-season fescue does great in the Transition Zone and is drought tolerant. It has one of the longest root systems out of all the cool-season grasses. You can grow it in the shade or sun, but it does grow faster in the shade.
There are dozens of different varieties of Fescue available. For sandy soils, you want to try Red, Tail, and Hard Fescue. The most popular pick is Creeping Red Fescue because it establishes quickly and fills in empty spots as it grows.
Taking care of your Virginia Beach lawn requires that you properly mow your grass and overseed when necessary. Take special considerations when picking the right grass for your lawn as well. You’ll have the best lawn of the neighbor.
Virginia Beach, VA Landscaping Ideas & Trends
*All photos on the Wikilawn website are free for commercial or non-commercial use. Visual attribution is required.
Trend #1: Symmetry
Trend #2: Entryway Centerpiece
Trend #3: Frost-White Mini Hedges
Hiring a Virginia Beach Lawn Care Company
Virginia Beach is one of the most scenic places to visit or live in. The beach weather is enjoyable and never moves to an extreme, which is why going outdoors is always a great idea. But one chore outdoors that you may dislike investing time in is lawn care. Most Virginia Beach residents prefer to have more leisure time, which is why many hire a lawn care professional.
Professional lawn care services offer many benefits that go beyond just hiring a person for grass cutting, Lawn treatment services, such as pest control, weed removal, soil testing, and fertilization, are generally offered, and it’s smart in general to have an expert evaluate how much lawn maintenance your property needs.
Top Lawn Care Companies in Virginia Beach
You may be wondering: where to find a Virginia Beach lawn care service near me? Since finding a top-rated lawn mowing service can be challenging, we offer a list below that ranks the best Virginia Beach lawn care services based on our analysis of online customer satisfaction. WikiLawn.com is in no way affiliated with these, nor have we used them.
1) Baja Services
William Albert
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
2) Davis Lawns & Landscape
Alexis Toran
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
3) Deep Creek Earthworks LLC
Christopher Goodloe
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
4) Victor Clark
Victor Clark
Virginia Beach, VA23452
5) Davis Lawn Care
Lee Davis
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
6) Supreme landscaping
Lamont Hall
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
7) Coastal Cuts
Connor Carolino
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
8) T&T Lawn Care
Tyrone Dunbar
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
9) Holland Landscaping and Lawn Service
Luke Holland
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
10) Hulk Lawn Therapy
Mark Visconti
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
Additional resources about lawn & garden care in Virginia Beach
5 Best Grass Types for Virginia Beach, VA
When the delightful spring season kicks in, Virginia Beach residents look to make the most of their green yard by throwing parties or playing games, such as lawn bowls. On the other hand, some might feel less optimistic with a tired and grim-looking turf. Since...