Estate Management in Calgary: Seasonal Lawn Care for Large Properties

If you have a large acreage lawn, taking care of it can be intimidating. With acres of soil and grass to keep healthy, you might not know where to start. If you’re like most homeowners in Western Canada, you probably don’t have all the tools you need to do it yourself, let alone the time.

Keep reading to learn about Green Drop’s estate management services and how we can take the hassle out of large lawn care to keep your estate beautiful every season.

Let’s Talk Estate Management – What Is It?

Expansive properties often have detailed landscaping that requires much more care than just mowing or raking leaves. Estate management involves combining multiple strategies into a comprehensive plan designed to protect and enhance large lawns and the plants, trees, and shrubs around them.

Large Lawn Care for Every Season

Nothing beats the look of a lush, green lawn surrounding a beautiful estate. If you’re like many homeowners, you aren’t exactly sure where to start or how to get there. The key to gorgeous grass is developing a seasonal lawn care strategy that aligns with the weather and your lawn’s natural growing patterns.

Here are our recommendations:

Spring Lawn Care Checklist

• Rake Leaves—In the spring, your lawn is shaking off its winter blanket and growing tall. To expose your grass, start by raking up any dead leaves and twigs left over from the fall.
• Mow Low - Then, set your mower height to half of what you usually do and mow low before you dethatch.
• Water Well – Next, water your lawn deeply and thoroughly.
• Fertilize & Control Weeds– Apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer and take steps to reduce weed populations before summer.

Summer Lawn Care Checklist

• Water Wise—Hot summers can be tough on the cool-season grasses typically found in Western Canada. To prevent scorching your grass, water your lawn early in the morning or late in the evening before the sun goes down and outdoor temperatures are lower. This will give the grass the best opportunity to absorb the maximum amount of water and use it most effectively.
• Mow High & Remove Weeds – You should also mow your lawn high to shield the root system from excess heat and remove weeds that are competing with your lawn for precious nutrients.

Now is not the ideal time to put stress on your lawn. If it can be helped, excessive lawn treatments are best avoided during the summer. High temperatures and drought make it challenging for your grass to recover. Stick to a regular fertility program and SoilBooster services to help prepare and recover from summer stresses.

We’re working hard, keeping those acreages in tip-top shape!

Fall Lawn Care Checklist

In Western Canada, fall is your lawn’s prime growing time. Cool-season grasses perk up after the summer, and roots grow deeply in preparation for winter. This is a great time to do anything that could otherwise affect your lawn since recovery is easier between summer and winter.

• Rake, Then Mow Low – Start by raking dead leaves and mow your lawn to half-height just like you would if you were preparing to dethatch.
• Aerate and overseed—This relieves soil compaction and plants new grass, which are important parts of keeping your soil healthy and improving your lawn's lush, green look. Aerating and overseeding work to eliminate patches of dead lawn that have completed their life cycle and fill in bare areas with new grass so your lawn looks its absolute best. Consider using ryegrass seed since it’s quick-sprouting, has better weed control, and is hardier in cooler temperatures than other cool-season grass varieties.

• Fertilize – Fertilizing can be done immediately after to give baby blades a boost, but you should wait to use herbicides until at least a few weeks after overseeding. Fertilization is especially important in the fall to winterize your lawn and provide it with the essential nutrients it needs to survive the brutal weather.
• Water During the Day – As temperatures drop in late fall, you should start watering your lawn during the day when it’s warmer. This allows moisture to penetrate better and prevents it from becoming frost when the sun goes down. Consider mulching around trees and flower beds to insulate your soil and lower the risk of damage to plant roots as they freeze, thaw, and freeze again during the winter.

• Winterize—Finally, you should winterize your lawn care equipment and sprinkler systems. You can clean, oil, and cover your mower and other tools, but your sprinkler system likely needs the help of a professional. To do this, your lawn specialist will use compressed air to blow out standing water from inside the lines to prevent them from freezing over and becoming damaged.

More on our Fall lawn care tips here.

Winter Lawn Care Checklist

• Watch out for Snow Mould – Winters in Western Canada are very cold, which puts your lawn in a state of dormancy until spring. During this time, the ground is frozen solid. You can’t do much besides prevent compaction, snow mould, and snowmelt runoff. Snow mould is a condition that commonly affects cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. It occurs when wet snow covers your lawn, allowing mould spores to grow. Winter prep is the most effective way to prevent snow mould, but you can also remove long-standing snow piles if they haven't melted quickly enough to prevent damage to your lawn.

• Prevent Snowmelt Runoff – If you use ice melt to prevent ice accumulation, try to keep the runoff from draining into your lawn. Some ice melt products are made of harsh salts that can affect your grass and damage your lawn’s root system.
• Avoid Compaction—It’s also important to keep lawn foot traffic to a minimum in the winter. The combination of snow melting and kids playing can push the layers of your soil down, causing it to become compacted. Soil compaction reduces the amount of water and nutrients that can reach your lawn’s root system, making it harder for your grass to survive the harsh weather. If you don't already have a walkway around your yard, consider putting one in for everyday traffic, saving the lawn for building the snowman.

Green Drop’s Large Lawn Care Services

At Green Drop, we know Calgary lawns. No matter how expansive your property is, we have the equipment and experience to help you get the lush, green grass you’ve always wanted without the hassle of having to do it yourself.

Book your lawn estate management service today to get started.

We also serve Edmonton, Red Deer, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and surrounding areas in Western Canada.