Coping with the Big Defrost: Spring Lawn Maintenance in Ottawa

With the enjoyable advantages of spring and summer comes the added work of spring lawn maintenance in Ottawa. Lawn drainage is a big dilemma that many homeowners will be faced with as the temperature continues to slowly rise. However, dealing with the Big Defrost and the accompanying drainage problems doesn't have to be difficult.

If you're having major drainage issues, you may have to rework your lawn a bit, or change your Ottawa lawn maintenance methods. Remember that prevention methods are always worth it when it comes to avoiding the heady costs and extensive amounts of time that goes into fixing a ruined yard or basement. Read on for tips from Nutri-Lawn Ottawa that will help you keep your yard and house from becoming swamps.

Don't Let the Snow Gather
As fun as parties may be, the last thing you want is for the snow to gather in your yard for a little end of winter farewell shindig. When your snow gathers in one area of your yard, the soil in that area will struggle to soak up all of the excess water as the snow melts. When the snow does eventually melt, you'll find those patches ruined while the rest of your yard is ready for spring. Spread the snow around to prevent this.

If your yard becomes patchy anyway, you can overseed to bring life back to your yard. Overseeding is a common lawn maintenance technique that involves introducing grass seed to the patchy areas to balance out the thickness of your lawn. Nutri-Lawn Ottawa has a successful overseeding program to turn your lawn into a sea of plush green grass.

Level Your Lawn
If you're having issues with water dripping into your basement when the snow melts each spring, you probably need to work re-levelling into your lawn care preparation. Lawns that are horizontally balanced or that slightly slope back toward the house are more likely to encourage leakage into the basement.

Check your lawn's levelling. If your lawn has one of the two levelling issues mentioned above, then it's time to rework the slope of your lawn so it goes toward the road. A downward slope will carry the melt down to the road, successfully preventing water from draining into your home. While some homeowners are dissuaded from doing this because of the work it takes, re-levelling your lawn is considerably less work than dealing with leakage and is a highly successful method of improving drainage.

Dig a Trench
Lawns that have especially tough drainage issues may need a trench to help direct water off of your lawn onto the street. French drains and downspout drains are common types for residential Ottawa lawn maintenance.

As the rainy season picks up, you may also want to consider rain harvesting. Though it doesn't help with the big melt at surface level, this is a particularly handy tool in spring lawn maintenance in Ottawa during the rainy season. The water you collect in rain barrels can then be used for your gardens. Rain harvesting has the added benefit of being an effective form of water conservation to save you money and to protect water sources, as well as keeping a water supply on hand in case of drought.

Include Basins in Your Ottawa Lawn Maintenance
It's not enough to maintain your lawn alone. At Nutri-Lawn Ottawa, we recommend maintaining your surrounding basins, troughs, trenches, and drains. As spring hits, clear out debris from your troughs, any drainage trenches, and the catch basins on the street in front of your house, if you have any. This is a good habit to work into your spring lawn care and maintenance practices to ensure your drainage is effective.

Don't wait to start on your spring lawn maintenance in Ottawa for 2014. Contact Nutri-Lawn Ottawa today to begin preparing your lawn for a successful spring and summer.