Get Lawn Care in Alexandria, VA

Top Lawn Care Companies in Alexandria

You may be wondering: where to find an Alexandria 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 Alexandria 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.

Alexandria, VA Lawn Care Guide, and Best Practices

Located on the western banks of the Potomac River, and just seven miles south of our nation’s capital, Alexandria, Virginia is strategically placed as one of America’s most iconic cities. While thousands of residents of Alexandria work for the Department of Defense, the Institute for Defense Analyses, or other private contractors working with the U.S. government, the city has so much more to offer.

From the historic Old Town with its dozens of classy restaurants, antique shops, boutiques, and theaters, to the almost 1000 acres of public parks and recreation centers, to the famed Scottish Christmas Walk that takes place every December, there is never a dull moment in Alexandria. Its humid subtropical climate is another attraction of the city as the generally mild winters make for agreeable weather year round.

For Alexandria residents and homeowners, the hot and humid summers can present a bit of a challenge when it comes to keeping a healthy, vibrant lawn. There’s more to lawn care than simply grass cutting. Below, we offer some helpful tips for keeping your turf green and resilient throughout the year.

Fertilizing Tips for Alexandria

While fertilizing your lawn can certainly help to encourage a thick, lush growth that discourages common lawn weeds from popping up, Alexandria Virginia is close enough to the Chesapeake Bay that homeowners might want to think twice about the effects of this fertilization. Over 100,000 streams and creeks feed the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and the mighty Potomac River is obviously one of those. The excess chemicals, phosphates, and other elements of lawn fertilizer often get carried away and end up in the Chesapeake Bay, thus compromising an already fragile ecosystem and can lead to hypoxic zones where marine life cannot flourish.

If you do decide to fertilize your lawn, consider applying a thin layer of compost instead of opting for more traditional organic fertilizers. Top-dressing your lawn with a 1-inch layer of compost will not only deliver needed nutrients to your turf, but it will also help to improve the long-term fertility of the soil through nourishing the billions of micro-organisms in the soil. A healthy soil ecosystem will help your grass naturally fight off lawn diseases such as brown patch caused by the Rhizoctonia fungus.

Furthermore, compost will help stop erosion through encouraging healthy soil growth and will avoid depositing chemicals into the rivers and streams that eventually end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Another free source of natural and organic fertilizer from your lawn is the grass clippings that are left after lawn mowing. Never bag these clippings, as they will decompose and offer a needed source of nitrogen for your growing grass. If your lawn is primarily cared for by a lawn service professional, make sure to ask the person to do this.

Best Types of Grass

In Alexandria, almost half of all lawns are either Bermudagrass or Kentucky Bluegrass. While Bermudagrass is a warm season grass that thrives during the hot and humid summers and can also withstand periodic droughts, it will most likely suffer and brown during the long, freezing days of January. On the other hand, Kentucky Bluegrass will maintain its verdure throughout the winter, though it will most likely rapidly thin and suffer during the hottest parts of the summer. While roughly 24 percent of homeowners in Alexandria opt for Bermudagrass and another 24 percent opt for Kentucky Bluegrass, one option that you might consider is growing both of these grasses together.

By overseeding your Bermudagrass with Kentucky bluegrass seed in early fall, you can make sure that your lawn will stay green throughout the winter. The browning batches of Bermudagrass will be naturally covered by the thriving Kentucky bluegrass. In the summertime, when the Kentucky bluegrass begins to die off, the Bermudagrass will thrive. Following this strategy, you can make sure that your lawn stays green and vibrant throughout the year.

Lawn Mowing Schedule

The average lawn size in Alexandria is almost 10,000 square feet, making any lawn mowing job a significant one. While many people in city opt for bi-weekly cuttings, it is perfectly acceptable to relax your lawn mowing schedule to once every week or even two weeks, depending on rainfall. Following from the 1/3 rule, you should never be grass cutting more than 1/3 of its current height. During times of drought, grass will naturally grow more slowly, even if you follow a regular irrigation schedule.

By allowing your grass to grow a bit taller (an average of between 3 and 4 inches, for example) you can cut back on the frequency of mowing. Furthermore, slightly taller grass will encourage more root growth which can be essential during hot, humid summers when the average temperature hovers around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Consider Regular Lawn Aeration

Even with regular lawn watering, it is possible for soils to become compacted which can compromise healthy root growth and allow for weeds and other lawn diseases to appear. Aeration is a lawn care practice wherein the soil is perforated with small holes to let air, water, and nutrients penetrate to the root zone of the turf. This not only allows the roots to grow more vigorously but can also naturally reverse the soil compaction tendencies that tend to happen with clay soils.

If the soil on your property has a high clay content, you might want to consider either renting an aerator machine or hiring a lawn service professional to receive this service. Top dressing your lawn with compost immediately after aerating will also help to maximize the nutrients that will penetrate into the root zone.

Soil Test

Lastly, residents of Alexandria who are having a hard time growing a vibrant turn might want to consider doing a simple soil test to find out what nutrients your soil might be naturally lacking. Soil tests are generally inexpensive and can be done by simply sending in a few samples of soil from around your yard. Instead of opting for an all-purpose lawn fertilizer that can be washed away by the spring rains and end up in the Chesapeake Bay, a soil test will allow you to develop a more specific fertilization plan and explore alternative organic options.

These simple lawn care tips will allow anyone in the Alexandria, Virginia area to successfully cultivate a healthy and vibrant lawn.

Hiring an Alexandria Lawn Care Company

Alexandria is one of the most scenic places to visit or live in, replete with well-preserved 18th and 19th century architecture. The weather is enjoyable and never moves to an extreme, which is why going outdoors is always a good call. But one chore outdoors that you may dislike investing time in is lawn care. Most Alexandria 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.

More Resources