Fresh Cut Pros Blog

  Hydrangea Maintenance: A Seasonal Guide for Illinois Gardeners Hydrangeas are a favorite among gardeners in Illinois, thanks to their lush blooms and vibrant colors. Proper maintenance ensures these beautiful plants thrive year-round. Here’s a seasonal guide to keep your hydrangeas healthy and flourishing in the Midwest climate. Spring: Preparing for Growth Pruning : In early spring, prune your hydrangeas to remove dead or damaged wood. For varieties that bloom on old wood (like mopheads and lacecaps), only remove dead branches. For those that bloom on new wood (such as panicle and smooth hydrangeas), you can cut them back more drastically to encourage robust growth. Fertilizing : Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to encourage new growth. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, as they can promote leaf growth at the expense of blooms. Mulching : Add a layer of mulch around the base of your hydrangeas to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Organic mulch, such...

When to Water Your Lawn in the Summer: Best Practices from Fresh Cut Pros Summer brings warmth and plenty of sunshine, but for your lawn, it can also be a period of stress due to high temperatures and potential drought conditions. Proper watering is crucial to keep your lawn healthy and vibrant throughout these challenging months. Fresh Cut Pros is here to guide you through the best practices for watering your lawn during the summer. Understanding Your Lawn's Water Needs The key to effective lawn watering is understanding how much water your lawn needs and when it needs it. During summer, most lawns require at least one inch of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. This helps maintain a deep root system, which is essential for withstanding prolonged periods of heat and dryness. Timing is Everything Early Morning Watering The best time to water your lawn is early in the morning, preferably before 10 a.m. This timing allows the water to soak deeply into the soil, reachi...

How We Keep Weeds Out of Your Mulch Beds: Fresh Cut Pros’ Proven Strategies\ At Fresh Cut Pros, maintaining the pristine appearance of your landscape extends beyond just caring for your lawn. Mulch beds, while enhancing the aesthetic and health of your garden, can often become battlegrounds against persistent weeds. Here, we detail our expert approach to keeping your mulch beds weed-free, ensuring they remain as beautiful as the rest of your landscape. Step-by-Step: Our Weed Control Process Pulling Large Weeds The first step in our weed control process is the most hands-on. Our team meticulously inspects your mulch beds and manually removes any large weeds. This method is effective for immediate weed removal and helps prevent the spread of weed seeds during the process. Spraying Smaller Weeds After dealing with the larger offenders, we target the smaller, less mature weeds using targeted sprays. This method allows us to efficiently control these potential threats before they have a cha...