A good lawn care company should be responsive to the weather and change scheduled fertilizations based on rainfall and temperature. Summer fertilization can also promote disease and insect problems. The best time to fertilize trees and shrubs is from late fall to early spring when the trees and shrubs are dormant. Again, Summer fertilization can be stressful. Many different forms of fertilizer can be used.
Lime is also important for home lawns.
The optimum pH for lawns is 6.0 to 7.0. Regularly scheduled sprays of preventive pesticides are usually not the best way to control diseases and insects. Pesticide is often wasted when there is no disease or insect present. On the other hand, perennial problems such as sycamore anthracnose, birch leafminer or crab apple scab can only be controlled with a preventive fungicide or insecticide. A professional can evaluate your landscape plants, the weather conditions and local pest populations to decide when sprays are warranted.