Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Lawn Care Seasonal Tips

Fertilzer
It is now well into the growing season and most fertilizer programs have already started. Now is the time to start applying fertilizer to your lawn to get it looking lush and green. If you don't already have a fertilizer and weed control program, let us provide you with a free estimate.

Hedging and Pruning
Most of your hedges and and shrubs will need pruning soon. Please let us know if you would like your hedges and shrubs professionaly trimmed.

Watering
The best time to water is in the early morning. This will allow more water penetration and less evaporation than watering in the heat of the day.

1" per week of water is recommended for established lawns. One or two deep waterings is recommended to promote a healthy root system for your lawn.
If you have a sprinkler system, it should be checked regularly to ensure proper coverage and amounts are being applied.

Lawns that are stressed tend to have these signs: Wilting to color fade to yellow to off green and footprints in your lawn that are not quickly rebounding.
Over time, and with heavy foot heavy traffic, the soil underneath lawns compacts and causes turf to deteriorate. One of the more beneficial cultural practices you can perform on a lawn is core aeration, and in most cases, aeration in conjunction with over-seeding.
A healthy well-groomed yard increases a home's value by 15-20%, so as you look to renovate areas inside your house, consider the outside as well.

Aeration is a mechanized process using specialized equipment to remove small cores of soil from the ground and then depositing them on top of the grass. The small 2"-3" deep holes enable air, nutrients and water to penetrate to the root system of the grass. Thus core aeration helps reduce your watering needs by allowing irrigation and/or natural rainfall to effectively reach the roots.

In addition, as the removed cores of soil break down, they help increase microbial activity that aids in decomposition of thatch, and stimulates root activity.The best time to aerate most lawns is in late summer, or early fall depending on where you live. At this time of year, lawns are coming out of summer dormancy and beginning a period of vigorous growth. Competition from weeds is also minimal during this time.

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