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Tag Archives: Lawn

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Lawn Care Tip: Protecting your lawn from dogs

With all the running, jumping and going to the bathroom, dogs can do quite a number on your lawn. There are some products you can purchase that promise to eliminate urine spots from your lawn, but this might be more trouble than it’s worth to have to try and seek out every spot and treat it thoroughly. There is also the issue with trampled or worn grass, and unless you’re ready to dig up your existing turf and plant sturdier grass, you will need another option for protecting your turf from your pet’s paws.

Tree care specialists recommend planting clover in the areas where your dog likes to frequent for his bathroom needs. Dogs often retreat to a certain spot time after time, so planting clover in this area will allow him the comfort of thinking he’s getting grass, but his urine will not have the same effects on the clover as it does on grass. The nitrogen and salt in urine is what causes the grass to become discolored, but clover is resistant to these chemicals and will remain green. Clover is also beneficial because it doesn’t require the same amount of upkeep and watering as regular grass.

Another tree care tip for the wearing of your turf is installing a pooch path. As stated before, dogs are creatures of habit and tend to pick out the area around your fence as their potty spots. Tree care professionals advise against growing grass in this area and instead suggest installing a crushed gravel path or a stone walkway. This will also work for your dog’s other paths through the yard. Instead of having trampled grass, you will have a creative and luxurious-looking pathway that will add character to your lawn and landscape.

If you don’t feel like dealing with the hassle of keeping up with your dog’s potty spots, contact us and ask about how to combat the effects your pet may have on your lawn.

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Lawn Care Tip: Protect your tree during winter with black plastic

Fruit trees are very sensitive to cold weather and recently, some states such as Georgia and Florida experienced an unexpected frost that damaged much of the fruit. However,  lawn care professionals say there are ways to prevent extensive damage when the weather turns colder than what the trees can handle or are used to.

Sun scald is very damaging to all trees, but especially fruit trees. The direct sunlight causes the cells within the tree to unfreeze, but the drastic change in temperature once the sun goes down can crack or split the bark, if not cause it to fall of completely.

Lawn care experts say a great way to prevent sun scald from negatively affecting your fruit trees is by wrapping your trees in black plastic during the late fall months. Choose a sturdy black plastic (you may be able to find some at your local gardening outlet) and begin at the base of the tree, wrapping the plastic in an upward motion. You will probably have to overlap the layers in order to sufficiently cover the entire base of the tree. Fasten the plastic by using staples (staple the plastic NOT the tree) or using a powerful adhesive, taking care to avoid getting any on the tree itself. The tape could damage the bark.

Be sure to check on the wrap throughout the winter and early spring to make sure there are no gaps or places where the plastic wrap is coming undone. If you properly protect your tree during the winter months, you should have a healthy, vibrant tree once spring finally rolls around!

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Lawn Care Tips for Exotic Weeds

The one thing any homeowner does not want is to find their lawn swimming in a sea of weeds. Not all of us are lawn care experts, so we probably aren’t aware of half the weeds out there other than your standard crabgrass and fescue. However, there are several types of weeds to be on the lookout for and here is the description of some of the most exotic types.

Mouse-ear chickweed sounds nothing like a weed, other than the “weed” part at the end of its name. However, it is indeed a weed and can be discovered in the late spring and early summer when small, white flowers begin to appear. The leaves are narrow, long and fleshy and also have a fuzzy appearance. The best time to eliminate them is in the spring because by mid-summer they have begun to sprout seed heads.

Oxalis is another spring/early summer weed. It stays close to the ground, which makes it easy for it to remain on your lawn even after mowing. If your turf is damp, does not have proper irrigation and is heavily shaded, it is the ideal growing conditions for oxalis. This weed is distinguishable by its bright yellow flowers with purple or reddish leaves and stems.

Purslane has rubbery leaves that are thick and sprawling, along with five-petaled yellow flowers that are in full bloom when the sun is shining its brightest. Lawn care experts say the seeds of this weed are most dangerous because even though you may remove the weed and its roots, the seeds lay dormant in the soil for years. This lawn sabotager loves hot, dry weather and is often found in thin areas of a lawn or in turfs that have been seeded in the summer.

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Pruning Can Be Easy

Many homeowners are intimidated by the prospect of pruning. Knowing that improper pruning can lead to a sick or otherwise compromised tree or shrub can be too much for some people, especially after they have invested so much in their landscape.

No matter how scary the idea of pruning is, it should be a practice you get into with comfort and regularity because a well-pruned plant is a healthy plant. Pruning improves the flow of moisture and nutrients through the plant, as well as allows thriving areas to receive most of the nutrition while dead or dying areas are removed from the plant, according to lawn care professionals.

Pruning is one of the best practices you can perform on the plants in your garden and landscape. Lawn care experts say becoming proficient at pruning plants just takes experience and the right tools. Here are four basic tools that will take care of pretty much all your garden pruning tasks. You should keep these tips in mind when selecting your hand pruners, loppers, shears and saws:

  1. Don’t be cheap when it comes to investing in pruning tools. Good quality tools stay sharp longer, cut easier and will last longer, paying for themselves in the long run.
  2. Keep your tools sharpened to make cutting easier and to produce clean cuts that heal faster. A sharper pruning tool also puts less stress on your hand, according to lawn care professionals.
  3. Keep your pruning tools clean and clean the blades in between trees or shrubs. One pruning cut on a diseased branch can spread disease throughout your garden. Wipe the blade clean with rubbing alcohol. Don’t ever put your pruning shears away without cleaning them first.
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Lawn care lighting: Go with LEDs

Many people are turning to LED lighting these days to save money and to be environmentally conscious. Little may they know that this same conservation can take place outside the home as well. If you’re looking to add landscape lighting to your property, lawn care experts say LED lighting is a great option.

LED lawn lighting can provide the same function as regular outdoor lighting, but at a reduced cost, according to lawn care professionals. LED lighting companies claim that using these types of lights will save you 90 percent on your electric bill, and are easier on your wallet in the long run. Even though LED lights cost more than typical outdoor lights, they last much longer than other bulbs, which means you’ll have to replace them less often, some lasting 15 to 20 years.

Because LED lights are low voltage, lawn care agents say the risk of shock is lower than common light bulbs. LED lights also do not become as heated as other types of outdoor lighting, which means fingers, pets, plants, etc. won’t be burned by the heat.

The best reason to go with LED landscape lighting is the most advantageous to the environment. Lawn care authorities say LED lights have a lower carbon emission rate. Though this might not make a huge difference in our own time, future generations will benefit from the decisions we make today.

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Lawn Care Tip: Identifying Black Medic, Broadleaf Plantain & Curly Dock

Many homeowners confuse black medic with white clover because of its three leaflet clover-like leaves that make them appear very similar. Lawn care professionals say you are likely to see this weed in your lawn in the months between May and September. Unlike other weeds that stick out like a sore thumb, black medic is low-growing and generates bunches of tiny, vividly yellow flowers that are noticeable in the late spring and early summer. Lawn technicians say their stems are slightly hairy and they grow in dry soil that is high in phosphorous.

Another irritating weed that homeowners are likely to spot in the early spring and be hounded by until September without professional lawn care intervention is the broadleaf plantain. This weed is grayish-green in color and begins its lifecycle in mid-spring. The egg-shaped weed has wavy-edged leaves that grown near to the ground. In the early summer, lawn experts say the seed stalks will begin to rise and will last through early fall. Unfortunately for a lawn care professional without the right expertise and weed control program, broadleaf plantains can overtake desirable lawn grasses by suffocating them. They key to eliminating this bothersome weed is to eliminate the seeds; lawn care agents say this plant grows from seeds and re-sprouting roots.

Curly dock is another incessant weed that pops up in lawns. This weed has lance-shaped leaves which turn a reddish purple color in the summer and fall. A narrow spike emerges from the center of the plant where small greenish flowers occur. Lawn technicians say you are more likely to see this weed during bouts of hot, dry weather. As the grass suffers, curly dock thrives.

Don’t let weeds be a drain on your lawn; contact your local lawn care professionals for a rigid and effective weed control program.

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Lawn Care Tip: Sprinkler Buddy

Unless you have a sprinkler system that automatically goes into the ground after it has completed its watering chores, you may be familiar with the damage that can occur to your irrigation system when performing such lawn care services such as mowing. Thanks to the ingeniousness of Leo D. Gauthier III, there is now an easy way to minimize or completely eliminate the chance of damaging your sprinkler system with the invention of the Sprinkler Buddy.

The Sprinkler Buddy was designed to help homeowners and possibly lawn care technicians be more aware of the presence of sprinkler heads by indicating their presence on the lawn. According to Gauthier, the Sprinkler Buddy promises to be able to fit any model of sprinkler head by measuring, cutting, inserting and installing the Sprinkler Buddy over the irrigation parts.

The Sprinkler Buddy gives homeowners and lawn care technicians a clear warning so anyone who performing any type of lawn maintenance will be well-aware of the product. Instead of ruining your lawn mower and your sprinkler system, possibly resulting in expensive damages, the Sprinkler Buddy provides a more cost-effective solution.

Gauthier says the Sprinkler Buddy can be installed by the homeowner, but if you want to make sure it is installed correctly, you can inquire to your lawn care company whether or not they use Sprinkler Buddy or if they can help you properly install it prior to their maintenance.

For more information, visit Gauthier’s website or contact your local lawn care professionals for more information on this innovative and helpful lawn care product!

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Lawn Care Tip: How to make your own cedar mulch

There are several different varieties of mulch to choose from, but many homeowners and commercial property owners seem to prefer cedar mulch. Cedar mulch offers the landscape a hint of rich color, and of course there is the aromatic cedar smell that adds an extra incentive. Cedar mulch also offers landscape beds superior protection against soil erosion and compaction, weed growth and protects the roots of your plants from the hot sun. If you think cedar mulch is only useful when the weather is warm, you’ll be happy to know that mulch also protects the roots from freezing during spells of cold weather. So now that you know all the benefits of cedar mulch, you may wonder how you can make your own.

In order to make your own cedar mulch, according to lawn care experts, you will need cured cedar wood in the form of a stump or logs, a chainsaw, a hatchet and a hammer. Using the chainsaw, cut the cedar stump or the logs into two-inch sections, stacking the pieces atop one another. Once you have a complete stack, use the chainsaw to cut vertically down the stack again in one- to two-inch sections. Gather the stack back together and proceed to perform another vertical cut, this time forming a crosshatch pattern. All of the resulting wood shavings and pieces will serve as part of your mulch.

You will still have some smaller pieces that need to be broken up into tinier pieces. Use your hammer and hatchet to bust them up in whatever sizes you prefer. Place all the wood in a large container and add an amount of water that is proportionate to the wood chips. Lawn care professionals say for this project, a gallon of water is usually plenty. Make sure all the wood chips have been dampened by the water and let sit for three days. Drain the water from the container and let the cedar mulch dry in the sun for a day, turning it occasionally to make sure the undersides of the wood chips have a chance to dry out as well. Once all the pieces have dried, you have your very own source of cedar mulch to adorn your lawn!

Making your own cedar mulch may be a fun activity, but perhaps you’re looking for a more professional approach. Call your local lawn care company and ask about their mulching services.

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Lawn Care Tip: Make your own mulch from kitchen waste

Ever wonder what to do with those scraps of food that shouldn’t go down the disposal, but create a terrible smell if left in the garbage for more than a day? Or perhaps you’re looking to enhance the growth of your landscape plants in a more natural and cost-effective manner? Lawn care experts recommend using your kitchen waste to make your own all-organic mulch.

The first step in this journey toward a more eco-friendly way to fertilize your lawn and landscape is by choosing the right type of composter. Many lawn care experts recommend using worm bins. Filling the bin with live worms, your kitchen waste will be broken down by the worms and voila! You have a nutrient-rich fertilizer for your lawn and landscape! Using a worm bin is also beneficial because you can keep it inside your home if you wish for easy access. The only rule when it comes to worm bins is to not leave it in direct sunlight.

If you’re not sure how to use a worm bin or where to get the materials (or the worms), check with your community’s Department of Water and Power; they may offer worm bins as well as instructions on how to use them.

So what can you throw in the worm bin? The ingredients that make up worm bin mulch can range from fruit and vegetable rinds and pieces to most lawn and landscape debris, according to lawn care experts. So instead of throwing your kitchen scraps in the trash, or even to the dog, think about creating your own personal brand of all-organic mulch.

If making your own mulch is too much of a hassle but you still want to bring a more organic approach to fertilizing your lawn or landscape, call your local lawn care company and ask about their organic fertilization program.

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Weed and disease lawn care tips for St. Augustine grass

All grass types are susceptible to diseases and weeds, however, there are ways to prevent, deter and combat these issues through proper Kansas City lawn care techniques. But even with the absolute best care, you cannot guarantee that disease or insects will never be a problem with your St. Augustine grass.

St. Augustine grass is a sturdy type of turf and is able to assert itself over weeds as long as it is healthy and is receiving adequate care. If St. Augustine grass is left to fend for itself, it may become weak, at which time opportunistic weeds will stop popping up throughout your landscape. This is especially true if the lawn is already infested with insects or has been infected with a disease. St. Augustine turf is usually found to have broadleaf and grassy weeds, however, chickweed, clover and henbit have also been found by lawn care specialists to be a menace to this type of grass. These weeds respond best to hormone-type herbicides that are applied in the early spring. Other weeds such as fescue, crabgrass or annual bluegrass require a different type of treatment that includes precise applications of pre-emergent herbicides.

In addition to fighting off weeds, St. Augustine grass is also susceptible to a number of turfgrass diseases including Helminthosporium, brown patch, SAD, Pythium, gray leaf spot, rust, downy mildew and more. Most of these diseases are caused by the presence of fungi and can be easily controlled by a knowledgeable lawn care company. SAD is a virus disease for which there is no chemical solution, which means only defiant types of St. Augustine grass are resistant to the disease.

Brown patch and gray leaf spot are the most severe diseases caused by fungi infecting St. Augustine turfs. Although these diseases seldom destroy St. Augustine, they weaken and thin the grass to the degree that the lawn is extremely unattractive. Precautionary treatments of fungicides are most effective against these diseases.

To keep your St. Augustine lawn primped and pristine, call your local lawn care provider and ask about their weed and disease control programs.

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