Category: Organic Lawn Care

Lawn Care Tips – Go Green and Save Money

Go Green

Tip #1: Don’t use your water, buy a rain barrel.
Make a one time purchase expense, get a nice size rain barrel, and never pay extra on your water bills to water your lawn and garden. The average 20 x 20 ft lawn needs around 250 gallons of water per year. Depending on were you live, using your garden hose for this can end up costing around $25.00 – $50.00 per month!

Tip #2: Electric mowers are much friendlier to your pocket and the environment.
If you are an average home owner with a smaller lawn – electric mowers are the way to go. Low maintenance, no gas, and low electrical consumption makes this a no question decision.

Tip #3: Soil care, check your pH!
Healthy soil returns a beautiful lawn. Get your soil right, and save on tons of costs. pH ranges should normally be between 6.5 and 7.0. If you are unsure where to get your pH tested give us a call at (814) 515-3115.

Tip #4: Go with Organic Fertilizers:
Organic fertilizer will cost you $0.05/square foot, pre-season. Compare that to the cost of the most popular chemical fertilizer, known as 15-30-15, which costs $0.15/square foot, or three times as much.

Tip #5: Know where to find expert help.
Garden centers are a great source of information for lawn health. So are some local companies. Try to avoid the national companies that are more worried about making a sale, spraying chemicals, and leaving. Then you get a nice surprise bill in the mail. (Just try doing some yellow book or yellow page searches for national lawn care / fertilizer companies.)

Got a neighbor whose lawn makes you jealous? Why not go over, make conversation, then just ask them how they made it happen? More than likely they are going to share the methods with you!

Heat – Drought Affects Health of Lawns, Trees and Shrubs.

Drought Effected Lawn

Drought Effected Lawn

Sprinklers – Irrigation

Ensure sprinkler heads and related water lines are working properly and that the irrigation system provides sufficient coverage. Low water pressure will affect coverage.

Feed
Lawns, trees and shrubs require proper nutrition to encourage healthy growth and the ability to recover from drought damage. Take soil samples, talk to professional, and determine what proper feed is needed to replenish your lawns food.

Adjust Mowing Schedules
Don’t mow unless you need to. Avoid weekly mowing if it is not needed. Cut the grass higher (3″ or more) and if possible try to avoid cutting during the heat of the day.

Return Glass Clippings
Return the grass clippings back to the lawn. Grass clippings return rich nutrients that help feed your lawn. Avoid bagging if possible.

Organic Gardening Solutions – Tips and Tricks

What can I Do about Slugs?
Having problems with slugs? Go on a nightly slug hunt in the spring. Pour a little bit of table salt on the slugs. Keep this up for a few nights and your slug problem should decrease dramatically. Another alternative is to sink a cup of beer into the ground near plants that have been damaged. Slugs love beer, but can’t get out of the cup!

How can I Keep Animals out of my Garden?
Use red pepper spray and many critters won’t come back for seconds. It makes the plants just too spicy for rabbits, mice, birds and squirrels. Mix 3 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce and 1 teaspoon dish soap. Add this to 1 quart of water.

What is an Organic Way to Kill Weeds?
Vinegar can kill most weeds but it can also kill your plants. Do not pour it on weeds in your grass or you’ll end up with dead grass spots. If the weeds are close to other plants, try using a paint brush to brush the vinegar on the weed’s leaves.

Check out our weed control services for more information at www.blaircountylawnservice.com/services/weed-control

Organic Lawn Care – Corn Gluten

Corn Meal Fertilizer

Corn Meal Fertilizer

What is Corn Gluten?

One of the most important discoveries in organic lawn care has been the accident Corn Gluten. Discovered by mistake at Iowa State University researcher Nick Christians, has been a giant breakthrough. This organic product (made from Corn Gluten Meal) is a natural herbicide that has been patented and sold by many companies as an alternative to Weed and Feed products.

Corn Gluten Meal is a powdery byproduct of the corn milling process. Used for years as a supplement in hog feed, this natural protein is very effective for lawns and gardens as a plant food as well as a weed suppressor. Corn gluten meal products offer a non-toxic, yet effective alternative to traditional, chemical-based weed and feed products for weed control in gardens and lawns, paths and driveways.

As a plant food, corn gluten has a N-P-K ratio of 9-1-0, or 10-percent nitrogen by weight. As a weed suppressant, corn gluten acts as a natural “pre-emergent” – it inhibits seed germination by drying out a seed as soon as it cracks open to sprout. These qualities make corn gluten an ideal ‘weed n feed’ product.

Get Down to the Grass Facts – Altoona PA

Get Down To Grass Facts

Know Your Grass

If you are a new homeowner, you may know the brand of refrigerator in your kitchen or the square footage of your guest room, but chances are you don’t know the type of grass in your lawn. Depending on where you live, there are different types of turf available.

Generally speaking, northern states lawns are planted with cool-season grasses such as kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, or tall fescue. In southern states, you may have a yard of St. Augestine, Bermuda, centipede, or Zoysiagrass. Knowing the type of grass you have will help you to better care for it.

Grass Mowing Heights


St. Augestine: 2-4 Inches
Fine Fescue: 1-2 Inches
Tall Fescue: 2-3 Inches
Kentucky Bluegrass: 2-3 Inches
Rye: 1-2 Inches
Zoysiagrass: 1-2 Inches
Centipede: 1-2 Inches

If you have questions, leave a comment or give us a call at (814) 515-3115 or email us at Questions@Legoservices.com for FREE help with how high you should be cutting!