Month: June 2010

Lawn Grubs, They Eat Your Lawns Roots

Posted on June 28, 2010 in free lawn care help, Insects, Lawn Care Tips

Diagnose the Problem
First, you have to make sure you actually have lawn grubs. If you have moles, it’s pretty much a guarantee you have grubs. If you don’t have moles, but patches of your lawn are dying and easily pulled up (thanks to severely damaged roots) that’s a definite sign too. To make sure, dig into your soil a little. If you see small white creatures that look like larvae, you have grubs.

Treat at the Right Time
You may want to treat lawn grubs immediately, but if you go after them too early in the spring, you’ll spend a lot of time and money without killing many grubs. Around June, lawn grubs hit the stage where they go to town on your lawn, but also where they’re most susceptible to insecticide. That’s the time to treat your lawn.

Go Deep
Lawn grubs can be tenacious little creatures. To really kill them, you have to make sure the insecticide gets down to where they’re hiding out. If you treat your lawn and aerate it, the poison will penetrate down to the levels it needs to. Wearing spike shoes will do the trick too (although you should avoid the spike shoes if you already have compacted soil).

You may have to repeat your insecticide application, but once you’ve taken care of the lawn grub problem, you’ll be both grub- and mole-free.

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Kill Weeds, Then Seed

Posted on June 28, 2010 in Lawn Care Tips

If your lawn has become sparse and patchy, you definitely want to overseed before the weather gets cold, but if you have a weed problem, this should be addressed first. You may not be able to use a weed-and-feed fertilizer, because these contain a pre-emergent, which can prevent both weed and grass seeds from germinating. Instead, use a lawn weed spray to target weeds in your lawn. Give it at least a week to kill weeds, and then pull up the remains of any large, broadleaf weeds like crabgrass that would prevent grass seed from reaching the soil.

Overseed and fertilize at the same and take care to give the new seed light watering daily until it germinates. Also, instead of using a winterizer or starter fertilizer, use both, mixing them at a two-to-one winterizer to starter ratio. This mixture can give the new seed the potassium and phosphorous it needs to establish itself quickly, as well as provide the entire lawn with slow-release nitrogen that can help it survive the winter.

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Six Tricks to Organic Weed control

Posted on June 28, 2010 in Garden Tips, Lawn Care Tips
  • Use ground covers. Plants that grow wildly and remain low to the ground can choke out the sunlight and nutrients that weeds need to thrive. An added bonus? They can often eliminate the need for mowing, too.

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  • Mulch like mad. The use of organic mulch can block sunlight, and thus kill weeds before they have a chance to become a problem. Mulch also keeps your lawn looking neat and tidy.

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  • Raise the mower’s cutting height. Let your grass grow a bit taller to choke out weeds. A little competition can do your lawn a world of good!

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  • Watch out for weeds in compost. Avoid putting weed clippings in your compost pile, but if you must, make certain your compost is completely broken down before spreading it on your lawn or garden. This helps eliminate the possibility of seeds germinating and undoing all your hard work.

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  • Give your garden the good news! Newspapers are biodegradable and kind to the environment, while forming a perfect barrier for weeds. Lay newspaper between rows of emerging plants, wet them thoroughly to keep them in the proper place, and then cover the papers with a layer of straw.

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  • Pull them. Some weeds can tough it out, despite your best efforts. Every few days, look for those hardy weeds, and simply pull them out of the ground by hand.

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    Lawn Mower Safety

    Posted on June 25, 2010 in Equipment Tips

    When working with your lawn mower, read your operator’s manual and pay close attention to all warning labels.

    Wear proper clothing when mowing your yard; including a tucked-in shirt, long pants and closed-toed shoes with good traction. Secure or remove loose articles of clothing or jewelry so they don’t catch on the equipment.

    Walk the mowing area first and clear any tools, toys, yard debris or other objects that could get thrown by the mower’s blade.

    Before you start your lawn mower, check to make sure all safety guards and shields are in place.

    Keep children inside and under supervision while mowing your yard. Never give children “rides” on a riding lawn mower. As a result, your children may run up behind you as you’re mowing, expecting another ride, where you can’t see or hear them.

    Be careful not to run over your own toes when walking backward with a walk-behind mower.

    When mowing in hot weather, make sure to drink plenty of water and rest frequently.

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    The Perfect Garden Tool for Small Jobs

    Posted on June 19, 2010 in Equipment Tips, free lawn care help, Garden Tips

    Often when gardening you can find yourself transplanting very small seedlings, or trying to plant in small pots or tight containers.

    When this happens, a regular garden trowel is just too large, and makes too big a hole.

    Well if you haven’t tried one, use a bulb trowel, also called a transplant trowel.

    It’s the perfect tool for making small, narrow holes in areas with little space and it makes just the right sized holes for small seedlings.

    This type of trowel has a longer and narrower blade than an ordinary garden trowel and it holds a sharp edge, which makes it very easy to use.

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