Category: Lawn Care Tips

Organic Lawn Cares Tips – Save the environment, save money, save your lawn.

Posted on July 3, 2010 in Lawn Care Tips, Organic Lawn Care

Mow your Grass Higher
If you mow your grass low, the weeds will grow before the grass and shade out the grass from getting sunlight. Grass turns sunlight into sugar which it needs for food. Lots of food ensures beautiful green, lush grass. Cutting it short leads to beautiful, green (sometimes), lush weeds. It also kills your grass causes dreaded brown patches and horrible looking soil.

– more shade to the soil leads to less watering
– deeper roots which leads to less watering
– thicker turf which leads to fewer weeds
– slower growth which leads to less mowing

If I Mow Low I Won’t Have To Mow as Often
Not True! Grass needs grass blades to photosynthesis; that is convert sunshine into sugar. It does this so it is able to feed the grass roots. When you destroy the blades, the grass rushes to make new blades because the roots are getting no sugar. The grass does not want to die so it tries to grow the blades as fast as it can… In the process of growing so fast, the grass uses up most of its stored sugar. Which in return causes the grass to become unhealthy. Now the grass is vulnerable to disease and pests. Tall grass is healthier and can use the extra sugar to make rhizomes (more grass plants) thus thickening the turf. Have you ever noticed that short grass in the summer is always riddled with dead brown patches?

Do you have an over-growth of weeds?
Trying mowing with the blade setting at about 3 1/2 more often than you regularly would. Your grass’s most critical growing point is at the root. While most weeds is at the top of the stem. So, it is the same as giving your grass a hair cut, and chopping off the head of the weeds.

Leave the grass clippings in the yard!
Leaving the clippings in your lawn the absolute number one way to ensure you have healthy, thick turf. Clippings toss the nutrients that are MUCH needed by your lawn right back into the soil. If you don’t leave the clippings, you will notice your soil starts to look more like dirt than soil. Some people worry about the clippings “clumping” up. This only happens if you mow to low, or don’t mow enough.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , ,

Dying Grass? – Altoona, Blair County PA

Posted on July 3, 2010 in Lawn Care Tips, News Alert

As I drive around, I notice almost everywhere everyones grass is burnt and on the edge death. Of course it will replenish itself over time, but if you are interested in bringing it back sooner, or preventing it from burning in the first place. We have put together some information to help you out.

First, if it does not need mowed, don’t mow it. Even though it hurts company income, whenever we head to someones house and the grass is not long enough to cut without taking the change of burning it, we suggest not mowing it. Try bi-weekly instead of weekly. Prevention is always easier and cheaper than recovery.

If you must cut it, try to only go over the areas that need it and raise the blade to around 3 1/2 – 3 1/4 inches. This will ensure that the grass being cut will not be burnt and the clippings will be thrown around to help replenish nutrients needed by your lawn this time of the year.

Second, check the weeds in your lawn. If you have a lot of crab grass or other common weeds ( click here to view images and descriptions of the most common weed types ) it might be time to invest in some weed control products. The weeds in your lawn can be sucking up the water and nutrients that your grass needs. Making the weeds stronger and the grass weaker.

Third, irrigation. Try to water the lawn every 2-3 days allowing around 2-3 inches of water to really soak into the soil. A good-deep watering every 2-3 days is 100 times better than a quick watering every day.

Finally, if the none of the above are working out for you. Try some starter fertilizer with added weed control supplements. Liming is also another option but fertilizer is a lot easier and in some cases more effective. Be sure to water the fertilized area.

If you are having problems, give us a call. We can help you get your lawn back to green instead of yellow-brown. And we provide free estimates for all projects. (814) 515-3114

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Tags: ,

Tips on Controlling Bermuda grass

Posted on June 28, 2010 in Garden Tips, Lawn Care Tips

Do Lawn Work in Spring or Fall
Bermuda is the ultimate summer grass. To keep Bermuda grass away from your garden, be sure to fertilize the grass you DO want in the spring and fall when Bermuda grass is less susceptible to take the encouragement as well.

Do Not Fertilize During Summer Months
This logically means that you shouldn’t fertilize during the summer months. Bermuda Grass will thrive off of the fertilizer exactly when you don’t want it to.

Last Resort: Start from Scratch
Most non-selective herbicides will eradicate all plants in your garden, but if any of the plants survive, Bermuda grass, a true survivor, will be one of the most likely to.

Because it is so difficult to get 100-percent coverage of Bermuda grass eradication, only reseed in September when you’re pretty sure all the Bermuda is gone. Some gardeners recommend that you go through several rounds of herbicide before reseeding (in September). The idea being to let the Bermuda grass continue to expose itself until you’ve got it once and for all.

Technorati Tags: , ,

When Mowing Kills Your Grass

Posted on June 28, 2010 in Lawn Care Tips

First, let’s look at the how and why of proper hot-weather mowing. In the middle of your hottest months, the surface of your closely cropped lawn can easily climb two dozen degrees above the outdoor air temperature. Heat is a killer. So is moisture loss, which occurs when you cut the lawn too frequently during high temperatures. Heat-stressed, dry lawns are extremely susceptible to insects, spotting, weeds, and root disease as they try to heal from literally being scalped.

Properly mowed lawns, on the other hand, retain moisture, fostering deeper root growth, and the healthy blades of grass produce more of the nutrients necessary for your lawn to thrive in difficult conditions.

Sharpen Your Mower Blades, and Your Technique
Sharp blades cut–not shred–your grass. It’s important to realize that mowing actually creates a routine lawn injury. Minimize damage by using sharp blades and mowing in cooler morning or evening hours–but only when the lawn is dry. In summer months, you may have to mow more frequently, but always mow at a higher cut. If you’re cutting more than 1/3 of the total height of the grass, you’re scalping it.

Here are some suggested mowing heights based on your grass type:

  • Fine fescue: 2 1/2″-3 1/2″
  • Zoysiagrass: 1/2″-1″
  • Kentucky bluegrass: 2 1/2″-3″
  • St. Augustine grass: 3″-3 1/2″
  • Centipede grass: 1-1 1/2″
  • Tall fescue: 2 1/2″-3 1/2″
  • Perennial Ryegrass: 2 1/2″-3″
  • Bermuda grass: 1/2″-1″
  • Zoysiagrass: 1/2″-1″

Technorati Tags: , ,

10 Steps to Become CrabGrass Free

Posted on June 28, 2010 in free lawn care help, Lawn Care Company, Lawn Care Tips
  1. Like all weeds, the number one crabgrass prevention is maintaining a healthy lawn. Make sure that your beautiful grass is thick enough to cover your yard. Without sunlight reaching the soil, crabgrass can’t take root.
  2. Don’t mow your grass too low as crabgrass will take advantage of the increased sunlight at dirt-level. Two and a half to three inches should be about right.
  3. Try to remove crabgrass as soon as you see it. Crabgrass is so fertile that an innocuous appearance can quickly turn into a full-blown grass patch.
  4. Mulch the soil after removing crabgrass. This helps ensure that whatever roots remain don’t take seed and ruin your lawn grass later.
  5. Heavily water the area you are weeding before removing the crabgrass. The dampness will loosen up the dirt and make removal easier.
  6. Make sure you get the entire root. Crabgrass is a tenacious weed. In the right conditions, its roots will grow wherever they touch soil.
  7. Only use chemicals as a last resort. A herbicide that only kills crabgrass doesn’t exist, so other plants will always be vulnerable to chemical treatment.
  8. Pre-emergent chemicals do exist, but it is hard to decide when is best to apply these preventive chemicals. If you apply them too early, their effects will fade, and the crabgrass might take hold later. If you apply the chemicals too late, the crabgrass may already be there.
  9. Always use gloves to protect your hands when gardening, especially when using chemicals,
  10.  Be reasonable. Crabgrass is difficult to ever completely root out, but you can get most of it and enjoy a beautiful grass lawn

Technorati Tags: ,

Tags: ,