Lawns have various environmental benefits. They help create oxygen and act as a trap for dust, dirt, and pollutants that would otherwise be released into the air.
Water only when it is cool (before dawn) to minimize evaporation. Watering less often but longer is best to encourage a deep, strong root system. Contact Lawn Care Concord now!
Keeping your lawn lush and green requires more than regular cutting. A professional lawn care service should include fertilization, weed control, and aeration. They should also perform seasonal yard cleanups and insect control, if necessary. The service provider should use a variety of tools, including a lawn mower for cutting grass, a weed trimmer for edging and cleaning up debris, and a spreader to apply granules or liquid treatments.
A reputable lawn care company in Endicott and the surrounding area often recommends a soil test. It helps determine the relative proportion of sand, silt and clay in your soil. Different soil types require different care, so knowing yours is important. For example, sandy soil tends to be more drought tolerant than clay soil. But the latter can become compacted, making it harder for water and nutrients to get down to the roots of the grass.
Fertilizers, weed killer and other chemicals work better when they are applied at the right time. The granules in weed killers need moisture to adhere to the leaves of weeds, and liquid treatments benefit from warm temperatures. That’s why it is important to schedule services at the best times for your lawn’s conditions.
A good lawn care company will provide you with a comprehensive plan that is customized to your specific property and needs. They should be able to give you a quote for the entire year, including any additional services that may be needed. They should also be available to answer any questions that you might have.
Unlike landscaping, which deals with creating and transforming outdoor spaces, a lawn care company is focused on ensuring that your existing landscape is healthy, attractive and functional. It can include lawn mowing, pruning shrubs and trees, aerating the ground and removing thatch. They can also provide advice on plantation, pest control, and irrigation.
Fertilizing
Lawn care and landscape services often include lawn aeration with overseeding, the process of making holes throughout your lawn by pulling small soil plugs (called cores). Aerating helps improve the look of your yard and allows for better water and fertilizer penetration. Aeration also makes the grass more resistant to diseases, insect infestations and weeds.
Fertilizing is an important part of lawn maintenance because it provides plants with the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. Different types of grass have unique nutrient needs, so it is important to find the right fertilizer for each type. Fertilizers contain a wide range of chemicals that provide the plants with essential macronutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is also important to use the correct application method for each type of fertilizer.
A soil test is the best way to determine what your lawn needs. The test will pull cores of soil from your property and analyze them to determine what the level of nutrients is in the dirt. The test will tell you how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium the soil needs for the health of your lawn. If your soil has a low pH, then you will need to amend it with an appropriate acidifying fertilizer.
All types of fertilizers can be applied to your lawn, from organic to synthetic. The type of fertilizer that you choose depends on the results of your soil test and your personal preference. Many homeowners prefer to use natural organic fertilizers, such as blood, fish emulsion and manure, over manufactured fertilizers. However, these fertilizers can burn the turf if they are applied in hot weather or without being watered, so proper application is critical.
Another option for lawn care is to use “weed-and-feed” products that combine fertilizer with herbicides. This is a convenient option for some homeowners, but it’s important to know that the herbicide in these types of products will not only kill the weeds but also the grass. Therefore, it is best to apply fertilizers separately from weed killers as part of your regular lawn maintenance routine.
Weed Control
Weeds can be some of the most frustrating lawn problems. They tend to take over grass areas, and can prevent the lawn from growing thick and lush. In order to get rid of them, it’s important to have a strong preventative lawn care program. This includes mowing at the proper height, regular fertilization, annual aeration, overseeding and topdressing to limit soil compaction, and preventative weed control.
A good preventative weed control plan starts with correct identification of the weeds that are infiltrating the lawn. This can be done by a local agricultural fieldman that knows most of the common weeds or by using resources (government specialists, agronomists and herbaria) to make a positive identification if it’s unknown.
Once you know what type of weeds you have in the lawn, a treatment can be developed to knock them back. There are two main categories of weed killers: pre-emergent and post-emergent. The pre-emergent weed killers work to kill the weed seeds before they sprout. This is what we do to control crabgrass in Northern Virginia lawns, and it works very well.
The post-emergent weed killers are meant to be used once the weeds have sprouted and are starting to become annoying. This is what we do to keep our clients’ lawns free of dandelion, clover, chickweed and other nuisance weeds. These weed killers can be either selective, killing only the weeds without harming the grasses, or non-selective, blasting all plants in the area.
We also have weed killers that target specific physiological processes in the weeds, inhibiting their growth and survival. This is what we use to target those pesky weeds that are so tough to get rid of.
Depending on the type of weed and its location, it may take a little while for the weed killer to begin working. Generally speaking, you can expect to see results in 7 to 14 days after treatment. Sometimes extra-stubborn weeds can take up to a month to die. This is why we include five weed treatments throughout the year in our comprehensive lawn care programs.
Pest Control
Lawn care services also help protect and improve turf and soil health by managing pests and diseases. This is an important aspect of the overall lawn care process as harmful insects can ruin a healthy and beautiful yard in very little time. Many lawn care services offer treatments that prevent and control these problems, including grubs, ticks, and mosquitoes.
A good lawn care program will provide a comprehensive service to address all of the key factors in your lawn’s vitality. This includes regular maintenance to encourage proper growth, soil health management, weed control, and the prevention and control of diseases and pests.
Insects and grubs can destroy healthy turf in a very short period of time. The key to controlling these pests is treating them early before they do significant damage. Some surface-feeding insects, such as chinch bugs, can be prevented with a monthly granular treatment. Sub-surface feeding insect pests like grubs are best managed with preventative grub control products applied in mid-summer. This controls the grub population before it is too late and reduces the need for curative products later in the summer.
Fungicides can be used to control several types of lawn disease that quickly deteriorate grass health, such as dollar spot fungus, red thread, leaf spot, brown patch, and summer patch. A preventative fungicide application is the most effective way to address these problems.
Soil pH is an important factor for the health of your lawn, as it influences how well your grass grows and how easily weeds grow. A lawn that is too acidic will have a difficult time growing and is more susceptible to weeds and other plant diseases. Soil pH can be adjusted with a limestone treatment, and this is often an overlooked part of lawn care.