How to Provide the Best Lawn Maintenance During Summer

Author: Richard Greene

If you aren't too careful, you can go overboard with your summertime lawn maintenance. The reason is because during the hottest months of July and August, grasses can become semi-dormant. This makes the grasses more vulnerable. If you want to keep your lawn fresh and green during these hot months ahead, then there are certain things you can do to encourage this.

The first thing to remember is, don't stress your lawn. Your grass doesn't grow as much during the summer, being in a semi-dormant state, so less mowing is commanded. Keeping the blades on your lawn mower sharpened will give you a clean cut of around 2'' to 2.5'' on your grass height. You don't want your grass getting to tall during the summer, but if it does, don't cut it all down at one time. Instead, take it in steps, cutting it down gradually, little by little.

During extreme heat or drought, your grass runs the danger of losing its moisture through the grass tips. Stress to your lawn can also come from the wheels of your lawn mower, as well as lots of foot-traffic from people barbecuing and playing games on the lawn. This can lead to required lawn maintenance during the fall season in order to repair the damage.

How often do you need to be watering your lawn during the summer months? Many people think it needs to be done often. But with good lawn maintenance throughout the rest of the year, watering during the summer months could be kept down to an acceptable minimum. Now, when you do water, if you don't want to lose grass during the hot months of summer, then the best time to do your watering is in the early hours of the day. Doing this will allow the water the chance to evaporate during the day and prevent damage to your lawn. For those of you who are using an irrigation system to water your lawn, you'll want to moisten the ground down to about four inches. But remember too that your local government may have water destruction policies and ordinances in place where you live, to prevent water shortage, especially during a drought season.

Problems with insects are to be treated as needed. But you need to properly evaluate any insect infestation to be certain of implementing the right treatment for whatever insect problem has arisen on your lawn. It might be necessary to call in professionals if your infestation is a major one.

If you grass becomes diseased somehow, then there is not much you could do but want to take care of it in the late summer or early fall. You will need to repair your lawn, and most likely even replace it at that point.

Weed infestation can be helped by herbicides or even hand-weeding. Be sure if you choose hand-weeding as your method that you get down to the rest of the problem, otherwise you will not regain control of your lawn from these weeds.

Fertilizing your lawn during the summer is not a good idea. Doing this activity during the hot days of summer will suck out precious moisture, making your lawn susceptible to heat and drought conditions. Instead, wait until the fall season to add fertilizer to your lawn. The best kind of fertilizer to use is one that will slowly release nutrients into the soil throughout the search.

Remember that good lawn care doesn't happen in one day. If you plan properly and utilize the summer lawn maintenance techniques discussed here, you will have a lush, green lawn that will be enjoyed not only during the summer months, but all year long.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-provide-the-best-lawn-maintenance-during-summer-471869.html

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Lawn Maintenance is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Top Ten Reasons to Hire a Lawn Service Provider

Author: Perry Boylan

1. A lawn care program customized to your lawn's needs -

Every lawn is unique, with specific strengths and challenges. It takes a considerable investment of time to properly identify all of these aspects of your lawn. Lawn service professionals take the time to analyze your lawn, taking note of its grass and soil types, turf density, exposure, diseases, insects, weeds ... even pet damage. This information is then used to develop a treatment program customized to address your lawn's specific problems while enhancing its strengths.

2. Lawn care designed around your goals -

You probably have specific ideas about how you want your lawn to look. That's why your lawn care provider will work with you to understand what you want to accomplish with your lawn. Together you will develop a program designed to give you the results you're hoping for. You may be able to learn basic lawn care tips on your own, but only a professional can deliver the customized results you are really looking for.

3. Professional grade products you can't buy at the hardware store -

Give your lawn the edge it needs to thrive. Sure, you will be able to find fertilizers and grass seeds at your local hardware store -- even pest control products. But you will not find the professional grade products that are available to licensed lawn care providers. Additionally, your lawn service provider knows exactly how to use the products to treat your lawn, far reducing the risks of damaging your lawn -- or your health -- through improper handling of chemicals.

4. Certified, trained landscaping professionals -

Put your lawn in the care of true experts. Most lawn service providers require their field staff to undergo rigorous training and certification procedures. When deciding on a lawn care provider, make sure to investigate the training and certification methods. Settling on the cheapest service might only deliver mediocre results that you could have achieved without paying for professional assistance.

5. Attentive, expert service all season long -

A good lawn service provider will monitor your lawn carefully, with bi-monthly or even weekly visits all year long. The certified lawn specialists will evaluate your lawn's progress during every visit, adjusting your custom treatment program as your lawn improves. They will even work with you to establish an optimal mowing and watering schedule essential for your lawn's success. Don't trust your lawn to people who just spray it and move on; make sure you are getting a thorough and comprehensive evaluation from your service provider.

6. FREE service calls within 48 hours -

The whole idea behind a lawn service professional is that you shouldn't have to worry about your lawn -- ever. Even if you notice problems or have questions between visits, most lawn service providers have on-call service available to full-program customers. If something unexpected happens to your lawn between your regularly scheduled visits, you'll have an emergency service number. You call and the provider sends a specialist to take care of the problem right away.

7. Environmental stewardship -

When your lawn is strong and green, it helps cool the air, filter rainwater, prevent erosion and improve air quality. A lawn care specialist can help enhance these benefits, offering certified organic options. Additionally, they rigorously screen their products and service programs to ensure that your lawn is treated in the most environmentally friendly way possible. By using scientific research, the most state-of-the-art, accurate equipment and trained professionals, your lawn is never over-treated and your environmental footprint is always minimal.

8. Only the treatment programs you want -

Contrary to what some home owners think, lawn care professionals make sure you are in control every step of the way. Your lawn will grow and thrive according to your goals and specifications. And since there are typically no long-term commitments, you are usually free to stop your lawn care service at any time.

9. Results the "neighbor boy" can't deliver -

Jimmy, the neighborhood go-getter, is not a lawn care professional. Sure, he may offer to mow your lawn and take care of your plants, but he doesn't have the experience and training needed to really treat and care for your lawn and landscaping. Don't just pay anyone to treat your lawn -- make sure they are professionals.

10. Professionals can guarantee their work -

Lawn care professionals stand behind their service and our products. The people associated with these companies take pride in their work, from the service professionals who monitor and treat your lawn during scheduled visits to the customer support staff that keeps everything running smoothly. In the event anything should go wrong, or leave you dissatisfied, they have the resources and the dedication to fix it to your standards.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/top-ten-reasons-to-hire-a-lawn-service-provider-1295588.html

About the Author

Perry Boylan is a Marketing Manager with Scotts LawnService. Perry has worked for Scotts Miracle-Gro for 10 years providing sound lawn, garden, and pest management advice. Scotts LawnService will transform your lawn with professional lawn care services, tree and shrub care, and gardening tips. Scotts offers a FREE lawn analysis. Visit http://www.scottslawnservice.com/ for information.

Lawn Service is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Naturally Safe for Humans and Pets With Pet Safe Lawn Care Products

Author: Chanaka Dunuwila

Pet owners are rightfully worried about spraying their lawns with any number of toxic chemicals which can pose significant health risks for not only their pets but family members as well. However, there is actually very little reason to be worried at all as you will find out. There is only a small chance that improper pesticide or herbicide application will pose a health risk, and that small chance is entirely negated with proper application. With proper usage, all lawn care products are pet safe, although you can purchase specifically natural pet safe lawn care products. Either way, you’ll be protecting your pets which can be like family to you.

Proper Application and Pet Safe

As previously mentioned, commercial lawn care products are almost entirely safe when applied correctly. The problem really arises under two conditions. Firstly, volatile chemicals can release toxic gases over time, and many pesticides and herbicides include volatile chemicals for their sheer strength. Fortunately, liquid pet safe lawn care products allow you to specifically target problem areas in your yard, so you aren’t forced to spray the entire thing, severely reducing the amount of chemicals that you need to use in the first place. Also, proper application will only use a small amount of chemicals in a given area, so the pet safe lawn care products won’t be concentrated enough to release enough toxic fumes to harm humans or pets. The second risk comes from spraying toys like tennis balls. Lawn care products sprayed on toys can remain toxic for weeks, so you’ll want to remove any toys from the yard before spraying.

If you want the marketed pet safe lawn care products, then there are a number of substances which still get the job done without any harmful side effects. Naturally occurring bacteria can be implanted into your yard. For example, beneficial nematodes attack insect larvae by injecting them with toxins, and then they eat the dead larvae. When all the larvae are consumed, the nematodes die off themselves, so you are left with absolutely no harmful substances in your lawn. Your job is completely done, and you don’t need to dirty your hands at all.

You can also use essential oils derived from garlic, citrus oil, and pepper extracts to combat many problems facing your lawn. Completely natural and completely safe, you won’t need to worry about any harmful side effects from these products. Remember: with proper application and keeping toys out of the way, all lawn care products are safe to use with pets around. However, the only surefire way to protect your pets is to purchase pet safe lawn care products, so any mistakes on your part won’t make you or your pets sick.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/naturally-safe-for-humans-and-pets-with-pet-safe-lawn-care-products-524516.html

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Visit Here for More: Lawn Care Tips , Organic Lawn Care Tips and Beginner Guide to Lawn Care

Lawn Care Chemicals is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Tips for Total Yard Maintenance

Author: Styla Brite

It can be challenging to choose a Delaware landscape company. You may be confused between how much and who to give your money for a perfect landscape up to your expectations. A good landscaping idea should be able to be applied by everyone. There are lots of good ideas for landscaping but you should investigate yourself on internet or in magazines to find the one that fulfill your needs. For example, if you are in Delaware, search Delaware landscape over the internet and you are good to go. Here are some ideas you can use in landscaping your yard.

Evergreens are always a good choice. Those beautiful trees will change the appearance of your yard. Many people use ordinary trees when landscaping their yards but always use evergreen to feel stability and structured look. Also evergreens are not seasonal so it will benefit your yard for entire year. They remain beautiful in all seasons making them perfect for landscaping ideas. Making your yard attractive and beautiful the whole year is the key to a landscaping design.

Another good idea is Hardscape to use at your backyard. "Hardscape" means using some random things like rocks, fences, walls in your backyard. Plants are not the only idea on yard landscaping. Think outside the box and you'll find a lot more other than trees and plants. No matter if its summer or spring, your yard will look very attractive all year. Those beautiful plants and trees will make your yard beautiful and shine in all seasons. You can also use walls and fences to make your home look beautiful.

Calculate your budget before you search for Delaware Landscape Company. After you calculate your budget now its time to search for professional landscapers. It's easy to find them over the internet, as I mentioned earlier in this article if you are in Delaware search for a term "Delaware Landscape" and you'll find plenty of them. Be sure to stick to your budget when you start to meet with Delaware landscapers. Just move to another Delaware landscape company if you feel you are being pushed to spend more than your budget. Chose that landscaper company who is willing to complete a task within your budget. It's your home, you are the customer, you'll decide what you need and how much to spend.

So in the end if you find professional and affordable Delaware Landscaper Company, you can make your yard fabulous and charming within your budget.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/tips-for-total-yard-maintenance-3333950.html

About the Author

Styla Brite is Published author and product reviewer. Continue reading more about Delaware Landscape and Tree service Delaware

Total Lawn Care is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Summer Lawn Care Tips to Keep Your Lawn Beautiful

Author: Perry Boylan

Summer is a time to enjoy being outside with your family. Barbeques and playing games in the yard are integral parts of the summertime experience. However, summer can wreak havoc on the health of your lawn, with extended hours of heat and warm weather pests. Having a professional company handle your lawn care and maintenance can leave you with a beautiful lawn all summer long - and leave you with enough time to enjoy it.

Lawn maintenance professionals know where to look for evidence of current or future insect and lawn disease problems and can usually stop the problems before they become serious threats to your lawn. The following tips are great for those who handle their own lawn care and maintenance and also serve as a great way to check up on your lawn in-between professional visits.

Lawn Grubs are a unique problem in lawns, because they work underground where they can't be seen while doing their damage. They feed on tender grass roots, which cuts off the lawn's source of water and nutrients. Lawn grubs are actually the larvae of a variety of beetles that lay their eggs in the summer, beneath the soil surface in the lawn. The eggs soon hatch and the larvae devour grass roots. Although the damage is done at that time, it may not show up until weeks or months later (when it is far too late to do anything about it).

Left untreated, the lawn will eventually turn brown and die. In severe cases, all the roots are severed and the sod can be rolled up like a carpet. To help prevent this, most lawn care professionals offer season-long protection against damaging lawn grubs with as little as one application.

Sod Webworms are one of the most common insect pests. Webworms are difficult to spot in a lawn since they're small and tend to stay at the soil surface (where they feed on the crowns of grass plants). Lawn care pros are trained to recognize the early signs of webworm damage. However, the best way to deal with sod webworms is to stop them before they start. Webworms are the larvae of small, tan colored moths that can be seen flitting about the lawn when the grass is disturbed. A few moths are normal in a lawn, but large numbers indicate that it's time to use a control to stop the larvae that will hatch soon after the eggs are laid.

Unwanted pests are not the only cause of brown, unsightly lawns. As summer temperatures rise, conditions are ripe for the infestation of lawn diseases such as dollar spot and brown patch disease. Here are the common symptoms of these lawn diseases to watch out for:

Dollar spot starts as individual brown spots about the size of a silver dollar. As the spots increase in number, they begin to join together, forming larger brown areas. If the disease is allowed to reach this stage, recovery can be slow, reducing the beauty of your lawn.

Brown Patch Disease starts in small patches a few inches in diameter and grows to cover large areas of lawn. Frequently, a "smoke ring" of dark-gray, spider-web-like mycelium may surround the area.

Follow these tips and you can enjoy the comfort of a lush, green lawn all summer long.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/summer-lawn-care-tips-to-keep-your-lawn-beautiful-1060132.html

About the Author

Perry Boylan is a Marketing Manager with Scotts LawnService. Perry has worked for Scotts Miracle-Gro for 10 years providing sound lawn, garden, and pest management advice. He has worked with both product related and service delivery business units. Scotts LawnService will transform your lawn with professional lawn care services, tree and shrub care, and pest control. Scotts offers a FREE lawn analysis. Visit http://www.scottslawnservice.com/ for information.

Summer Lawn Care is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Lawn Care Tips For Vancouver, B.c

Author: Eric Winston

Vancouvers climate is unique for the Pacific Northwest. Living under the protection of the Rocky Mountains and dipping our toes into the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver boasts Canadas mildest winters, and some of the wettest, foggiest conditions in the country. While it may seem like the rain will never end, that rain is doing some of your lawn care for you.

Weve got a genuine change of seasons here in the Lower Mainland, which is unusual for the rest of Canada. For anyone invested in exceptional lawn care in Vancouver, this presents specific challenges.

Begin your lawn care in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area in late February. Start by raking up all of the debris that may have accumulated over the winter and stand up the grass that may be laying down. Removing any of this growth will prepare your lawn for healthy and strong growth throughout the upcoming season. Make sure that your lawn mower blades are sharp before cutting your lawn. Finally aerating your lawn improves its ability to absorb water and nutrients.

The high rainfall seen in the winter months can raise the PH levels in the soil, which affects your lawn care activities in Vancouver. Counter this by spreading lime over your entire lawn. Lime will also help to keep moss at bay and keep your grass healthy if used on a regular basis.

The summer months offer days of abundant sunshine and longer days; this means that watering, mowing and fertilizing are of utmost importance. You should water your lawn two to three times a week. For fertilization, you should apply a premium slow-release fertilizer product to your lawn every 6 to 8 weeks.

Keep your lawn trimmed (once a week is usually good) and ensure that you are cutting it to the right height for the kind of grass youve got. A lawn care professional will be able to help you determine the best length for your lawn.

The late summer and fall is the time to start getting ready for the winter and prepare your lawn to come back in the spring. Preparation now will counteract the change in PH balance caused by the rainfall over the winter.

Before the end of September , make a point of checking your lawns compaction and growth to see if you need to aerate again. Make sure to fertilize and lime your lawn, and if you are looking for new growth in the Spring, consider over seeding as well. Theres usually a lovely Indian Summer and a mild Fall season, so this deadline might be moved to the end of October, but make sure you take care of your lawn before it gets too cold.

One other thing to keep in mind for lawn care in Vancouvers Fall season are the leaves - they end up everywhere, and will need to be raked on a regular basis to keep your lawn looking healthy and fresh in the Spring.

If all of this seems daunting, talking to or hiring a lawn care professional in Vancouver can guarantee your lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/lawn-care-tips-for-vancouver-bc-2142132.html

About the Author

Eric Winston is a lawn expert with BUR-HAN Lawn Care, a North Vancouver lawn care company. On our website, you will find more great lawn maintenance tips.

Lawn Care Lime is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape

Top 7 Common Lawn Care Mistakes

Author: Mary Ann Porsuelo

There are top tips to care for your lawn. Just as important as lawn care tips are the lawn care mistakes that we should know how to avoid. Lawn care and maintenance takes more than just the usual cutting and watering.

Here are the top ten lawn care mistakes that many people make. Some are so common that we think it's just normal, when in fact it is actually damaging to your lawn.

1. Cutting the lawn too short. Many of us would like to save time in mowing our lawns so we opt to cut them too short. This will give us a longer break between mows, but this does not bode well for your lawn. The idea here is that removing more than a third of a grass blade will weaken its root system. This will gradually result to future lawn problems.

2. No or very little preparation on the planting strategy and methods. Keep in mind that plants grow better when they are planted at the appropriate depth and spacing. Naturally, this would require some research about the plant and its most favorable conditions and some preparations to take better care of it. Conducting soil tests is particularly relevant because the pH balance can help determine which type of grass is best to grow on your lawn.

3. Disregarding the difference between mature plants and the young ones. It may not seem like a big thing, but noting which plants are new and which are mature is important. This concern involves the water intake of the plants. The water needs of the new and young plants tend to be bigger. They need more water and they may need to be in a sun condition different from that of the mature and established plants.

4. Watering and fertilizing at the wrong time and schedule. A watering schedule is recommended for homeowners who would like to maintain a healthy lawn. Watering amounts will depend on the seasonal changes, the weather and climate, and the area. Generally, the best time to water your lawn would be early in the morning, when you will have the least amount of evaporation. Timing and scheduling also applies to fertilizing you lawn. Depending on your location, fertilization of the lawn varies.

5. Ignoring the importance of mulch. Mulch is important for lawn care and maintenance because of its various uses. Mulching can help add or retain nutrients in your soil, repel insects, control weeds, and can reduce fertilizer needs by a third. 

6. Mistaking when to use seed and sod. Most homeowners choose one or the other based on the amount of time to build a lawn. The truth is, you should choose between seeding or sodding by the its most advantageous purpose in lawn care. Sodding helps against soil erosion and is the most effective in building a new lawn. Seeding is better in filling gaps and bare parts of a lawn.

7. Using powder products and “green” products. Power products may be cheaper but they can get blown away before it can get into the soil. Using organic products, or “green” products, can be time-consuming since it takes longer to work and a lot of applications are needed to get results.

We can see that these are all normal mistakes. But we can also see how each of these lawn care mistakes can hinder us from making a great and healthy lawn.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/top-7-common-lawn-care-mistakes-532721.html

About the Author

The author of this article is a webmaster and is currently working on Boise Lawn Care. Feel free to contact her at keywriterm@gmail.com for any inquiries or concerns.

Lawn Care Seeding is a post from: Popular Garden and Landscape