7/10/25:

Thanks for checking in for the Latest News. What could be going on with your lawn...

Conditions are perfect for lawn fungus. We are seeing a wide variety of fungi - thanks to the hot, wet, and humid conditions. Yes, your lawn will grow out of it. This month, we are actively putting down fertilizer to help your lawn grow.

• How can you help? If you have an irrigation system, the ideal set up is: water 3 times per week, at 30 minutes per zone. This will give your lawn adequate water, while also allowing the roots to dry out and dive deeper looking for water to improve your turf quality. The lawn needs moisture to grow, but the roots need to dry out to discourage fungus activity.

• Cut your grass high! This will mask the fungus activity while also keeping the green color. Remember, long and green is better than short and brown. (See previous Latest News for more on this!)

• A reminder-when we are there to apply fertilizer, we will also spot spray any weeds that we are currently seeing. With this wet weather, more than normal weeds are sneaking in! Remember the weeds need to be PRESENT to kill them, so please do not pull them.

6/22/2025:

We finally got the warmer weather that we have been looking for all spring and early summer! We really didn't want it all at once, but here we go!

Please check your mower height! The quickest way to burn up your lawn is by cutting it too short! When it is 95 degrees outside, the lawn grows very little. Think about extending the number of days between cuts. As we always say, we would rather have our lawn long and green, than short and brown!

We will start round #3 after the 4th of July. This round is a fertilizer that is activated by heat and water. Do not worry about it burning out your lawn. After the sulfur coating is washed off, either from rain or dew, it is time released to help your lawn. We will also be spot spraying any weeds that have popped up since our last visit.

Ideal set up for your irrigation system: 3 times per week at 30 minutes per zone. This will give your lawn adequate water, while also allowing the roots to dry out and dive deeper looking for water to improve your turf quality. This will also help avoid fungus issues!

To all our customers with dogs, please know that we really do appreciate that you clean up after your pet. Tracking your dog's waste onto other lawns, as well as the smell, is not ideal for us. Thanks again!

Keep those mower blades sharp! If the blade is dull, it will tear the tips of the grass and make it susceptible to fungus. It will also take away from the deep green color of the turf.


Stay cool!

Katie and Gary

5/1/2025:

Here is hoping May is a warmer month than April was! There are a lot of things going on with yards this spring! Let's dive in!

• The soil temp is still very cold for this time of year. We are at least a week behind last year. This has the turf struggling to shake off the winter blues. The small brown spots you might see in your lawn will quickly disappear as the soil temp warms up and the turf begins to grow, spreading into the vacant areas. Turf is invasive and will take advantage of areas to grow into.

• We have also noticed that we have the leftover effects of last fall's drought. Some lawns are struggling from it more than others. If you have a weak area in your turf, it is likely an area that has gotten worse and starting up slow. Again, soil temps are very cold, so we are hoping that as the temps increase, these areas will recover.

• To complicate matters, we are also seeing trees that are competing with the turf as the tree roots absorb as much moisture as possible while they begin to leaf out. This requires a lot of energy from the tree, and the turf will suffer in the immediate area under the tree canopy.

• I would encourage you to do overseeding (after June 1st), again with quality grass seed. Be sure to water to help it along.

• We also offer aeration and overseeding in early fall if you feel your lawn needs additional attention. Email Katie if you want to get on our list for aeration!

3/19/2025:

Well, it looks like winter is over, at least for today! Based on the latest temperatures, we are planning to start the first round of applications on March 31st. Weather dependent, all lawns will get the first round during the month of April.

TO OUR NEW CUSTOMERS:

Please know that the first round will do NOTHING for the existing weeds in your yard. The first application is a fertilizer with crabgrass control. If you plan to do any seeding this spring, please wait until June 1st to plant any new grass seed. The product that we apply does not differentiate germinating crab grass from new grass seed. Since most of our new customers have weedier yards than our current customers, we do spray all our new customers FIRST. Don't be surprised if you see us on your property within weeks apart with round 1 and round 2 - first year only.

We are very close to being booked for the season. Thank you to all who have referred us! It's the biggest compliment you can give us. We are happy to take on a select number of accounts - referrals or neighbors of existing customers. As always, we hope that Mother Nature will provide us with a beautiful spring with lots of timely rain!


Gary and Katie

8/7/2024:

More info on the latest happenings on your lawns -- that you may or may not notice!!

**We are definitely noticing more weeds in the yards – much more than normal!

• With all the rain that we received this summer, we are seeing weeds germinating for the entire summer. We already did a blanket weed spray on Round #2. We did a spot spray for any weeds we noticed while fertilizing on Round #3. We will be starting Round #4, the second blanket weed spray, mid-August.

• We all need to cut our turf higher. If you look at our previous Latest News topics… we touch on it every time. It’s that important. This gives the root system some shade and discourages weed and crabgrass growth.
• We need to take advantage of the leaves in the fall. Mulching them up while you mow your grass provides the turf with free nutrients. These nutrients will be help tremendously the following spring. As long as the leaves are mulched and the mulch doesn't smother the turf (you need to be able to see the turf when you are done mulching) you will receive great benefits! It is easier to mulch the leaves than rake them into piles and haul them somewhere!
  

• 7/24/2024:
  
  Do your shoes look like this??
  
  
  
  Just as you were getting used to the fungus Red Thread, we have another one to add to the list!
  
  Turfgrass Rust
  
  Rust is a turf fungus that causes grass to appear yellow or orange from a distance. The fungus produces powdery orange spores that can easily be picked up just by walking on your turf. Check out the picture of my shoes! Not to worry, rust will dissipate with added fertilizer. Irrigation and rain will also help!
  
  
  Gary and Katie

• 6/10/2024:
  
  What a wet spring/early summer we are having! Did you know that this is the 2nd wettest spring we have on record? What does this mean for my lawn? Let's get into it...
  
  RED THREAD -- This is a turf fungus that we are seeing a lot of this year - appearing earlier than normal. How can you spot it? Grab a handful of grass and look at the tips. They will have stringy ends that will also have a red or pink color to it. Will this hurt my lawn? Not really. The turf will simply have less green to it for a while. It will grow out of it. The only way of getting rid of it is to have the plant outgrow it. If it really bothers you, we can add an additional application of fertilizer. This will help make it more green. Please reach out to us if you’d like that.
  
  MUSHROOMS - Yep, all this wet weather will affect certain areas of your lawn. Some areas will have perfect conditions for mushrooms to pop up. Will this have any consequences for my turf? Nope. Once it dries out a little bit and you continue with normal mowing, they will disappear.
  
  WEEDS - The weed of the year so far has been Corn Speedwell. This is an annual that germinates in the winter. It will disappear naturally in the summer. For people with a farming background, think winter wheat. When we are there to spray for weeds, we will take care of it. For whatever reason, the conditions have been perfect for this weed to germinate and thrive
  
  
  
  
  We are getting closer to finishing up Round #2 - the broadleaf weed spray. If we haven't already been on your lawn, we will be there shortly. The rain and windy conditions have definitely delayed our applications.
  
  Have a lovely start to summer!
  
  Gary and Katie

• 4/29/2024:
  Weeds are likely the issue that brought you to us! Please know not every application is for weeds . Fertilizer helps to create lush lawns to keep weeds out, but not every application kills them.
  
  We will be starting round #2 in early May. This is the broadleaf weed spray that will kill the weeds. It is a contact spray, so the weeds need to be present. Please DO NOT PULL THE WEEDS by hand. We start this round with our new customers. These are by far the weediest lawns that we have. We spray the new lawns first -- even if your neighbor is a longtime customer - we come back later to spray their yard.
  
  Because of last season’s drought, we are noticing more weeds than normal for this time of year. The drought caused a lot of dead and weak spots in the turf. The weeds took advantage of that! We are also seeing some winter annual weeds. Winter annuals are weeds that germinate in November and December. We will be cleaning these up during this round as well.
  
  A few things to note:
  
  --Please do not cut your grass until the day after we SPRAY your lawn (applications 2 and 4.) This allows the chemical time to get into the weed’s root system. When we apply a dry granular fertilizer, it won’t matter if you mow on the same day.
  
  --Please keep your pets off the turf until it is completely dry. The state’s regulation is to keep them off until sunset the following day.
  
  --Please do not pick the weeds in your turf! The plant needs to be present for the chemical to get into the root system.
  
  --With summer coming, please adjust your mower to the healthiest height. The best height to set your mower to is 3-3.5”. Measure the distance from the driveway to the bottom of the mower blade. It should be at least 3”. 3.5” is even better. Last season, we saw a lot of dead grass, due to people cutting their grass too short or cutting during the hottest part of the day. Leaving the grass longer allows the roots to be better protected. Longer grass also keeps the weeds out. Let's work together to get that lawn in the best shape!

• What a crazy winter!  I am not sure if I mean Dec, Jan, and Feb or just the last couple of days!  We are ready to get out and fertilize the lawns. However, all the rain and snow  the last couple of days have held us at bay. 

  Remember last summer?  Yes, we had drought conditions last year.  It is easy to forget!  Some lawns are still showing the scars.  Our first application of fertilizer also has crabgrass control in it.  That means it does not differentiate between germinating crabgrass and grass seed.  Please wait until June 1st if you plan on doing any seeding work.

  While on the topic of grass seed, let's talk about mowing.  In the next 3-4 weeks you will likely be mowing. Please be aware of your mowing height.  Last summer, we saw many lawns burn up, due to lawns being cut too short.  Please cut your grass at 3 to 3.5 inches.  This will help shade out any weed pressure, but will also protect the plant from summer heat and stress.

  We do have limited openings on some of our routes.  Please feel free to refer us to your friends, neighbors and your HOA, sooner than later 😉

  Think Spring!

  Gary and Katie

   

• Fall is our favorite time of the year! This is a great time for your lawn also. The turf is doing a lot of work that we don't see. It is no longer pushing growth into the stem and crown of the plant, but the energy is going to the root system. The soil still has plenty of warmth. The plant is getting ready for winter and most importantly, getting ready for next spring. We just experienced one of the worst droughts since we have been in business. (The worst was in 1988, followed by 2012.) Our hope is that any spots that were damaged by the drought will repair itself naturally over the winter and spring season. We will keep an eye on any troubled spots.
  
  THIS AND THAT
  You just fertilized, but I have leaves on my lawn. Will it still do its job?
  Don’t worry, the fertilizer prill will find its way to the turf. Every time the wind blows, every time you cut the grass, every time you rake or blow the leaves, the prill will roll off and get to the turf. It will not be sucked up by the mower. If we see areas that are particularly thick, we will put down extra product just in case.
  
  What about the leaves on my turf?
  They are free nutrients! Use them! Mulch them up! As long as you can see the turf when you are done mulching, they will decompose. They use the available energy and will be gone come March. Just do not let them decompose without mulching them. This will suffocate the lawn...
  
  Should I cut my lawn shorter in the fall?
  Simple answer? No. Why do people do it? Some do it to keep the vole population down. Some do it so the leaves blow into the neighbor's lawn. Some because they are tired of cutting it come fall! REMEMBER, come spring – CUT IT AT A HIGHER length. The best mowing height is 3-3.5”. Do not cut it short in the spring or you will be seeing more weeds and damage done to your lawn.
  
  Thank you to all of our wonderful customers! We look forward to another great year in 2024! Please leave us a Google or facebook review. Our business thrives on referrals. We always appreciate the feedback. Contracts for next season will be emailed in January. Please keep an eye out for them.
  
  Have a great winter!
  
  Gary and Katie

• It has been a dry and hot summer!!  We are very grateful that we received a heavy dose of rain last week.  This will help tremendously as we enter into the early fall season.  We will also start to receive benefits from early morning dew, lower overnight temperatures, lower daily high temperatures, and reduced humidity.  While the lawns definitely took a beating, we believe if we get some decent rain this fall, they will recover quickly

  We are beginning Round #4 at the end of August and will finish up in early October.  This round is a blanket weed spray.  This will take care of any weeds that germinated since our last visit.  It will also provide for a weed free lawn in the spring.  Think no dandelions in your yard come next spring!  What weeds have we been seeing the most this summer?  That would be queen ann's lace and the ever present thistle.  We will be taking care of them this round!

  One thing we want to stress more in the upcoming seasons is the mowing height.  Many people are cutting their lawns way too short.  When it gets hot out, they burn up very quickly, show new weed growth, and also allow the crabgrass to muscle onto the scene.  During the midsummer months, please be sure to cut your turf at 3 inches or higher.  Measure the distance from the pavement to the bottom of the mower blade.  The settings on your machine are often off by as much as an inch! 

  We hope you had a wonderful summer as we look forward to the best most beautiful season of all, fall!

  Gary and Katie

   

• Happy Spring!

  After a relatively mild winter based on temperature, we are finally getting our snow! Yesterday we got another 4 - 6 inches and it was beautiful! With that being said, we are ready for spring to come.

  Unless Mother Nature has other plans, we have every intention to start the first application on Monday, April 3rd. We will apply the first application to all lawns during the month of April.

  To our new customers, please know that the first round will do NOTHING for the existing weeds in your turf. The first application is a fertilizer with crabgrass control. If you plan to do any seeding this spring, and we have already treated your turf, please wait until June 1st to plant any new grass seed. The product that we applied does not differentiate from crabgrass and new grass seed.

  We are very close to being booked for the season. Thank you to all who have referred us! It’s the biggest compliment you can give us. We are happy to take on a select number of accounts – referrals or neighbors of existing customers. As always, we hope that Mother Nature will provide us with a beautiful spring and before you know it, we will have sunny, warm weather!

  Gary and Katie