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Posts Tagged ‘loam’

Ten Reasons to improve your lawn in NH or VT

Published by mrgrass2 on January 25th, 2011 - in Lawn Care Companies, Misc.

The Environment #10 and #9

#10 A healthy lawn reduces water runoff and soil erosion which in turns protects our lakes and streams from sediment moving from the land into the water. Turf is a living filter which protects ground water quality through a vast network of roots, thatch, and leaves. There are many lawn products that can be used close to or up to the water without harming that ecosystem such as lime, kelp, and further back slow release products.

#9 A healthy lawn will absorb 6 times as much rainfall as a common hay-field. A healthy lawn entraps pollutants and with the help of soil microbes, biodegrades them safely. Coating grass seed with mycorrhizae improves turf defensive capabilities against insects and disease issues often reducing the need for fertilizer in a calendar year. Compost tea is a perfect example of how to improve the soil and help your lawn simultaneously.

Functional Benefits #8 thru #4

#8 A healthy lawn dissipates heat and reduces the energy required to cool homes and buildings- thus saving energy.

#7 Turf grass abates noise and reduces glare.

#6 A mown lawn decreases disease carrying ticks and reduces fire hazards near wooded areas.

#5 Well maintained turf grass reduces injury from sports played at home, school, or elsewhere.

#4 A well cared for lawn is actually a low-cost asset that can be physically used or enjoyed for pure viewing pleasure.

Health #3 thru #1

#3 Studies show the cycle of growing grass and the color green lift human spirits and provide both thoughts and feelings of happiness, privacy, and serenity.

#2 Well maintained turf is known to have therapeutic effects on humans as measured by heart rate and blood pressure- increasing recovery rate of hospital patients.

#1 Hiring a licensed, experienced turf professional will help you accomplish some if not all of the benefits above while insuring the job is done correctly. Free up valuable time and spend it with your family or friends!

As you can gather, grass is simply more than just a lawn! Winter is the perfect time to explore the advantages of utilizing the skills of your local turf care provider. Perhaps this is the year to explore natural or organic products? Stop guessing and wondering if you are putting down too much or too little material while wasting your valuable Saturday or Sunday. Send that e-mail or make that phone call today and get your lawn on the right path in 2011.

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An insider view, lawn care trends in NH & VT

Published by mrgrass2 on January 14th, 2011 - in Compost Tea, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies

Lawncare trends in 2011

The clock is ticking as companies prepare for the snow melt and the onset of the 2011 lawn care season. In this blog post, I shall briefly cover compost tea, kelp, fertilizer pricing, Mycorrhizae, and other trends worth exploring.

As petroleum prices rise, so does the cost of manufacturing basic fertilizer components. Lawn care companies can expect to pay more for their fertilizer products in 2011, thus increasing the need to execute an effective and efficient turf program. There has been one price increase already with perhaps another expected midyear. Those companies unable to make sound business practices may become a thing of the past. Some price increases may inevitably be passed onto the customer as pressure builds to make a profit in a highly competitive industry.

The bell continues to toll for fundamental changes utilizing basic soil and environmental processes in the lawn care industry. These options include inoculating seed with beneficial fungi called Mycorrhizae. One inoculation allows this fungus to multiply and spread within a lawn area. Long used in the tree industry, Mycorrhizae sets up a friendly relationship on the turf root system, breaking down surrounding nutrients and minerals. The end result generally becomes a lessened demand on the quantity of fertilizer required due to this helpful relationship below ground.

There are still more options available beyond standard fertilizers such as compost tea and kelp; both which utilize actual plant material, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and much more to help improve soil structure and thereby create a healthier lawn. Compost tea usually contains beneficial bacteria, sugars, and kelp; all which help grass become stronger while simultaneously improving the defensive mechanism to fight off insect and disease pressure. Although there are lots of blends and types of compost tea, the general idea is to strengthen the lawn so it can withstand drought, insect, and disease pressure as it appears during the growing season. Compost tea and kelp both help build the soil which is very often a large limiting factor in improving a lawn. With many lawns containing high amounts of sand or minimal top soil, adding kelp and or compost tea becomes are very sound decision. Both sea kelp and compost tea are not inexpensive, but they provide key materials not found in most fertilizers and improve soil infrastructure. Compare the investment in compost tea, kelp, or Mycorrhizae versus renovating your lawn and you are looking at saving thousands of dollars at a minimum. Any lawn treatment which can help reduce fertilizer demand and build the soil is certainly worth exploring and perhaps even using in 2011.

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Review your lawn contract before renewing

Published by mrgrass2 on October 19th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Ice Melt, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding, Turf Disease

If it seems to good to be true- you may be right

Did your doctor ever tell you to get a second opinion? Hundreds of commercial lawn care contracts will be mailed out shortly to residential homes in remote parts of NH and VT. Even more lawn contracts will be mailed out to commercial customers in the hopes that those in the appropriate position will sign, mail, or simply fax it back with no questions asked. I propose that each contract deserves not only a second opinion, but a thorough examination line by line item. The national and larger regional lawn care companies typically roll your program over from year to year.

Most lawns are not being examined to determine true needs but rather recycled in archives from prior years like a CD player on repeat. While this automated process may approach adequate at best, I sincerely doubt you are receiving a turf care program worthy of your hard-earned dollars. Furthermore, I doubt most existing clients even understand what they are receiving and why versus what is available in their market area. Let me expand on this theme.

Many remote lawn accounts are labeled and classified as ”commercial”, with most customers unaware of this practice. These kinds of accounts are processed at a high volume utilizing heavy machines called Turf-Trackers or even tractors. These machines do a decent job on large properties or fields but are anything but light and are not ideally suited to home lawns or smaller settings. An inexperienced operator can easily cause damage while running the machine over frost covered lawns, shaded locations, and especially slopes. Turf can be easily torn, compacted, and ripped up without careful attention from the driver. These machines make it easy to operate at an aggressive speed as they work to achieve the goals set for them by the larger corporate office. If these facts don’t cause you to raise an eyebrow, please read on.

Unfortunately, many of these “commercial” contracts are recycled revenue without any fresh investigation data to support the renewal. In fact, I would wager that most if not the majority of these accounts are seldom looked at beyond the production dollars they represent each year. Simply put, the large national chains are usually too far away and their attempts to service remote regions often severely stress their limited staff and outsourced customer service centers. Most national lawn care companies utilize lawn programs like McDonald’s “Happy meals” except without the toy because you get a few fertilizer visits, grub control, and a lime treatment. Who would question that?

Does your phone call get forwarded to a call center or does a real person answer your call? Are you able to reach your lawn care office or do you even know where it is? Are you supporting your local economy or something much larger?

How can these large lawn care services claim and advertise to be local when they drive nearly 2 hrs to service lawns in remote areas of NH beyond their primary service market? Is that local service? Again, any company that pre-mixes fertilizer in a liquid medium and then applies it to every lawn in a single day is doing their clients a basic injustice as outlined in my blog post (http://mrgrassblog.net/2010/04/22/price-and-the-…awn-treatments/ ‎). Mixing concentrated fertilizer into a liquid is an easy and inexpensive way to administer a lawn program. As I said before, yes it works well for some lawns but not all lawns. You get exactly what you pay for with this type of treatment, a quick buzz of green. There are lots of natural and organic alternatives to this kind of turf care.

Before you sign on the dotted line, before you pre-pay for your entire year upfront- get a second opinion from a local lawn care company. I welcome the questions and the challenge to take your property to the next level. If you are not in our service area, I have companies I can recommend to you- just leave a comment to this post. Even if you decide not to make a change, doesn’t it just make sense to get another opinion like a car or house repair? Don’t just sign without thinking about what things could be like in 2011. I know it’s easy to just send the lawn contract back, but a free second opinion from any other turf health care company is time well spent. Make this winter the time where you decide to explore what has been going down on your lawn in the past and why! Support your local economy and research who services your town for lawn treatments. Exploring new options can be educational, fun, and you might even receive better results!

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Excessive grub activity is going undetected in NH lawns

Published by mrgrass2 on September 28th, 2010 - in Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Misc.

If your lawn is brown, don’t assume it is merely drought damage or continued drought given the dry weather pattern in NH. Many lawns are being eaten right now by white grubs of all kinds. White grubs are in bountiful numbers given the past dry, hot weather in NH & VT. Unfortunately, many homeowners and commercial locations are not aware of this damage which will continue well into early November. Many landscapers do not have the education or proper state certification and licensing to diagnose and treat complex lawn problems. Left unchecked, grub damage can destroy sections if not entire lawn areas within weeks to months if left untreated. The news gets worse! These grubs will hide and wait until next spring, then the feeding will start again! Many brown turf areas can be infested with grubs because many will assume the area was caused by drought and high heat. While this may be true for some, other lawns will continue the downward spiral without appropriate action this fall or at best next spring.

Look for animals digging like crows, ravens, or skunks at night. The turf will be easily uprooted since the root system is being attacked and cannot grow fast enough to anchor the grass to the surface. Focus on sunny areas, along driveways or walkways. Hot, or sunny areas are prime locations for beetles to lay their eggs for the next generation. Your grass may be brown mixed in with green but when exposed, the trained eye can find grubs of varying sizes and types. There are many products which can be used to control grubs including chemicals and nematodes. Each claims success under various conditions and instructions to the home owner. Don’t assume that picking up a bag at Lowes or the Home Depot will insure results. Unfortunately, there are many products aimed at specific periods in the life cycle of grubs so a bag of ”Grub X or Milky Spore” applied in the fall does not mean it will work. You must read the label or call a professional to determine if your $30 investment will actually work or just make you feel good. If in doubt ask- don’t simply apply materials to your lawn without understanding the ramifications, that would not be environmentally responsible. While grass is important, what you do to the environment is more important. This is why professionals like myself must train, take written plus verbal exams by state agencies, and work in the field to gain “real world” experience.

Don’t let brown areas go unchecked, go call or e-mail a reputable lawn care company like mine. Speak with a local professional with appropriate licensing and experience to give you the real answer. Your lawn need not be damaged with proper information to back up appropriate action!

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Fall lawn treatments in NH & VT

Published by mrgrass2 on September 24th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lawn Pests, Bugs & Insects, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

Fall is an excellent time to repair the damage caused by the summer of 2010. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to prepare your lawn for next spring by adding new grass to brown or bare spots. Even if your lawn seems ok, there is always work which can be done to improve it for next year. If your lawn suffered from the hot, dry weather of 2010 don’t think you are alone. Most grass suffered under minimal rainfall, above average temperatures, and brutal heat which in turn promoted insect and drought damage. Don’t be fooled and think your lawn is brown simply from a lack of water or heat. Any brown areas in your lawn in September or October can be prime indicators of chinch bugs, white grubs, sod webworms, or other noxious turf pests. If you are in doubt, have an expert examine your lawn because many of these pests will not go away. In fact, they will overwinter and return next spring only to continue the population explosion and expand their dominion conquering your lawn and raising the flag of victory. The problem is, the flag is not your’s and will only mean expensive renovations and possibly drastic measures to eliminate the enemy.

What procedures should you consider? Aeration is at the top of the list and can be done up until the ground freezes in November. Seeding after aeration is called overseeding and is a great procedure. For most of us in Upper Valley region, we can seed well into mid October and still expect decent results in most years. Depending upon weather conditions, seeding later is a roll of the dice and results may be reduced by the onset of early snow or unusually cold weather. Have sea kelp applied to your lawn to improve root density and promote organic matter. Let us not forget lime, our old friend who will adjust soil pH so fertilizer works better. Of course, applying a high potassium fertilizer in addition to a standard balanced fertilization is wonderful- especially in October. Potassium thickens cell walls and makes the grass more resistant to drying out, ice and drought damage. Many benefits are derived from a late season balanced fertilization which is not intended to push top growth, but become stored for use next spring in the root system and soil environment. The tougher your grass, the better it can withstand ice, cold, and the drying winds of winter.

In summary, a lot of things can be done in a very short period of time to provide a whole lot of benefit to your home or commercial lawn area. Don’t miss the window of opportunity to enhance your brown lawn this fall.

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Fall Seeding replaces crabgrass

Published by mrgrass2 on September 14th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

A very common question I hear is, “When is the best time to seed your lawn?”. My answer is usually the same due to a few basic factors. Fall wins over spring for a few key reasons. The first being the soil is already nice and warm- ideal for faster seed germination with sufficient moisture. Spring soil is usually cold and even after weeks of warm weather- soil temperatures do not reach into the low 50′s until mid to late May. Any colder and the seed tends to stay dormant and dry out. Therefore, fall is perfect for seeding since the soil temperature is already much higher than this- allowing for faster germination periods which means a better lawn for you.

The second reason is the competition- crabgrass and annual weeds like spurge and oxalis are just germinating in the spring- growing and fighting for space, light, water, and nutrients. Spring seeding and especially summer seeding can often spell disaster because crabgrass will grow so much faster than the seed you planted. This is an unfair competition because soil laden with crabgrass seed will win every time- even more so in hot, dry weather. In the fall, these plants are all dying! Hurray! Yes, the bad guys are dying and cannot harass your new grass. Therefore, you have two very big reasons to seed in the fall over the spring because its your time and money. Why not take advantage of the next 6 to 8 weeks and do a little lawn fixing? It will be an entire year before you see can seize this opportunity again.

If you seed now, you can apply a crabgrass barrier next spring and help suppress all the bad guys I mentioned above. If you wait to seed until spring, you will have to forego crabgrass control- unless you pay for a unique product that is VERY expensive which allows seeding and a crabgrass barrier to be applied at the same time. For most folks, seeding in the fall and applying a solid barrier in the spring makes the most sense- don’t make the fight uphill, go with the flow and take advantage of each season according to the life cycles and maximum benefit you can derive! Get seeding today!

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Brown lawn? Look to aerate this fall.

Published by mrgrass2 on September 8th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Cultural Practices, Lawn Care Companies, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

Core aeration is a mechanical process that extracts cores of soil, thatch and grass from the surface of the lawn. This increases nutrient availability, water penetration, soil air exchange, and reduces compaction. All of these benefits lead to a healthier lawn.

Aeration can be done any time of the year, but typically it is done in the spring and or fall when soil moisture is greatest to insure good plugs. In addition, any lawn can be over seeded after aeration in order to add hybrid grasses to help thicken up an existing lawn or thin areas. Aeration is a great process and should be done annually to help maintain good soil health while minimizing compaction.

Core aeration should not be confused with dethatching or power rakes, a different machine which tears and rips turf- often causing more damage than good. Aeration is a professional means to manage a turf area that is often under care such as fertilizer and lime treatments.

What are the benefits of Aeration?

- Increased moisture penetration since the holes open up space for rain to reach the root system below. The surface of the soil is hardened from high heat and summer drought. A lack of rain makes the surface of the lawn much harder to loosen up due to the baking action of summer heat.

- Increased oxygen exchange (important for healthy roots) especially in compacted and dry soils. Punching holes in the lawn will physically allow air to reach into the surrounding root systems, even as the hole begins to break down and fill back in with soil next spring.

- Reduces soil compaction (especially soils high in clay) caused by those summer parties or high use. Compacted soil does not promote healthy roots in grass or trees for that matter.

- Increases penetration of fertilizers and other lawn products due to the holes being made. The pellets or flakes simply roll into the plug and dissolve for faster results.

- Increases rate of thatch decomposition due to micro-organisms being brought up to the surface in the plug itself. There is no need to rake aeration plugs off a home lawn as they breakdown on their own in a short period of time.

- Increases root development due to the vacant space created by the aerator tine. The turf roots can expand outward and beyond in search of water, air, and nutrients in the soil.

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Prepare for fall lawn projects

Published by mrgrass2 on August 23rd, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

September is almost here! What plans to you have for your grass this fall? If you are like most people, you know something should be done, but just don’t know what is important. Like most lawns, summer can be a tragic event with high heat, summer weeds, crabgrass, and browning- a distasteful combination for sure! Don’t lose hope, things can be done to turn your lawn around before winter. Fall is an ideal time to consider several applications that will give you the most for your green dollar.

Start simple. Don’t tackle a lawn project without starting out simple. An easy fall lawn treatment would be lime. Lime has a multitude of benefits and helps fertilizer function better. Like a great hair conditioner lime raises soil pH thereby making most fertilizer nutrients more available to the turf roots. Since it is difficult to apply too much lime, this is a simple, hard to mess up application for the most part. Try to use high calcium limes or at the very least, pelletized dolomitic limestone. Stay away from crushed limestone as it makes a mess and takes a very long time to actually work – months upon months vs weeks for the others I mentioned. So if you do anything this fall, put a good- heavy application of lime down to sweeten your soil.

As your brown lawn comes out of dormancy it will be looking for nutrients to begin the recovery process. Like a multivitamin in waiting, your lawn will benefit tremendously from a balanced- slow release fertilizer. Don’t worry so much about the analysis (the numbers like 10-5-19 etc), but try to select a nice balanced product. There are more fertilizer combinations than ice cream flavors so don’t be intimidated.

Aeration and overseeding are big fall treatments that can make substantial gains in a healthy lawn or one that has taken a hit due to drought and or thinning from disease or insect damage. Aeration will help with compaction, air, water, and nutrient availability plus it makes holes for overseeding. Overseeding will not establish a lawn but it will add superior turf to an existing lawn or a thin one. Topdressing and seeding can be used at the same time for bare patches or if small sections of the lawn have perished. Don’t be too quick in pronouncing grass dead- just because things are brown does not indicate dead turf. Most turf will brown out as a normal protective measure due to heat and or lack of moisture. Lots of grass can break this dormant period after cooler weather and some significant rain- this process just takes time- patience is key.
On the other hand, extended drought- short mowing- and or insect damage may result in turf thinning to all out destruction in a variety of sizes. If you are in doubt- have a professional check and give you the diagnosis before starting over from scratch something that can be come very time-consuming and expensive.

Broadleaf weed control can be used once weeds begin to grow. Annual weeds like crabgrass and spurge will die out on its own. Remember, most broadleaf weed control products will stress out turf- so only use this material as needed and at the right time. In addition, if you use broadleaf weed control- seeding and or overseeding can be delayed or postponed many weeks due to incompatibility issues. As a home owner, you must decide whether to aerate and overseed first and wait on weed control, or do you go after the weeds first and then aerate and overseed later in the fall. This is a fine dance and timing is important due to the onset of cooler weather and approaching frost/snow in November. If in doubt, ask someone in this kind of business first for advice. Once the material is down, you cannot take it back up and the delay may very well mean a missed opportunity.

A winterizer or a late season fertilizer treatment is a great application to help your grass store up energy for next spring. A late season potassium treatment is different from a winterizer being a balanced product. Potassium normally comes in a 0-0-62 blend, not a balanced product as compared to a winterizer that would be a 25-8-15 for example. The key to a late season application is so you don’t push a lot of new growth this year, but allow the lawn to store up the energy for next spring as a reserve. Potassium helps thicken cell walls and makes your lawn more resistant to drought, disease, and winter damage. Both applications are most useful when applied properly.

I hope this small post has inspired you to plan your attack this fall, after all, it is still early and lots can be done! Don’t let the fall slip away into winter, do some research- ask some questions, and get that grass looking better for 2011!

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Put your lawn on the right road this fall

Published by mrgrass2 on August 20th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

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Back to School applies to your lawn as well

Published by mrgrass2 on August 12th, 2010 - in Aeration or Core Aeration, Broadleaf Weeds, Crabgrass, Cultural Practices, Fertilizer, Lawn Care Companies, Lime, Misc., Seeding & Overseeding

Look beyond your current lawn

As August wanes slowly into September, one can hear the school bells ringing in the distance, beckoning fresh pens, note books, and clothes for all the children readying themselves for another school year. This time of year not only signifies preparation for school, but an ideal- if not momentous time frame to make significant gains in your lawn. Yes, it’s back to school for your grass too! Fall has huge advantages over spring in terms of aeration, seeding, renovations (large and small), liming, potassium, and various blends of fertilizer. Fall is “Christmas” when it comes to strategically improving your urban or suburban lawn through a host of treatments in a short period of time- 1 to 2 months in most cases. Why all the fuss? Why all the clatter- what could be the matter? I will tell you so please read on!

Your grass likely took a pounding this summer with the unusually high heat, dry periods, weed invasions of all kinds that crawl or stand upright. People, this is war and if you don’t make your move- the enemy will win- you will lose ground. Fall is the perfect time to fight back- but why you say? The soil is warm with cool nights making ideal seed germination conditions. Annual weeds like crabgrass- spurge and other villains are dying- on their way out which means minimal completion for light, nutrients, and space. Indeed, fall has many benefits similar to late spring without the mud, cold soil, and upcoming competition of those aforementioned annual weeds. Simply put, if you love or even like your lawn- if you dabble in applying a little fertilizer here or there- this is the time to do it. Deep down, you know you should act- but how?

If you hire a company like mine- all of the details will be handled for you. However, should you take on this roll yourself- you must plan out what you want to accomplish because the timing and sequence of events are important for maximum results. After all, working for no results is not much fun- like eating out at a restaurant with no food- fun for a few minutes but quickly becomes a waste of time and energy.

Aeration and over-seeding rank #1 and #2 in our top 6 turf list of beneficial things to do. I will not go into detail as to why these services are so important- you can check out my earlier blog posts for that- but rather I will rate the treatments in terms of overall importance. http://mrgrass.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/think-aeration-overseeding-this-fall/

Coming in at #3 is lime, especially high calcium lime- again- check out my post and link below which explains why lime is so important, especially around seeding. http://mrgrass.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/lime-in-the-key-to-any-successful-lawn-care-program/

Sea Kelp, a natural bio-stimulant, soil enhancer, and organic matter delight comes in at #4 in our top 6 list of lawn treatments. If your lawn is new, sandy, weak, or has soil that was best left in a landfill or Walmart parking lot- this product is for you! The best part about Sea Kelp is how wonderful it is to improving the soil and root zone environment for your grass. You may have a hard time finding some fresh Sea Kelp, but it is worth the time finding it. http://mrgrass.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/sea-kelp-a-multivitamin-for-your-lawn-soil/. Lets just say Sea Kelp is one of my favorite overall treatments. The only reason Kelp ranks 4th is it can be done any time of year! If you have not had a treatment, now is the time- don’t wait until spring.

Rolling in at #5 is a balanced fertilizer treatment (1-3 visits) depending upon your exposure, grass types, and how early you start the series of treatments (Aug vs Oct).

The #6 treatment is potassium and can be done in late September to early November depending upon your geographic location. For more information on this treatment, click on this link. http://mrgrass.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/give-your-lawn-a-banana-potassium/

In an ideal situation, you would want to complete the entire list. However, budget restraining- I have numbered them in order of priority in terms of benefit to your lawn this fall. So while you are out clothes shopping for your kids and just found that perfect backpack or stapler- don’t forget to prepare your lawn for school as well! Rent that aerator, buy that seed, shop for lime and fertilizer. Best of luck and I wish that the grass may always be greener on your side of the fence!

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The Official Chippers Turf Blog

Posts Tagged ‘loam’

Ten Reasons to improve your lawn in NH or VT

An insider view, lawn care trends in NH & VT

Review your lawn contract before renewing

Excessive grub activity is going undetected in NH lawns

Fall lawn treatments in NH & VT

Fall Seeding replaces crabgrass

Brown lawn? Look to aerate this fall.

Prepare for fall lawn projects

Put your lawn on the right road this fall

Back to School applies to your lawn as well

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