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How to Determine If You Need a Lawn Care Professional

Author: Grant Eckert


Lawn care is simply mowing the lawn and raking the leaves, right? Who needs help with that? Lawn care is much more than that and even the mowing alone can keep a person busy during a good growing season. So, the real question becomes: "How do I know when I need a lawn care professional?"

The first and easiest indicator is the condition of your lawn. If your lawn is "getting away from you" and you simply can't keep up, a lawn care professional may be able to help. Many people work long hours at their job and by the time they make it home, mowing the lawn is the last thing on their mind. Even with newer riding lawnmowers, a decently sized lawn can still take an hour or more to mow, time that could be spent with the family or doing other odd jobs around the house.

Of course, lawn mowing is not the only concern in the lawn care arena. The overall condition of the grass is important, too. If your grass is spotty or simply not growing in areas, you may need some lawn care help. If you don't know, or care to know, the difference between Kentucky Blue Grass and Annual Ryegrass or the differences in cool season grasses and warm season grasses, you may want to get a professional to come help you select the proper grass for your particular lawn. They will have the experience and knowledge to know what type of grass is best suited for your soil content and shade level.

These professionals can also help you determine your lawn's water needs. They may be able to help you design and set up a watering system that will improve the lawn. A good sprinkler system can help keep a lawn hydrated, even during those sweltering summer months. Of course, it is also important not to drown a lawn. This is where a professional can help you by setting up a good watering schedule.

Although many lawn care professionals do not specialize in landscaping, they may be able to offer valuable insight in the selection and placement or various items on the lawn. They may be able to offer guidance on what particular plants will work well with the current structure of the lawn. They will be able to work with you to enhance the overall look and feel of the lawn by the addition of strategically placed plants and structures. They may even be able to tell you which plants will improve, or hurt, the pH of the soil you are working with, thereby preserving the beauty of the lawn.

Lawn care professionals are also very helpful when dealing with weed infestations. They often know and have available many solutions to counter the weeds. They can often stop the infestation before it gets out of hand. Bringing the lawn back to its original condition will be the goal. Nothing hurts a lawn quicker than an influx of weeds taking over. A good lawn care company can come in and take the lawn back.

Weeds are not the only dangerous infestations that may occur. Animals and insects can destroy a lawn. Knowing how to prevent this from occurring, or stopping it quickly when it does, can save a lot of stress on you and the lawn. Many times these critters go unnoticed until it is too late. Once they get a hold on the lawn, they do not want to let go. It takes some serious interventions to drive them out and reclaim the lawn. That is where the experience of lawn care professionals comes in handy. They usually have the knowledge and equipment necessary to get the job done.

Finally, there is the convenience factor. Sometimes it is nice to just relax, knowing your lawn is being taken care of. If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time, or if you have several properties, you don't have to worry about the lawn. A lawn care professional will be there to take care of it and keep it green and lush. You can enjoy the benefits of a beautiful lawn without the labour.

When deciding if a lawn care professional is needed, it is important to look at your lawn. If you have a lush, green lawn that would rival most professional sports arenas, and you enjoy spending hours mowing, then you probably do not need one. If, like most people, you struggle to find the time to keep the grass cut, let alone lush and green, then you might want to consult with a lawn care company. See what they have to offer and decide if it is right for you. A lawn care professional can make the difference between a mediocre lawn and a "Wow the neighborhood" lawn.

Grant Eckert is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to home maintenance such as Lawn Service | Lawn Services

Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com

 

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In 1999, we reported “Researchers are working on a fungus that will kill dandelions. Much more research is needed before this product will be on the market. It is hoped that it will be available by 2002.”

Well, now it is 2007, and more testing and work has been done. Much of it has been done at McGill University by Dr. Alan Watson. Now, the product is getting closer to being available, possibly in 2009 or 2010.

This new organic herbicide product has been named Sarritor. (Sarritor was a minor Roman god of agriculture, god of hoeing and weeding.) Sarritor has the potential to provide an alternatiive weed control to 2,4-D the most commonly used weed killer used right now for the ubiquitous dandelion.

According to the website at sarritor.ca , this product will eliminate dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in 5-7 days. Once the weeds have died, the fungus will also die and there will be no residue. The product does not pose a risk to human health or the environment and is compatible with normal lawn maintenance operations such as mowing, fertilization, and irrigation.

The active ingredient in Sarritor  is a strain of Sclerotinia minor, a naturally occurring fungus in Canada that infects susceptible dandelion plants and destroys dandelion plant tissues above ground.

 

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care - get The KING OF GREEN:

 

 

 

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Grass seed:  We are looking at a new grass seed supplier. We were discussing the different mixes. We wanted to make sure that the new mix included some endophytic perennial rye grass seed.

What does "endophytic" mean for the lawn? Endophytic grasses reduce the presence of chinch bugs and other lawn pests. They contain materials that are either toxic to the insects or that cause the pests to avoid these plants. Perennial rye grasses have been developed to reduce the chances of insect damage. Never use endophytic lawn grasses in pasture areas as the endophytic grasses are harmful to horse and cattle. Our mix uses a "turf-type" perennial rye grass. This designation is to distinguish between fine textured varieties that are suitable for lawn use from those varieties that have coarse, unsightly leaf blades.

Mixes with annual rye grass are generally not recommended. The annual rye grass is useful in some situations as it germinates rapidly. However, it is not long-lived. Generally, turf-type perennial rye grasses will do the same job of germinating quickly, thus providing some cover and protection for the slower germinating grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass.

 

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care - get The KING OF GREEN:

 

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Click here to Request a Quote Online -

 

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

 

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