Lawn Care

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Maintenance Tips Part 3

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Larry

25
Apr

Part three of our series on lawn maintenance explores some general tips for caring for your lawn.

Lawn Maintenance and Lawn Care in Summer

Your professional lawn care service in Phoenix | (928) 356-8167

There is nothing like the feeling of grass scrunched between your toes. The smell, the green, all of it makes you think of the joys of summer. So you want to make sure that you take care of your lawn, so first and foremost where lawn maintenance tips are concerned is to be careful what you use on your lawn, as well as be careful when you apply it.

People that have lawns can be obsessive where they are concerned. The first stirring of a weed or a bug, and they heavily treat the lawn with pesticides and weed killer. However, bear in mind that spraying large amounts of pesticide and/or herbicide around where you live is dangerous because you are exposing yourself and your family to carcinogens present in the chemicals. Spot spraying while more time consuming is much more healthy where lawn maintenance is concerned. You also want to make sure that what you’re using is safe for your lawn as well as for yourself.

Lawn care products run the gamut from very good to ripoffs. So do companies for that matter. So make sure you know what you’re putting on your lawn as well as who may be working on it. Some products for example can burn your lawn, particularly if it is hot outside.

So remember, if you want to do the best things you can for your lawn, a bit of knowledge is always best. And if you want to save both time and money, you might wish to consider hiring a professional lawn care service.

This concludes part three of our series. For more information on lawn maintenance tips, be sure to read part one and part two as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn, Lawn Care

Lawn Maintenance Tips Part 2

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Larry

Part two of our series on lawn maintenance explores how often you should water as well as how often you should mow.

How Often Should I Mow My Lawn?

It's Time for Winter Ryegrass Overseeding | (928) 356-8167 — Professional Lawn Maintenance Phoenix | (928) 356-8167

One of the best lawn maintenance tips we can offer regarding how often you should mow your lawn is to mow your lawn to the height you want, while at the same time, being aware of the requirements of your neighborhood. As a rule three inches high is a good, healthy height for grass. University studies seem to agree with this assessment. However, if you live in a HOA, check what their requirements are for the height of your grass.

You also want to make sure that you don’t cut your grass too short, or you’ll injure the plants. How often you should mow your lawn also depends on whether it’s summer or not. Summer is the season your grass grows, so you want to give it a bit of time to grow. Once every ten days is a good time frame for mowing your grass. But to keep your lawn healthy, it isn’t just about mowing, it’s about watering as well.

How Much Should I Water My Lawn?

Ok, while it is still spring, you can water your lawn once every week and you should be fine. However, keep an eye on the temperature. Once it starts getting really warm, you want to water your lawn every two to three days. Make sure that when you water your lawn, you do it after sunset or at least two hours before sunrise, or you are wasting water. If you water in the evening or very early morning,

So remember, everything has a time frame, even mowing and watering. Our next article about lawn maintenance tips explores some general lawn care.

This concludes part one of our series. For more information on lawn maintenance tips, be sure to read part one and part three as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn, Lawn Care

Lawn Care Basics Part 2

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Larry

Part two of a series on lawn care basics explores the importance of the right type of grass seed and the amount of sun it’s going to need.

What Grass Grows Best in Phoenix?

Call for a landscape remodel Phoenix | (928) 356-8167

What grass grows best in Phoenix? There are five types of grass that grow well here. First off there’s Celebration Bermuda grass. Celebration Bermuda grass is low-maintenance can be cut either with a weed whacker or a lawn mower. Bermuda requires little fertilizer, and thrives in Arizona’s hot climate. Palmetto, Midrion, Tifway 419 , and Tifgreen 328 are the other four types that do well. As to which one you should plant, it depends on what you’re looking for where your lawn is concerned.

If you need a sun and shade mix, you use Bermuda or Palmetto. For heavy traffic, you use Midiron or Bermuda. If you want a golf course type lawn, you use Tifway 419 or Tifgreen 328. As for mixing and matching grass seed types, you must be more than a bit cautious, particularly where lawn care is concerned. For one thing, all of these grass types differ on the amount of sunlight as well as the amount of water that they are going to need. However, there are other reasons you want to use caution.

How to Plant the Right Grass Type

Planting the right type of grass for your lawn depends not just on what you need your lawn to look like, but also the amount of sunlight as well as the amount of water the seed will need. You also want your turf to look natural. Bermuda grass and Palmetto look unnatural together for example, so you’d have to mow the grass down to a short level to avoid it.

So remember, that it isn’t just fertilizer and water, it’s knowing what to plant and where. Knowing lawn care basics will help you keep up your lawn.

This concludes part two of our series. For more information on lawn care, be sure to read part one as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn Care

Lawn Care Basics

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Larry

Lawn care is all about the right balance of elements. All you have to do is balance the amount of sunlight, the amount of water, and the type and amount of fertilizer you should use. In this two part series, we will explore these elements. Let’s start with fertilizer.

How Much Fertilizer to Apply to Your Lawn

Get Lawn Care in Prescott | (928) 356-8167

A lot of times we’re asked: “how much fertilizer should I use on my lawn?” Well, the answer to that question depends on a lot of factors, as this article excerpt from Lawn Care for Dummies shows:

“Fertilizer recommendations are based on the amount of actual nitrogen a lawn needs in a year. The amount of grass fertilizer you decide to apply should take into account several factors, including the type of grass you have planted and the size of your lawn.

Different types of grasses need different amounts of nitrogen to keep them vigorous and healthy. The following table lists the yearly nitrogen requirements for 1,000 square feet of the most common lawn grasses.

That recommended nitrogen range shown in the table has to do with the length of the growing season. If you live in a cold-winter climate where the seasons are short, you use the lower end of the range. If, on the other hand, you live in an area where the summers are long and the winters are mild, you use the upper range. Basically, the longer the growing season, the more nitrogen the grass needs.

Yearly Nitrogen Requirements for Grass
Grass Type	Pounds of Nitrogen per 1,000 Square Feet
Bahia grass	2 to 4
Bentgrass	4 to 6
Bermuda grass, Common	2 to 6
Bermuda grass, Hybrid	4 to 6
Blue grama	1 to 2
Buffalo grass	0 to 2
Centipede grass	1 to 2
Fine fescue	2 to 3
Kentucky bluegrass	4 to 6
Ryegrass	2 to 4
St. Augustine grass	4 to 5
Tall fescue	2 to 6
Zoysia grass	3 to 4

Source Article

How Much Should I Water My Lawn and When?

How much you should water your lawn depends on factors like your climate, the type of grass that you have, and the time of year. In winter months in Arizona, as a rule, if you water your grass once a week, you’re good. In the summer, you want to water every two or three days. You always want to water your lawn in the evening in Arizona, or very early morning as it will keep the water from evaporating.

As to how to water your lawn, using a sprinkler as a opposed to a hose is best as it thoroughly soaks your grass. So again, remember that you want to balance the amount of water you get and the amount of fertilizer. Then you’re on the way to knowing the basics of lawn care.

This concludes part one of our series. For more information on lawn care, be sure to read part two as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Fertilizers, Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Care for Winter and Spring Part 3

Posted on December 27, 2013 by Larry

Part three of our series on lawn care for winter and spring explores the use of synthetic and natural fertilizers.

Which Fertilizer Should I Use as Part of Lawn Care?

Which fertilizer should you use? Should you use artificial fertilizer or stick with natural fertilizers? How often should you fertilize your lawn? As a professional lawn care service in Prescott, we get asked these sort of questions a lot. First off, artificial fertilizer works just as well as natural fertilizer does, and it doesn’t have that much odor.

However, you have to be careful that you don’t put too much nitrogen based fertilizer down, or put any of it down when it is too hot outside. Otherwise, you can scorch your lawn. Before fertilizing as part of lawn care, make sure you check the labels to see what the nitrogen mix is. If you need help, don’t risk your lawn, call in a lawn care service instead. Now, let’s go over natural fertilizer.

Is Natural Fertilizer Best?

Is natural fertilizer best? There’s a lot of debate about that. Environmentally, natural or organic fertilizer is a little better than chemical fertilizers, however, what a lot of companies don’t tell you is the downsides to natural fertilizers.
Steer manure for example, while it is very effective, will make your lawn stink like a stockyard. Also, some other types of natural fertilizers like compost are only of limited effectiveness. You also have to watch some organic fertilizers as unless it’s screened, you have to be ready to do some weeding, as you are likely to get weeds on your lawn. So, what you have to be careful of is finding the balance between effectiveness and eco-friendly.

When you don’t know what to do, you want to make sure that you don’t run the risk of ruining your lawn. Call in a lawn care service if you have any questions.

This concludes part three of our series on lawn care for winter and spring. Be sure to read part one and part two as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Care for Winter and Spring Part 2

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Larry

Part two of a series on lawn care for winter and spring explores fertilizing and watering.

When Do I Water My Lawn in the Winter?

Know How Much to Water your Lawn as Part of Lawn Care | 480-420-0902

We are often asked by some of our lawn care customers: “when do I water my lawn in the winter?” Be aware that in the winter months, you do not want to water your lawn too much. A good guideline to follow is actually based on the temperature outside. A great many cities have water conservation guides that can give you a timetable of how much and when to water as well.

The warmer it is, the more you’re going to need to water your lawn. When it is winter and spring however, cooler temperatures mean that water doesn’t evaporate as much. This in turn means that you don’t water as much. Water your lawn every ten days in the winter on the average. Part of the answer is also based on your grass type. When in doubt, call in a lawn care service for tips on when to water. But what about fertilizing your lawn?

Do I Fertilize My Lawn in the Spring?

You want to fertilize your lawn in the late fall and in the early spring. However, don’t let the season fool you. When to fertilize is based on temperature. You never want the external temperature to be above 85 degrees when you fertilize, particularly if you use chemical fertilizer, as this can cause a chemical reaction and thus burn your lawn.

Our next article will cover the great debate regarding fertilizers: synthetic or artificial. Until then, if you need any lawn care tips, feel free to contact us.

This concludes part two of our series on lawn care for winter and spring. Be sure to read part one and part three as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn Care

Lawn Care for Winter and Spring Part 1

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Larry

Part one of our series on lawn care for winter and spring explores care of Bermuda grass and perennial rye seeding.

Lawn Care for the Winter Months

Bermuda grass is used a lot in Arizona, and it makes sense if you think about it. Bermuda grass is very much a warm climate grass. Lawn care in the winter months is a bit different in Arizona as a result of this. First off, be aware that Bermuda-grass lawns go dormant in the fall. Establish your lawn least one year before perennial ryegrass overseeding. to keep your Bermuda grass lawn healthy, only plant a winter lawn once every three years. You want to mow your grass down to between 1/4th and 3/4 of an inch in height, which will allow room for rye seedlings.

Once evening temperatures are lower than 65 you want to overseed with perennial rye grass, approximately 10 lbs for 1,000 square feet. Call in a lawn care service in Phoenix or apply the seed with a spreader. Instead of overseeding your entire lawn, focus on one area, such as the front lawn.

Lawn Care Tip #1: Reduce Your Watering and Fertilizing

You want to reduce how much you fertilize and water your Bermuda lawn at this time of year as part of good lawn care so it will go dormant quicker. Our next article will explore fertilizing tips and water for your ryegrass lawn. Once you have overseeded your lawn, you either want a ground cover, or you want to make sure that your grass seed is covered by a bit of potting soil, otherwise, you are going to lose a lot of your grass seed to any migratory birds who want a snack.

During winter, it is time to start planting the things you want to see in the spring. And one thing you want to start at this time of year is winter lawn care.

This concludes part one of our series on lawn care for winter and spring. Be sure to read part two and part three as well.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Care Part 2: Winter Lawns

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Larry

Winter ryegrass overseeding is something that you’re going to have to start soon to transition your lawn. As for why, it is all in the type of grasses that are present.

Why Do I Have to Do Winter Ryegrass Overseeding?

Grass is one of the most diverse types of plants out there. Most people don’t know that such plants as palm trees and bamboo are actually giant species of grass, and of course what’s on your lawn is also grass. However, in the winter, warmer weather grass goes dormant, leaving your lawn a barren yellowish white color. There are two types of winter ryegrasss, perennial ryegrass, and annual ryegrass. Regardless of the type of ryegrass, they provide a green cover during winter. Be aware, however, that winter ryegrass overseeding may cause you some problems in the spring, unless you take care of it properly. Ryegrass competes with other grass types for water, sunlight and fertilizer.

When you do overseeding with ryegrass it is adabtable to either sun or shade. If you get annual ryegrass be aware that you plant it in the fall. Also, annual ryegrass dies out in late spring. Perennial ryegrass is another option for winter ryegrass overseeding, however, be warned that it can choke out other grass species. Whatever type of grass you’re looking plant, you’re going to have to do some preparation first.

Winter Ryegrass Preparation Steps

First off, as temperatures begin to drop in the fall, your turfgrass will need less water. Remove any excess thatch to allow seed to make contact with the soil. A heavily thatched lawn tends to result in irregular patches of overseeded grass, so mow the lawn closely.

With winter ryegrass overseeding, timing is everything. Overseeding should be done thirty days before the first frost, when daytime highs are near 70 °F and nighttime lows are usually above 50 °F. If you seed before this narrow window or after, you could lose your ryegrass. When you plant winter ryegrass, apply 10 pounds of annual ryegrass seed per 1,000 square feet.

Even a winter lawn requires a bit of maintenance. You can do it by yourself if you wish, or as a labor saving step, call in a lawn care service.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Care Part 1: Artificial Versus Natural

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Larry

Lawn care has come to mean a lot more than just fertilizing and watering. You also have to know what type of seed to plant, when to plant it, and in some cases, when to remove it. In part one of our two part series on lawn care, we will cover artificial lawns versus natural ones. Part two of our series will cover winter lawns and overseeding.

Synthetic Lawns: They Have Come a Long Way

Get lawn care in Phoenix | (928) 356-8167

Originally, artificial grass was created for sporting arenas. Because many of them were domed, grass would not get enough sunlight and would often die out. Astroturf was made in the 60’s and covered the field of the Astrodome. Now we are four generations later on artificial grass, which is a good thing we might add. It used to be that artificial grass looked, well, artificial. When it was first released, synthetic grass was often in an unnatural shade of green. Nowadays, with new technologies, synthetic lawns have come to resemble their living counterparts. And there are several advantages of artificial turf over regular grass.

Artificial turf obviously doesn’t require water, and it helps to control insects including some harmful ones like mosquitoes. As it is usually made of plastics and resins, it is also immune to termites. Another thing is that artificial grass offers is stain resistance, as well as obviously no weeds. However, it also has disadvantages too, such as you pretty much have to replace it every few years or it will be very obvious that you have it, as it will become sun bleached and brittle. And some people want more.

Natural Lawns: Tried and True

To some people, artificial grass is a weird idea. A lawn should be green and growing, and fun to walk on. It evokes memories of hot summer days, the smell of fresh cut grass. A natural lawn has all of that, plus it can lower the temperature of your home by being a natural repository for water. However, just like synthetic turf, lawn has its minuses too. First off, you’re going to need to mow it, and water it, and every now and then put down water to keep it green.

Each person is different, so why should our lawns all be the same? So whether you want some fescue or bluegrass to scrunch between your toes or a low maintenance artificial lawn, it’s all in who you call. The best call to make is to a lawn care service.

Be sure to read part two our series on lawn care as well.

Green ServPro Landscape LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com

Lawn Care

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Larry

Lawn care is about knowing what not to do as well as what to do. Why? Well, you could end up ruining your lawn…

Lawn Care: What Not To Do

First thing you should never do where good lawn care is concerned is to over-fertilize. Read the instructions on your fertilizer carefully. Too much fertilizer, particularly chemical fertilizers can burn your lawn, killing the grass. You also need to be aware of when and when not to fertilize your lawn. You never want to fertilize a lawn that has just been watered for example, as it can also lead to chemical burns.

As to when to fertilize your lawn, it depends on the species. If you have a Kentucky bluegrass, fescue or perennial ryegrass, you usually have to fertilize four times a year, twice in the spring, and twice in the fall, never in the summer. The combination of the higher temperatures and the chemicals present in the fertilizer can lead to burning. You also want to make sure that you water correctly as well as fertilize.

Lawn Care What to Do

Smart lawn care includes watering. Always make sure you water your lawn and give it the appropriate amount of water for the type of grass you have. Grass from cooler climates need more water in Arizona than warmer temperature grasses like Bermuda grass. The heat of the summer can bake moisture out of your lawn, so remember to water in the evening after the sun’s gone down or in the very early morning before sunup. This will help to keep the moisture on the lawn longer, and stop evaporation. Besides watering and fertilizing, know how often you should mow your lawn.

A good rule of thumb is every ten days. When you are mowing your lawn, make sure that you don’t cut your grass too short to avoid damaging the plants. Make sure you carefully weed your lawn too. While some garden ‘experts’ advocate simply mowing your weeds down along with your grass. As a professional lawn care service in Prescott, we generally don’t advocate this strategy as by mowing the weeds, you can also disperse their seeds and spread the weeds to other part of your lawn.

Hopefully this post has cleared up some common misconceptions about how to take care of your lawn.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
http://www.greenservpro.com