Tag Archives: lawn care

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Maintenance Tips Part 3

Posted on 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
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

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 Care Basics Part 2

Posted on 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?

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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 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

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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 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?

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

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 Part 1: Artificial Versus Natural

Posted on 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

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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

Lawn Care

Posted on 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

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

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

 

Lawn

Lawn Care and Fertilizing Your Lawn

Posted on by Larry

Fertilizing your lawn is one key component of lawn care.  The right type of fertilizer can work wonders.  The wrong type can burn your lawn.  How can you tell which is which?

High Percentage Nitrogen Fertilizer:   Good Lawn Maintenance?

Lawn Care in Prescott, AZ | (928) 356-8167
Lawn Care in Prescott, AZ | (928) 356-8167

A lot of people jump to the conclusion that it is better to use a lawn fertilizer with a 10-10-10 ratio as part of good lawn maintenance. Nitrogen fertilizer with a high percentage isn’t a bad idea in and of itself, however.  It is how much you use, and how much you put down.

Assuming the amount you put down on the lawn is adjusted accordingly, the  higher the nitrogen percentage , the less you’ll need. In addition, with controlled-release fertilizer, even though the percentage nitrogen in the product may be high, the risk of burning the lawn is low.  Fast release nitrogen fertilizers, on the other hand often contain high levels of salt and can easily burn your lawn.  Maintaining your lawn properly is all about following instructions or calling a professional lawn care service in.    And what about organic fertilizer?

Organic Fertilizer and Lawn Care

Regardless of whether a fertilizer is organic or chemical based it must be able to be converted into a form that the grass can use.  Organic fertilizers lower the chance of burning grass. However,  many organic nitrogen fertilizers have a low nitrogen percentage, meaning you’ll need to use more.   Some materials, like compost, are not fertilizers as such, they’re soil conditioners.

Both organic and some synthetic fertilizer sources require microbes in the soil to break them down.   So if it is too cold outside, the fertilizers will not work effectively.  Inversely, if it is too hot you could burn your lawn.  As you see there is a lot to consider when you do lawn care.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
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Lawn, Lawn Care

Lawn Care and Fertilizing Your Lawn

Posted on by Larry

Lawn care is a series of processes.  One process that is often neglected is fertilizing.

Fertilizing Your Lawn 101

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As lawn care professionals we’re often asked how we fertilize a lawn. It’s actually very simple.  First off, we only use a high quality fertilizer, and we carefully measure  the right amount.  Timing is everything with fertilizer.  It must be applied at the right time of the year. Back east, a lot of people fertilize in early May, early September, and early November.

Because Arizona has a much more extreme environment, however, the times of year to fertilize differ greatly.  Generally early spring and late fall are best for a lawn care regimen including fertilizing.  Why are these times of year the best?  Simple, they help to reduce your lawn getting scorched by the fertilizer combined with the excessive heat.

Types of Fertilizer Used in Lawn Care

Fertilizer can basically be classified into three classes:  chemical-based, organic, and hybrid, and they each have their pluses and minuses where lawn care is concerned.   Chemical fertilizers contain  controlled-release nitrogen.  The amount of nitrogen to apply is about one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn area .  You have to be careful with chemical fertilizers however, as the percentage of nitrogen can be too high and you may end up scorching your lawn.

Organic fertilizer is usually a combination of animal and/or plant waste.  It is better for the environment, however, like a lot of eco-friendly products, sometimes it isn’t as effective as it should be, generally because the nitrogen level is too low.  A hybrid uses both chemicals and organic compounds.  Often effective as a fertilizer, you have to make sure that the percentage of nitrogen is properly balanced.   Proper lawn care means that you also know what type of fertilizer works best for your lawn.

Fertilizing your lawn is an important part of keeping it up.  When you don’t know what to do, call in a professional lawn care company.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167

 

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part III

Posted on by Larry

One important process of proper lawn care is fertilizing your lawn. So let’s get started…

Lawn Care: When Should I Fertilize?

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Get Lawn Care in Gilbert, Arizona | (928) 356-8167

According to most lawn care sources, early autumn is best for fertilizing your lawn. Fertilization is a basic procedure to keep your lawn green and full. If you fertilize properly, it makes your lawn beautiful. If done improperly however, it can lead to problems, such as fertilizer burn.

If you’re not careful you can over-fertilize your lawn.  Fertilizer burn occurs when the levels of nitrogen reaches toxic levels for the grass. If you do over fertilize your lawn, and you notice leaf scorch or fertilizer burn, first off, don’t panic. Be aware that your lawn can recover, but it will take time. You may need a lawn care professional to come in leech the fertilizer out by diluting it slowly and gradually.  The type of fertilizer you use can also help to prevent burning.

What Fertilizer Should I Use for Proper Lawn Care?

Even among lawn care services there is often debate about what fertilizer you should use.    Some are strong proponents of organic fertilizer, while others use a balanced nitrogen solution.  To cut through the confusion, you want to make sure that the product you’re using doesn’t have a high nitrogen percentage, and you also do not want fertilizer that has too low of  a percentage.

As you see, sometimes it is a little more complicated than you might think.  When you are in doubt, call in a lawn care service in Gilbert instead.

Part two of this series on lawn care  explored gas and electric mowers, and part one covered when and how much to mow your lawn.

If you need lawn care, call a professional. Green Servpro has been serving the Greater Phoenix area for over 25 years.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167
Get Lawn Care

Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part I
Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part II
Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part III

Lawn, Lawn Care, Lawn Maintenance

Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part II

Posted on by Larry

Part two of a three part series on lawn care explores the use of lawnmowers. There are three types of lawnmowers out there:  manual, gas-powered, and electric.  Which is best?  Well, they each have their strengths and weaknesses.

What About Gas Powered Lawn Mowers and Lawn Care?

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Get Lawn Care in Gilbert, Arizona | (928) 356-8167

It’s estimated that over 50 million people that don’t use lawn care services in the US mow their lawns every weekend.  This has an alarming cost, both to your pocketbook and to the environment.  First off, gasoline is not cheap.  As of the time of this article, gasoline is running at about $3.75 a gallon on average.  Per year, we use 800 million gallons of gas and produce tons of air pollutants. Until the late 1990’s, garden equipment wasn’t covered under emissions standards.  Lawn mowers alone emit dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides, and are responsible for up to 5% of the nation’s air pollution particularly in metropolitan areas.

One of the most effective ways of reducing air pollution is to reduce the number of internal combustion engines out there.  Hiring a lawn care service in Phoenix, AZ, is actually better for the environment.  Less use of gasoline, and less use of lawn mowers.  If you still wish to use a gas mower, they are fairly durable, only needing spark plugs every now and then and routine maintenance.

Are Electric Mowers Used in the Lawn Care Industry

Yes. There are two types of electric mowers used by your Phoenix lawn care service: battery based and corded.  A battery powered electric mower  has a battery that you put in a charger until you need it, then you pop the battery in the lawn mower and then mow.  The advantage to battery-powered units is that there is obviously no danger of unplugging them accidentally all the time, however, they can also run out of a charge if they’re not fully charged.  A corded mower is more likely to keep going, that is until you yank the cord out when it gets tangled.

The old-fashioned push mower is obviously the best for the environment, however, it is much more labor intensive to mow even just a small yard.  So as you see, lawn care is a lot simpler in the hands of a pro.

Part one of our series on lawn care covered how much to mow, and part two explored the types of mowers to use.  Part three of our series will explore how much and when to fertilize.

Green ServPro LLC
600 W. Ray Rd. Suite B2
Prescott AZ 85225
(928) 356-8167

Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part I
Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part II
Lawn Care: Frequently Asked Questions Part III