Lawn Care Tips

Additional Information

 

An important part of your landscape consists of a healthy lawn. Lush, green grass improves the appearance of your home or commercial property and influences overall property value. A few simple tips will help to keep lawn healthy.

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Deep Core Aeration:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

It is the process where a mechanical core aerator with hollow tines punctures the ground to

remove up to 3 inches of soil (cores). These cores are deposited on the lawn surface and

will decompose naturally (from 2 to 4 weeks). The breakdown of these cores provides

valuable nutrients to the lawn and soil.

 

Aeration is used to:

-improve the flow of water, light, fertilizer and air to reach lawn root system

-promote stronger lawn root system

-encourage lawn growth

-improve soil drainage

-reduce soil compaction

-enhance lawn thatch breakdown

It is best to aerate the lawn when there has been moisture in the soil as this assists in removing deeper cores. Spring and fall are the best times to aerate the lawn. Aerating can be done twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Lawns with heavy traffic areas, mature lawns or lawns growing on a clay base would benefit from multiple aerations each year to create the best growing conditions for the lawn to thrive.

****Please note--the soil cores are left on the lawn surface when our crews aerate. In order for a quicker decomposition of the cores, we highly recommend a power rake & lawn cut/trim service to follow. This also assists in breaking up most of the cores to provide the valuable nutrients back into the lawn.

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Power Raking (Lawn De-Thatching)​​​​​​​​​​

A power rake is a machine equipped with sets of vertical rotating metal blades which allows the removal of thatch. Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter (leaves, twigs, dead grass) that has accumulated between the lawn and soil surface. Thatch is also formed when roots, stems, and other parts of the grass build up faster than they decompose.  Power raking also helps to eliminate any snow mold that has built up during the winter. It is recommended to power rake in the spring as part of a spring cleanup package. This is also a good time to overseed the lawn as power raking opens the surface of the lawn for new seed to get established

Excessive thatch (over 1/2 inch thick) weakens the lawn while creating a favorable environment for pests, diseases and weed invasion. A thick thatch cover will also prevent water and nutrients from getting to the lawn roots.

Power raking is beneficial to:

-promote a thicker, healthier lawn

-stimulate new growth

-improve the flow of water, light, air and nutrients to reach the lawn root system

-discourage pests, weeds and diseases

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Lawn Cut and Bagging:

As part of our spring cleanup process, aeration is done first, followed with  power raking which deposits clumps of grass/thatch over the lawn surface. The clumps of loose grass/thatch are piled and picked up. The last step is to go over the lawn with a lawnmower to cut the grass and pick up remaining loose grass.

As part of a regular lawn maintenance package, you can have your lawn cut with either having the grass mulched or bagged. Mulching is healthier for the lawn as the grass clippings decompose and provide nutrients and water back into the lawn and soil. Mulching reduces evaporation of moisture from the lawn and supplies the grass with up to 25% of its fertilizer requirements. It is estimated that clippings can contain as much as 80% water and 4% nitrogen. The lawn needs to be cut more often when mulching. If the grass is too tall or very wet, mulching will leave clumps of grass throughout the lawn and will not be evenly distributed.

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Thatch​​​​​​​​​​

Thatch is a buildup of decomposing grass. You will notice a lot more thatch if you mulch your lawn. De-thatching the lawn by power raking is a simple treatment that needs to be done only once a year in the spring time.

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Mowing Tips​​​​​​​​​​

It is recommended to cut your lawn at 2 to 3 inches in length. You want to make sure that no more than 1/3 of the grass blade length is cut during a single cutting. Optimal cutting is done when the grass has grown 1 inch. Make sure that your blade on your lawn mower is kept sharp. Depending on how fast your grass grows will determine how often you need to cut. Typically in the Edmonton region most lawns need to be cut weekly during the months of May-August. To have a healthier lawn, mow using a higher height, limit traffic over the lawn, improve turf rooting, control thatch and soil compaction, and avoid pesticide use on drought stressed lawns.

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Watering Tips​​​​​​​​​​

Watering is an important part of having a healthy green lawn. It is not normally good enough to count on nature to water your lawn throughout the summer. If it is too dry out it can cause damage to your lawn. Watering your lawn can be completed  once or twice a week. Apply one to two inches of water each time, and try to water at cooler times (either early or late in the day). If you are not sure how to tell how much you have water your lawn you can put a overturned frisbee on the grass and when it is full you have watered enough.

 

Fairy Ring​​​​​​​​​​

Be advised that this fungus spreads easily and is very difficult to control. They are semi circles or arches formed by bands of turfgrasses that are darker green and faster growing than grasses on either side.

These bands can be between four and twelve inches wide with a diameter of the circle varying from three to fifty feet or more. A telltale sign of fairy ring is the presence of toadstools or mushrooms in the effected area especially during times of abundant moisture. To control fairy ring, use a garden fork or an aerating tool to poke holes deep into the fairy ring. There is no way to actually prevent fairy ring from starting on your lawn but you can take precautions from spreading it. Things to try to get rid of the fairy ring can include digging out the area of fairy ring and surrounding area. Removing the dirt below and surrounding area and replanting new grass there. You can also try using a sharp tool to create holes in the infected area to get air into the area.

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Dog Spots​​​​​​​​​​

You may have noticed the brown spots caused by your dog. This is because the acidicy in the dogs urine causes the lawn to burn. Typically if the dog does this in the same area it is extremely hard to get your lawn back into a health state without treating these areas. You can always wash the area down if you follow your dog around when it goes the bathroom. If you don’t have this much time and want to treat the areas after, you can apply products that work for these dog patch areas. You can also plant new sod in the areas but that can be more costly depending on the severity. Apply the dog patch you will have to read the label to properly apply it, we also can do this. You will have to water the area that you have applied the treatment to and make sure it does not dry out, if this is a common area for the dog you may have to block it off until it is back into its healthy state.

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Sparse grass

Sparse grass can be a result of a lawn that is in a poor location or has been missing water/nutrients for a long period of time making it harder for grass to grow. Regular lawn care that includes deep core aeration and watering can sometimes bring the area back to life. If you have an area that does not get a lot of sun or is below pine trees it will be harder to have a health lawn in that area. You can treat the area by planting new sod or seed the area.