Jul 22, 2020 | Lawn Care
With summer here, your lawn and plants could be taking a major hit from the continuous rain and heat. Common issues that the summer weather can bring to your lawn include dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, and disease. While it’s important to notice these during the summer months, it’s equally important to take care of your lawn all year long to avoid these issues. We’ve broken down what you can expect when investing in a year round lawn care program.
For every customer, our lawn care experts will analyze each lawn to determine what it needs to continuously grow healthy and green. With temperatures higher in the spring and summer months, applying a pre- and post-emergent weed control and high potassium fertilizer is important. The pre- and post-emergent weed control will tackle weeds before they take root while the fertilizers focus on turf growth.
When fall approaches, it’s important our experts prepare your lawn for winter. If necessary, our team will apply a lime treatment to your lawn. This will help regulate the PH levels in the soil, and as a result allows your lawn to grow throughout the following year.
During the cold, chilly winter season, grass will typically stop growing. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop caring for your lawn during these months. Maintaining your lawn during the winter can help guarantee a healthy, green lawn for the rest of the year. Our experts will apply products to fertilize and manage the growth of weeds and root development during the winter months. This will, in turn, help create a good foundation for the rest of the year.
Ensure your lawn stays healthy all year long with our 8-Step Lawn Program – request a free lawn analysis to get started.
Mar 12, 2018 | Lawn Care
You know how the saying goes … April showers bring May flowers. As we move into April and those heavy spring rains, one thing that takes a beating is your lawn. Grass can’t survive much longer than 4 days once it is underwater. Heavy rains can cause your grass to become waterlogged and flooded. It can also cause erosion of soil. You should take extra caution when taking care of your lawn after rain so you don’t damage it. What should you do to keep your lawn lush and verdant after these heavy spring rains? Check out these 8 tips to care for your lawn this spring.
1. Don’t Mow
Don’t mow a wet lawn. You should wait until your lawn has dried out completely before you cut it. Mowing a wet lawn can not only cause compaction but it can also develop ruts in the soft ground. You should also never use an electric mower on wet or even damp lawns. When your lawn does dry out enough to mow, make sure to use the highest cutting height on your mower blades.
2. Keep Off
Keep off the wet grass. You shouldn’t walk on wet grass if at all possible. This can cause your grass blades to become damaged. You should wait for the water to subside completely before walking. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to walk on it without leaving wet footprints behind.
3. Take Notes
After a heavy rain you should inspect your lawn for areas where water tends to collect and stand. Once you have identified these areas, you can correct them by leveling out the ground or by improving the drainage to the area.
4. Aerate
Your lawn can benefit from aeration after it has been flooded. You can aerate it either manually with a garden fork or with a power aerator.
5. Clean Up The Silt
Silt can be left behind on your lawn after a flood. There is a chance that the silt that is left behind can be contaminated. You should always use caution when working in your yard after a flood by wearing rubber gloves and boots and covering any open wounds. Remove any silt and debris by either raking it up or washing it off with a hose. This allows the ground to breathe and to absorb more sunlight.
6. Remove Moss
Flooding after a heavy rain can cause moss and algae to grow on your lawn. You can rake away the moss and algae but you might need a professional treatment to make sure that it doesn’t grow back.
7. Watch Out For Fairy Rings
Another thing that pops up after a flood is mushrooms. Mushrooms are typically harmless and can be removed by mowing over them. What can be damaging is if the mushrooms are growing in a fairy ring. Fairy rings happen when mushrooms grow in a circle with dark, green grass in the center. The grass in the center of a fairy ring will usually die because it is competing with the mushrooms for water. If you have a fairy ring, remove the mushrooms immediately down to their roots.
8. Fertilize
Heavy rains can wash away vital nutrients that your lawn needs to thrive. You can replenish these nutrients by fertilizing your lawn. Continue to apply the fertilizer even after your lawn starts to recover so that it can rebuild healthy roots.
If you need help with your lawn this spring consider contacting a lawn care company who can provide you with a lawn care analysis and set you up with a comprehensive lawn maintenance plan.
Nov 1, 2012 | Lawn Care
We all want a blemish free lawn. One of the biggest complaints that we often hear from potential lawn care customers is that they have yellow spots in their grass. These spots can be little patches here and there or large areas of grass. There can be a few different reasons why your green grass is spotted with yellow patches.
Yellow Spots in Grass
- Drought – If your grass isn’t getting enough water due to drought or under watering, this can cause grass to turn from a healthy green to a dull yellow. If this is the case, water your grass in the early morning one to two times a week.
- Nutrient Deficiency – Lawns are living organisms just like humans and animals. Humans, animals, and lawns need their nutrients to be healthy. If you haven’t fertilized your lawn in a while, this could be the reason for the yellow, dead spots.
- Chemical Burn – Fertilizer, pesticide, or other chemicals applied incorrectly can burn your lawn. Be sure to fully read and follow directions when applying chemicals to your lawn. Water and patience is the best remedy for a chemically burnt lawn.
- Animal Damage – Urine damage can be from family pets, rabbits, or other animals that may make their way into your lawn. Again, the best solution for urine damage by animals is to water in the urine before it can set in.
- Lawn Disease – If none of the above seem likely reasons for why your lawn has yellow spots, lawn disease, or fungus, may be the cause. The best way to know for sure is to call your professional lawn care company.
If yellow spots have gotten the best of your lawn, call Northwest Lawn Care. Our representatives will do a FREE lawn analysis to determine the cause of your issues. They will then create a customized plan for your lawn to return it to its green, healthy state.
