How Much Should You Water The Lawn
Its essential to water the lawn, especially when there isnt much or any rainfall. However, its just as important not to over water it. There is lawn watering tips that every homeowner should know and follow.
Ensure your irrigation system goes off during the early morning, so the plants root system can draw water from the ground, along with mineral nutrients such as zinc, manganese, potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The grass also needs time to dry before nightfall fully. If you are over watering it, this can lead to diseases. Switch off the irrigation sensor when wet weather is forecasted. There not a need reason to water the lawn when its raining. Its also an expensive mistake.
Most of Floridas towns have watering restrictions, dictating which days of the week and what time of the day you may water, as well as the duration of watering. Ensure you know and comply with these.
If you want to measure how much irrigation water your lawn receives, put some small cups or empty tuna cans in different areas of the property. When the cup or can is complete, this means youve watered enough. A 30-minute watering session should give about half an inch of water. This is an excellent way to ensure youre using the right amount of water, and you can also see which areas of the lawn are getting too little or too much water.
Lawn Care For Beginners
If the thought of maintaining a living, breathing slice of earth turns your cheeks green, youve come to the right place. Whether youre a new homeowner or you havent had the time to get your hands dirty, our guide to lawn care for beginners offers easy-to-follow tips.
What time of year should you fertilize your lawn? What tools should you store in your garden shed or garage? Weve got the answers to green up your lawn and your green thumb.
Get ready to have the best lawn on the block. Heres what well cover in the guide below:
Soil isnt just a mound of dirt from which grass magically springs. The health of your soil has a significant impact on the health of your turf. If your soil is low in nutrients and organic matter, then your turf will struggle to grow without the help of fertilizers.
Soiltexture also affects how you care for your lawn. For example, clay soils retain water much better than sandy soils, which means you wont have to water a clay lawn as often.
So before you start making decisions about your lawn care routine, you need to get to know your soil. How do you do that? By conducting a soil test, of course!
A soil test uncovers many mysteries about your soil, including:
- Fertility levels
At-home soil tests are available, but they dont provide as detailed results as a soil test performed in a laboratory.
Is Lawn Care Insurance Required By Law
It depends on the area in which your business operates because certain coverages are state dependent. For example, commercial auto insurance is required in all states as long as you will be operating vehicles to transport your goods or equipment. Alternatively, if you have employees working for your company, most states require Workers Compensation, but coverage may be optional for those running a one-man business.
Discussing your needs with your trusted insurance agent can help explain the various policies required for each state. Although requirements vary depending on location, there are policies that even if not required by law, will still give your lawn care business the protection it needs one good example is general liability insurance.
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What Are Some Of The Risks For Lawn Care Businesses
Just like other industries, lawn care companies are not without risks and potential liabilities. Below are some of the unique risks applicable for lawn care businesses.
Commercial Auto Insurance
- Your personal auto policy will not cover an incident involving your commercial vehicle.
- If youre involved in an accident while doing business, Commercial Auto will provide coverage.
General Liability
- Operating your lawnmower and accidentally damaging someones home will mean expenses to repair the damaged property.
- If one of your customers is injured or property is damaged by your equipment, General Liability will provide coverage.
Workers Compensation
- One of your employees accidentally injured his leg while cutting grass, this policy will help pay for medical and rehabilitation expenses.
- It also protects you from negligence lawsuits due to work-related injuries.
Property Insurance
- If your store is damaged by fire, Property Insurance helps recover damages and losses.
- After a storm your equipment and tools were damaged, this policy may also provide coverage to replace them.
When To Fertilize Your Lawn
- Only use lawn fertilizers between April 1 and December 1.Why? Its actually NY State law.
- Allow grass to come out of winter dormancy before applying fertilizer. Grass only absorbs fertilizer when it is actively growing .
- Dont waste time and money on summer fertilizers! Heat stress and drought slow grass growth and fertilizer can burn your lawn in the heat.
Fertilization Schedule for Long Island:
Mid-April to May No more than 1 lb. slow-release nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. .Leave clippings on lawn to recycle nutrients and organic matter.
September BEST TIME FOR FEEDINGNo more than 1 lb. slow-release nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. .Leave clippings on lawn to recycle nutrients and organic matter.
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Grass Care In Boynton Beach: Key Facts To Know About Your Lawn
How much do you know about your lawn? You may be surprised to learn how many different factors affect your turffrom soil profile to local weather patterns, watering schedule, and so much more. When it comes to expert grass care in Boynton Beach, you can always rely on our lawn care company.
Lets take a look at a few important facts about your turf.
Treating Broadleaf Weeds When It’s Dry
Dandelions, clover, and creeping Charlie are some of the most common broadleaf weeds you’ll encounter, but plenty of other plants can invade quickly and spread relentlessly. To keep them in check, you may decide to use a granular weed-and-feed product or spray an organic liquid broadleaf weed killer.
The right time: Treat actively growing weeds apply granular products on a dewy morning or spot treat with an organic herbicide on a warm, sunny day.
Why timing matters: Used properly, broadleaf weed killers are highly effective when conditions are optimal. For example, the granules of weed-and-feed products, which are applied with a spreader, must stick to the leaves of the weeds to be effective. That requires moisture, so the perfect time to apply is in early morning when there’s a heavy dew on the lawn. If the grass isn’t wet, you’ll be wasting your time and money. Warm temperatures often help liquid treatments work faster, too. However, if you’ve been having a hot but dry summer, you’ll want to water your lawn first.
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Ways To Monitor Your Lawn Ph
Throughout the year, if your lawn isnt looking its best, conduct another pH test to be sure to give your soil the lawn solutions it needs to provide you with a beautiful lush, green lawn.
Lawn care is a lot of work. It is important to remember to add the recommended amount of any lawn solution product per your soil test results. Adding too much of a product may shift the pH level too far and cause further problems. Every few years, the lime and sulfur products are processed out of your soil, so retesting your soil is suggested to stay on top of any issues with pH levels.
If you want to learn more about soils nutrients and their importance in your lawns health, we have you covered with lawn solutions, tips, and tricks.
Simple Lawn Solutions
Hi John, Fungus is best controlled preventatively prior to disease pressure ramping up. For the dead grass, wait until the fall, clean the areas up, and reseed. Make sure that the area has plenty of air flow, low thatch, and enough sunlight. Do not overwater or over-fertilize during the summer months. If you need any additional assistance, please send us an email at [email protected]
john Arehart
it appears i have a fungus in my grass. i have applied a scotts fungus product. what is my best remedy? the grass is dead in some spots.no evidence of grubs. have changed my watering to early morn only/
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Weeds Lawn Brown Spots And Gray Leaf Spots
These are three things that you definitely dont want to see in your yard.
In general, the best way to keep weeds out of your lawn is to have dense turf thats vigorously growing. A thick, healthy lawn protects against weeds in two key ways. First, there is less room for weeds to become entrenched and, next, it prevents sunlight from shining on the soil where the weed seeds are waiting to grow.
So, the goal is to keep a lawn thats strong enough to fight back against weeds, which is what we do with our lawn and outdoor services. Key components include appropriately watering using the right types and amount of fertilization and effectively managing pests.
People ask us if applying a fertilizer can in fact boost the population of weedsand this can happen during the spring when our team applies green-up services. Weeds, just like any other plant, can absorb and benefit from the effects of the fertilizer but, once the grass is growing in a healthy way, the weed population will go down.
Its also natural to have weeds after winter weather is lifting. Thats because, during the colder weather, your lawn can go dormant, which creates voids where the grass thins. Weeds can germinate in those voids this is natural and something we can address as part of our spring green-up services.
Also make sure youre moving your lawn to the right height for the type of grasses you have. Dont mow across diseased areas and, after you mow, remove grass clippings.
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Pruning Trees And Shrubs
Fruit trees, in particular, require regular pruning to remove dead weight and make sure the leaves get as much sunlight as possible.
Shaded trees and shrubs dont require quite as much work, but they should be checked from time to time for damaged branches or signs of disease.
Tree removal and replacement are expensive, so it pays to monitor the health of any trees or large shrubs on your property.
How Do You Maintain A Lawn
Good lawn maintenance begins with establishing a schedule based on the climate where you live, the kind of grass you want to grow and how much time you have to put into it.
Keep up with your lawn, and youll have an easier time keeping it looking good year-round.
Most homeowners are able to take care of weekly mowing and watering, but many employ professional lawn care services like TruGreen to take care of the larger tasks like fertilizing and aeration.
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Should I Be Fertilizing My Yard
Fertilization is a key component of lawn care services. It’s usually done on a seasonal schedule and keeps nutrients within your soil. These nutrients get depleted over time and are needed for your lawn to stay healthy. Soil needs to be rich in nitrate, potassium, and phosphorus, and fertilizer replenishes these key elements.
Seasonal lawn care fertilizer services are a cost-effective solution to keeping your property looking its best. Your plants will grow faster, and your lawn will stay green and vibrant. Using a natural fertilizer is safe and great for the environment, too. It should be at the top of your list when it comes to comprehensive lawn and garden care.
Lawn Care Tips For Beginners
Caring for your first lawn is a great feeling. You’ve worked toward this moment, and now the grass under your feet is in your hands. By learning how to care for your first lawn, you can see your plans for lush, thick turf and backyard entertaining come true. Take on your lawn one task at a time, and work through these lawn care basics. Here’s how to start and where to go from there:
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Having Proper Equipment Matters
The importance of wearing proper clothing and safety gear while maintaining or mowing the lawn cannot be stressed enough. Safety goggles are a must, as is having a good pair of logger boots to support you through endless hours of working with vegetation. Lawnmowers are loud pieces of machinery, so ear protection is recommended.
If you are going to work with fertilizers or compost, gloves and any other types of skin protection are essential. If the chemical gets on your skin, make sure to rinse the area with water immediately. This is also the case if you choose to go with organic manure, so dont think that you can skip out on safety gear just because its a natural substance.
Water Daily For Two Weeks
For the seeds to grow harmoniously and develop into a beautiful, thick lawn, you will need to water them daily for ten to fourteen days after putting them in. However, make sure not to overwater. If the water starts forming into puddles, its a clear sign that you watered too much and you should stop.
This is not only damaging to the grass because it can oversaturate its roots with moisture, but it also washes away any trace of fertilizer or soil amendments. On top of that, it can wash into streams, polluting and damaging surrounding wildlife and ecosystems. So, its best to practice moderation with this.
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Tip #8 Grow The Right Type Of Grass
If you are following all the tips and your lawn still doesnt look up to your standards. Or you simply have too many clumps in the lawn no matter what you do. Take a look at the type of grass you are mowing.
Its true, even a lawn of crabgrass can look great when maintained. However, there are times when it is impossible to maintain crab grass or inferior grasses properly.
For example, Crab grass grows thick and quickly and is prone to clumping. Additionally, It will grow so quickly that it will choke out other grasses, and even cause its lower leaves to die off. This will lead to yellow patches in the lawn.
Prepare The Lawn For Cold Winter
A lawn shouldnt die as soon as the cold season hits rather, it should go dormant. However, lawns dont go dormant successfully without the right preparation. Beginning early in fall, northern homeowners need to begin mowing, watering, fertilizing and performing other yard and lawn care chores to settle their lawns in for the season ahead.
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How To Grow Healthy Plants
Plants need water, air, nutrients, and sunlight to grow. If they dont have access to any of these, they wont grow well, and diseases or insects can take them over.
A plants root system draws mineral nutrients as well as water out of the ground. These nutrients include nitrogen, potassium, zinc, manganese, and phosphorus. The most important ones are nitrogen , potassium , and phosphorus which are found in fertilizer bags.
Other nutrients such as lime will help balance the soils pH level, making it more alkaline , allowing lawns to access nutrients. Lime is made from ground limestone, and it has magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate in it naturally.
Iron is essential for healthy grass as well. A spotty or yellow lawn might have an iron deficiency. Iron is used to make chlorophyll, a green pigment required for photosynthesis.
It can be hard to keep your lawn green, healthy, and free from weeds, but you can overcome many lawn problems armed with some basic gardening knowledge and perhaps some help from a professional.
Dethatching And Aeration In The Spring
Remove any leaves and twigs that might have accumulated on your lawn over the winter using leaf rakes and similar tools. Cleaning up these old debris paves the way for easy application of herbicides and fertilizers.
Also, donât forget to aerate the soil on a day when soil is slightly damp but not soaked. This helps to ensure that oxygen, water, and nutrients from feeds reach roots for healthy lawn growth.
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Work With A Professional Lawn Care Service
Now that you know the basics of what goes into caring for your new yard, the last tip is to hire a professional lawn care service to handle the dirty work! With over 40 years of service experience, the knowledgeable team at Fairway Lawns can help get your lawn healthy and looking its best. You can sit back and relax while our lawn experts keep your yard maintained all year long. Contact us today and let us exceed your lawn care expectations!
Get your free service estimate and first treatment for only $24.95.
How To Adjust Your Lawns Ph Level
Depending on your soil test results, you will either need to bring your lawns pH value down or raise it.
Two materials commonly used for lowering the pH levels of your lawn are aluminum sulfate and sulfur. Applying aluminum is an instant change to pH levels as it produces acidity upon dissolving into the soil. Sulfur is slower-acting and can take several months to break down.
Liming is commonly conducted on acidic soils to attempt to raise the pH.
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