Yard Clean Up Be gentle. Don’t rake so hard that you have grass coming out by the roots. If you want to mow to pick up debris, that’s okay, too. Once the frost is out of the ground, we believe that you (hopefully, we) should aerate. We still want to aerate before the first fertilizer application if possible.

Fertilizer As the soil temperatures approach fifty-five degrees, we will begin applying fertilizer with a pre-emergent. You may have seen some of our competitors applying products already. We anticipate starting the first week of April, and it usually takes about five weeks to complete the application. As you may recall, pre-emergents work on the roots and shoots of plants-new grass included. If you are over seeding on your own, please let us know so we can change products so as not to interfere with your efforts.

Mowing We believe you can mow cool season grasses at a low mowing height twice a year. The first mowing of the year, if it is done before you have substantial new growth, is one of those times. Other than that, mowing high helps crowd out weeds and generally improves the health of the turf. So throughout the mowing season, set the mower high and keep it that way. Never remove more than one-third of the crown at any one mowing. In the spring, that often means mowing more frequently. Always mow with a sharp blade. You will eliminate frayed leaf ends, an entry point for disease.

Irrigation This continues to be hot topic, as communities in parts of the country experience severe water shortages. At a conference this winter, one speaker said that, in the future, the price of water will make gasoline look cheap. It is important that supplemental irrigation systems-your sprinkler systems-work as they were intended. Valves can wear out. Sprinkler heads can be misaligned, broken, worn out, and so forth. Coverage areas can change because of changes in or because of the maturation of your landscape. If we are turning on your system, we will check to make sure your valves and heads are in working order. Monitor your system throughout the growing season to make sure it is doing what it is supposed to be doing. Water deeply and infrequently in the spring to help establish a strong turf root system. Keeping water affordable and available is something we can work on together.

Thanks for allowing us to serve you again this season. Call or e-mail us with any questions you may have.