Common Stressors
There are many factors that impact the health of your lawn. Below we outlined the most common issues that our clients see at their homes.
Shade
Large trees are beautiful and offer many benefits to your property, but they also can impair the lawn’s ability to grow to its full potential. While each grass species varies, all varieties in our region need at least four hours of good sunlight throughout the course of the day in order to do well. If your lawn does not get enough sunlight, any other action we take to improve the quality of your turf will be largely ineffective. One option is to remove the trees entirely, but most of our clients enjoy the shade that large trees have to offer. Another great option is to trim the tree canopy regularly. By thinning out the canopy we can help sunlight make it through to the lawn and improve the growing conditions.
We often hear “my grass used to look great but now it just won’t grow.” In many cases this is because as your trees grow and mature they begin to block out sunlight that was previously able to get through to the grass. Proper trimming is essential for the health of your trees and your lawn.
Please contact our office if you would like a quote for tree removal or trimming. No matter what please do not have your trees “topped.”
Pet Pressure
We love our furry friends, but sometimes they can hinder your lawn’s ability to grow. Throughout most of the season the majority of pets do not present significant issues, but sometimes we see a decline in the health of the lawn when there is excess pet pressure. Large or active dogs can take a toll on the lawn, especially when it is wet. Excessive urination, pacing, playing, or running can also cause damages to the lawn. This often results in a muddy mess that can take very little time to create but lots of time and patience to correct. We recommend regularly walking or otherwise exercising your pets in order to reduce the strain that they may put on your lawn. During hot and dry periods there is not much concern for mud, but the lawn can take more time to rebound since growing conditions are not ideal. By reducing the pet pressure on your lawn you can help us in our efforts to ensure that your pets have a nice lush lawn to lounge on all season long.
Improper or Inadequate Watering
Your grass needs water to grow, but too much water can cause just as many problems as a lack of water. Lack of water causes the lawn to dry out and stop growing and over-watering can result in fungus and other diseases. Both over and under watering often lead to higher weed infestation rates. Overly wet conditions can also make your turf more susceptible to damage caused by mowers and other traffic. You can click here to see watering instructions or you can contact our office to schedule a time for our team to optimize your irrigation system.
Turf Length
One common misconception is that cutting your lawn shorter will allow you to go longer between cuts. This can actually cause significant damage to the turf, especially during hot or dry times. By cutting the grass at 3” to 3.5” on a weekly basis you allow the grass to become strong and establish a good root system. This also helps combat weeds because the stronger the grass is, the less opportunity there is for weeds to thrive. Some residential grade machines do not have an option to raise the mower blades above 3”. Please ensure your mowing height is set appropriately. Our lawn mowing crews use commercial grade equipment and do not cut lawns lower than 3” unless there is a special request, so let us know if you would like to be added to our schedule.
Poor Soil Conditions
In order to grow good grass you need good soil. Soil that is made up of a proper balance of sand, silt, and clay will help retain moisture while also draining enough to avoid over saturation. Rocky soil does not retain water well and clay soil does not drain well. Soil amendments can improve growing conditions but can also be costly. These amendments are not typically included in our fertilizer program. Contact our team if you would like to discuss options and our recommendations specific for your property.
Opportunities for Improvement
We may recommend some of these common options for your lawn.
Additional Weed Control
Occasionally we encounter weed growth that is not able to be addressed in our standard fertilization and weed control program. While we do our best to offer a well rounded program which treats over 90 common weeds, it is not possible for us to address every weed type while also keeping costs down for our clients and limiting environmental impact. If treatment is required that is outside the scope of your existing program we will reach out to you with our recommendations and pricing information.
Aeration and Seeding
We recommend aeration service to all of our clients in the fall. This service is often paired with over seeding, depending on your grass type. Some lawns do fine without annual aeration, but all lawns benefit from it. Lawn aeration is a process that reduces soil compaction and improves water absorption and water retention while minimizing the potential for over saturation. If you are not signed up for this service and we feel that it will be particularly beneficial to you then we will reach out with additional information.