Fall Lime treatments

   As you can see fertilizers do not uptake in Acidic soils. To better utilize your fertilizer and be certain that all of it is available to the grass Lime should be an integral part of your annual maintenance program.
   At FGL we recommend Lime every few years. Biannual Lime while inexpensive can give you that extra shot of green that we all want to see. Being a non pesticide as well as a soil changer can thicken your lawn as well as reduce disease instances that cause havoc in the summer months.
   Pelletized Dolomitic lime has the micronutrients that make all the difference. Delivering Ca++ and Mg++ work the soil more quickly to a neutral pH.
    Schedule your treatment today!

Fall Aeration

  Now is the time to aerate!

 -  Relieve compacted soils
 -  Break through thatch
 -  Allow air to penetrate the soil
 -  Encourage root development

     Al these benefits combine to thicken your turf and make a healthy environment to grow.




  as you can see the root growth is tremendous. So call today we are offering 25% off our fall aerations now!!!!

Rain , Rain , Rain .

 
   Will the rain ever end ? We have seen lots of rain this year. Temperatures other than one week have been average at best, with few days in the 90's. This all adds up to the turf growing almost all summer with fertilizer usage up. 
   As turf managers we expect unirrigated turf to be dormant in some weeks over the summer . Sometimes up to a month. That may not happen this year. We still have some time left to get hot and dry but not much.
   We are expecting to do some additional cutting as well as additional fertilization this year. If not the overall color and health of the grass may suffer.

Finally sun and warmer temperatures...

  Temperatures will be  50 degrees this weekend and snow is almost gone. Most companies will begin there Dormant oil and Tree and Shrub deep root feedings soon. As the buds begin to prepare to emerge they need fertilizer and protection from those overwintering insects like scale and eggs from mites.
   The Dormant oil needs to be applied when...Dormant....you guessed it, or there can be an adverse effect on the plant itself. Most plants breathe thru either the bark or the leaves. Deciduous plants are typically dormant when leaves are not present  and most evergreens stay dormant until the ground becomes warmer and unfrozen . Some evergreens like Blue Spruce are finiky and can lose color when treated and should be avoided when treating the Landscape. Bark breathers like Maple also can have adverse affects from the oils if treated too late.
   Overall a non-pesticide approach like a Dormant oil is a way to get a fresh start in your Landscape this spring .  The fertilizer that we use is a slow release balanced blend that is injected under the soil. This process is an active feeding that seeks out tiny root hairs and is absorbed into the plant for enhanced color and vigor. Most plant varieties need supplemental nutrients due to the lack of organic matter and forest droppings present in an urban landscape setting.

   Enjoy the weekend and be blessed as the sun will be out the next few days.

Lawn care Advertising

  Well the direct mail has started and the telephone is ringing for the lawn care companies who want your buisness. Radio ads are non-stop for big companies,small companies and all those inbetween. They promise this and guarantee that. Most offer "no Weed" or free service calls. Free estimates and no obligation. Doesnt it make you wonder who is behind all this marketing and campaigning? Where do they get all the extra money to do all this.....???? Well ....from there customers of course. You overspend somewhere. Probably on there free sevice call or there micronutrient application or maybe there 2-3 treatments of included insecticide to kill every bug that affects turfgrass.....
 The fact is only a few of us utilize little to no advertising. Only a few companies keep there employees around for years and years. Only a few of us grow by word of mouth or refferals from happy customers.
Very few lawn care companies are service oriented and quality conscious. Most rely on daily quotas and ad campaigns to sell you not service you.
  In conclusion , the next time you get a lawn care quote ask about the customer cancel rate...or the cost per new customer ....or the sales goal of the person you are talking with. You may be surprised at the response you get. You may also be surprised when you look at your year end totals on expenses.

  A wise consumer is a happy customer .
   

Snow and Mold

   Winter arrived with a one two punch this Holiday Season. As most of us were shopping and preparing for Christmas , Old man winter dealt us a half foot of new fallen snow.

    With the ground still yet to be frozen and heat in the soil this covering of snow is certain to excite our two favorite winter grass molds. Microdichum Nivale and Typhula Blight. Better known as Pink and Gray snow mold. 

    Until the ground freezes and temperatures dip below freezing ( under the snow) snow mold will be active.
                                                          

  Piling snow up on lawn areas or heavy snow accumulations that do not melt down for weeks on end can worsen the snow molds. A fungicide can be used thropughout the winter a few times to lessen damage but it is costly to apply. Plans to rake if neccessary in the spring any damaged areas lightly will quickly bring back areas that the disease targets.

Fall Seeding of Turfgrass

Those who have been putting off seeding bare and dead spots in the lawn because they "wanted to see if the grass will come back" have reached the end of the line.  By now, most of Ohio lawns have experienced sufficient rainfall to green-up and if there are spots that aren't green, the grass isn't coming back!  Take care of re-seeding quickly in order to take advantage of the cool nights and warm days of late summer and early fall.  Grass seed germinates best in this type of weather and needs to have sufficient time to grow in the fall in order to be ready for winter's cold.  
  In lawns containing mostly Kentucky bluegrass, small bare spots (sliver-dollar-size or less) will likely fill in this fall as growth resumes.  In turf type tall fescue lawns, however, since these don't spread by rhizomes, these spots will not fill in and should be repaired.  Bare spots that are not reseeded will quickly be overtaken by weeds since there is no competition with turf.
   

When renovating dead spots, be sure to select the grass species that matches or blends with what is already in the lawn.  For instance, if one reseeds a Kentucky bluegrass lawn (fine blades) with a turf type tall fescue (thicker blades and clump growing), one will definitely notice the difference in the new areas and the rest of the lawn. 

In order for the new grass to thrive (and not just survive) make sure the seed is in contact with soil and exposed to sunlight.  Maximum germination of turfgrass seed occurs when the seed receives full-sun.  In other words, rake to remove dead plants and to loosen the soil before depositing seed.  Additionly, adequate moisture is essential to ensure new seedling survival; don't let them dry out during the establishment period. 

    A "starter" fertilizer should be applied at the time of seeding or shortly after seeding.  DO NOT use a fertilizer that is combined with a weed control product, unless the product is clearly labeled for use on newly seeded lawns.  While fall is an excellent time of the year to control broadleaf weeds, new grass seedlings won't tolerate many types of turfgrass herbicides.  Therefore, worry about getting the seeds established this fall and start a weed control program next spring.  EXCEPTION!  There is one exception to spring weed control programs after fall seeding - do not use a spring crabgrass control product on newly seeded turf unless it's a type of kind of crabgrass preventer that is labeled for seeding lawns such as siduron which doesn't harm turfgrass seedlings.