Organic Lawn Care

  Maintaining a healthy lawn takes practice and patience. Understanding the common errors homeowners make can hel­p you improve your property. Be sure you’re not harming your lawn by avoiding these common mistakes. 1. Mowing your lawn too short It’s important to mow your lawn to the correct height for your specific grass type. Mowing a lawn shorter than the recommended height will cause a portion of the root system to die off, harming the health of the grass plant. This leaves turf vulnerable to lawn diseases and pests, introducing further problems. As a rule of thumb, no more than one third of the grass leaf should be cut at a time. 2. Skipping a soil test When caring for your lawn, it’s important to know what is occurring in the soil environment. Every lawn is different, and the nutrient makeup of your soil will determine what amendments and products will provide an optimal growing environment. We always recommend conducting a soil test on your lawn to determine your soil’s s...

  What is Armyworm?   Fall armyworms are generally a more prevalent pest in the southern areas of the United States and can dramatically invade a lawn in a matter of hours. The larvae of flying moths, armyworms are active in early morning or early evening, consuming blades of grass and other low vegetation. Storm fronts and periods of heavy rain and wind can drive armyworm populations north, spreading damage to wider areas. What Do Armyworms Look Like?   Armyworm larvae are generally one quarter inch to one inch in length and can vary in color, including pinkish green, light tan, green, or nearly black with stripes running the length of the body. Excessively high populations of armyworm can give a lawn the appearance of movement. Birds feeding on the lawn can strongly indicate armyworm activity during late summer and early fall. What is the Armyworm Life Cycle?   Adult armyworms lay eggs on grass. The larvae begin feeding on the blades as soon as they hatch. Larvae c...

  Even the most diligent lawn caretaker doesn’t have all the answers. Whether it’s mowing, watering, or other cultural practices, it is important to appropriately care for your lawn to ensure fertilization treatments have an ideal growing environment. Should I be watering my lawn at night? At night, temperatures drop and the lack of sunlight prevents water from evaporating off of grass blades. Moisture is retained on soil and grass, encouraging rot, disease, and fungus to proliferate. Lawns prefer to drink deeply but infrequently, and sustained, excessive dampness is counterproductive to healthy growth. While there is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to proper lawn maintenance, watering a lawn at night is typically not recommended. For lawns with areas of deep shade, it is especially important to not water at night, as decreased sunlight during the day leaves moisture on turf even longer. Instead, early morning is typically the best time to water your lawn. Cooler temperatures pr...

  Maintaining a beautiful lawn means that you have to take the right steps during the right seasons. Staying on top of seasonal changes, such as snowfall and heat, can mean the difference between a beautiful lawn that looks great all year long, or an ugly brown mess by the middle of September.  The first step to lawn maintenance is to understand how the seasons affect your lawn. After that, it is vital to have an accurate schedule as a guideline even though the weather circumstances may change it slightly. There are also several things to consider when keeping this schedule. To Fertilize or Not to Fertilize First, consider fertilization. Fertilization should occur near the beginning of spring or late summer. Different types of fertilization are suited for different lawn characteristics. When to fertilize lawns depends largely on the type of grass that you have grown in your area. Different grass types will need different amounts of nutrients in order to grow. If you are unsure...

  If you have never attempted to do a lawn care routine, you may find that it is more difficult than you thought. Lawns require regular attention and upkeep in order to remain healthy and green. One of the worst causes of grass disease, overall, is a fungus. Three of the most common lawn diseases, Red Thread, Pythium Blight, and Dollar Spot are all fungal infections.  What is Red Thread Disease? One of the most common lawn diseases is red thread. Red thread is a fungal disease found mainly on lawns and other overloaded areas. Red thread disease has two distinct phases. The first phase, which gives the disease its name, is characterized by very fine, red, thread-like strands extending from the grass blades towards the soil below. The second phase is characterized by the thickening of the threads, the end result of which is the appearance of spots on the blades.  What is Pythium Blight? Another fungal disease is Pythium Blight. It is a lawn disease that attacks plants in th...

In summer, as dusk arrives and the loud thrum of night insects begins to grow louder, you may notice what appear to be small birds performing acrobatics in the last light of the day, turning on a dime midair and swooping to the surface of bodies of water.  These likely aren’t birds—they’re bats . North America is home to over 32 distinct species of bats, the only flying mammal capable of true, self-propelled flight. These nocturnal fliers are often misunderstood, but play a vital role in our ecosystem and offer unique benefits to homeowners and gardeners. What Do Bats Eat? The diet of most North American bats consists largely of insects. Bats consume large quantities of insects every night, using sound to identify insects and the areas in which they are likely to live. In fact, a single big brown bat, present in every state within the continental U.S., is known to eat around 600 insects an hour every evening.  Many bats consume upwards of 70% of their body weight in insect mea...