Grubs can seriously damage your lawn if you let them get out of hand. White grub damage will appear to you as thinning or browning of your turf. Damage from grubs most commonly appears in the late summer or fall - if you notice damage in the spring, there is a good chance this is just carry over from the previous fall.

White grubs (which are larvae of certain beetles) live under the ground and feed on the roots of your grass, making it much more difficult for your lawn to get its required nutrients. If it gets really out of hand, your grass can even end up with such little rooting that it’s almost like a carpet that can be rolled up.

The most common solution to grubs is Scotts GrubEx. Applying this should take care of most grub problems in one pass.

The scotts lawn care program is one of the more popular lawn care plans out there. It was developed to help lawn owners develop thick, green lawn that keeps out weeds, insects and pests. It is a program that you can start at any time of the year.

The benefit to Scotts is that they’ll potentially gain a customer for life. If you follow their free information, which naturally involves the use of their products, they’ll make money from your purchases for as long as you’re following the program. While some people have reported that there are some issues with the use of some of the products suggested by the program, it is by and large a successful program.

So you’d like to take care of your lawn without the use of fertilizers or pesticides? No problem. There are a number of steps you can take that will help make the environment favorable for your grass, and unfavorable for weeds. The grass will then naturally choke out the weeds, keeping your lawn organically free of them.

First, you should set your mower to its highest setting - typically 3-4 inches. To do this, you also have to keep on top of mowing your lawn so it will still look nice. The reason this works is because the grass will shade the weeds from the sun, which causes them to die. No sun, no food for the weeds. If you end up chopping your grass down as low as you can, then the weeds will start to shade the grass, and that’s when you end up having dead grass spots and weeds that flourish.

You should also water only as often as the grass needs, and not anymore. The reason is that the grass roots will be forced to grow deeper into the soil - deeper than the competing weeds. As the top of layer of soil dries out, the weeds will die, but the grass will still have the water from its deeper roots.

Now, one more thing about watering - when you water, water deeply. This means that you should place a cup or container in the area you’re watering, and don’t stop watering until there is about an inch there. This may seem like overkill, but the soil will absorb the moisture eventually, and you won’t have to water as often.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can also fertilize the soil with an organic fertilizer. Don’t use chemical fertilizer. You can also test your soil’s pH level, either professionally or with a store bought kit. You ideally want it between 6 and 7. If it is too low, add lime - too high add gardener’s sulfur.

Caring for your lawn organiclly isn’t very difficult - it just requires a bit of planning ahead. Do this and you won’t have to spend the extra money on fertilizers or pesticides, and you’ll be helping the environment.

For the most part, you can take care of your lawn yourself - but what happens in an extreme case, when you need to hire a professional lawn care service?

There are quite a few reasons that you may consider contracting a professional lawn care provider - maybe you’re going away for an extended period of time, your lawn may be a couple of acres, it may be in very poor shape, or you may just not have the time to take care of properly. How then, do you decide on a professional lawn care service?

The first thing you should check, as with any professional service of this variety, is for reputation. Do you have any friends or neighbors who have use a lawn care service? What are their thoughts and experiences on this. If you can find a friend who has hired a landscaper or lawn care service, then you have a great starting point.

You should also check for any required licenses and insurance. Some states require all lawn care companies to have licences (for pesticides) and liability insurance. Make sure that if you’re considering a professional, that they have any applicable licenses.

Check out lawn care associations, both national and regional, for local companies. You can start your search with the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA).

The last few things are more along the lines of customer service. When you speak to someone at the company, are they friendly and knowledgable? Will they work around your schedule, and are they flexible with theirs? Do they share their methods and offer tips for maintaining the lawn after they finish? You don’t really want an unfriendly service that won’t tell you anything, because then you may have to continue to deal with them in the future to maintain your lawn.

Hiring a professional lawn care service shouldn’t be a hassle - it should be something that makes your lawn care easier. Follow the above tips to get the most out of any lawn care service.

Treating and preventing lawn disease

Lawn disease can be one of the most frustrating problems facing you as you care for your lawn. It can creep up and surprise you if you’re not looking out for it, and it can be difficult to diagnose. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent lawn disease so you can make sure you reduce your chances of having to treat it.

The best way to prevent lawn disease is to make sure you maintain a healthy lawn. The first thing to make sure you do is mow your grass regularly, and correctly. By mowing your lawn at the correct height and frequency. If you cut the blades too low, you can create a strain on your lawn which can help usher in disease.

You also want to make sure you don’t over or underwater your lawn. Be sure your lawn is draining properly and you don’t have any areas of standing water after it rains, as many types of lawn disease thrive in extra moist environments. Underwatering your lawn can also cause problems since your lawn will not be healthy to fight off other diseases.

Over or under fertilizing can also allow diseases to gain a foothold and spread. Some diseases prefer nitrogen rich yards (caused by overfertilization) while others live in nitrogen-depleted environments (caused by underfertilization). Make certain to follow instructions on your fertilizer for how to spread it, and how often to spread it.

Treating disease

If you already suspect your lawn has a disease, the first step is to identify it. After you know what you are dealing with, you can start to take steps to treat it. The most popular solution is to use a fungicide to kill off the infected disease area. Make sure to follow the instructions on whatever fungicide you need so you don’t kill off anything other than the disease. Many broad spectrum fungicides (fungicides that kill off multiple diseases) can also hurt your lawn and any beneficial animals living in it. Start off by just treating the infected area, not your whole lawn and give the fungicide time to work before applying again.

By taking steps to prevent lawn disease, hopefully you won’t have to ever treat it. If you do end up getting a disease, be sure to follow any fungicide treatment instructions very carefully to avoid killing more than the disease.

Preventing lawn pests

Lawn pests are just another problem you should be aware of when caring for your lawn. Like diseases, the most effective way to battle lawn pests and insects is to prevent them from getting a foothold.

Preventing and identifying pests

The best way to prevent pests is to keep your lawn healthy. This means keep up watering, mowing, and fertilizing our lawn on a regular basis. If your lawn is healthy and thick, it is less likely to become a home and breeding ground for insects. It will also be better able to survive an occasional pest breakout should one occur.

Luckily, pests are easier to spot than lawn disease. Most are visible to the naked eye, so you can see if you have a pest problem long before the damage actually occurs to your lawn.

It is also helpful to know when to look for bugs that could be inhabiting your lawn. Ask around to see what kind of pests are usually prevalent in your climate and area, and research their breeding and feeding habits. By doing this, you will know what to look for on your lawn so you can spot a pest before the damage is too great. You should routinely look around your lawn for signs of leaves being chewed, or light spots on the blades of your grass in the case of sucking insects.

Even if you start noticing a few leaves being chewed, it does not necessarily mean you have a pest problem. If you only notice signs of pests occasionally, and you don’t see any insects actively moving about, you probably don’t need to take action.

While even the best lawn maintenance can’t always keep the pests away, it is your best defense against them. By doing what keeps your lawn healthy you will not only have a lush and green yard, but you will also be actively keeping pests at bay.

Fertilizer and the environment

Fertilizer is an important part of keeping a healthy lawn, but it can also cause environmental issues you may not be aware of. In order to use fertilizer responsibly, there are a few pointers you should keep in mind when purchasing and using it.

The first big issue is organic vs. inorganic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer like compost and manure can help the environment it is put down on, but it still cause health hazards if you let it run off into a stream or river. Inorganic, while safe for use, carries the same risk as organic, but it can be even more poisonous if it not properly applied. Interestingly, if fertilizer is applied correctly, instead of causing damage to the environment, it can actually help it. When your lawn is full and healthy, it will absorb some of the toxic runoff that would otherwise go into the streams and rivers.

As with all things in life, moderation is the key with fertilizer. Be sure to follow the instructions on the fertilizer package carefully, and if in doubt either contact a professional or err on the side of caution. Applying too much fertilizer causes the excess to runoff into local waterways and cause disturbances to the environment.

Timing is another crucial aspect to responsible fertilizing. If there is rain in the forecast, don’t put a ton of chemicals on your lawn. Not only will this create more toxic runoff than is necessary, your soil won’t be able to absorb the fertilizer before it is washed away. You can’t always plan for the weather, but try to fertilize when it looks like the next few days will be rain free.

Try to stick with slow release fertilizers as well. This allows the fertilizer to work over a period of time, and reduces the likeliness of it being washed away.

Applying fertilizer is a step many lawn care enthusiasts take to promote healthy and lush yards. They can certainly help, but be sure to take care to apply responsibly and you’ll get the most effectiveness out of your fertilizer.

Choosing the right lawn mower

Chances are if you have a yard, you have a lawn mower. But with riding lawnmowers, 2 and 4 wheel drive mowers, and all sorts of features, how do you choose the right one for your yard?

Choosing the right lawn mower can be the difference between saving yourself hours of effort and paying thousands of dollars for things you don’t need. If you have a small yard, you probably don’t need a riding mower with all the bells and whistles. If your yard is large and flat, and push mower isn’t your best bet, and you probably won’t need 4 wheel drive. Take a look at some of the types of mowers are around, and what type of lawn they are best suited for.

Two/Four wheel drive

Four wheel drive is more expensive, but is probably worth it on larger yards with rough terrain. If you have a lot of hills, or some bumpy areas and you find your two wheel drive mower slipping or not moving as well, you may want to invest in a four wheel drive mower

Turning radius

Larger mowers have less of a turning radius than smaller ones. Turning radius is basically how tight a turn a particular vehicle can make. A lot of lawn owners don’t consider this trait when choosing a mower, but it is one of the most important ones. With a mower that has a large turn radius, you won’t be able to get into those tight spaces on your lawn, and may be forced to trim more areas by hand than if you had a mower with a smaller turning radius. If your lawn is large and wide open, this isn’t as big a deal, but if there are a lot of trees and obstacles you’ll want to consider this.

Towing and payload

Most people won’t need to worry about towing and payload. Towing capacity is how much weight the mower can safely pull, and payload is how much weight you can put on the mower. Towing is the more important of the two, since you usually won’t be stacking a lot of heavy objects on the mower itself. If you think you’ll have to tow heavy objects (like lots of firewood) you should get a mower that has good towing capacity.

Other features

Things like cup holders, visors, and other bells and whistles are there for the sake of convienence. You’ll have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to pay extra to be able to hold a drink while you’re mowing.

What is lawn aeration

Lawn aeration is the process of removing clumps, or plugs of soil every few inches from your lawn. It is usually done when the soil is compacted due to heavy walking, or if your soil has high clay content. This allows the grass to expand more and achieve deeper rooting, promoting healthier and stronger lawns.

Do I need to aerate?

If you think you may need to aerate your lawn, you should perform a simple test first. Remove about a square foot of lawn from the area you think needs aeration, and look at how deep the grass roots go. If they are only 1-2 inches down, you may need to aerate. Take care to note what season it is as well, since warm and cool season grasses tend to have different root lengths at different times. Cool season grasses have shorter roots in the summer, and deeper roots in the spring, while warms season grasses are usually the opposite. If you notice short roots, but the grass area isn’t really walked on or used a lot, it may be a seasonal effect and aeration is probably not needed.

How does aeration help?

When your lawn becomes compacted due to heavy use, it does not absorb water and nutrients as well. This can cause water pooling, which can damage lawns, and shallow rooting. By aerating, you increase the water and nutrient absorbtion, and improve the overall health of your lawn. This also prevents chemical runoff when you fertilize or put herbicide down, and allows for better water irrigation.

How do I aerate?

Aeration is most easily done with a motorized aerator. You can either rent an aerator from a garden and lawn center, or pay a professional to do it. It probably isn’t worth it to buy an aerator outright since you won’t need to aerate very often.

When you begin to aerate, your soil should be moist, but not wet. You’ll want to water your lawn 2-3 days before you begin aerating. If it has rained recently, be sure the grass is not soaked. Aerate in at least 2 directions to insure you get complete coverage as well. Leave the soil plugs you aerate on the lawn as well, as they will be absorbed back into the soil for added nutrients. If your lawn is extra compacted, you can apply a thin lair of manure and rake it into the aerated holes for added nutrients.