Lawn Care Kentucky is a physically demanding business that requires stamina and strength. It can also be seasonal, with times of the year when demand is low.
Applying preventative fungicide treatments helps to keep grass healthy and disease-free. Many lawn care companies also offer grub and pest control services to address these unwanted visitors that ruin turf health.
Mowing your lawn on a regular basis helps keep it healthy by keeping the grasses from overgrowing and choking out other plants in your garden. Regular mowing also prevents the growth of weeds. If you use a gas-powered mower, be sure to empty the tank after each mowing and change the oil regularly. This will help reduce air pollution and extend the life of your lawnmower.
A professional lawn care service will also prune and trim trees, shrubs, and bushes to keep them healthy and looking their best. This improves curb appeal and shows that you are a conscientious homeowner or business owner who takes pride in the appearance of your property.
Lawn care services also include aeration, overseeding, soil testing, fertilization and weed control. They may also offer treatments for insect infestations and fungus. Fungicide treatments prevent and control many common lawn diseases including leaf spot, brown patch, and summer patch.
While a lawn should be mowed as frequently as possible to maintain a thick, healthy stand of grass, overly aggressive mowing can lead to poor growth and a coarse, uneven surface. It is important to set the mower blades high and mow the yard in sections rather than mowing the entire lawn at once. Also, it is important to not mow a lawn while it is wet as this can damage the grasses and contribute to disease.
Using a mulching mower to eliminate the need for bagging grass clippings and leaves can be an eco-friendly way to reduce waste and improve the health of your yard. It also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers as it provides a natural source of nutrients to your turf.
If you do need to use fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, choose organic products to reduce your environmental footprint. Also, be sure to check the ingredients in these chemicals and only apply them when necessary. It is also a good idea to avoid excessive watering as this can cause more problems than it solves.
A professional lawn care company will be able to recommend the right treatment schedule for your property. They will take into account weather conditions, mowing frequency, soil type and other factors to develop a program that will promote the health and beauty of your yard.
Fertilization
Lawn Care is the process of treating a home’s lawn, promoting its health and beauty through fertilization, weed control, soil health and turf disease management. It also includes services like mulching, pruning shrubs and trees, aeration, seeding and deep root feeding for trees and shrubs.
A quality lawn needs high-quality fertilizer to stay healthy and vibrant. Fertilizer provides critical nutrients to turfgrass and helps it resist environmental pressures (like weeds or pests) when applied properly. Local lawn service companies offer both fast-release synthetic and slow-release natural (organic) fertilizers that are better for your yard’s grass, environment and water quality.
Soil testing and liming are important parts of your lawn’s care. These applications reduce the soil’s acidity and make it more favorable for turfgrass growth. They’re usually followed by aeration and overseeding.
Overseeding and aerating create new grass seed to fill out sparse or bare areas of your lawn, making it thicker and denser. The extra grass can help discourage weeds and pests, and it may allow you to grow a more tolerant variety of grass for your region.
The aeration process involves creating small openings in the soil with a rake, thatch mower or core aerator. This breaks up the thatch layer and loosens the soil, allowing air, water and nutrients to flow more easily through it. Many lawn services recommend aerating the entire lawn three to six times per year.
After aerating, your lawn should be fertilized to provide additional nutrition. This can be done with a liquid or granular application, and your lawn service company will recommend the best one for you.
Mulching helps moderate soil temperature, retains moisture and improves the appearance of flower beds. It also helps suppress weed growth and can be used with organic or inorganic materials.
Weed Control
Weeds are a major problem for many homeowners, and they often feel like the only way to get their lawn to look the way they want is to kill all the weeds. It is important to remember that while weeds are unsightly, they often provide the necessary resources for grasses to survive and thrive in their environment. A proper Integrated Weed Management (IWM) program takes into consideration both cultural and chemical controls. IWM programs should also include plans for follow up maintenance, replacing weedy areas with desirable plants, and preventing reestablishment of weeds.
The most effective ways to control weeds are to prevent them from coming up, to remove them before they mature, and to use cultural controls that promote grass growth. Using a specialized weed killer is another option, but it should be used carefully and with caution. Weed killers can remain in the soil for a long time and may have adverse impacts on surrounding grasses. Always consult the weed killer label for proper application rates and for tips on safe disposal.
Identifying the weeds and trying to determine why they are growing is the first step in managing broadleaf weeds. For example, ground ivy growing in the shade may indicate poor soil conditions while knotweed invading turf may be an indicator of stress from too much nitrogen or irrigation. Weeds that are symptomatic of other underlying problems such as compaction or drainage should be corrected to eliminate the weed problem.
Chemical control of weeds can be very effective when applied at the right time. Annual broadleaf weeds such as chickweed or henbit germinate in the fall and flower and go to seed in the spring, making a preemergent herbicide application ideal for controlling them. Similarly, perennial broadleaf weeds such as dandelion or clover require an application at the right time of year to control them effectively.
A selective herbicide such as 2,4-D can be used to effectively control most common weeds without killing the grasses that you want. However, it is important to note that weeds are always competing for water, nutrients and sunlight with the grass roots so even the most selective herbicides will not be completely effective on their own.
Mulching
Mulching is the layering of material, organic or inorganic, on top of the soil. It has multiple benefits including conservation of soil moisture, weed suppression and soil health. It also can help to regulate soil temperature, improve the appearance of the landscape and reduce erosion.
Organic mulches are made of various materials such as grass clippings (preferably shredded), leaves, hay, straw, compost and other kitchen scraps, comfrey, shredded bark or wood chips, coir or coconut fibre, peat moss and rotted sawdust. They decompose over time and add valuable nutrients to the soil.
These natural materials are great for soil health because they have a diversity of microbes that break them down and make them available to the plant roots. Mulching also increases the activity of earthworms and other microbial activities that promote good soil structure, allowing water and oxygen to infiltrate easily and limit the negative effects of compaction and anaerobic conditions.
The best organic mulch is a garden compost or manure that is fully broken down and contains a high level of humus. It also should be free of seeds to avoid introducing weeds into the lawn. Cypress pine mulch (sourced from waste material created when cypress pine trees are harvested for timber) is another good option because it’s said to deter white ants and termites.
An inorganic mulch can be made from gravel, pebbles, crushed brick, rock or plastic sheeting. It is generally placed on the surface of the soil and can provide a very decorative look to the landscape. It has some limitations though, such as a reduced ability to absorb and hold water because it has less pore space. It can also be toxic to plants because it can contain heavy metals and other chemicals used in manufacturing.
It is a common mistake to use colored or black plastic mulches because they can block the sun from reaching the ground, which can result in a scorched landscape and a reduction in weed control and soil health. It is also important to remember that any weed killer or fertilizer must not be applied under a plastic sheeting, as this will prevent the natural nutrient cycling that helps plants and soils thrive.
