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Soil testing
We recommend soil testing…
Completing a soil test lets us know your actual soil conditions and what it really needs before we fertilize or treat your lawn. We’ll take soil samples from different areas of your lawn and send them to the Grass Roots Soil Test Laboratory in London, Ontario for testing.
In 2-3 weeks they’ll send a detailed report which outlines your unique soil composition, as well as appropriate fertilizer program alternatives (conventional or natural), any corrective actions required, along with a summary of the products needed.
Preventative Grub Control
Prevention is always the best way to deal with grubs. Once your lawn has been infested with them it’s more susceptible to their return. This service is recommended if any of the following describe areas of your lawn…
• You have brown patches in your lawn, and/or you’ve had animals
digging in it
• You’ve had grub infestation in the past
• Nearby neighbours have had grub infestations
• There are south or west-facing areas of your lawn
• Your lawn has a sunny sloped area(s).
Core Aeration
Core Aerate at least once each year…
Core aeration helps loosen soil and allows fertilizer, water and air to quickly reach the vital grass root system under your lawn. To keep your soil loose, nurture a deeper root system, and achieve a thicker, healthier lawn, it’s important to aerate it each year in the Fall. It’s also the best way to control and maintain an ideal thatch level.
Over-Seeding
With all the new pesticide regulations, it’s never been more important to include aeration & over-seeding as part of your regularly scheduled services. Unlike the old ‘chemical’ days there aren’t any quick fixes available… so, it’s vital to keep your lawn protected from potential problems. This service is, by far, the most important and beneficial way to look after your lawn.
Over-seeding with high-quality, drought, insect and disease resistant grass varieties, along with core or slit aeration, reduces soil compaction and provides a channel for deeper water absorption, which yields a longer, healthier root system, and a fuller, denser, healthier lawn.
We start by planting only superior, hybrid grass varieties develop strong and deep roots – which choke out weeds and naturally resist diseases and insects. As these more appropriate varieties replace the weaker, more problematic ones in your lawn, you'll need less pesticides to keep your lawn lush and beautiful.
Lime Treatment (to increase pH level)
Lime is used to adjust the pH level of your soil upwards. Soils along cedar hedges and under or around evergreens can become too acidic over time (pH levels of 1-6)… and grass can’t survive well in these areas primarily because the acidic soil prevents it from using the nutrients.
You can fertilize all you want, but the grass will continue to starve and die. But by simply adjusting the pH to the proper level (approximately 7) you’ll be giving the grass in these areas the food needed to grow. Lime can be applied at any time during the growing season.
Sulfur (to lower pH level)
Use sulfur to achieve a neutal pH…
If the soil in your lawn is overly alkaline (pH levels of 8-14), adding sulfur can help adjust the pH to a more neutral level (pH of about 7). Sulfur reacts with the soil to form a diluted sulfuric acid, lowering the pH. You should only use it when a soil test confirms the need for it. The resulting soil report will include specific details (in the ‘corrective action recommendations’ section) for adjusting the soil pH levels.
Gypsum Treatment (to minimize salt & pet urine damage)
The two main uses for gypsom treatment are…
• To neutralize road salt damage in the spring.
• To give heavy clay soils more porosity.
Read more...
Crabgrass Control
The heat we've experienced the last few seasons has caused many Ottawa-aera lawns to develop large patches of crabgrass. This problem grass dies out in September, but returns with a vengence the next season, and the next, if left untreated.
While usually only found along the curbs and walkways, because the higher temperatures seem to be more the norm, causing crabgrass to flourish throughout the lawns, we've added this valuable extra service.
Sodding & Lawn Repair
We have trusted business associates who specialize in sodding & lawn repair. Give us a call and we’ll be glad to refer them to you.
Organic Soil Bio-Stimulant Treatment (Topdressing)
For tired old lawns or for new ones with more clay than top soil, organic soil bio-stimulant applied at 100 lbs per 1000 square feet…
• Adds compost to your lawn and acts as a mulch
• Increases soil microbe activity
• Breaks down thatch, increasing the depth of your topsoil
• Revitalizes poor soils, fortifying them with micronutrients
• Rejuvenates a tired, old lawn
• Helps fight turf diseases
• Creates a more heat & draught tolerant lawn
• Minimizes the need for extra weed & insect control treatments
• Provides an excellent medium for overseeding, and it's a great time
for it, too!
Fertilizing Trees & Shrubs...
Your trees and shrubs are often the most important (if not the most expensive) elements of your landscape. And that's especially true when it comes to mature trees and/or exotic shrubs.
And yet we all tend to believe they should be able to look after themselves.
The famous ice storm of 1998, the drought of 1999 and the extreme rains of 2000 were all major stressors on them… and if you’d noticed at the time, you’d have seen large, seemingly invincible trees dying throughouteastern Ontario. The tricky thing is because they’re so large, the effects of these stressors may not become obvious for a year or more.
So, don’t overlook your trees & shrubs – full-grown, large caliper trees are costly to replace and you can never 'buy back' the decades it took to grow them.
Spring Fertilizing Program
Spring Fertilizing is especially important for the following…
• Plants that are pruned regularly such as cedar hedges
and shrubs around your home – there’s a great loss of
plant energy that needs to be replaced.
• Young trees & shrubs – for which you want to encourage
strong healthy growth
• Trees & shrubs that are prone to pest problems such as
Birch, Spruce, Ash, and many types of shrubs – fertilizing
improves their natural resistance as well as speeds their
recovery from pest infestations.
Fall Fertilizing Program
Fall Fertilization – is especially important for the following reasons…
• Tree & shrub root development – which occurs long after the leaves fall off,
so it's very important that young plant material to be properly fertilized.
• Winter hardiness and food storage – very important for all your trees and
shrubs, whatever their age.
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