Fall Fertilizer

Late fall fertilizing is a crucial last step in lawn care programs north of the transition zone. Although the exact timing can vary due to weather conditions, the final fertilizer application should be made sometime in November - when the grass stops growing or slows down to the pint of not needing to be mowed, but before the ground freezes.

Proper timing is essential. If fertilizer is applied too early, while grass is actively growing, it can invite winter injury and snow mold. Do not apply fertilizer to frozen soil or over snow or ice.

Cool season grasses recover from summer stresses like drought, heat, and disease in the fall. If the lawn is not hungry and has been properly fertilized in the late summer, grass can begin to store carbohydrate reserves in the stems, rhizomes, and stolons. Carbohydrate reserves help grass resist winter injury and disease, and serve as a source of energy for root and shoot growth the following spring. A late fall fertilization will also provide better winter color, enhanced spring green up, and increased rooting.

Nitrogen requirements are the most important aspect of a fall fertilizer. It is recommended that 1lb of soluble N/1000 square feet or 1.5 - 2lb of slow release N/1000 square feet be applied. A complete fertilizer with a high ratio of N and K is recommended. K (potassium) is essential for enhanced rooting, cold hardiness, disease resistance, and wear tolerance.

For example, an acceptable fertilizer blend would be 24-4-12 with IBDU. A small amount of nitrogen is immediately available to the plant while the rest is in slow release form, allowing it to slowly break down and provide an extended feeding to the grass.

Late fall fertilizing should be applied in conjunction with a complete lawn care fertilizer program for best results.

Tips on Lawn Care Business Advertising Methods

In this article we will discuss advertising methods most commonly used in commercial lawn care businesses. Though this is just a partial list as the possibilities are almost limitless, we will try to touch on the most common methods of advertising used by new lawn care business start-ups.

YELLOW PAGES | PHONE BOOK ADVERTISING:

We will discuss advertising in the yellow pages first, as I consider this to be the biggest return on investment when it comes to advertising, as well as the most costly. Even with the internet age, the phone book is still the place were the majority of individuals turn to first when looking for a local business. Having your company listed in the phone books yellow pages is by far the best return on initial investment in my opinion. With the cost of advertising in the yellow pages increasing each year, most phone book publishers have begun offering monthly payments as a means of paying for your company's ad. With prices ranging from a couple of hundred dollars annually to several thousand dollars depending on the size and location of your ad.

When we first started out, we basically had a small display ad (the smallest they offered), instead of running just a text listing. Display ads capture a potential customer's attention easier and it offers a quick way of letting your potential customer know of the services that you offer. Though you can create your own yellow page ad yourself if you are adept with software such as Adobe Photo Shop. Most phone book publishers have graphic artist on staff that can create your ad based on your company's criteria.

Text ads, though cheaper to purchase, may not be the most cost effective if your rate of return off the ad doesn't justify the initial publication cost. Try to remember the last time you looked up a company in the yellow pages. If you knew the business name that you were searching for, you probably quickly scanned down the text listings till you found the one that you were hunting for. More than likely though, if you did not know the name of an individual business, and were just looking for say a plumbing business, the display ads probably caught your eye first. Text ads do serve a purpose though, and will help an individual find your business phone number when looking for your name, as well as those individuals who are looking for just a random lawn care company.

Considerably cheaper to purchase, having your company listed only by a text ad is definitely better than not have your company listed at all. I would recommend though that if your finances will only allow you to invest in a text ad that you try to at least spend the money and have the listing in bold. This will help in making your text ad stand out from the others somewhat. Most larger cities now days have more than one phone book available. Check with each one regarding pricing and distribution to determine which book will offer you the biggest bang for your buck.

FLYERS:

As we have discussed above what I consider to be the biggest return on your advertising investment, flyers would fall into my least return on initial investment and effort scale.

Though you may read on the many different forums on the internet regarding the use of flyers as a means of advertising, the rate of return is generally less than 2%. That means for every 1,000 flyers that you stuff under someone's windshield wiper blade, or hand out as they are coming out of a grocery store, you will get roughly 20 phone calls requesting quotes. This may seem like a good deal of business on the surface, but let's put a few numbers to it.

First off most copy businesses charge generally a minimum of $.05 per sheet for copy service. At a 1,000 copies, you've already spent $50.00. Then you must calculate in at least a day to walk around and pass out the flyers. I remember when I first started out I put a dollar value on my time of $35.00 per hour. Not knowing any better, I estimated this is what it would take to pay myself a decent salary as well as pay for my equipment. This figure was low, but we will discuss that in another section. But just to have something to work with, we will use the $35.00 per hour fee that I estimated my time to be valued at.

Well if you consider it will take a good portion of a day to pass out a 1,000 flyers to individuals, at $35.00 per hour that comes to $280.00 for an 8 hour day. Combine that with the $50.00 you spent at the copy center, and your now into your CHEAP method of advertising to the tune of $330.00. That is close to what you would have spent for a text ad in the local telephone book yellow pages.

Yes, as we have discussed, you stand the potential of getting 20 new customers so let's put some numbers to it. When first starting out, and unless the properties are extremely small, you will probably average somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 cuttings a day for residential. Less than that if they are larger properties, or less than that if you short cut and do sub standard work. At 6 yards a day, it will take you roughly 3.3 days to finish mowing your 20 new customers. But to keep the math simple, let's just assume that you can complete mowing the 20 properties in an even 3 days working 8 hour days. At your $35.00 an hour rate in an 8 hour day, minus the cost of printing and handing out the flyers, you've made $370.00.

Now if you divide the $370.00 into 3 eight hour days, you've actually earned only $15.41 per hour. I can tell you from experience that isn't enough to pay for your equipment, much less your salary. Now I am not totally against the use of flyers as a means of advertising, as I feel they do serve a purpose and can be a quick way to pick up some new clients. I would not advise stepping off into the green industry business with the idea that all you have to do is go pass out some flyers in order to strike it rich. Also please note, just as a reminder, placing flyers inside a homeowner's mail box is illegal. Federal Law prohibits an individual from tampering with the mail,and although your only placing a flyer inside a mail box it is still considered a felony.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS | PENNY RECORDS

Just about any time you enter a convenience store, you're bound to see a rack with free local classified ads. Though generally nothing fancy, as they are usually in a news paper style format, they do offer a way to promote your business for a reasonable amount. For generally $30 - $40 you can have your business ad run for several days or weeks. These free classifieds newspapers reach a very large audience, and though probably not the first place someone would look to in searching for a lawn care company, you can pick up the occasional individual who might not have been actually looking for a lawn maintenance company but after seeing your ad remembered that their own yard needed to be mowed.

LOCAL INTERNET CLASSIFIEDS

If you happen to live in an area that is lucky enough to have a local online classifieds website, this can be used as another source of affordable advertising. Having done both print and internet advertising, you seem to pick up a different class of customer through internet advertising than you do print advertising. Not to try and stereotype anyone, in my experience the customers we have picked up from internet advertising tend to be a little better off financially, a little more up to date on landscaping trends, but generally will not be as tolerant of sub standard work.

DOOR HANGERS

I really like door hangers, although I have not personally gone door to door hanging them on homeowner's door knobs. Our technique was that we had door hangers printed up which stated that we were in their neighborhood servicing their neighbors yard and would like to extend our services to their home as well. Our flyers also stated that we had briefly looked at their yard and could offer our services for $xx.xx dollars per cut. The bottom of the door hanger was a detachable business card that they could remove and keep with them. We had our door hangers custom printed by online printing company for around $80.00.

MAGNETIC SIGNS | YARD SIGNS

I really like this particular lawn care advertising method personally. Having good magnetic signs on the sides of your truck is an invaluable method of free advertising. Not only are you advertising your company as you drive around town from job to job, but it also makes it easy for individuals to see who it is servicing their neighbors lawn. A good set of magnetic door signs will run you around $100.00 for a set, but it ranks second on my list of must dos. Yard signs are also excellent when it comes to prime advertising. Though you will spend probably $150.00 on a set of signs, these can be placed in customer's yards (with their prior approval), making it again easy for neighbors to see who it is servicing the lawn.

In Closing

Regardless of the landscape advertising method you choose to promote your company, a good marketing scheme is critical as word of mouth advertising will only reach so many individuals.

I understand that at first your advertising budget will be extremely limited, which is why I have attempted to list several of the most common forms of advertising methods above. To try and sum up the above though, in my personal opinion, I believe the two most valuable forms of advertising a new start up lawn maintenance company can do is:


Yellow Page Advertising (display ad)
Magnetic Truck Signs - Yard Signs


I recommend budgeting the most you can afford towards good quality advertising, perform quality work, and watch your business grow!

Evergreen Lawns is a free information website offering tips and suggestions to both homeowners interested in Do-It-Yourself projects, as well as information for those individuals interested in starting their own commercial lawn maintenance business. Additional information can be located at http://www.evergreenlawns.com/commercial-lawn-care-maintenance.html

Dethatch

One of the first things you can do for a lawn in the spring is thatch control. Thinning out the thatch in the spring clears out old, dead grass and other organic matter that has built up over time but has not broken down.

De-thatching will open up the lawn surface allowing for improved nutrient and water uptake as well as severing up stolons and rhizomes which encourages new growth. The renewed growth and warming temperatures of spring provide the ideal setting to perform this procedure.

A mid-priced de-thatcher would pay for itself over time since most lawns would benefit and thrive from even a light de-thatching almost every year.

First, determine if your lawn has an excessive amount of thatch. A thatch layer thicker than a half inch would warrant a de-thatching. De-thatching may not be necessary if a lawn has a thatch layer less than 1/2 an inch, however, even a moderate amount of thatch would reap the benefits from a light de-thatching.

If it is determined that a lawn needs de-thatching, you can hire a lawn care company to perform the task, or do it yourself with your own equipment or a rental.

De-thatching a lawn in the spring helps it "wake up" by removing old, dead material, cutting old rhizomes and stolons (which encourages new growth), and thinning the thatch layer to allow better access for nutrients and water to penetrate the surface. Whether your lawn has a thatch problem and needs a deep de-thatching, or it just a light scratching, spring is the time do it for noticeable results in the summer.

Residential Lawn Care Know-How: The Seven Basic Steps

Looking after your own yard appeals on so many levels: pride, satisfaction, outdoor time, and exercise. Doing it the right way and seeing your grass looking lush and green will add so much to your enjoyment. Follow these seven basic steps for residential lawn care.

Mowing: It's best for your grass to be 2 to 3 inches high, and to avoid cutting more than a third of it at any one time. This makes for strong roots that dig down deep. It also saves you on watering when the roots can reach down further for water. Leave clippings on your lawn to add an easy source of nutrients. Work up and down once with your lawn mower, and then back and forth the next. This keeps the blades growing upright. Proper mowing is the first step in learning residential lawn care.

Watering: Avoid frequent watering for the best root growth. Instead, water less often, but do it deeply. About an inch of water will soak the turf perfectly. You can use empty cans to measure how your sprinkler is doing. Check the soil with a probe to see when it needs water, or if you notice footprints remaining on the grass, that's a sign that it needs water. Residential lawn care is all about proper watering.

Feeding: Besides leaving clippings, you'll want to add food. Having too much or too little nitrogen is very bad for your yard. A soil test will help you here. Three feedings a year--in spring, summer and fall--with a fertilizer made for those seasons is the best way to go.

Weeding: This can be done by hand, of course, and a healthy turf is good at fighting off weeds. Using a preemergent herbicide will go a long way to prevent unwanted plants from infesting your lawn.

Raking: This is crucial for residential lawn care. Fallen leaves starve the grass of light and air, making way for fungus and mold. Don't just pet the lawn with your rake, but don't rake so hard you're pulling the grass out by the roots. This will prevent thatch build-up, which left unchecked, will strangle your grass.

Aerating: This too keeps down thatch, and improves drainage and soil quality. You can do this either by coring or using a liquid aerator. The roots will appreciate the improvements and will also have better access to water and nutrients. Residential lawn care isn't just about the surface, it's about what's going on underneath too.

Overseeding: Hit bare patches right away with seed. If your turf is thinning, overseeding the whole area will bring it back to its former glory. Take the time to prep the ground, and change your watering to keep the ground from drying out on the surface.

Get out there and enjoy your yard. Having the know-how to mow, water, and feed the right way is a great start. Taking care of weeds, leaves, bare areas, and soil drainage will pay off in a great looking turf. Residential lawn care is enjoyable when it pays off by giving you a great looking yard.

For more on residential lawn care, visit my website.

There, you'll find tips and tricks for getting the greenest, fullest lawn possible. You'll also find business packages, tools and equipment for all your lawn care needs, whether you are a homeowner, property manager, or full-time lawn care professional. Find solutions for all your lawn care issues and needs at http://www.worldoflawncare.com

How to Repair a Bare Patch

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Do It Yourself Lawn Care - 5 Tips For Maintaining A Beautiful Lawn

Lawn care is not really as hard as you might think. In fact, if you love your garden, caring for it might be the most enjoyable activity for you. And no matter where you live in: whether you live in the city, suburbs or a rural area, you will want to take good care of your lawn because your lawn forms an integral part of your house and adds to its appeal. Now, you can of course hire an expert to look after your garden but it certainly takes away all the fun that is involved in lawn care. In this article I will give you five tips on how to look after your garden in the best way possible.

1. The very first thing that you need to learn is how to mow your lawn. Unfortunately, this is one thing most people don't know much about, but unless you know how to properly mow your garden, you cannot keep it in good shape. When mowing your garden, you should lower your blades enough to cut the grass but not too low. If you lower your blades too close to the roots of the grass, the grass will burn up at times when the weather is extremely hot and there is scanty rainfall. A rule of thumb is that grass should be kept at a minimum height of 3 inches.

2. Don't allow the grasses to grow too tall before you mow them. If you do, it will damage the growth rate of grass and leave a lump of grass in the middle of your garden. I am sure that would not be something pleasant to look at.

3. Be sure to regularly sharpen your blades! This will help you mow your garden faster while at the same time not damaging the roots of the grass itself.

4. Water your garden regularly. How much water your garden needs depends on the area you live in, its climate and the type of soil. A good rule of thumb in this regard is that if you walk through your garden and see your footprints there after a few minutes, or if you happen to see brown patches in your garden, you know for sure that it needs to be watered. While you should not be tightfisted with the water, you should also take care not to water your garden too much, otherwise the grass of your garden will begin to rot and this will slowly but surely damage the look and feel of your entire lawn.

5. Insects are a big menace for any garden owner. Some insects are so dangerous that they can damage your entire garden. You need to know how to keep these insects away from your garden. There are some products available that can help you in this regard. If in doubt, ask your local gardening experts for help and advice.

Discover Do You Really Need To Fertilize Your Lawn? For more information on do it yourself lawn care, visit us at:
http://lawn-care.besthelptips.com/do-it-yourself-lawn-care-2.php
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Top 7 Lawn Care Tips When Spring Is Here

Fall is usually the busiest season when it comes to lawn care. It's the best season for all the care and maintenance a lawn could have. But taking care of a lawn is not limited to fall only. Spring is also a time for you to take a good look at your lawn and take necessary steps to promote its growth and health. Here are some tips to take better care of your lawn at spring time.

Tip 1: Raking

There is more to the act of raking than just clearing off the leaves from or lawns. Raking your lawn also helps in controlling the growth of thatch on your lawn. It helps in clearing away the layer of thatch building on the lawn, if not all of it then at least most of it. Raking also helps in lessening the matted and tangled grass blades. Even if you already did some raking in the fall, it is still important to rake your lawn in the spring.

Tip 2: Check For Soil Compaction

Soil compaction happens when there's a lot of heavy traffic happening on your lawn. The almost constant weight compresses the soil and strangles the pores. Compaction also occurs when there is not much water and nutrients in the soil. The result would be a stump to the grass root growth.

The solution for this is lawn aeration. However, aeration is better done in the fall. In the spring time, just check if your lawn is experiencing soil compaction. If it is, then wait for fall to come before you do aeration.

Tip 3: Liming the Lawn

You should also check the soil of your lawn for its pH level. Do this especially when you see moss appearing on your lawn. Moss can signal either compaction or soil acidity. Check your soil for acidity by sending it to your local county extension for testing. If the test reveals that your soil is indeed acidic, then it's time to liming, which is the process of applying calcium and magnesium-rich materials to the soil to neutralize the acidity.

Tip 4: Herbicides and Weed Removal

Herbicide is also called a weed killer. You apply this to the soil before the weed seedlings can emerge and spread all over your lawn. This means that it should be done in the spring time as this is usually the time when the seedlings start to emerge. Be careful to determine what kind of weeds is growing on your lawn before applying herbicides because the kind of herbicide you will use will depend on the kind of weed growing on your lawn.

Tip 5: Tuning Up Your Lawn Mower

It is recommended that you have your lawn mower tuned up every year. It's easy to tune up a lawn mower so this should not be so much of a problem. If you do not know how to tune up a mower, then take the time to learn how. It's done in only three steps: change the oil, change the spark plug, then change or clean the air filter.

Tip 6: Practicing Lawn Mowing Strategies

Spring is a good time to practice on your lawn mowing skills. The season is not too hot for you to spend an hour or so under the sun pushing around the mower. Now don't think that mowing your lawn is done by just pushing the mower around. There is more to how mowing is done, and practicing will be worth it.

Tip 7: What Not To Do In Spring

Be careful not to do these three tasks in spring time: core aeration, overseeding, and fertilizing. All these three are recommended to be done in the fall. There are times when they can be done during spring but that's only when you are not applying herbicides. Aeration and overseeding will be useless when you're using herbicides. Herbicides act as a shield against seed germination and this includes grass seeds, so overseeding cannot be done. As for aeration, it punctures the herbicide shield. Herbicide should never be applied when yo have plans to overseed or do aeration in the same season.

As for fertilizing, it is nothing damaging. It is only best done in the fall, when core aeration is also recommended to be done. Fertilization is more effective this way as the aeration process works in absorbing the nutrients.

If you really want to analyze this, you'll see that there's really not much to do in the spring. There's only a bunch or preparatory tasks that you have to do for Boise lawn care in the fall.

The article is written and submitted by Anna Poelo. Check on Boise Lawn Care for tips and advice on how to take care of your lawn.

Shade Grass

Answer:

Shade grass refers to any type of grass or combination of grass varieties that are shade tolerant.

Shade can range from partial shade (some sun during the day) to full shade (shady most of the day). Shade can also refer to dappled shade (light penetrating shady tree branches, and light or heavy shade (under varying tree canopies). Some grasses do better in varying degrees of shade.

The best cool season shade grasses are from the fescue family. Creeping red fescue is the best performer but is often blended with Hard fescue and Chewings fescue to easier adapt to varying degrees of shade and different soil types. Tall fescues also do well in the shade and it is not uncommon to find it in seed blends specialized for shade.

Each fescue variety contains many different cultivars, some preferred for their disease resistance, drought tolerance or soil adaptability. High profile cultivars will ramp up the cost and are mainly used in high-end applications like golf courses. A mid-priced cultivar should be fine for most shady lawns.

The best warm season shade grass is St. Augustine grass, but it cannot be bought as seed. It must be sprigged or planted as sod. Zoysia grass and Centipede grass are also decent shade grasses for southern climates, however, the more northern the lawn, the less these grasses will thrive in the shade. Closer to the transition zone, and including the transition zone, fine fescues are more suitable for shade tolerance.

A helpful tip is to try and minimize the shade by pruning/thinning out shady trees or even consider a shade loving ground cover like pachysandra. Sometimes it's just easier to use a plant that is more suitable for the location than grass.

The Basics Of Bermuda Grass Lawn Care

Bermuda grass is an ideal cover for lawns in warm southern climates. This grass loves the sun, is heat and drought resistant, does not need to be watered frequently, and is tolerant to high foot traffic. In general, the grass is easy to care for. To get healthy Bermuda grass throughout the year, one just needs to know the basics when it comes to watering, mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and controlling pests.

This grass has different watering needs in its different stages of growth. For seedbeds, it is best to keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Alternatively, Bermuda grass lawn care for a new sod requires watering two to three times a day during the first three weeks, and then two to three times a week for three more weeks to establish the roots.

For an established lawn, watering is done just once a week even during the dry season. In the rainy months, watering is on an as-needed basis or when the grass looks like it's going to wilt. While watering is only required once a week, it is best to water the lawn to at least six inches deep. This Bermuda grass lawn care practice of watering deeply will encourage the roots to grow deeper into the ground on the days after watering and when the top portion of the soil has begun to dry out. Deep root growth results in greener lawns during the drought season.

In contrast to its watering needs, Bermuda grass requires frequent mowing because it can grow rapidly and aggressively. Mowing length is between half an inch to one and a half inches tall. Mowing below half an inch can cause damage to the grass due to scalping. Scalping is the term used in Bermuda grass lawn care to describe what happens when the mower blade tears into the lower section of the grass.

Using the reel type of mower has lower risks of scalping. Those who are currently using a rotary mower can remedy the situation by raising the blade, although the result may not be as smooth or even. Whichever type of mower one uses, it is best to keep the blades sharp at all times to keep them from tearing the grass.

One does not need to bag the grass after mowing as leaving the grass clippings on the lawn is actually a recommended Bermuda grass lawn care practice. Letting the clippings naturally decompose where they are after mowing will result in releasing nitrogen back into the soil. In terms of applying commercial fertilizer, the ideal frequency is up to three times during its growing season at a pound of nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of ground.

Aerating is best done during the growing season. Doing so when the grass is nearing or in its dormant state in the fall or winter will result in weeds taking over the lawn. It is also not advised to aerate when the lawn is undergoing drought conditions.

When maintaining Bermuda grass, lawn care should also include pest control, particularly with a disease called dollar patch or dollar spot of which Bermuda grass is susceptible to. This is actually a fungus wherein its presence is indicated by brown spots on the lawn. It usually develops during the spring and fall seasons where the warm days and cool nights provide the conditions for the fungus to thrive. Fungicide will eradicate dollar patch, and keeping a regular watering, fertilizing, and mowing schedule as outlined above will prevent recurrence.

Bermuda grass lawn care benefits especially from regular treatments with our Soil Mineral Booster Seaweed Fertlizer, which you can find on my website.

There, you'll find tips and tricks for getting the greenest, fullest lawn possible. You'll also find business packages, tools and equipment for all your lawn care needs, whether you are a homeowner, property manager, or full-time lawn care professional.

Find solutions for all your lawn care issues and needs at http://www.worldoflawncare.com

Lawn Care Tools

Maintaining a beautiful lawn is much easier with the proper lawn care equipment. They don't have to be expensive but they should be of a decent quality. A good mower, string trimmer or spreader should last many years if maintained properly.

Lawn mowers are either rotary or reel-type.

Rotary mowers are most common and can be either electric or gasoline powered. Rotary mowers cut with blades spinning horizontally, chopping the top off the grass plants. Dull blades will tear the grass so it's important to keep them sharp. Rotary mowers can collect clippings with a bagging system, return them to the lawn with mulching blades, or disperse them out the side of the machine. They can be push-style, self propelled push-style or ride-on. Reel mowers are less common, powered only by pushing them forward and are ideal for small, level, lawns. They cut with a shearing action to produce an excellent quality of cut when kept sharp. Reel mowers are gaining in popularity because they are inexpensive and produce zero emissions. A drawback to this type of mower is that the grass must not be allowed to grow too high or the mower will not cut properly.

See Lawn Mower Gallery Here

String trimmers are hand held and powered by electricity or a gas and oil mix. A string trimmer uses a small, spinning head with plastic twine as the cutting edge. They are small and maneuverable so are used for trimming the grass around buildings, beds, trees, fences and areas a mower can't reach.

A power edger is like a string trimmer except with metal blades and a vertical cutting head, while a hand edger uses a stepping motion and a sharp half circle cutting edge. Edgers create dramatic cut lines where the lawn meets walkways and beds. Not an essential piece of equipment but some warm-season grasses tend to creep into adjacent areas if not frequently edged.

Push-type spreaders are used to apply fertilizers, seed and pesticides. They can get expensive but the pricier, commercial grade ones are high quality and will last many years.

Blowers use forced air to blow leaves or debris into piles, disperse clippings, or clean walkways and patios. Hand held blowers can be gasoline powered or electric while larger backpack blowers are strictly gas powered. Some blowers act as vacuums too and can mulch and bag leaves. A blower can be helpful but it's not essential, a rake and broom can get the same results, maybe even better.

A rake is usually a fan-style rake or a rigid tooth, lawn rake. They are great for inexpensively removing thatch, debris and leaves from a lawn. The act of raking is extremely under-rated. It's great exercise, environmentally friendly, and puts you in better touch with your lawn.

A two gallon hand sprayer or five gallon backpack sprayer can be used for spot spraying weeds or applying other pesticides.

Basic de-thatchers can be inexpensive attachments to riding mowers or it could just be an aggressive hand raking of the lawn. De-thatching is basically the act of roughing up the lawn to remove some of the dead grass and thatch, allowing air and water to better penetrate the surface.

Pitchfork style hand-aerators are available to relieve compaction of very small areas. Some have solid tines and just poke holes while others are hollow tined and capable of removing cores. It's probably not worth it for a homeowner to own a large motorized aerator. A lawncare company should be able to provide the service for a reasonable price. If the thatch is under control, aerating may only need to be performed once every couple of years.

Not essential but can assist in a lawn care program.

Thermometer Rain Gauge Magnifying glass Soil probe Soil thermometer Various weed removal hand tools

A tool is only as useful as you make it. A good tool, used properly, will make lawn care a whole lot more enjoyable.

Fall Lawn Care: 8 Steps for Winterizing Your Lawn

A good solid lawn in spring gets its start in the fall; this is why a fall lawn care plan is crucial to success. These tips will have you cutting your work in the spring down and getting a better return of the lush green lawn you've worked so hard on!

Step 1: Mower height

You will want to raise up your mower so when you are cutting you only cut about the top 1/3rd of the grass blades. This will help keep the ground shaded and that means you can reduce how often you water the lawn. You want to have a nice, warm blanket on the lawn for the winter, so shade and length are two things to look for.

Step 2: Using less water

With the cooler months and slower growth you can cut back on how often you water your lawn.

Step 3: Mowing less

This goes hand in hand with less water. Cooler weather means less water and less mowing!

Steps 4 & 5: Fertilizer and re-seeding

These two really go together; you want to apply both to areas that are dead, sunburnt or weaker than the rest of the lawn. Typically you want to apply fertilizer in the early fall/late summer. Then again in the late fall you will want to apply a dormant fertilizer which will slowly release nitrogen over the winter months.

Step 6: Insects

Insects serve a purpose but not when they are damaging your lawn! Keeping track of them and addressing areas that are damaged is a crucial part of your fall lawn care plan.

Step 7: Aerating

Your lawn will get compacted as time goes by both naturally and as you use it, so when your soil gets too compacted, you will need to aerate. This will help the water and fertilizer reach the roots.

Step 8: Winterizing

You will want to winterize all of your equipment, mowers, trimmers, as well as your hand tools and make sure everything is properly sharpened. Also, you will want to winterize your irrigation system, if you have one, as well as draining and storing any hoses.

This simple 8-step fall lawn care plan will have you ready for the coming winter months and have your lawn ready for the spring.

If 8 steps seem like too many, I'd advise you to focus on fertilizing first and foremost. We offer a Winter Fertilizer Blend that you can apply in late fall to winterize your lawn safely and naturally. It helps ensure that your lawn has the minerals it needs to hibernate properly. You can add our Soil Booster Seaweed Fertilizer in early spring to reactivate the micro-organisms in the lawn.

Get more fall lawn care tips at my website.

There, you'll find tips and tricks for getting the greenest, fullest lawn possible. You'll also find business packages, tools and equipment for all your lawn care needs, whether you are a homeowner, property manager, or full-time lawn care professional.

Find solutions for all your lawn care issues and needs at http://www.worldoflawncare.com

When is best time to aerate

Answer:

Spring aerating is usually discouraged because the aeration holes provide a perfect spot for weed seeds to germinate. Weeds seeds (especially crabgrass) are the first seeds to germinate in the spring, aerating the lawn just stirs them up and gives them an ideal home.

Late spring aerating may be beneficial if the thatch in the lawn is excessive (over 1"), the ground is extremely compacted, or there is excessively thin turf. Later in the spring is best, when weeds have established but before they flower and go to seed (around Memorial Day).

The best time to aerate is in the fall, when the temperatures have cooled off, the weed pressure is minimal, and grass is actively growing.

Aerating is primarily done to relieve compaction and reduce thatch. If spring overseeding is the goal, slice seeding can be done or seed can be sown and topdressed to provide adequate germination conditions.

What Makes A Good Commercial Lawn Care Company?

Today, people are simply too busy to do the work that it takes to create a lush and amazing lawn that they want. There is simply too much to do in people's lives today to find the time to tend to things like the lawn. Even every day care can slip. This is why more and more people are turning to professional, lawn care companies to do the work for them. Why not hire a professional to maintain the lawn?

When you are considering finding a quality lawn care company, you need to really look at your options. There are several different companies available to you to offer you this type of help and you can select the one that best meets your needs.

Option One: Tru Green Company

It is well known a first choice should be TruGreen when it comes to a commercial lawn care company. They are considered to be one of the leader and the largest in the world in landscaping and lawn care. They provide a type of leadership that brings in support for using quality and practical, yet earth friendly options.

In most cases, they offer just about every service that you may need from a commercial yard company. As a leader in the industry, they also are well known for their ability to implement some of the latest technology into their lawn care applications. Many resources are placed into evaluating new options out there including equipment for caring for grass, landscaping in general and other plants.

What's more, TruGreen is also known for their quality commercial lawn care options in terms of customer service. They guarantee that they will provide you with a high end result, better than other leading companies.

Option 2: Weedman

When looking at commercial lawn care companies, do consider Weedman as they are exceptional. Employees with this company are trained well in lawn care and running the business. All technicians meet the necessary requirements when working with you, but they also are held to a higher standard in that they have to meet health care and field safety requirements too.

When you are looking for the best commercial lawn care company, consider your options carefully. Look for one that includes a pest management solution too, as this will allow you to improve the lawn care that much more. Always consider the quality over the quantity of any system provided.

Andrew Caxton is a syndicated editor of http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com

More articles on simplicity lawn mowers and landscaping at his web.

EcoSense Lawn Weed Killer Review

A subsidiary of The Scotts Company, Ortho recently unveiled one of the first natural broadleaf weed killers ever. It's active ingredient is iron, so while not labeled organic, iron is a naturally occurring substance and it's far safer to use than conventional broadleaf weed killers containing 2,4-D.

EcoSense lawn and weed killer has so far proven to me to be a valuable tool in staving off the advancement of common broadleaf weeds like plantain, clover and dandelion while avoiding the use of chemicals like 2,4-D, Dicamba, Mecoprop and others.

While not quite the silver bullet that organic landscapers have been hoping for, it is a step in the right direction. Iron has been used for quite some time as a foliar spray for a quick green up of turf without the growth spurt that fertilizers provide. It has only recently been discovered to have a deadly effect on broadleaf weeds.

Going organic usually means limitations on product choices and effectiveness. Until now, there are organic alternatives for almost every conventional lawn care product except for selective weed control. Thankfully, organic innovations are rapidly catching up to their conventional counterparts. When I discovered Ortho EcoSense Lawn Weed Killer, I was skeptical but relieved to at least give it a try. I've been using it regularly as a spot spray ever since with excellent results.

It still has some limitations. Like many lawn care products, it shouldn't be applied if the temperature is above 85?. It can discolor the surrounding grass, turning it dark green or even black temporarily. It works best when the weeds are in their beginning stages, and several applications may be necessary for full effect.

Even with these limiting factors I still love this product. Compared to conventional broadleaf weed killers, there is no headache-inducing odor, children and pets can return to the lawn upon the product drying on the plant, and the health and environmental risks are eliminated.

Hottest Lawn Care Small Business Franchises

Grass; I always thought it was just that short green stuff I played football on and rolled around in when I was a kid, but as it turns out, grass is a bigger deal than I've ever given it credit for. There are magazines, books, websites, clubs, and innumerable businesses that specialize specifically in grass: knowing and teaching how to make a lawn as green, thick, and healthy as it possibly can be. In fact, in 2003, it was an $11.6bil industry, but this industry is more than just grass, it's called lawn care. If you're an entrepreneur interested in starting a home based business that will be profitable and enjoyable, entering the lawn care world as a professional may be a good way to go, and here are some great lawn care franchises to get you there.

Lawn Maintenance

There are a few different angles from which to approach lawn care as a business. The most obvious side of the industry is the actual work of maintaining the lawn itself, and there are three businesses I would recommend for their excellence in the market.

Spring-Green Lawn Care is a longtime powerhouse in the lawn care world, providing top-notch service to homeowners in 24 states for the last 30 years. Franchisees with this mobile franchise receive a week of initial training and a few days of on-the-job training before starting out as owner/operators; fertilizing clients' lawns, controlling diseases and insects, aerating, and maintaining trees and hedges around the lawn as well. And that simple beginning can quickly turn into a more profitable operation with the franchisee overseeing a larger group of employees actually doing the work.

Home lawns aren't the only option in the business, though; there are also small business opportunities in the field of commercial lawn care. U.S. Lawns is a company that has been franchising successfully since 1986. Their goal is to provide the corporate professionalism necessary in commercial landscaping with the personal touch of a small business. Franchisees need no previous experience to succeed with the business, and overhead is low, while business is very constant, as commercial clients tend to be repeat customers for a long time.

Since its inception in 1991, NaturaLawn of America has been the nation's leader in organic lawn care. Unlike their competition, NaturaLawn of America refuses to use harsh chemical treatments to rid lawns of weeds and insects; instead, they fight disease and promote growth with only natural solutions. Increasingly, this is the preferred method of care for many consumers, and thus demand for this kind of business is growing.

Lawn Cleanup

Not all problems in a person's yard are threats to the lawn, though; sometimes, the threat is to the people walking across the lawn instead of the lawn itself. It may not be a danger, per se, but dog waste in the yard is definitely an eyesore and an inconvenience, and there is a special class of lawn care businesses that concentrate on getting rid of it.

Doody Calls and Pet Butler are the big names in the pet waste management industry, each providing professional waste pick-up and removal to innumerable clients around the country. Their systems are incredibly well-planned and brilliantly functional, orchestrating numerous mobile units that run their circuits around town while tracked by GPS to check progress. Marketing plans are made available to all franchisees through central computer systems, and communication between franchises is encouraged to maximize effectiveness. It may not be the most glamorous work in the world, but it is certainly profitable, sometimes turning up to a 49% profit margin, and running in a $40bil-and-climbing pet market, the prospect of future business growth is a definite possibility.

Lawn Boundaries

Another opportunity for working in lawn care without having to worry about the maintenance of grass is with a franchise business called Kwik Kerb. Today, it has become incredibly popular to have artistic concrete boundaries between the lawn and planters in the yard, and that is precisely the product and service that this work from home business provides. Aesthetically, the product is pleasing to the eye, but it provides a very functional purpose as well, drawing a clear boundary between yard and planter that doubles as a barricade, keeping any weeds and diseases from the lawn out of the flower bed, and visa versa. There are many benefits to this business, aside from high profit margin in the world of landscaping, and one of those is that this particular brand of landscaping doesn't require continued service, so once the franchisee finishes the work for a client, the project is complete. Some business owners like the consistency of repeat business, but for those who like to get a job done and move on to another, this is a good choice.

If getting your hands dirty at work is important to you, and you really find satisfaction in growing a deep, emerald green lawn, lawn care may be just the business for you to get into. With any of these franchises, it could easily be the road to success and financial freedom.

Find more lawn care franchises at Small Business Sale

Planting Urns on Porch

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Deck Railings

Interview with Lawrence Winterburn, expert on deck railings, continued from Page 2. On this page, Lawrence turns to the issue of building codes for deck railings.

Q: What specifications for deck railings are dictated by the local residential building codes you have encountered in your projects?

A: Many building departments are enforcing very strict specifications when it comes to deck railings -- and local home inspectors are normally well-versed in the local specifications. When they are faced with interpretive examination as to whether a certain deck railing is climbable or not, they typically defer to a local professional engineer for a stamped drawing. We are starting to have our own stamp-worthy details for all our locations.

Most specify that the old colonial spindles are illegal -- at the smallest turning they are only ?" thick and don't meet strength standards for deck railings. They try to offer standard details from the national building code, but whenever something strange happens they change the rules to address the need. It sure would be nice for all the small building departments to communicate with a governing board to create an online database of specifications and solutions. I think we are a few years away from that. In short, drop by your local building department and ask for any building codes relating to deck railings that they have locally. You may be surprised to find that decks are hands-off in your local area with no specified restrictions.

Q: Also, do local residential building codes sometimes dictate the height of deck railings?

A: I've seen height specifications for deck railings range between 32" and 48". They need to not be climbable; i.e., you can't get a foothold to climb over. They need to meet certain strength ratings but, typically, if a 300-lb man were to fall against the deck railing, it should not move more than 1".

Q: And finally, do local residential building codes also determine the spacing between the balusters (rungs) of deck railings?

A: Space between balusters in most areas is max 3.5" and is measured with a 3 ?" ball.

Q: On a related subject, do residential building codes present different specifications for the deck railings around pool decking?

A: Absolutely -- entirely different specifications for pool deck railings, and it is different in every area. Some of these locally created bylaws are terribly worded and are open to interpretation by poorly trained clerks. You may be surprised to find that there is no appeal process in place -- the clerks rule pool fences. You are better off to submit drawings for approval ahead of time when you plan on doing something different than the norm.

Q: Residential building codes are one thing but, in your projects, have you ever encountered regulations pertaining to deck railings imposed by homeowners' associations.

A: We've seen, "No vinyl fencing," "No unfinished wood," "No lattice" for deck railings, even "No building whatsoever without approval by the association." There are historic districts in most cities and a committee rules these. I think that's great for architecture. It keeps the designers honest, and these areas are far better looking than the norm, because the architects are challenged to do their best work. Architecture is always better when scrutinized.

On Page 4 we continue the interview on residential building codes for deck railings, as Lawrence ends by providing instructions for building deck railings for do-it-yourselfers....

Install French Drains

What are French drains? When are French drains useful?

If your neighbor’s land stands at a higher elevation than yours, you may be experiencing problems with excessive moisture on your property. Water from your neighbor’s property may be running down the slope and spilling onto your property. You need better yard drainage. One option in such cases is installing French drains.

When some people speak of a “French drain,” they refer to a trench in which a drain pipe is laid, but the traditional French drain is basically a trench filled with gravel.

Time Required: Depends on extent of water flow and ground to traverse.