To answer this question, we at East Coast Lawn consider four factors: climate, grass type, the fertilizer being used, and how you want your lawn to look. To keep your lawn looking its best, we strongly suggest that we fertilize your lawn four times a year. Conversely, even if you don’t want a good-looking lawn, you should at least let us fertilize twice a year for your turf’s sake.
There are two types of grasses: cool-season and warm-season. Each type has its own growing period. Therefore, each type requires a different schedule for fertilizing. As a rule of thumb, we only apply fertilizer when your lawn is actively growing.
Cool-season grasses tend to have two growing periods. The first is after the lawn’s return from winter dormancy. The second is during the early fall, when temperatures moderate and droughts and heat waves are typically gone (usually after late August). For cool-season lawns in our area, we find it is best to concentrate a larger amount of nitrogen to be applied during the early fall growing period, and a lesser amount in the spring.
Warm-season grasses flourish during the warmer summer months, and therefore tend to require fertilizing shortly after green-up in the spring and again in the late summer. For warm-season grasses in the southern areas, it is best to concentrate a larger amount of nitrogen to be applied during the spring applications and a lesser amount in the fall.
Generally, the best height to mow your lawn is about 2.5 to 3 inches. Remember, you should never remove more than ⅓ of the grass blade at any single cutting. Cutting the lawn too short, or “scalping,” will result in tissue loss and encroachment of weeds.
Grubs are the larvae of certain beetles. They feed on turf roots and can cause devastating damage in a short period of time. Our lawn care plans includes applying an insecticide in the late spring. This provides gives season-long control and prevents damage.
The best time to water is in the early morning hours before the sun rises. If you must water during the day, try not to water past 5:00 p.m. During the growing season, your turf needs an average of 1 to 1½ inches of water per week from rainfall and/or sprinkling. You should water deeply, but not too often, since deep watering encourages deeper rooting and better health.
The weeds you see germinated after we serviced your lawn. Weed seeds are always in the soil and can remain viable for many years. They can germinate at any time. Service calls between regularly scheduled visits may be required in the first few months of spring. These are available to you at no extra charge.
No. In fact, rain is welcome after a service visit. Most of our products are water soluble, and rain will only enhance the application.
Core aeration is the extraction of thousands of cores of soil about 2 inches deep and 1 inch in diameter. Left on the lawn to decompose, these cores break down as a top dressing. This creates microbial activity and helps to break down the thatch layer naturally. The aeration process also loosens compacted soil, allowing the root system to grow more extensive. A deep, expansive root system is critical to having a healthy, lush lawn. Fall is a great time to perform this service.
