Monday, 06 September 2010

BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY LAWN

Prevents water runoff and soil erosion, and encourages beneficial organisms including earthworms, soil microbes and useful insects

Serves as an air filter and a primary collector of dust and dirt

Pulls in greenhouse gases as it grows, reducing excess carbon in the air caused by burning fossil fuels

Produces oxygen; a 2,500 square foot lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four

Keeps you cool; plants, as they transpire water to cool themselves, also cool the surrounding area.  About 50% of the heat striking a turf area is eliminated by transpiration

Adds to the street appeal and resale value of your home

LANDSCAPING TIPS

Prevent over-saturation of soil.  This can potentially cause tree and shrub roots to rot, so use splash blocks or drainage pipes to direct gutter downspouts away from your plants.

Prune for better health. Remove dead branches on plants, eliminating crossing branches that rub together, and reshape your plants to fit the environment.

Measure your mulch.  A good rule of thumb is to apply a 1- to 3-inch layer of mulch to landscape beds.  Any thicker and the roots will begin growing in the mulch instead of the soil, making them susceptible to drought and low temperatures.

Take care in planting trees and shrubs.  Place the plant in the hole so the top of the root ball will be at the same level as the surrounding soil. Water so that the soil is moist, not wet, during the first few weeks after planting.  

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TruGreen offers the following tips to help you make the most of your yard this season.*

Act Now for a Healthy Lawn This Fall

Quick and Easy Tips Help Sustain Your Lawn Now and Next Spring

By investing a small amount of time and energy now, you can improve your lawn's good looks for fall and prime it for a green and glorious spring. Both warm and cool season grasses common in the U.S. can suffer substantial damage over the winter without proper care in the fall.

The experts at TruGreen, the largest professional lawn care services provider in the United States, recommend an easy five-step strategy to ensure your lawn flourishes this fall and enters the winter season healthy and well-maintained:

  • #1:  Fertilize in the fall. Autumn is an ideal time to fertilize your lawn. For warm season grasses, properly timed applications of fertilizer high in potassium encourage healthy root growth and can protect against low temperature stress and winterkill. Cool season grasses benefit from a nitrogen-based fertilizer applied in the fall to foster new shoot development and recovery from summer stress. A green lawn this fall promotes accumulation of food reserves important to deeper root growth and quicker spring green-up next season.
  • #2:  Aerate the area. Aeration, creating tiny holes in the lawn, lets water soak in, stimulating root growth and improving fertilizer absorption. When you aerate your lawn, it becomes a sponge soaking up water and preventing runoff. It improves irrigation and protects your lawn from thatch build-up - the layer of dead plant material that collects between the grass blades and the soil.
  • #3:  It's OK to go "over"board. Overseeding, the spreading of grass seed over existing grass to increase density or promote growth on bare spots, can vastly improve a lawn's appearance after a rough summer. Early fall is the prime time to overseed lawns with cool season grasses. Make sure the bare areas are lightly raked to remove debris and ensure seed-to-soil contact. Complete this as early in the fall as possible because the sun-warmed soil promotes rapid seed growth and lawn fill-in.
  • #4:  If it's still growing, keep mowing. Don't think fall means the end of mowing. To guarantee you have a healthy lawn in the spring, continue to mow regularly while the turf is actively growing.
  • #5:  Don't leave the leaves. Falling leaves are a colorful reminder that fall is in the air, but leaving layers lying around can suffocate your lawn. It's best to either remove the fallen leaves or mulch them with a mulching mower. You can compost the leaves you collect and use them to nourish plants and shrubs, which also reduces the impact on your local landfill.

    Cutting back on your lawn care during the fall results in thinning grass and bare spots that are unsightly now and can lead to weed problems and soil erosion from water runoff come spring.  Proper care of the lawn this fall enhances the start-up of lawns next spring. Improved fall root development through proper fertilization improves spring green-up and lawn density, which is important for reducing weed encroachment.

    * For more detailed lawn care tips, including specific tips by region, please visit www.trugreen.com.  To request a free, no obligation lawn evaluation from a local TruGreen expert – or if do-it-yourself lawn care is not for you -- please click here and we’ll contact you.
 

Back to Basics Fun

We’ve put together the following ideas for you to enjoy your yard this spring and summer:

Fun and Games – Remember, as a kid, the hours you while away in your backyard?  There are as many games to play as there are blades of grass.  Click here for some ideas.

On the Grill – Invite family and friends over early and often to enjoy great food and conversation.  Click here for some great recipes.