My lawn just got power raked

​Here is why this is important, and what you can do to ensure a healthy lawn!

• A thick thatch layer can interfere with water, nutrients, and oxygen reaching the roots of the grass plants.
• Weak or shallow roots are vulnerable to drying out in the heat as they don’t absorb as much water. 
• Pests and fungus thrive in a thick thatch layer and can damage your lawn in a short amount of time. 
• Dethatching, or removing some buildup allows the roots to become healthier over time as they can reach into the soil below.
• Less than ½” of thatch can be helpful for shading the soil, holding in some moisture, and preventing compaction from walking or playing on the lawn.

My lawn was recently aerated

Here is what you should do next.

• Aerating, while helpful in the long-term can cause short term damage to the roots of the grass. 
• Watering will help the grass to build new roots to fill the holes caused by the core aerating machine.
• Water twice this week, and then water as usual.  If the weather is going to be very hot and dry, consider watering 3 times this week, 1” of water per application.
• The grass may be fertilized or simply watered.  You can walk or play on the lawn right away.

My lawn just got fertilized

• You may walk or play on the grass immediately.
• Water the grass in the next 12-24 hours.  This will help the fertilizer to go down into the roots of the plants.
• We recommend 2-3 fertilizer applications through the season.  We use a slow-release blend that will slowly break down with sun and water to give your grass a longer feeding time.
• Feeding your lawn will encourage a thick healthy lawn that can crowd out weeds naturally.

My lawn was just sprayed for weeds

We use PAR III Herbicide to treat broadleaf weeds in lawns. 

​How it Works 2,4-D is a systemic herbicide that is absorbed through foliage and roots and is translocated to actively growing areas within the plant. Visible effects include bending and twisting of leaves and stems, followed by browning and plant death 3 to 4 weeks after application

Here's what you should do after treatment:

• Keep pets, children, and adults off the treated area until the product is dry.  This can take between 30 minutes and 2 hours depending on the weather. 
• Do not water the grass for 24 hours.
  Do not mow for at least 2-3 days.
• PAR III contains three active ingredients - 2,4-D, mecoprop-P, and dicamba. Any odour from PAR III is harmless and normally disappears once the spray has dried on the weeds and grass.
• The best time to apply is once in the spring/summer to knock down current season growth, and once again in the fall when the plant is storing energy in its roots prior to winter.  The fall application is most effective at eliminating the weeds for good.
• Par III is a non-residual product so it will not prevent new weeds from growing after the application.

My lawn was just overseeded and/or topdressed

Proper watering is critical to successful overseeding.  Recommended watering program:

• Immediately after overseeding: Water heavily
• First 10-14 days: lightly on a daily basis, soaking first one inch of soil. Grass should germinate within this time.
• After germination: Water less frequently, but allow for deeper soaking and penetration into soil. This encourages deeper root growth.
• After grass becomes established: Water at the recommended level for the type of grass planted.
• Mowing: when grass reaches 3” high, you can mow.

I just got new sod installed

You just got new sod!  Here is what you should do to maintain it for the first month

• Thorough watering over the first month is critical to its long term health. 
• Avoid walking on the wet lawn to avoid creating depressions.
• Continue watering deeply through the establishment period.  Water evenly and slowly so that water penetrates the soil without running off.  Avoid frequent, light watering which will cause shallow rooting
  For best results, water early in the morning.

• Week 1:  Water every day, approximately 45min – 1 hour each day with an oscillating or rotary sprinkler.
• Week 2:  Water every other day.   You can mow at the end of week 2.  Make sure the blades are higher since your grass will be quite long for the first mow! 
• Week 3:  Water once or twice per week.  You can begin mowing weekly.  Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf height at once.

I just got new tree/s, shrub/s, or perennials

Newly planted trees or shrubs require more frequent watering than established plants. They should be watered at planting time and at these intervals:

• 1-2 weeks after planting, water daily.
• 3-8 weeks after planting, water every 2 to 3 days.
• After 8 weeks, water weekly until roots are established.
• Turn the tap on at a trickle, and leave it to soak the root ball until they are well watered.
• Trees: 2-4 gallons per watering (garden watering jug)
• Shrubs: 1 gallon per watering
• Perennials: ½ gallon per watering

How do I protect my newly installed tree over the winter?

• Give your tree/s a good deep watering before the ground freezes completely to provide it with ample moisture.
• If you have thin-bark trees (e.g. apples, cherries, mountain ash), wrapping the trunk with white tree wrap will help reduce the probability of sunscald damage over the winter.  These wraps should be removed in the summer time to allow the trunk to grow in girth and avoid trunk girdling.
• If you have upright evergreen shrubs (e.g. cedar, juniper) wrapping the whole plant with burlap for it's first couple winter will help reduce leaf drying on windy days
• Consider putting a wire cage around the trunk to prevent animals such as rodents, rabits, & deers from chewing on the bark of the tree.  

My tree/s just got pruned

• Ensure that your tree is watered deeply so that it can heal the exposed wounds. 
• No paint or wound dressing is required.
• Let the water run on a trickle for 30minutes – 1 hour, near the drip line of the tree
• Water the tree a good amount for the next week.
• The tree has its own healing process, and healing should begin within 1-3 days!  Properly made cuts will encourage the tree to heal quicker to naturally keep out insects and diseases such as fungus, bacteria, and virus.