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My Lawn Has Dead Spots. What Do I Need To Do?
Visitors to the Spring-Green website , have the opportunity to send in their questions regarding lawn and landscape problems. In most cases, the questions are fairly specific when describing the problems that are being observed. Occasionally, a question comes in that is seeking information, but not enough information is provided to determine a possible cause. In other words, the question is, “My lawn has brown spots. What do I do?” This question needs more details. Want To Identify the Lawn Spots? It almost goes without saying that it is im
Fall Armyworm Alert
The term "Armyworm" comes due to the fact that they usually move in large numbers across a lawn and can devour almost every grass plant they reach. In southern states, their favorite grass is Bermuda and generally leave Centipede and St. Augustine untouched. Armyworms have a habit of crawling up on a grass blade during the day, looking like they are enjoying the sunshine. Actually, they are just eating the blade from the tip down, but it is an interesting site to see. Since they can move in such large numbers, activity can go unnoticed until it is too late. Armyworms don’t kill the plant as the
Leaf Spot: Why Does My Lawn Have This Disease?
Saying a lawn has leaf spot is somewhat like saying that a person has the common cold. Just about everyone gets the sniffles at some time in their lifetime and just about every lawn will develop leaf spot. Just like with the common cold, leaf spot is usually a minor occurrence. Sometimes the common cold will develop into something as severe as pneumonia and leaf spot may become so severe that a large part of a lawn can die off. Melting Out Leaf Spot may progress into a condition called “melting-out” , a condition where the turf just seems to “melt away”
Control And Treat Damaging Grubs On Your Lawn
Going to the hardware store on the weekend is something many homeowners do, especially in the spring. People stock up on fertilizers, weed control products as well as controlling insect pests in and around the home, and in landscape, gardens and lawns. In regards to insects, it is estimated that there are over 1 million identified species of insects and probably several times that number is yet to be discovered. Fortunately, there are only about 2 dozen species of insects that feed on lawns. It is hard to say which of these insects are the most damaging, but the species that seems to be the most discussed are white g
How To Control And Treat Red Thread Lawn Disease
One of the more common late spring to early summer diseases on cool-season grasses is Red Thread lawn disease . It is most severe on Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue . There is another lawn disease that occurs at the same time and under the same environmental conditions known as Pink Patch . The main difference between the two lawn diseases are the fruiting structures. Red Thread takes its name from the red thread-like structures called sclerotia that are produced by the fungus. Pink Patch produces tiny puffs of pink-co
Striped Lawns: How to Make it Look Like a Sports Field
As you watch a baseball game or golf tournament on television, you may wonder how beautiful the turf looks and how you can make your own lawn look as great as they do. We all need goals in life and wanting a perfect lawn is something one can strive to attain, albeit it is a challenge for the average homeowner. The first thing to understand is that the people who manage sports fields and golf courses have spent years learning their trade as well as usually earning a degree in Sports Field Management, Golf Course Management, Turf Management or other advanced degrees in the Green Industry. The turfgrasses that a
Lawn Mold: Signs and Treatment for Slime Mold On Your Lawn
We have received this type of question from several homeowners, stating that their lawn has “mold” and want to know how to correct the problem. The term mold can mean any number of maladies that may affect a lawn that cause turf to turn brown across the entire lawn, in small spots or rings, or in irregular shapes. For those of us in the lawn care industry, lawn mold usually refers to Slime Mold , a non-serious condition that can occur on lawns, usually occurring in the summer, especially after a good rain. How does Slime Mold Develop? Slime molds are primitive organisms called s
Is Organic Fertilizer or a Lawn Care Program Better For My Lawn?
The first thing to understand about lawn care and lawns in general is that the lawn as we know is not a natural system. Most of the grasses we grow in our home lawns, sports fields, commercial properties, parks and playgrounds are not native to North America. Here is a quick summary of the origins of common turfgrasses: • Kentucky bluegrass – native to Europe, northern Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. • Perennial ryegrass, Fine and Tall Fescue – native to Europe. • Centipede grass – native to southern China
Ways to Prevent Flea and Tick Problems For Your Pets
If you have ever had to endure an attack of fleas or ticks on your pet, you will understand the frustration of trying multiple approaches to eliminate this nuisance from your home and yard. Having had to endure an outbreak of fleas on my dog last fall, I have come to understand the futility that comes with trying to control these nasty little insects. It required three trips to the vet, numerous baths, extensive cleaning and vacuuming, an outdoor insect control application and “bombing” our house twice before the problem ended. It took over two months to clear up the problem. “How did our dog ge
How Do Lawn Diseases Develop and Ways to Prevent Them
If there is a disease that can develop where you live, the spores of that disease are probably in your lawn already as they will move from lawn to lawn mainly through wind movement. Some diseases are soil borne, meaning that they already exist in the soil. All diseases are waiting for the right environmental conditions to develop to infect the turf. Development of Lawn Disease It is important to understand how a disease develops. The term used to explain how a disease develops is called the Disease Triangle . It is basically the same concept as the Fire Triangle. There are three basic component
What Attracts Mosquitoes and How to Avoid Bites
 Did you know only the female mosquitoes bite? Female mosquitoes use blood meals for its protein and other components it contains in order to produce their eggs. Males do not feed on blood; they mainly sip on plant nectar. When females bite, they are doing what comes natural to them in order to survive. That does not make their bites any less bothersome, but maybe a little more understandable. There are 175 different species of mosquitoes and they have been around for about 170 million years, so they are not going away anytime soon. What Attracts Mosquitoes Mosquitoes are attract
Lawn Lime Treatment: Should You Add Lime To Your Lawn?
Depending upon where you live, adding a lawn lime treatment to your lawn is as necessary as adding fertilizer or even mowing it on a regular basis. Unless the pH of the soil is determined by a soil test, the fertilizer you apply may provide little benefit to the lawn. If your soil is too acidic, meaning that the pH is below 6.5, the fertilizer is not properly utilized by the grass plant and the lawn will appear weak and have a dull green to yellow color. The soil in some areas of the US is naturally acidic, so adding lime every year is a necessity. For other parts of the country,
Lookout and Prevent Fall Armyworms On Your Lawn!
In northern climates, where cool season turfgrasses grow, Fall Armyworms attack as summer gives way to fall. In the south, where warm season turfgrasses thrive, their threat begins earlier and lasts longer. As often as not, by the time a serious infestation is diagnosed, substantial permanent damage has already been done. And with a name like Fall Armyworms , you know the news can’t be good. Even their scientific name, Spodoptera Frugiperda spells trouble, as “frugiperda” is Latin for “lost fruit.” Fall Armyworms aren’t really worms at all, but caterpillars, the larvae stage of Fall Arm
How Cooler Temperatures Are Affecting Lawn and Landscape
Is It Spring Yet? As is the case with most years, sometimes it will warm up early, fooling a lot of plants, including turfgrasses, to start the annual spring green-up. Only to be broadsided with an arctic blast and cooler temperatures that pushes plants back into winter dormancy. Cool-season turfgrasses like bluegrass, ryegrass and the fescues are somewhat accustomed to these weather fluctuations, but the warm-season grasses, such as Centipede, St. Augustine and Bermuda grasses can be greatly affected by a cold snap after they have been coaxed into an early spring green-up by an early warm up. Such is the case with many lawns in the warmer parts of the United States. Roland Freund, Franchise Owner in the Houston, Texas area, posted some information on his
Has Spring Finally Sprung? Tips For Your Lawn This Spring Season!
Spring has taken its sweet time to arrive for most of the U.S. If you live in the more northern states like Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan, you may be thinking that spring may never arrive since these areas still have snow. Receiving some snow at this time of year is not uncommon for these folks. Even the lawns in the warmer parts of the U.S. are greening up at a much slower rate than normal. Warm season turfgrasses such as Bermuda or Zoysia, often turn brown during the winter months and don’t begin to start growing until temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees. There have been wa
Weed And Feed 101 – Everything You’ve Always Wanted To Know
Like many things in life timing matters. If you want a healthy, vibrant lawn year-round, it’s just as important to understand what it needs as well as to understand when it needs it. A foundational link to your lawn’s health is providing protection from the weeds that can threaten its very existence. Weed killers, weed and feed and the timing of it all, however, can be mystifying to homeowners seeking answers. Not to worry though, you’ve got a neighborhood lawn expert at your disposal! Spring-Green has the basics of weed killer best prac
Happy National Lawn Care Month – We’ve Got All The Tips!
It’s April. It’s spring. The temps are rising, the birds are chirping and it’s National Lawn Care Month! At Spring Green , we love April for all these reasons, and we want to spread our love for lawn care with you by sharing the ways lawns enhance our lives and the basic dos and don'ts of lawn care. National Lawn Care Month: 3 Ways Lawns Enhance Our Lives 1. They protect from ticks, mosquitoes, fleas and fire ants.
Are Spring-Green Lawn Care Services Safe for Pets?
A general concern that comes up every year is if the pesticides we use are safe for pets and children. The majority of the pesticide products Spring-Green uses are considered “General Use” and can be purchased and used by homeowners. Spring-Green will post every treated lawn and leave instructions to stay off the lawn until the application has dried. While the drying time is influenced by weather, in most cases, keeping pets and children off the treated area for 2 hours after the application is a good practice and recommended. After the drying time, your pets and kids can enjoy the yard
Seedheads Developing on Cool Season Grasses
Lawn-lovers may get worried when they see little seedheads covering the tops of their lawns, usually starting around the middle of May when sunlight reaches 12 hours a day. No need to worry. It is a natural process for grass to produce seed, and fertilization and proper mowing practices will help keep the lawn healthy. The seedheads are forming on tiny stalks that the grass plant sends up. Depending on its abundance, the seedheads can make the lawn look pale. Once the stalks are mowed, which don’t cut as easily as grass blades, they may shred and give the lawn an almost white appearance. Seedhead development usually occurs on cool season grasses such as Perennial Ryegrass, Kentucky
Deer Damage – Protect Your Landscape This Winter
Deer are beautiful animals and a sight to behold when discovered in nature. They can also be pesky unwanted visitors to your garden, causing damage to your lawn, plants and even your property. Discouraging deer from getting comfortable in your lawn is shrouded in tales, tips and myth; some that hold true, and some that are a true waste of time. In this guide, we’ll unpack the tips you need to follow t
Animal Hibernation in My Lawn: Should I Care?
From rabbits and raccoons to skunks and other critters, you likely have animals hibernating in your neighborhood at this very moment and they’re about to wake up. The question is: should you even care? Are these hibernating animals simply a part of our ecosystem that we should live and let live with, or are they posing a threat to the health and wellbeing of our lawns? This is a common concern of home and business owners worried about keeping their outdoor landscapes looking good (and healthy) all year long.
Everything to Know About Thatch
Lawn thatch is a term you may have heard thrown around, or maybe you’ve even seen it up close a few times, but how much do you truly know about it? The lawn care pros at Spring-Green have compiled a guide to help you get schooled up on thatch. Everything you need to know has been gathered up in this easy-to-read format so you can get your overview quickly and then return to your busy life. Of course, we’re here for you to help you with