Mowing correctly does give you a more beautiful and healthier lawn. We think folks believe cutting the grass is like getting a haircut. Big difference: hair is made of dead cells that do not give a hoot how they are cut. Your lawn is very much alive and it suffers when abused by improper mowing.

Here is the long and short of keeping your lawn in the best possible shape:

1. Make sure that you perform regular maintenance and upkeep on your lawn mower. Keeping your mower blade sharp is probably the single most important requirement for proper mowing. A dull blade rips and shreds the grass instead of cutting it. Mowing with a dull edge makes the grass susceptible to several problems, such as brown leaf tips, diseases and insects. A good guideline for blade sharpening is to sharpen your rotary mower blade once each month. Try it! You will really notice the difference.

Visit our website for a detailed article (with pictures) on how to perform this regular maintenance.

2. Alternate your mowing pattern - this really does help! Mowing the same direction causes the grass to bend in the direction you mow. Changing the patter keeps the turf growing in an erect, upright position rather than leaning in the direction it was mowed

3. Do not scalp the lawn. Mow regularly and remove no more than one-third of the grass blade at a time. Scalping removes the green, food-producing cells and the plants are set back many weeks every time it happens.

4. Avoid mowing when the grass is wet. You get a better, more even cut when the grass is dry.

At any given time, insects of almost every description can be found as part of the typical turfgrass environment. Those that feed on turf rarely reach populations great enough to cause serious injury. Many insects are actually beneficial to your lawn, helping in the decomposition of organic matter and serving as a vital part of the food chain.

Grubworms

Grubs are found in most soils, and are usually no cause for alarm. They are an important part of soil ecology, as long as their numbers do not get out of hand. If more than 5-10 grubs are found per square foot in turf, then treatment is advised. At this level, grubs can eat away much of the root system of grass, leaving dead areas in spring or fall.

Grub control is much more critical on cool-season turf such as fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass, compared to warm-season turf. 

Areas in your lawn that are overpopulated with grubworms can be remedied. Simply visit the service request page of your local LawnAmerica operator and request this service. 

Fleas & Ticks

Most of the insecticide treatments we do at LawnAmerica are actually for flea & tick control. Fleas and ticks can multiply rapidly and can infest pets, people, and even the inside of your home. For best control, we recommend consistent treatments of insecticide in the lawn, while treating your pets and even inside the home if needed. Treatment programs are essential where ticks become a problem in the home landscape because ticks can carry Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

We can help keep fleas and ticks away from your family with consistent treatments of insecticides in your lawn and landscape. To schedule an application for a full year of fire ant protection on your lawn, visit the service request page of your local LawnAmerica operator.

Fire Ants

The red fire ant is an introduced species from South America which is becoming more and more of a pest in the southern states. It is very aggressive, and can inflict a painful sting to humans and pets. Fire ants live in colonies, making conspicuous mounds in home lawns.

LawnAmerica is a licensed Top Choice applicator. Top Choice is a revolutionary granular product which eliminates fire ants for one full year. Top Choice can only be applied by professionals and is much more effective than conventional methods. Early spring and fall are ideal times to apply Top Choice. To schedule an application for a full year of fire ant protection on your lawn, visit the service request page of your local LawnAmerica operator.

Q: What happens when it rains a lot right after
my technician treats the lawn?

A: Good question!

As we enter into the growing season, especially it still being spring time, we will see some showers. This is easily one of the most common questions we hear, because it rains within 3 – 4 days of many of your treatments! That is usually a good thing, too, because all of our treatments consist of a pre-emergent herbicide, fertilizer, or both. These products need to be watered in within a few days for best results. Research and experience have shown that even a hard rain will carry these products down into the soil, and they will stay there to do their job. Now if it is one of those toad-stranglers That is classified as an act of God, we obviously cannot control that. Sure, you may lose some product in this case, but not enough to justify re-treatment.

When cared for properly, Azaleas can really accentuate your lawn and landscape. In order to perform well, they must be fertilized on an annual basis with special Azalea fertilizer. Late spring to early summer, after the spring blooms are finished, is time when we perform this service. We use a specially blended granular blend with slow-release nitrogen, organic fertilizer, phosphorus, potassium, secondary nutrients, and sulfur to help acidify the soil. We also add a booster application of granular Merit insecticide, to extend the control of Lacebugs into the summer.

If you are not scheduled to receive this treatment, click here and sign up for us to service your trees and shrubs – particularly your azaleas (see coupon below).  We will come out and provide some helpful information and pricing on how you can get your trees and shrubs looking great and on their way to a healthier growing season.

Copyright LawnAmerica 2006