We hear a lot about the importance of “being green” these days, whatever that means. For most folks, I think it means living a lifestyle and doing things in a way which protects and even improves the environment we live in. In America, we have nearly 20 million acres of lawns which provide not only aesthetic and economic value to urban homeowners, but also real environmental benefits as well. These benefits are often overlooked or taken for granted.
Professional lawncare companies such as LawnAmerica have always been “green”. Lawncare professionals share a basic goal: improve the quality of our lives and the quality of our environment. Turf areas under our professional care are denser and healthier, providing the following benefits to your home environment and our city as a whole.
 |
Cooling The front lawns of a block of eight average houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning—enough to cool 16 average homes. On a hot summer day, grass can be 10-14 degrees cooler than exposed soil and as much as 30 degrees cooler than concrete or asphalt. Just ask our local college teams, the Cowboys, Sooners, and Hurricanes, which surface they’d like to play on during a hot September Saturday! |
 |
Air Quality A 50’ by 50’ well–maintained grass area will create enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four every day. Acting like a gigantic sponge, lawns absorb all types of airborne pollutants such as dust and carbon dioxide, as well as noise. Less weeds means less weed pollen, a relief to those with allergies. |
 |
Water Quality Studies show healthy lawns absorb rainfall 4-6 times more effectively than farm fields, being exceeded only by virgin forest. Lawns return the moisture to the watertable where it can again be used by everyone. A Penn State University study showed thick lawns slow the velocity of run-off and allow the water to infiltrate 15 times better from a high quality lawn than from a patchy lawn with a lot of weeds. |
 |
Soil Quality A healthy lawn prevents erosion by water or wind and the loss of valuable topsoil—less mud and dust in the house. If you’ve ever moved into a new home before it was sodded, you’ll know what I mean! |
 |
Aesthetics There can be no argument that a beautiful lawn is immediately pleasing to the eye and relaxing in its appearance. Lawns help to soften and reduce reflected light—less glare. |
 |
Exercise While some may scorn its needs, others fine lawn maintenance requirements an excellent opportunity to enjoy reasonable exercise and a diversion. Homes, sports fields, and parks with healthy grass acts as a cushion to reduce shock and potential injury. |
 |
Value Appraisers estimate that a well-landscaped and maintained lawn adds 7% to the value of residential property. A recent Gallup survey concluded that a 15% increase in selling price can be realized when the home is nicely landscaped. |
Having a beautiful, well-maintained lawn is one of the best things a homeowner can do for their urban environment their neighborhood. At LawnAmerica, we’re dedicated to helping the homeowners in the cities and towns we serve do so in an environmentally responsible way.
For more information on the value and benefits of a healthy lawn, go to the Project Evergreen website, which we are a support.
Q: What’s the difference between your 6-Step and 7-Step Program?
A: Our 7-Step Program includes a special supplemental mid-spring weed-control treatment and slow-release fertilizer. This liquid treatment is applied sometime during mid-April to mid-June, when your lawn can be under heavy weed pressure. In between your regular Step 2 and Step 3 fertilization/weed-control treatments, your lawn will be sprayed with this special treatment, which will provide the following benefits:
* Better Nutgrass control with both pre and post-emergent control.
* Superior Crabgrass control, with a second treatment of pre-emergent.
* Better Broadleaf weed control, applied at the time when summer broadleaf weeds are emerging.
With lawncare, as with anything else, you generally get what you are willing to pay for. If you want the best lawn possible, or if you’ve had trouble with weeds such as Nutgrass, our NEW and IMPROVED 7-Step Showcase Program should really make a substantial difference on your lawn. Plus, the fact that we will be visiting your lawn more frequently during the critical mid to late spring period will improve results.
To upgrade to the 7-Step Program from your current program, contact us!
We are currently applying our Spring Step 2 Weed-Control/Fertilization. This treatment consists of a granular fertilizer to help green-up your turf and develop a healthy root system for spring. The fertilizer needs to be watered into the soil with about ½” of moisture if no rainfall occurs within 4 days. We also treat any existing weeds with a broadleaf herbicide. As we get into late April and May, grassy weeds and Nutgrass come into play, so grassy weed-control products are applied also. If existing weeds were treated, irrigation needs to be delayed at least 2-3 hours in order for the products to be fully absorbed by the weeds.
On zoysiagrass lawns, be on the look out for disease during early to mid-spring. Brown patches, with orange rings around the perimeter are symptoms of Zoyzia Patch on Zoysia. Call us ASAP if you see problems in Zoysia so we can apply a fungicide. Zoysiagrass is an excellent grass, but it can get disease problems in mid-spring and again in fall.
April and May are usually our wettest times of the year. That’s usually a good thing, since you don’t have to worry about supplemental irrigation. Too much rain though can have a negative affect on turf. We very seldom have a “normal” weather pattern in Oklahoma, so who knows what will happen. Adjust your watering schedule to the weather. If it rains, shut down your system. If it’s dry, water well every week or so now.
Two disease problems to be on the lookout for in April and May are Powdery Mildew on Crepe Myrtles and Euonymous, and Leaf Spot on Photenias. We can control both with a supplemental ornamental fungicide treatment.
We can prevent many insect pests from entering your home with this important service. At the same time we do a regular lawn treatment, we can apply a band of both liquid and granular insecticide around the entire perimeter of your home. The liquid treatment is also sprayed up along the foundation, along door and window entrances, and other possible openings in your home.
Although not perfect, if this treatment is done consistently, it will prevent many bugs from bugging you! Many customers will have us do this service 3-4 times during summer and into fall, when insects can be more of a problem.
Pricing
| Square Footage of Lawn | Price | |
| 1,500 - 2,500 sq. ft. | $38.00 | |
| 2,500 - 3,500 | $46.00 | |
| over 3,500 | $47.00 | |
