New items added periodically
DIY Lawn treatments or Hire a Lawn Service?
The majority of “lawn chemical companies” do 3 things.
- Spray a 30-0-5 fertilizer a few times a year based on their route. (Not lawn’s needs.)
- Spray pre-emergent in the spring, and maybe in the fall.
- Add weed killers and apply to your lawn whether it needs it or not. (Most have ONE tank that treats all the lawns.) Often causing summer burns.
Basically… you’re a number on a route and if you have issues such as grubs, army worms, or fungus, they generally don’t treat for them. Our advice if you want a golf course quality lawn… Drop the lawn company… Period.
They also don’t take WEATHER into consideration when applying products. NOT SMART.
For about the same price of a “service” you can get TWICE the treatments and specifically design a program for your lawn’s needs.
The direction in which you mow matters.
Everyone wants a sumptuous lawn and maintaining a regular mowing schedule may be the key to getting yours to the best possible place. “The mow direction, besides its ornamental purpose, unquestionably plays a significant role by keeping the grass upright and firm,” Morello says. When you alternate, you prevent your grass from growing in just one direction, which could lead to a lawn that looks pushed over.
The length does, too.
It’s possible to cut your grass too short, which can result in dead or dried-out patches that look unsightly. To prevent this, make sure the blade of your mower is set to the right height. “Your grass type sets the height of the cut, however leaving a height two-and-a-half to three inches of grass is a good rule of thumb,” he says, adding that higher, not lower, should be your default setting. “In other words, you should remove no more than one-third of the grass height per cut.” The goal is to give your lawn a trim (not a full-blown cut—hence the importance of said mowing schedule), and you will want to laeve your clippings behind as mulch. “It is best to not bag the clippings, as they provide nutrients on a consistent basis,” Morello adds. Just make sure you are keeping up on your mower’s maintenance. Your blades need to be sharp in order to achieve a clean cut and to avoid problems and pathogens in the future (he suggests checking them regularly to make sure they are in tip-top shape).
Does My Lawn Need Lime?
Does your lawn or garden need lime? If you live in North Carolina, the answer to this question is a definite maybe. This is because our soils vary so much from one yard to the next. For some yards, lime needs to be added every few years to keep plants healthy. For others, especially those at the beach, adding lime can harm plants.
What is Lime?
Lime is a soil amendment made by grinding limestone, a naturally occurring type of rock that is very high in calcium. Two types of lime are commonly used in lawns and gardens, agricultural lime and dolomitic lime. Agricultural lime, also sold as garden lime, is made from calcium carbonate. This type of limestone can be found in our area and is mined in Pender County at the Shelter Creek Quarry near Maple Hill. Dolomitic lime is made from dolomite, a type of rock very similar to limestone except it also contains magnesium. In North Carolina, dolomite is found only in the mountains. Both types of lime provide calcium for plants, but dolomitic lime also supplies magnesium, a nutrient often low in soils in our area.
How to Tell if Your Lawn Needs Lime
Moss, bare spots and weeds are signs that your soil has low pH (acidic), which means your lawn could need lime. A soil pH test is the best method to determine if your lawn needs lime.
