All fertilizers used in our Lawn Care Program are custom made for healthy turf and soil.  They are designed to deliver valuable organic matter to your soil in addition to the nutrients required to keep your lawn healthy. The organic matter is as important as the nutrients because it is the food source for the microorganisms in your soil. It is the microorganisms that naturally aerate your soil, decompose thatch, hold nutrients from leaching into the water table, and allow nutrients to be used more efficiently by plants.
 The general timings are: Early Spring: March through May, Late Spring: May through June, Early Fall: August through October, Late Fall: October through December.

By having your soil tested by an independent Dr. Albright soil laboratory, we can precisely determine which nutrients, minerals and organic matterials should be amended to your soil. Properly balanced soil promotes healthier plants and reduces the amount of unwanted weeds. Seriously! A detailed proposal with recommendations for your lawn will be provided with the soil test results.

Core samples from throughout the lawn will be taken and sent to a professional soil testing laboratory.  The organic matter content, the soil pH and the overall nutrient levels will be analyzed and a report will be generated.  We will interpret this report for you and send you a copy along with any recommended actions based on the results.  Having an occasional soil sample taken is a valuable part of an organic program because it helps us determine the best measures to build a healthy soil, not just treat the grass.  A soil sample is recommended if one has not been taken in the past 3-5 years or if you have experienced repeated issues with all or parts of the lawn in the past.

Crabgrass Control (organic or chemical): Crabgrass is a common annual weed-grass that germinates in the spring and can eventually suffocate sections of the lawn as it grows larger throughout the summer.  Crabgrass can show up anywhere, but it is most commonly found in lawns that are mowed too low, growing in poor soil, or are fully exposed to direct sunlight.  The most common places to see crabgrass are along paved edges and on hills and bumps that tend to be scalped when mowing.  If selected, crabgrass control will be applied as part of your early spring fertilizer visit.  The organic crabgrass control material is a high protein version of corn gluten, which is actually a common feed ingredient.  It's unique properties in the soil provide approximately 60% control of crabgrass.  However, its rate of control tends to increases each year that it is used.  The chemical crabgrass control provides approximately 70% crabgrass control.  If the lawn is mowed less than 3" high or if areas are occasionally scalped too low, the rate of crabgrass control will be reduced, especially around driveway edges and on hills and banks.  Mowing the lawn high (4"-4½") helps to minimize crabgrass invasion.  Timing: March through May.

Broadleaf Weed Control: This weed control service is a mix of organic materials that selectively control dandelion, clover, chickweed, plantain, thistle, and many other weeds.  All weed controls will be scheduled for the fall by default as this is the time of year when weed control provide the best results.  In most cases, it is unnecessary to have more than one chemical weed control application per year (if you choose any at all).  However, some difficult to control weeds, such as ground ivy, wild strawberry, speedwell, oxalis, spurge, and wild violet, usually require two applications in the fall to attain complete control.  Wild violets generally require several years of repeated fall applications for permanent control. We will always maintain that balanced living soil, and thick turf mowed tall is the best long term weed control. Far better than inorganic materials that are a short term fix. Once biology in the soil is achieved you will have few if any weeds.

The best way to minimize spring weeds (especially dandelions) is with a fall weed control, however, if you strongly feel you need a weed control in the springtime, please contact our office so we can discuss the options as they relate to your specific property.  Also, keeping the lawn thick and mowing at 4 to 4½" will greatly reduce the need for future applications. Calcium is king, a super mineral that has a direct relationship with plant health. Unfortunately, it is commonly lacking in neighborhood soil. Calcium helps lawns have fewer weeds especially dandelions. Dandelions by design are miners of calcium, their long tap root pulls calcium from our limestone base and gives it to other plants to use. A tell-tale sign of low calcium and boron are fields or lawns full of dandelions.  Timing: May through June and October through December

 

Coreless Bio-Aeration: Compost topdressing is without question the best thing you can do for your lawn. A powerful combination of biological foods, plant stimulants, and soil amending ingredients used to re-charge the biological life in your soil.  After this application it is not uncommon to have a sudden burst of soil activity appear.  The foods in the material are a strong attraction for earthworms and they come in full force, naturally opening up and aerating your soil.
This service is valuable for all lawns, but it is extremely helpful for regenerating the soils of newer lawns where home building construction often leave lifeless subsoil.  It takes years to regenerate a poor soil using fertilizers alone, but with topdressing material we can greatly accelerate the re-building process and bring the tangible benefits of healthy soil into reality much sooner.
Unlike mechanical aeration, which is short term, Band-Aid approach, the coreless bio-aeration material is unobtrusive, long-lasting, and in-tune with Natures naturally biological processes.  Combined with a regular organic fertilizer program the soil results continually improve and the need for repeat applications of this material is eliminated.   Timing:  May through December.

Seeding is the most important service for having a great lawn. Seeding helps to thicken your turf and introduce more disease and drought resistant varieties of grass. It is usually best to overseed in the late summer or early fall, but we can arrange spring seeding for special circumstances. A thick lawn, mowed tall is your best natural weed control.

This application reduces water cost and usage. Soil like ours that have high clay content and low organic matter really benefit from this application. Using plant enzyme, food sources and living microbes, Liquid Aeration loosens soil structure and helps break the chemical bonds that hold soil molecules so tightly together. The more biology, the greater the soil food web, the better the oxygen and water retention.  It also helps to release nutrients that are tied up in the soil and acts as a detoxifier by removing toxins and salts that are by-products of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

We offer comprehensive tree health evaluations and diagnosis. We will tailor specific protocols to help heal sick, damaged and diseased trees. Injection therapy, foliar sprays, root dredging and compost topdressing are applications used to reverse tree ailments.  Applied in the spring and fall, these beneficial service improves plant health, increases root development and helps ward off insects and disease.

This is an all-natural plant growth stimulant and soil activator application. A “gourmet meal for your soil” containing highly beneficial micro-organisms, kelp extracts, trace minerals, and twenty-one different amino acids. All soils need a higher percentage of organic matter to grow healthier plants.