Knoxville Lawn Care Tips

It is spring in Knoxville and your lawn is ready for some loving care. If you haven’t already gone out there and put a rake to it, now is definitely the time. Raking your lawn is great for your grass, especially if you have warm-season grass, because unwanted thatch can block water and nutrients from getting into the soil and making your grass roots strong. While a little bit of dead or dying grass is okay, you don’t need more than a ½ layer. Getting that dead grass layer up will also help your turfgrass to dry out after a spring rain, which will make your lawn less inviting to lawn pests. Here are a few more tips that will give your yard the jumpstart it needs.

Spring Lawn Tips

  • If you don’t already know, find out what kind of turfgrass you have. Here in Knoxville, we have lawns with cold-season grasses and warm-season grasses. The type of grasses you have will influence what steps you’ll need to take to have a beautiful lawn.
  • Have the PH balance of your soil tested. This is the time of year to get your PH level of your soil balanced. If your soil is acidic you’ll need to add some lime. If your soil is alkaline, you’ll want to add sulfate.
  • Considered aerating your lawn. While we had a mild winter and barely any snow, often, winter has a tendency to pack the soil down. Aeration loosens things up and allows water, air, and nutrients to get down deep. This will promote a strong root system.
  • Find out if your lawn needs calcium feeding. This is the time of year when lawn care professionals add calcium rich products to lawns that need it. These encourage the growth of helpful bacteria.

If all of this sounds like a pain, consider letting the lawn care professionals here at Active Pest Control take care of your lawn care needs. They know what your lawn needs in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. They’ll also keep on top of nematode control, fungi and brown patches, over-seeding, and other complicated lawn stuff. And, while we’re taking care of your lawn, you can spend your time doing things you actually want to do, like soaking up the sun in your lawn chair, having a cookout with friends, relaxing by the pool, or playing a backyard game.

Springs is for enjoying your yard, not laboring in it. Let Active Pest Control help you get the most out of your free time and keep your lawn the envy of all your neighbors. Reach out to us today to schedule a visit.

Spring Tips For Brunswick, Georgia Lawns

In fall, there are a lot of things you probably did to get ready for winter. Well, now that winter is over, there are a bunch of things you need to do to get ready for summer. That is how lawn care works. You have to make sure the tracks are in place before the train comes through. Here are a few things that will help you give your Brunswick lawn the best chance for success.

  • Mow often. Whether you have Bermudagrass or St. Augustine grass, mowing often is key to making that turf grass do its thing. The only difference between these two kinds of grass is how high to cut it. Bermudagrass will do better if you cut it low, between 1 and 2 inches. St. Augustine grass will do better if you cut it higher, about 3 inches.
  • Remove Debris. If you have sticks, leaves, or other organic debris in your yard, it is a good idea to pick these up. This will allow your turfgrass to breathe, and give it a better chance to spread out and grow thick.
  • Rake. If you have any spot on your lawn where the grass is matted down, it is important to run a rake over them.
  • Check your soil. If you plan to do any fertilization, it is vital to check the PH balance of your soil. You want to make sure the fertilizer you’re using is going to have the right mix. St. Augustine grass, in particular, is probably going to do better with more nitrogen. But too much of a good thing can be bad.
  • Know your grass. Understanding what type of grasses you have in your lawn is key to giving your lawn what it needs. Most lawns have a mix of grasses. Some turfgrass is good, like Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia. Some grass is not so good, like crabgrass. This is the time of year when you want to make sure you give your wanted grasses what they need to thrive, and prevent unwanted grass from growing.
  • Pre-emergent products. There is a good chance that you’ve already applied a pre-emergent product to your lawn, but if you haven’t, it is a good idea to do it in early March. What these products do is put a chemical barrier on your soil that prevents new seed from germinating, specifically crab grass seed. This will help to control unwanted patches of crab grass.
  • Water. This is a balance. You can give your lawn too much water, and invite diseases to take root, or you can give your lawn too little water and end up with dead areas.
  • Aeration. March is a great time to aerate your lawn and give your soil room to breath.

If you need help making your Brunswick lawn beautiful, Active Pest Control can help. We don’t just specialize in controlling the bugs that will attack your lawn. We have lawn care specialists on staff to give your lawn all the loving care it needs to out compete the weeds and unwanted vegetation.