Keep Mower Blades Sharpened Regularly
While mowing with a sharp blade is important for the look of the lawn, a sharp mower blade also plays an important role in a lawn's health. Below are some important benefits and reasons to sharpen mower blades regularly: A dull blade rips and tears the grass blade, leading to a higher susceptibility for disease [...]
Get to Know Your Grass Type
We get a lot of interesting questions about lawns and grass types. These are some of the most common grasses for our area: Why seed a tall fescue lawn with bluegrass? More efficient with water than fescue Resistant to most of the diseases of tall fescue such as brown patch Spreads to fill in the [...]
Benefits of Native Plants
There are so many reasons to find an area for native plants in your lawn. Native plants create beautiful garden areas with less work and cost. Facts about Native plants: Help conserve water Reduce mowing, labor, fertilizer and pest management costs Provide a habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife Protect and enrich the soil [...]
Prepare for Extreme Cold Temperatures
When extreme cold temperatures hit, special preparation should be taken to protect your home and lower heating costs. It may seem like a long list, but even minor changes can make a big difference. Following these steps can save money by preventing damage and keeping the warm air in your home, during cold temperatures: Blow [...]
Train Your Dog Outside
You can eliminate burned grass and reduce the odds of stepping in dog poop if you train your dog outside. Teaching a dog to go in one area is relatively easy with a little patience and consistency. Follow these steps to train your dog outside: Identify a high area that is not prone to water [...]
Winter Grass Seedling Care
Grass seed that was planted in late August or early September may need mowing by early October. Seed that was not planted until late September, may not need mowing until the following March or early April. The later in the fall a lawn is seeded, the more care it will need over the winter. Care [...]
The Truth about Nutsedge
When it comes to nutsedge (commonly called nutgrass), there are usually only three kinds of lawns in Kansas City: Lawns with nutsedge Lawns that will have nutsedge Lawns grown in very heavy shade Nutsedge facts: Nutsedge reproduces both by seed and by underground tubers. One single nutsedge plant, allowed to reproduce, can create many thousands [...]
Pulling Weeds Now Saves Work Next Year
September is crunch time if weeds have sprouted in lawns or shrub beds. Chemical control or tilling is often the most practical solution, but 100% control is rarely possible. Pulling weeds is always best for small-scale weeding. Most of next years weed seeds are being produced right now. Some of the worst weeds in our [...]
Verticutting and Core Aeration for Seed Preparation
There is no better time to improve, repair, or rebuild a lawn than late August through September. While seed selection and watering are critical (seed care instructions), seed preparation is the key to maximizing germination and roots. Stated simply, the goal of soil preparation is to provide good seed to soil contact. CORE AERATION Used [...]