Lawn Fertilization

Why are winterizer applications important for Fairlawn Ohio?

Winterizer

A winter fertilizer application is considered to be the second most important, or sometimes the most important treatment for your lawn. This application is done in  fall, typically Late October through early December. A winter fertilizer application should be a mix of slow release and fast release nitrogen. A fast release fertilizer will help to build carbohydrates into the lawn now to promote repair work on summer damage that occurred, while a slow release will continue to assist the lawn throughout winter to help feed in the harsh months. Winter fertilization applications will also promote a quicker green up in spring when you have the Winter blues.

 

Protect the lawn from harsh winter conditions.

As the weather gets colder, the lawn goes into a protective mode against the temperatures, frost and frozen precipitation so the blades grow very slow, can turn brown and get a little hardier as it prepare for dormancy. Under the soil, it is a different story. The root system keeps growing and becomes thicker, stronger, and deeper into the soil. Some of the best root growth your lawn will experience will be during the winter months. The better the root system the turf has, the better the chances it will withstand drought, stress and disease during next years summer months in Fairlawn.

A winter fertilizer assists and strengthens the continuously growing root system during the winter. The lawn will try to repair itself from damage done during the summer during the fall season. Drought, heat and disease take quite a toll on the lawn and cause serious damage to the turf, so it is important to get extra carbohydrates to the root system. Carbohydrates help protect the lawn from damage and disease that can be done in the winter months.

To sum it up, a winter fertilizer application is one of the most important things you can do for your lawn. Whether it is to help rebuild after a long hot Fairlawn Ohio summer or just to prepare for a quicker green up in the spring, carbohydrate building winter fertilization is always the answer.

 

Interested in a Winterizer Application?

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Medina Ohio Asks: Is this Crabgrass?

Crabgrass Defined 

For an annual weed, crabgrass certainly gets much attention. Crabgrass can turn what was a great looking lawn into a nightmare in the matter of just a few weeks. It grows from seed each year when the soil warms to about 55 or higher for at least a week in the spring but grows most rapidly during the heat of summer. The seed will usually germinate faster in bare soil areas or places near sidewalks or other places where the earth will warm up more quickly. A thick and healthy dense lawn is usually not where crabgrass will be most found because it does not compete well with taller plants or shade.

 

Crabgrass has coarser grass blades than typical lawn grasses and are also usually lighter green in color so the crabgrass plants are quite noticeable. Crabgrass usually has a low growing habit that spreads out along the ground. It will cover a somewhat circular area up to a foot wide but it can also grow up to 2 feet tall in some situations. As the stems arch over and grow along the ground, they will often produce roots at the nodes along the stems. It is very difficult to pull out a mature crabgrass plant because of all of those extra roots that the plant produces. After the stems elongate they begin flowering, usually starting about the beginning of August and continuing until a hard frost kills the plant. The flower heads looks like a hand with the fingers pointing upward. Seeds will ripen within a few weeks with each individual plant capable of producing 1,500 seeds.

Grassy Weed or Broadleaf

Control of crabgrass in Medina lawns is of primary concern for most homeowners that spend lots of money each year trying to prevent crabgrass from growing in their lawns. There are several active ingredients that are effective in crabgrass prevention, but one should check the label to be sure that products they are applying is in fact for crabgrass prevention and not for the control of broadleaf weeds. Those products will have no effect in controlling crabgrass. Commercial lawn care companies may also be able to apply the crabgrass prevention products alone, not in combination with a fertilizer but those products are usually not available to home owners.

Prevention

Crabgrass prevention products are usually quite effective if they are applied at the right time. People often refer to the time when lilacs or Forsythia are blooming as an indicator as to the proper time to apply the product to their turf. If you apply it too early or not enough, it may lose its effectiveness before the end of the summer, allowing for a late flush of crabgrass to emerge and grow. But, if you wait too long in the spring to apply it, you might miss the first wave of seedling germination and still have a major crabgrass problem. Once the seedlings are up and growing these products will not kill the seedlings. Crabgrass preventers will also prevent other kinds of weed seeds from germinating, like the grass seed that you might apply that spring or summer to fill in bare areas or to thicken and existing grass. If you plan to do some seeding, do it late in the fall to avoid problems with spring applied crabgrass preventers or simply choose not use them at all in those areas.

There are a very few post emergence crabgrass killing herbicides available. They can be effective but they need to be applied shortly after the crabgrass seedlings have emerged from the lawn. Once the plants begin to produce multiple stems control is greatly reduced which will make you unhappy because post emergent control is very expensive to apply.  Another very important aspect of crabgrass control is to maintain a healthy lawn in Medina that is properly fertilized, watered and mowed.

 

Ready to find out more about Crabgrass?

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Humic vs. Fulvic Treatments In Doylestown

The benefits of Humic and Fulvic Acid applications to your lawn in Doylestown Ohio.

Humic acid helps the soil retain nutrients for your lawn in Doyleston OH. They will not absorbed into the grass, but instead stay in the soil and unlock nutrients that were not available before to the grass. Plus the carbon they add to the soil catches future nutrients much better that makes a food pantry for the grass. So simply Humic acid makes great soil. Fulvic Acids are very tiny are able enter the plant. They help the grass deliver the nutrients from the soil to the plant. It is like boosting the digestive system of the plant.

Humic acid is a natural soil conditioner that acts as an organic binding agent and is a microbial stimulant. It has a unique carbon make up which does include a high concentration of trace minerals and organic acids. Humic acid enhances the grasses ability to take in essential nutrients and improves soil structure dramatically.

 

Humic acid benefits for your lawn in Doylestown Ohio are:

    • Increases added soil carbon
    • Improves overall plant health of grass
    • Improves germination and viability of the seed
    • Chelates macro and micro nutrients to increase availability to the plant for a long period of time
    • Increases cation exchange capacity
    • Improves soil structure for better water movement
    • Stimulates beneficial microorganisms, which will improve long-term soil pH

 

Fulvic vs. Humic acid

Fulvic acid is able to penetrate the cell where humic acid can't. The Fulvic acids have higher oxygen content but lower carbon contents than the Humic acids. Fulvic acids also contain more functional groups of an acidic nature which is good for the plant. Humic acid is not soluble in water under acidic conditions but is soluble always in higher pH values. Fulvic acid is soluble in water under any pH conditions.

 

Ready to find out more?

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OHIO LAWN CARE

When thinking of Ohio lawn care here in our local communities in Northeast Ohio there are many factors to consider.

  1. Our grass species – There are many different kinds of fescues found in our neighborhoods, some of the most popular are fine fescue, tall fescue and creeping fescue. Other species found include zoysia, bentgrass, ryegrass and kentucky bluegrass.
  1. Soil types and conditions – We have many different soils found in our area but many if not almost all of us have at least some clay soil. Clay is a soil that is made of mostly clay particles. There is no doubt that Northeast Ohio communities were built on top of a huge mounds of clay that becomes stone like hard, cracks when dry and nothing much likes to grow in it. Among other negatives, clay soil is very slow draining and takes more time to warm up in spring than other soils. In winter it heaves and it leans towards alkalinity in ph. Clay soils are so very compacted that plants root systems are unable to access essential oxygen required for growth.
  2. FertilizationFertilizer has three major components nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, The three numbers you always see on bags of fertilizer indicate the levels of these components on the bag in that order. Certain times of the year and different species of turfgrass require different levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
  3. Weed control – Here with Ohio lawn care we have thousands of different kinds of invasive weeds. Many weeds we find in a lawn are hard to kill and require specific types of weed control instead of a broad spectrum application. To name a few of these weeds that require specific products: thistles, wild violets, knotweed, prostrate spurge, plantain buckhorn, ground ivy, foxtails, wild onions and yellow nutsedge.
  4. Climate zone – Here in Northeast Ohio we span across three different climate zones: 5b, 6a and 6b. For this amount of land area in Northeast Ohio it is unique to have that many different climate zones. For example in Central Ohio in The Columbus area they only have one zone 6a. It is due to our varying elevations we have, lake effect and the jet stream. It is very important to know your zone in relevance to lawn care and landscaping. So you will have the knowledge to understand what to plant and how to care for it.
  5. Soil ph – Soil ph is the alkalinity or acid levels found in your soil. Certain plants and grass thrive in different levels of soil ph. Applying the right or wrong products to certain ph levels can make all the difference for your lawn or landscape.
  6. Weather – When it comes to weather in Ohio lawn care products. There are certain products that need to be applied when the turfgrass is wet or dry. Also there are applications that would not be effective when it is to cold. Applying certain products when it is to hot or dry can damage or kill your lawn.
  7. Core AerationCore aeration is a popular practice here with Ohio lawn care. It pulls cores of soil from your lawn. Pulling these cores with a core aerator will allow water, nutrients, air and fertilizer reach your lawns root zone. Other benefits include alleviating soil compaction and thatch in the lawn. For a terrific lawn practicing core aeration is a must in Northeast Ohio and is recommended to be done once a year.
  8. Lawn pest – Lawn pests can destroy a lawn and one of the most popular everyone should know is grubs and there is many different species of grubs found locally. Other lawn pests found here people do not here often about, but remain to still be a large problem in our lawns are: billbug, sod webworms and chinch bugs. The best action against these pests is proactive treatments instead of reactive treatments.
  9. Watering – Proper watering of your lawn and proper drainage is a must for a beautiful lawn. To little or to much water for your turfgrass can cause damage or even death.
  10. Lawn diseases – The are many lawn diseases associated with Ohio lawn care such as: red thread, dollar spot, yellow patch, necrotic ring, pythium blight, melting out, fusarium blight and many other diseases. The best way to fight lawn diseases is with cultural practices and proactive treatments. Many diseases once established can be very difficult to eradicate.
  11. Soil temperatures – Soil temperatures are very important in Ohio lawn care, they tell you when to or not to plant grass seed. Soil temperatures also dictate when to apply fertilizers, weed and insect control products.
  12. Timing of treatments and proper rates – Having the proper timing of treatments is very important here in Northeast Ohio. Since we have a shorter season than most of the United States it makes the windows for applications smaller and harder to hit. Proper rates with applications can be the difference in a great looking lawn or much worse.

So in review all the variables of performing Ohio lawn care can be a difficult task. It's always a great idea to leave proper lawn care to a state certified lawn care specialist if you do not have the time or knowledge. Many times hiring a professional can be very comparable in price as doing it yourself and they have access to products that a non state certified person wouldn't have.

Best Lawn Care Services in Canton, Ohio


For many homeowners it is finally time to admit it in Canton Ohio. Your lawn needs more time than you can give it right now and you are ready for some professional help from a local lawn care company. But how do you find the best lawn care services that you require? You have googled “lawn care.” But there are so many lawn care companies out there, with no idea of who will be the best lawn care service for you. How do you select the best lawn care services for your lawn? Hopefully the following information will help point you to the best lawn company for the job.

What type of lawn care services does my property need?

Lawn Mowing - If your turf is in good shape, may be that all you need is basic lawn mowing service. Most mowing companies offer weekly mowing services where the mow, trim and blow off all hard surfaces. Usually their commercial equipment will leave a better cut than residential equipment. Professional mowing services will stripe the lawn for a great look and they will know what heights to mow at during certain times of the year to make the grass healthy and look great.

Troubleshooting a lawn that requires some sort of lawn treatments - When you notice that your lawn is looking less than great. Maybe the turf is patchy looking or discolored. It is time to call in a great local lawn care company to evaluate the situation. Lawn care experts are trained to identify and diagnose all lawn problems.

Remedy - Based on their evaluation of your turfs needs, a professional lawn care company should be able to offer an remediation plan, which may or may not include one or more of these treatments for the lawn:

  • core aeration of your lawn (if your lawn's soil is compacted or to thick in thatch, removing small “cores” of the lawns soil will allow oxygen, water, and fertilizer to reach the grass roots)
  • treatment of lawn pests and weed control
  • eradication of lawn diseases

How do I choose the best lawn care services in Canton OH?

Look for lawn care companies with good local references

The lawn company you hire should be licensed wherever required by law and if applying treatments to your lawn should be a licensed with the Ohio Department of Agriculture

Anyone working on your property or lawn should be insured with business liability and property insurance coverage. For your protection and theirs.

If you can get three estimates and compare the prices and services they offer.

Make sure that your lawn contractor knowledgeable and familiar with the particular species of grass and conditions associated with your property.

Reasons why Portage Lakes residents should fertilize their lawns

Reasons Why It Is Important To Fertilize A Lawn in Portage Lakes OH

It can be very tough to keep your lawn looking as fresh as you would like in Portage Lakes Ohio. Between pests, weather, and other foes, you’ll want to make sure that your lawn looks as healthy as it can. Homeowners in Portage Lakes Ohio have used fertilizer on lawns for centuries, but do you know the reasons why fertilization is so important? Keep reading for some great reasons why lawn fertilizer is important!

1. Lawn Fertilizer Will Work With Important Nutrients in Soil

In order to have a healthy lawn (or any healthy plant life) you will need high soil quality. Using a fertilizer for a lawn is the best way to do so. Over time, your soil will naturally lose many of the important nutrients it needs to survive. If you really want a lush, green lawn, you are going to need to replace them. Fertilizer replaces and replenishes the essentials your lawn needs for a great look.

2. Your Lawn Needs Fertilizer as Much as it Needs Sunshine and Water

Grass needs the correct amount of water and sunshine to be healthy and dark green, but don’t forget to feed it, too! Your lawn needs nutrients to thrive and to survive. For soil to be as rich as possible, it needs 3 elements:

  • Phosphorous
  • Nitrates
  • Potassium

Think of this as the trinity for a lawn. If you do not have even one of these, your lawn will look shriveled and browned. You feed your body, but your lawn needs food also.

3. A Green Solution

Pardon the pun, but fertilizer is a fantastic solution when used right. Since it uses natural chemicals and vitamins, it is a lawn care solution you can feel good about using. Not only are you taking care of your lawn by using fertilizer, you are taking care of the environment. No need to worry about excess waste since fertilizer just dissipates into the soil. In fact, you can even use your own lawn clippings for a cheap, eco-friendly fertilizer solution!

4. It is Easy to Use

One of the best reasons to use fertilizer is that you do not necessarily need a green thumb to use it. If you’re not interested in using the aid of some great local services, you can always spread the fertilizer yourself on the lawn. All you have to do is carefully spread it evenly and follow the instructions. It’s simple with the right equipment, but your lawn will look better than ever.

5. Your Grass Will Grow Faster

You already know that fertilizer is an important part of the diet of your lawn. But did you know that it will actually help your grass grow faster? You can’t rely solely on the soil for great, healthy plant life. You’ll get much better results by using fertilizer.

6. Lawn Fertilizer is Very Cost Effective

Like most homeowners, you are probably worried about the cost. Well, there’s a bit of good news! Using fertilizer is usually quite cost effective. Following fertilization, all you have to worry about is the basic maintenance.

Ready to find out more?

Call Akron Canton Lawn Care Now for your Free Estimate on any of our lawn care services
(330) 933-2222 
or click the Contact Us button to send us an email.

Richfield Ohio residents ask, Can my lawn effect my homes resale value?

Your lawn will effect your homes resale value in Richfield OH

Americans Love their Lawns and how Important it is to a Resale Value

According to the survey commissioned by the National Association of Landscape Professionals and conducted by Harris Poll, eighty-three percent of Americans think having a great lawn is important. Here are a few of the insights about the value of our lawns and backyards in Richfield Ohio.
Your neighborhood landscaping is important. Americans (91%) want to live in an area where they can see and or walk to nice landscaping. So if you want the best chance of increasing the price of your home in your neighborhood, make sure the landscaping looks great.

Nice landscaping helps to sell your house quickly in Richfield Ohio. Eighty-four percent say that the quality of a home’s landscaping would affect their decision about whether or not to buy the property. Great neighborhood landscaping helps, but it isn’t enough; yours needs to look great also.
Your neighbors care what your landscape looks like. Seventy-one percent think it is important that their neighbors have well-maintained yards.

Enjoying your yard

Perhaps “good landscaping makes good neighbors” should be the new angle.
We want to enjoy our yards. Seventy-five percent of people feel that it is important to spend time outside.
Despite a common misperceptions, even Millennials want to spend time in their yards. Seventy-five percent of Millennials (18–34 year olds) think spending time outside in their yards is very important.

People want help with their landscape. A large majority of Americans (67%) agree that professional landscaper or lawn care service would help would allow them to have a better yard.

Ready to find out more?

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(330) 933-2222 
or click the Contact Us button to send us an email.

North Canton, Ohio residents ask, what can a healthy lawn do for me?

In North Canton Ohio You will be surprised what a healthy lawn can do for you

A well maintained lawn can help to provide a healthy, pleasant environment for you, your family and your community in North Canton OH. Here are some interesting facts about lawns that you may not be aware of and will be glad you learned about in North Canton OH:

• A 50' x 50' healthy lawn will produce enough daily oxygen for a family of four.
• Grass is a natural air conditioner by absorbing the suns heat it creates.
• Grass cleans the air, absorbing pollutants and returns pure oxygen in exchange to the air.
• A healthy green lawn naturally deters allergy-causing weed pollen.
• Biting and stinging insects are found less often in lawns that are in good health and are free of weeds.
• Noises are reduced in areas where lawns are present. Because soft surfaces absorb sound, while hard surfaces reflect it.
Thick turf filters surface water before it returns to ground water supply.
• Grass is as a natural barrier for soil erosion caused by wind and water.

Ready to find out more?

Call Akron Canton Lawn Care Now for your Free Estimate on any of our lawn care services
(330) 933-2222 
or click the Contact Us button to send us an email.

Tip for Fairlawn, Ohio residents on growing grass in shaded areas

Growing Grass in Shady Areas in Fairlawn Ohio

Shade Lawns

If you have a lawn with shady areas in Fairlawn OH, you may find it very difficult to grow grass in those areas. This is one of the most common problems with lawns in Fairlawn OH. Grass needs at the very least 4 hours of sunlight a day to be able to grow. The shortage of sun on the lawn will impact on the photosynthesis process. The grass cannot get enough energy it needs to grow. This will result in reduce of vigor and the grasses cannot resist disease, stress, insects or weather condition that change.

You can improve the situation by trimming some of nearby shrubs and trees to let in more sun into the grass. Cut down tree branches as much as possible, as long as it does not destroy the beauty of the tree and the landscape. Before planting new trees, consider the number of existing trees, the density of those trees, and the light intensity decreased by the new trees planted. Keep in mind that shade trees should be planted 50 to 100 feet apart. This will also assist in getting water to the grass which is obviously another important part of its health.

Shade Tolerant Grass

Fine fescue and bluegrass are very tolerant shade species of grass. Fine fescue can grow good in shaded areas that are dry. Bluegrass prefers a constantly wet soil. For moderately shady areas, tall fescue may tolerate the conditions also.

Growing grass in shady areas is very possible if the basic requirements for its growth is known and clearly understood. The competition of the 3 factors being water, nutrients, and light. The fundamental cause of grass growing failure under shady conditions. To improve grass in shaded areas, please follow all the guidelines above because they are all important and have a critical role in keeping the grass in shaded areas looking good and healthy.

If there are areas that are just too challenging to get sun and water to, they could always be turned into a flower bed. Then plant drought resistant plants that enjoy shade or even go with a shade loving ground cover plant..

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Tips For Watering Your Lawn In Canton, Ohio

Watering the Lawn

Tips on watering your lawn in Canton Ohio

You should be watering for 30-40 minutes per section 2-3 times per week in Canton OH. This gives your lawn a good
deep root watering every time. This allows the water to seep all the way down to the root system and promotes deep root growth. This also will ensure that the lawn is getting the proper amounts of nutrients that it needs. You only need to water a few times a week when you water for long periods. The lawn will take a longer period of time for the soil to dry out.

Busting Myths

It is a common myth that the more water is always better. This is not the case, the more water in your lawn the more issues you can be bringing to your lawn. By using so much water your lawn you run the risk of leaving moisture in the lawn encouraging fungal growth, or you could flood the lawn with water and wash away nutrients that the lawn needs to survive.

Especially in the Summer when the lawn can be under an enormous amount of heat stress in Canton Ohio. The last thing the lawn needs is our cultural practices adding to the stress and making more problems. For example, if your mowing the lawn with a mower with dull blades that are not cutting the lawn properly and will cause the blades of grass to become jagged and those jagged edges are what creates a better opening for the disease to enter into your lawn. Or mowing the lawn to short and scalping can cause browning and thinning of the grass making the lawn more of a target for lawn disease, weeds, and insect damage.

A full, thick lawn is always the best defense to all these lawn problems.
If you start to notice your grass suffering from heat stress you should focus on cultural practices. Make sure you have a proper and effective schedule for watering. Also, make sure the lawn is being mowed at the proper height and with sharp blades. If your grass does become dormant because of the weather and you begin to water, you need to then continually water the lawn regularly.

The lawn uses up its food reserve in the root system to become active again. You need to give it the time that it needs to regain that reserve and not cause further stress. Please do remember that a great healthy lawn takes time and patience. In some cases, it could take a lawn up to a month to start showing signs of “life” again and green up. It is greatly recommended to reseed your lawn after the drought and heat stress has subsided in the Fall months. For a wonderful landscape it is important to keep up with rejuvenating the grass, and keeping your lawn young to fight off the stresses a lawn will endure.

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