Expert Lawn Maintenance Solutions

Lawn Care Kentucky services provide essential lawn maintenance to keep your turf healthy and beautiful. 

One of the biggest reasons homeowners hire lawn care companies is to perform weed control. Many believe that a simple herbicide spray will do the trick, but a professional has access to specialized products that are designed for specific types of weeds and different stages of growth. Moreover, grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds require different treatments. If you mix a weed killer that is designed for grassy weeds with a product that targets broadleaf weeds, you will have a mess on your hands.

In addition, a professional knows when to apply these products. For example, a pre-emergent weed killer is used preventatively to keep weeds from germinating in the first place, while post-emergent herbicides kill sprouting weeds.

A professional can also identify the type of weed you are dealing with. That will make it easier to decide which weed killer is appropriate for your lawn, whether it is selective or non-selective. Selective herbicides only kill the weeds, while not harming the grass. However, this method is often less effective than simply hand pulling the weeds when they are small and emerging.

When weeds are allowed to mature and produce seeds, they will compete with your grass for nutrients, water, sunlight, and space. As a result, weeds can choke out your grass and cause it to weaken, so you need to be proactive in eliminating them as soon as they appear.

Some weeds are annual and die off at the end of their growing season, while others are perennial and come back year after year until treated or killed. Keeping your grass thick and strong will help to crowd out most weeds, but regular weed treatments are necessary to prevent them from establishing in the first place.

There are several home remedies for weed control, including boiling water, salt, and even vinegar (check out our DIY vinegar formula). These tactics will stunt the growth of a weed but not completely kill it. For a more permanent solution, Giard recommends using products like Burnout and Avenger, which contain citric acid or citrus oil. These chemicals are absorbed by the weed’s leaves and stems, where they will kill it.

Pest Control

Lawn pests can quickly derail all of the work that goes into a beautiful, lush lawn. Without proper pest control, your yard can become a breeding ground for insect colonies that not only damage grass but can also infect people and pets. A good lawn care program prevents pests and keeps them at bay, so you can enjoy your garden in peace.

Any living thing that disturbs the natural balance of your landscape should be considered a pest, whether it’s weeds, insects or animals. While weeds can be pulled or treated with a low-toxicity herbicide, pests require more specialized treatment. Lawn pest control products are designed to target specific problem areas, preventing them from spreading or multiplying. This type of targeted treatment saves you time and money in the long run by allowing you to focus on specific issues instead of a broad weed spraying.

A few pests that commonly invade Florida lawns include Chinch bugs, sod webworms and cutworms. These insects can quickly destroy newly sodded or seeded lawns, leaving bare patches of dead grass that look like they were badly mowed. Our lawn pest control services protect your grass from these damaging insects and keep them away from your home.

Our pest control products are safe for children, pets and the environment, but they are also effective. They work by disrupting the pests’ feeding and reproductive processes, so they are no longer able to survive in your yard. The results are rapid and effective, preventing them from returning or spreading to other parts of your property.

We all know that ticks, fleas and ants can ruin an outdoor meal or a day at the park. Our Perimeter Pest Control services prevent these pesky critters from ever entering your home so that you can relax in the yard with your family and friends without worrying about what’s crawling around inside.

Fertilization

Lawn Fertilization is one of the most important parts of lawn care. It provides the grass with the nutrients it needs to thrive, which helps it grow stronger and more resistant to weeds. In addition, fertilization can help improve the appearance of the lawn and add a pleasing, lush color to the landscape.

Your local lawn service knows your specific area, and they will use a lawn fertilizer that is right for your soil conditions and grass types. This avoids over-fertilizing, which can kill the grass and promote shallow root growth. It also minimizes the risk of nutrient imbalances, which can lead to brown patches and diseased grass.

Different types of grasses require different fertilizers and times of year to thrive. For example, bluegrass needs more frequent feedings than zoysia or fescue lawns. Liquid and starter fertilizers are heavy in nitrogen to give the grass a quick boost of energy as it begins its growing season, while granular fall and pre-winter lawn fertilizers have a slow-release delivery system that prepares the grass for winter dormancy.

When choosing a lawn fertilizer, look at the N-P-K ratio. The N-P-K sequence on a lawn fertilizer bag or bottle reflects the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the product. It is best to get a soil test to determine the exact amounts of these nutrients that your lawn needs. This will ensure that you buy the correct fertilizer for your lawn and eliminate guesswork.

After fertilizing, it is best to wait a few days before watering. It is also a good idea to blow the fertilizer off of sidewalks, driveways, and patios with a leaf blower or broom. It can stain these surfaces if it comes into contact with them. You should also rinse your spreader or sprayer with a hose before storing it where pets and children can’t reach it.

Aside from weed control and fertilization, there are other things you can do to improve your lawn’s health and appearance. Seeding and overseeding are ways to add new grass seed to your yard to replace bare areas. Aerating is a process that involves making tiny holes in the soil to aid growth by allowing air, nutrients, and water to circulate more easily. Finally, dethatching is a process that removes organic debris and loosens compacted soil to encourage healthy growth.

Aeration

Grass roots require air, water and nutrients to grow thick, deep and healthy. When soil becomes compacted, even just slightly, these essentials are blocked and the grass struggles to survive.

To relieve this compaction and allow air, water and nutrients to flow freely, lawn experts recommend mechanical core aeration. This involves a machine that rolls over the turf, puncturing it with hollow tines. These tines then remove small plugs of thatch and soil, thereby relieving the soil of its tight bindings. The holes left behind provide an ideal environment for overseeding and fertilization.

In addition to promoting a healthy root system, aeration helps reduce thatch buildup, improves soil fertility and helps combat disease in the grass. Aeration also helps the grass tolerate drought, heat and pest stress by ensuring that oxygen and moisture reach the roots, where it is needed most.

We recommend aerating your lawn at least once a year for the best results. However, lawns that have heavy foot traffic or are on heavy soils may need aeration more frequently. For optimum benefit, we typically perform aeration in the spring or fall and follow it immediately with a topdressing application of compost.

The best time to aerate is on a day following a rainfall or lawn irrigation, when the grass is still wet and soft. This will ensure that the holes in the soil remain open for the remainder of the growing season, allowing the compost to be easily incorporated into the roots.

While the aeration process is going on, flag any underground sprinkler heads or invisible dog fences so that the aerator technician can avoid them. Aeration can cause damage to underground pipes and wires. Aeration can also leave bare patches of grass, so we recommend seeding them right after the service is completed. For the best results, we suggest using a high-quality grass seed and adding Milorganite to help the seeds get off to a fast start. This will help them to become a more natural part of the landscape and be less prone to disease, insects and drought stress.