Seasonal Services
Regular Maintenance Services
Power Raking/Dethatching
Thatch is a layer of slowly decomposing grass stems, dead roots, and debris that accumulate above the soil and below grass blades. A thin layer of thatch, ¼” or so, can help reduce moisture loss due to evaporation and helps to buffer the soil. Too much thatch, however, will increase run-off on slopes and retain too much water within the thatch layer which can increase the chance of fungus and other lawn problems. We recommend power raking (dethatching) every year for Bermuda grass lawns and at least every two to three years for cool season grasses such as Blue grass and Fescue lawns.
Aeration
We use a core type aerator which pull out 2” to 3” long plugs from the soil and distributes them over the surface of the lawn. We recommended aeration at least once a year. Some of the benefits of aeration include reducing soil compaction, increased water absorption, reduced runoff on slopes, increased air and nutrients to the roots and a deeper root system. The microorganisms in the cores help to reduce the amount of thatch build up as well.
Fertilizing Lawns
We recommend fertilizing the lawn after aeration has been done to take advantage of depositing some of the fertilizer into the holes. We use granular fertilizers to feed the lawns and keep them healthy. Cool season grasses will typically be fertilized 5 times during the growing season, about every 6 weeks. Warm season grasses will typically be fertilized 3 times due to their shorter growing season. The first application should include a preemergence weed control to help prevent some of the annual weeds from invading the lawn.
