Why Get a Sprinkler System Service and Check-Up Before Summer

As we are in spring now, with lawns greening up and flowers blooming, we might think that the heat and droughts of summer are a distant concern. However, there are chances that before the summer heat sets in, you would need your sprinkler system to water your garden and lawn. Before starting to use the irrigation system every year, it’s recommended to get a sprinkler system service in which a professional irrigation technician can carry out a spring checkup of your sprinkler system. Availing such a can keep your sprinkler system prepared to handle the irrigation needs of spring as well as the upcoming summer.

Reasons for Getting Sprinkler System Service and Evaluation Before Summer

Irrigation experts suggest homeowners the pre-season irrigation system service and inspection because of three key reasons:

1. To ensure the efficient working of sprinkler systems

A spring sprinkler system service will ensure that water is used efficiently. Besides conserving water, the irrigation technician would set up the heads of the sprinkler to allocate water usage so that plants can get the water required to stay healthy.

2. To identify any necessary sprinkler repair as well as potential problems

A sprinkler system service and inspection during the spring will find any broken irrigation system pipes, broken sprinkler heads, or leaks, which occurred over winter. Fixing the issues now by availing irrigation repair services will prevent wastage of water from the sprinkler system and make sure your garden and lawn receive the necessary amount of watering.

3. To prolong the longevity of your irrigation system

You have made a considerable investment for your sprinkler system, and professional help can ensure that it’s started up properly. In case the water is turned on very quickly, it could cause damage to the system, leading to more sprinkler system repair expenses.

What should be included in a Sprinkler System Startup Service

During a visit for spring inspection, the technician should do the following:

• Inspect the backflow device of the sprinkler
• Pressurize the mainline of the system slowly
• Test each zone for proper working
• Adjust the heads of the sprinkler to cover necessary areas
• Clean spray nozzles to have an even spray pattern
• Examine the rain sensor

The technician who fixes sprinkler systems may also set the basic schedule for spring watering, raise the sunken sprinkler heads, and straighten any sprinklers, which have become crooked due to the winterization of the system.

Wrap Up

The ideal time to avail a spring startup sprinkler system service is in the early spring, or before summer at the least. It’s best to schedule an irrigation system service appointment well in advance of the summer months.

All American Turf Beauty has expertise in lawn irrigation service, installation, and sprinkler maintenance in Ames. We have highly trained and experienced professionals who can effectively carry out spring startup and other irrigation system maintenance tasks so that your irrigation system in Ames works glitch-free. Give us a call at 515-232-7614 today to schedule a consultation!

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Lawn Care and Pest Control: Know Pests Before They Strike

The pests and insects love your lawn as much as you do. They love to call your lawns their home. But their preferred way of living may cause harm to your lawns. It’s sad to see the dying patches of your lawn caused by pests and insects. Know about your pests from our experts at All American Turf Beauty for better lawn care and pest control.

White grubs:

The white grubs are the worst nemesis of lawn care providers in Iowa. These root-eating June beetle larvae take a full year to complete their life cycle. The one found in the Iowa region is known as masked chafers.

Life span: During midsummer months, after mating, the female beetles lay the eggs which hatch within 2 weeks. New grubs start feeding on grassroots immediately. During winter, the matured grubs go dormant. And with early spring, they appear back on the surface and feed on grassroots again. It’s only in early summer that they pupate by transforming into adults.

Management: There is no one way to approach lawn care and pest control for white grubs. Preventive insecticides are the best options. However, as part of their lawn care and pest control service, our experts take the wait-and-watch approach.

They watch the lawns for early signs of damage from August to September. It may begin with wilted grass blades with brown turf patches. During spring and summer, you can check spongy turf spots. If you see moles, skunks and crows looking for a grub meal in your lawns, you know your precious turf is in danger.

Chinch bugs:

Yard pest control is literally incomplete without the mention of hairy chinch bugs. Known as sap-sucking insects they feed on grass blades. Chinch bugs normally emit an anticoagulant which restricts grass from water absorption.

Life span: These pests lay their eggs in grass and produce at least 2 generations in the period between spring and fall. It takes only 20 to 30 days for the eggs to hatch and the young bugs start feeding on the grass immediately.

After birth, the young bugs or nymphs mature within 6 weeks, mate and repeat their life cycle. During fall, as the weather becomes cold, the adult chinch bugs hibernate at the base of grass stem till the weather becomes warm.

Management: As part of lawn care and pest control, it’s important to identify the chinch bugs. They are about 1/6 inch-long, have white wings that fold flat on their backs. You can see a small triangular spot on one of the wings.

Chinch bugs do maximum damage to the turf from June to August and their activity often coincides with drought situations in Iowa. When you seek professional lawn care in Ames, they will look for wilted grass. The most obvious sign of chinch bug infestation is the purple tinge on the turf.

In case of chinch bugs, you will notice irregular patches with a purple tint and the grass will eventually wilt, turn yellow and finally go brown. The dryness and wilting can often be mistaken as drought stress. As part of lawn and pest control programs, the experts will always go for a closer inspection to find the real cause behind turf damage.

Sod Webworms:

The adult version of sod webworms is lawn moths. A beautiful thick lawn is an easy target for sod webworms, but they are particularly deadly on bluegrass lawns.

Lifespan: Among the common spring pests in Ames, sod webworms are the most aggressive. There can be 2 to 3 generations of sod webworms in each season. During the winter months, the grown larvae are buried deep inside the soil. As the first generation of adult moths lay their eggs, the resulting worms feed on the grass till they rest.

Management: One of the early warnings come in the form of brownish-gray small moths flying in a zigzag pattern over the lawns during the early evening. They will not damage the lawn, but lay eggs during their evening flights. Webworms mostly prefer dry and hot areas.

You will notice the first signs of damage as dead patches appear on a healthy turf. Sod webworms are known to chew grass blades off the thatch line and carry them into tunnels that they build. The scalped patches will tell you that there is a webworm infestation.

Sod webworms cause the most damage during the months of July and August. Take note of tiny green pellets which are the excrement of the webworms. Once you locate the pellets, you will find the larvae close by.

Webworms are normally ¼ to ¾ inch long and the body resembles a caterpillar with a color of dusty green or brown. You will notice quite a few dark spots with 2-3 spiny stiff hairs that come out from those spots.

You should be able to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors on a balmy spring evening. Your lawns should not go unchecked in case of a pest infestation. Lawn care and pest control are imperative if you want to get rid of turf nuisance. Know about our Ames lawn care program which offers services throughout the year. Call All American Turf Beauty for lawn maintenance in Iowa.

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The Secret Diary of Spring Lawn Care Tips by AATB Experts

It’s that time of the year again when you need to take out your lawnmower from your garage and fine-tune it. Yes, spring seems to be knocking on our doors and it’s the right time to schedule a lawn care program for a season-long glory. We spoke to our lawn care experts at All American Turf Beauty. They were glad to point out some vital spring lawn care tips for the perfect green touch in your turf.

Treat your lawn in spring with MRFM (Maintain-Reseed-Fertilize-Mow)

• Maintain your lawn after the harsh winter. This is specially true for spring lawn care in Midwest, where winters are normally long and harsh. Allow the ground to be dry: do a light raking followed by aeration to loosen the compacted soil.
• Reseeding the lawn especially areas which are bare, or brown is a must after winters.
• Fertilize the lawn by eliminating the weeds. But before that, you should allow the seeds to settle down as part of your lawn care program in Des Moines
• Mow your lawn at a comfortable length but pay attention to the frequency and the height of the grass.

Tip 1: Check for lawn infestation/disease

Snow mold, a fungal lawn disease is common in early-spring lawns. This happens specially in years with late-to-melt snow covers. They resemble a dead patch on the lawn with flattened blades. Most healthy lawns push this out as the weather turns dry or warm. Fungicides are rarely required.

You can simply rake off the dead blades when the soil is not soggy. But our experts want you to watch out for newer shoots, so be careful with your rakes.

Tip 2: Think about Spring Lawn Seeding

According to our lawn care providers in Des Moines, spring is a good time for grass seed germination. The most well-maintained lawns can become patchy and the reasons are diverse. Weather, insect infestation, environmental stress, and grass disease can affect lawns adversely.

Although fall is known as the best time to seed, at times new grass needs to be planted in spring. In fact, after fall, spring is the second-best time to plant the grass seed. Spring seeding can be effective as there are frequent showers. Even the warm soil temperature is ideal for seed germination.

The period between March and May is the perfect time for seeding as per spring lawn services in Iowa. The temperature ranges between 50-60 degrees F making it ideal for germination. Reseeding or overseeding is a technique where you need to spread new grass seed on an established lawn. This helps when your lawn has thinned out or are covered with patches.

Tip 3: Fertilize your lawns in early spring

As part of their spring lawn care tips, the lawn care specialists have also pointed out the importance of fertilization. To encourage growth and discourage weeds, it’s best to have a combination of fertilizers and herbicides.

If you notice any widespread infestation where the whole lawn is affected, it’s best to go for a pre-emergent herbicide before spring germination. For a lesser infestation, the lawn care experts adhere to spot treatment with a non-selective herbicide.

Take a starter fertilizer to provide the right nutrients for the new grass seed to grow properly. It’s best to choose a product with slow-release nitrogen for a nice green on your turf. If you have not tested your turf in the last few years, early spring may be a good time to test your soil. You will get an exact reading of the specific nutrients required for your turf.

Tip 4: Pick the right grass seed for your lawns

The experts at All American Turf Beauty have emphasized on picking the right grass seed for your lawns as part of their spring lawn care tips. According to them, it’s always best to determine what type of grass grows best in your area.

Common grass types like fescue, perennial, Kentucky bluegrass are more popular in northern regions. In the southern regions of the US, grass types like centipede, St. Augustine, zoysia and Bermuda will flourish in your lawns. Ask experts at All American Turf Beauty to direct you about grass seeds. Spring grass care becomes easy if you have the help from the right experts.

Tip 5: Contact lawn care professionals in Des Moines

Know about some of the most effective lawn care tips for spring from the experts at All American Turf Beauty. Be it filling bare spots in your lawn in spring or choosing the right fertilizer, they provide you with the best possible lawn care schedule.

Before the last snow melts away, prepare to make your lawn a year-long green phenomenon with our easy-to-follow spring lawn care tips.

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Why Organic Lawn Care is the Call of the Day?

Organic lawn care may be more expensive than inorganic lawn care, however, it certainly has an edge. In organic lawn treatment services, lawns are managed without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Such natural lawn care involves the use of a compost that combines different types of natural materials from manure to phosphorous to sewage sludge. However, ensure that you are allowed to use phosphorus as its use is illegal in several states.

On the other hand, inorganic lawn care contains highly harmful substances like nitrate and sulfate. The combination of sulfate and nitrate can burn a lawn, whereas the organic compost is biodegradable naturally with no or minimal risk of making animals and humans physically ill and contaminating water.

Hazards of Inorganic Lawn Care

Several kinds of cancers, including lung and leukemia, are among the risks of inorganic fertilizer use. Humans have experienced sudden symptoms of several issues like nausea, ADHD, and infertility. Inorganic fertilizers can trigger seizures and even fatality in animals. It has been known that dogs develop lymphoma if the owners make use of inorganic herbicides for four years or more. It has been known to cause the growth of algae too, which is fatal for marine life.

One more reason why inorganic lawn care is highly hazardous is that the manufacturing of inorganic lawn care materials involves greenhouse gases and other gases, which are hazardous to water. The gases kill off earthworms also that are necessary for keeping the soil loose. Although most pesticides have 5% active ingredients only, the remaining 95% are just as harmful often.

Key Benefits of Organic Lawn Care

1. Healthy Root System

As an organically fed lawn doesn’t depend on synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, it becomes more resilient and grows more naturally. A healthy and deep root system strengthens your lawn and increases its ability to withstand an unusual pest infestation or a drought year. When the root system is healthy, a lawn can bounce back faster when faced with an adverse condition.

2. Safer for Environment

We should remember that whatever we apply to our lawns affects the overall environment of our area. Anything that we pour on our lawns leaches into our local groundwater eventually. The public water supplies get contaminated with too many synthetic chemicals, and the excess nitrogen affects even the private wells.

3. Safer for Children

All insecticides, herbicides, and pesticides have some level of toxicity, and some kids especially have sensitivity to these chemicals. The immune systems and bodies of children are still developing. Being exposed to outside chemicals can affect their health adversely, immediately as well as in the years to come.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison performed a study, which showed that nitrate – one of the common elements in synthetic fertilizer – can lead to endocrine, nervous system, and immune system malfunctions. The fumes emitted by chemical sprays can cause respiratory troubles also in children, as it happened in Ohio, when fields close to a middle school had been sprayed during the school hours.

4. Safer for Pets

It should be noted that synthetic insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers need not be ingested to have harmful effects on pets. The skin of animals can absorb these chemicals. Animals running over a lawn that has been freshly sprayed can have their coats covered by chemicals. These chemicals can then leach through the skin of animals or can be brought inside your home.

5. Helps in Sustaining the Overall Lawn Health

Organic lawn care can be compared to a healthy diet for human beings. While you can get the daily recommended dose of manganese and Vitamin C by taking enriched cereal such as Fruit Loops, it’s much better for your body when it receives the nutrients through grapes and whole wheat.

This is because nutrients in the natural form consist of inherent properties like fiber and antioxidants that are lost in the manufacturing process that prepared foods involve. Similar to human food, food for lawns contains different levels of nutrition. Natural lawn care offers the best nutrition to your lawn among all lawn care methods.

6. Restores Essential Nutrients in the Soil

Natural lawn fertilizer or organic fertilizer differs a lot from run-of-the-mill fertilizers. Natural grass fertilizer feeds the micro-organisms living in your lawn. After eating and digesting this food, the micro-organisms leave natural fertilizer of their own in your lawn. Natural lawn fertilizer is the best and safe lawn fertilizer as it’s the natural eco-system’s part and helps create the best environment possible for lawns to thrive.

Some Facts About Organic Lawn Fertilizers

• As natural lawn fertilizers are slow-release fertilizers, over-fertilizing your plants and harming them is difficult.
• The risk of toxic chemical and salt build-ups, which can damage plants, is zero or minimum.
• Organic fertilizers are environmentally friendly, sustainable, biodegradable, and renewable.
• Micro-organisms that break down as well as release nutrients into the soil, get energy from decaying animal and plant matter. So, organic fertilizer application offers the entire package of nutrients to your soil.
• An organic lawn fertilizer breaks down according to nature’s laws. So, these fertilizers may not release nutrients instantly. Improvement will not come overnight and you will need to be patient. However, with time, a significant improvement will be noticed.

Wrap Up

Considering the valuable benefits offered by organic lawn care, it’s worth investing a bit more and choosing it instead of traditional, synthetic lawn care. The organic way of lawn care is safer for your environment, children, and pets, than the alternative way. Moreover, an organically cared lawn is healthier too in the long run.

If you’re thinking about how to start with natural lawn care, our lawn care company in Des Moines can guide you right. Give us a call today to start your journey towards a beautiful lawn that’s organically cared and managed!

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Lawn Aeration: Enjoy a Lush Lawn by Aerating It in Spring

A lush and beautiful lawn can dramatically enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home. However, growing and maintaining a healthy lawn is not that easy. You’ll need to counteract the adverse effects of harsh weather conditions and damaging pests to maintain a sound lawn. Besides keeping away lawn diseases and insects and watering regularly, you’ll have to keep the lawn aerated. Aerating the lawn at regular intervals can help to keep the grass disease-free and healthy. When it comes to lawn aeration, spring is a great time to get the job done!

What is Lawn Aeration?

Aeration is the process of offering air exposure to the soil by eliminating soil plugs from the turf. It is an integral part of spring lawn care and maintenance.

Aeration results in hollows in the soil that allow nutrients and water to move easily through the soil, which results in stronger roots and enhances the health and quality of grass over time. Healthier roots are able to withstand the droughts and hotter temperatures that the summer weather often brings.

Advantages of Lawn Aeration

Lawns that are subjected to a high degree of foot traffic can benefit from aeration particularly. The soil in a lawn becomes more compacted with more use of the lawn. More compactness considerably decreases the spaces in soil which would typically contain air.

Because of the decreased air flow within the soil, root growth can be negatively affected by compaction. To grow well and absorb nutrients and water, roots require oxygen from the air.

Aeration improves the health of your lawn by:

• Curbing the accumulation of thatch
• Preventing pesticide and fertilizer runoff
• Developing a layer of topsoil beneath the grass
• Facilitating better absorption of irrigation and rainfall
• Strengthening grass roots
• Increasing the movement of nutrients, water, and oxygen through the soil

Is Aeration Needed for my Lawn?

Aeration is not necessary for every lawn. If you are wondering whether your lawn needs aeration, cut out a six-inch-deep section from your lawn and remove it. If the roots of the grass extend to only one or two inches within the soil, your soil may be too compacted. In such a case, the soil can considerably benefit from aeration.

Some more signs your lawn needs aeration:

• Your lawn is subjected to heavy use regularly
• Your lawn has a dense, clay soil
• The thatch is more than one and a half inches in your lawn

In case your lawn is not susceptible to compaction of soil, then it’s likely to grow normally without aeration. Natural factors like winter freeze-thaw cycles and earthworm activity often loosen up the compacted soil. Avoid aerating your lawn in the first year it is newly sodded or seeded.

Prioritize Lawn Aeration in the Spring

One of the most beneficial measures you can take for lawn care in the spring is lawn aeration.

A lawn needs a lot of care and attention during the spring season. It’s a tough time for a lawn since the grass and soil try to recover during this time from a long and cold season of crushed roots and blades, and compacted dirt. Aeration is a highly beneficial lawn care step during this season.

One of the greatest benefits of aeration to the health of your lawn is that it relieves soil compaction. During the long winter, the soil in lawns is compacted through the build-up of ice and snow. Once the ice and snow melt and starts drying in the spring, you need to help your lawn decompress as well as accept nutrients properly. Aeration helps in relieving the pressure over the soil and assists the soil in absorbing what it needs from the water and nutrients it gets.

Aeration during the spring can also significantly change the way your lawn allows the permeation of water through it. The soil’s new punctures will allow the reach of water to the roots as well as permit water to reach deeper into the soil more easily than it would without aeration. Without spring aeration, water is most likely to sit over the turf in the form of puddles, creating a mess, weakening the grass, and damaging the lawn.

Summing Up

So, the key reasons you should prioritize aeration during spring are:

• Improved air circulation
• Breaking up the build-up of thatch
• Creating a more direct way to deeper roots
• Relieved soil compaction

It’s important to pay attention to how frequently your lawn needs aeration. If your lawn is subjected to more heavy foot-traffic, more aeration may be required with the progress of the season so that the lawn can decompress and breathe properly.

In the upcoming spring, hire expert lawn care professionals for your lawn aeration! All American Turf Beauty is a leading lawn care company in Des Moines specializing in aeration. We can help you have a lush, healthy, and beautiful lawn that stands out of the crowd!

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How to Control Crabgrass in 6 Easy Steps: Lawn Care Experts Speak

Crabgrass can be tenacious; in fact, it’s more tenacious than any other weeds. It really helps to be familiar with a plant’s lifecycle to eliminate it from your lawns. At All American Turf Beauty, we have prepared a handy guide to tell you how to control crabgrass. As spring is not far behind, we hope that it will prepare you to effectively control this nemesis of lawn owners.

3 things to remember for crabgrass control in Des Moines:

Crabgrass may live on your lawn for a brief period, but it will leave a long-lasting impact on your lawns. Understanding how it works will help you to break the vicious cycle.

• Apply pre-emergent herbicides to kill the weeds
• If it still emerges, you need to rely on post-emergent herbicides
• A healthy lawn is the best defense to prevent it from coming back

What is the time period for crabgrass infestation?

During spring, when the soil temperature ranges between 55 and 60 degrees F, crabgrass seeds start to germinate. The seeds sprout in full action between mid-summer and fall; this is the time when they attempt to increase their numbers. With the first frost, the weeds are killed.

Although this warm-season seed has the propensity to live, germinate and die within a year, they leave their trail behind. Each plant produces about 150,000 seeds that stay behind, ready to germinate in the following spring.

What happens if crabgrass seeds germinate?

How to control crabgrass if the seeds already germinate? As a homeowner, the best way to get rid of crabgrass in Ames is to stop the seeds from germination. But once they germinate, mowing the lawns won’t stop the infestation. With its low crab-like growth, the seeds can set very low in a 1 ½ inch tall grass. It is impossible to mow the grass so short as it’s way below the recommended height.

How to control crabgrass before it comes up?

Once crabgrass decides to settle down on your lawns, mere lawn maintenance is not enough. Even when you apply the best weed control method in Des Moines, you will always feel their unattractive presence. The best way to handle this problem is with a pre-emergent herbicide that kills the crabgrass seedlings before they begin to germinate.

When you apply the pre-emergent herbicides, you need to follow a few simple rules

• Timing is crucial when you apply the herbicides. The time of application depends a lot on weather patterns and regions. Like in warmer areas, herbicides should be applied a little early than usual.
• Note the ground temperature. It should rise above 60 degrees to apply the herbicide. If you can’t monitor the temperature, pay attention to the budding trees and blooming shrubs. Rainfall and warm nights instigate crabgrass germination. Apply the herbicide if your region experiences such weather patterns.
• If you have a newly seeded lawn, mow the lawn thrice before herbicide application to avoid destroying the seeds.
• Always apply the herbicide uniformly; miss a spot and crabgrass will find its way in your lawn.
• The best time to use a pre-emergent is in late winter or early spring to prevent crabgrass from the previous year from developing.

Controlling crabgrass in Quad Cities after it comes up

The pre-emergent herbicide will not work if crabgrass has already made its home in your lawns. The next best way to tackle it is by applying post-emergent herbicide. Depending on the type of grass, you need to determine the amount to be applied.

When you apply post-emergent herbicides, you need to follow a few simple rules

• Always check the weather forecast; the best day for application should be a sunny day with no weather disturbances like rainfall.
• The best time to apply the herbicide is in the morning after the dew has dried. Don’t wait till late afternoon when shower or dew may hamper the application.
• Look out for temperature between 60 and 90 degrees F. The warmer temperature allows plants to absorb the herbicides. The product becomes ineffective if the weather is cloudy.
• If you notice the grass turning brown, it may happen that you have applied too many herbicides. Water the area properly to dilute the extra herbicides, so that your lawn is not damaged.
• After applying herbicide, keep a note of the newly germinated weeds. Those spots will require follow-up treatment.
• To eliminate crabgrass infestation, you need to apply the herbicides twice. Go for the second application 4 to 7 days after the first application.

Professional crabgrass control in Des Moines:

Wondering how to control crabgrass this season? Follow these tested tips by lawn care experts to control the weed.

• During fall, lawn fertilization in Des Moines is a must. When you apply more compost, the lawn will get its essential nutrients. Healthy turf is a great barrier for lawn weeds. Don’t leave any spot uncovered as opportunistic crabgrass can germinate literally anywhere. Go for overseeding to cover the bare spots.
• Even during fall, an emergent herbicide can come handy as re-application effectively kills the seedlings which have the propensity to germinate later.
• Never aerate the lawn after application, as this will destroy the barrier and encourage weeds to germinate.
• If you plan to go for sustainable practices, discard chemical pre-emergents and use gluten or corn. These natural products serve dual purposes: they suppress germination and act as fertilizers for lawns.

2020 has just begun. We recommend that you start with your lawn care schedule early. A good lawn care maintenance program ensures that your lawn is taken care of. Trust our experts who have been handling all kinds of lawn problems in Iowa.

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Don’t Just Sit There; Start Your Lawn Care Schedule Now

There are many articles that will make you believe that you need to spend a lot of money and follow a complicated plan for having a lush lawn. At All American Turf Beauty, we tell you otherwise. We believe that lawn care never ends at basic maintenance; enhancing the curb appeal is equally important. So, here is a simple doable lawn care schedule that works wonders on your lawns.

#Resolution1: Control the weeds

A perpetual problem, weeds are your lawn’s worst enemy if left untreated. Only a lush green lawn can block them. We have one straight advice; make your turf healthy so that no weeds can invade them. Our timely applications will eliminate all existing weeds before they take away the nutrients from your lawn.

#Resolution2: Manage the pests in a natural way:

Lawn care maintenance is incomplete without pest management. As a homeowner, you must know about the different pests in the garden. You can start a sustainable practice and avoid toxic pesticides. Opt for an organic pest management program which will be safe for both kids and pets.

With the influx of the new Zika virus in the US, it is a must that you keep the mosquitoes away from your lawns. Suppress the pest population around your homes with our perimeter pest control program.

#Resolution3: Curb the crabgrass

When we propose lawn care and maintenance services to our clients, we always ensure that we suggest a good plan for crabgrass control. It has been proven that once crabgrass gets a chance to establish itself in lawns, it’s very difficult to control them.

They are best battled with pre-emergent herbicides which are normally applied before seeds start to germinate before spring. Crabgrass has a propensity to germinate in thin lawns. If your lawns are not irrigated properly or if the grass is mowed too short, it is exposed to crabgrass infestation.

#Resolution4: Responsible irrigation is needed

As part of our lawn care service, we inform you about the details of lawn irrigation. Our lawn care schedule includes the timely maintenance of your sprinklers so that they function properly. You may love to drench your lawn in water, but overwatering your grass is not good. Plus, it’s not very good for the environment as well.

Overwatering your lawns can lead to pest infestation, shallow roots and lawn diseases. The amount of water largely depends on the season. You need more water during summers compared to wintertime.

#Resolution5: Fill up the bare spots

Now that we are on point 5 of lawn care resolution 2020, it’s time to state the essential. Healthy turf is the best way to get rid of the disease, weeds and brown bare spots. Don’t forget to include aeration, fertilization, timely seeding, grub control as part of the lawn care schedule.

#Resolution6: Mowing your grass at the right height

Our AATB experts have many handy lawn care tips. One of them is to figure out the right mowing height for the grass. You cannot keep the grass too high or cripple its health by mowing it too short. As lawn care professionals in Des Moines, we tell you that the best height for grass is around 2 ½ inches. You can take ½ inch from the top in each mowing session.

Precise lawn mowing helps you in many ways: grass will grow consistently; you will have natural pest control and experience fewer weeds.

#Resolution7: Overseeding the lawn at the right moment

The process of spreading seed on thinning areas of turf is known as overseeding. You can do this before or after you spread the fertilizer. It helps in creating a lush and healthy lawn. Hiring an expert helps as most of them follow a proper lawn care schedule to determine the exact time for overseeding.

#Resolution8: Hire or DIY?

Hire or DIY; it’s a pertinent question for all homeowners. You can enjoy doing chores for your lawn, but it can be quite expensive. Having the equipment, choosing the right fertilizer and seeds can often prove to be too much. An easier alternative is hiring a professional who can take care of your lawn in Iowa.

Don’t forget to call us for a free consultation if you look for a verified lawn care program in Waterloo. There are other locations in Iowa, where we render our lawn care services. We have an affordable lawn care schedule which is tested and verified by homeowners for over two decades. Talk to us before you hire us.

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