A well-kept lawn adds to the value of your home. It also helps reduce dust, smoke particles, and carbon dioxide from the air. A healthy lawn requires a balance of three primary nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A soil test determines the proportion needed in your yard. For lawn care services, visit Landscaping Harrisburg PA.

Your lawn needs air, water and nutrients to thrive. If your soil is compacted, even slightly, it inhibits the flow of these essentials to grassroots. Aeration creates holes in your turf and soil to alleviate compaction and allow these vital substances to flow more easily.

Your grass needs a lot of TLC, and aeration is an important step in getting it the love it deserves. Between backyard barbecues and bonfires, kids and pets running through sprinklers, mowing and more, your yard takes a beating that can leave it looking and feeling less than healthy. The best way to break up soil compaction is through mechanical aeration, also known as core aeration. This involves using a machine that punches small plugs of dirt or thatch out of your lawn, mechanically creating vents in your turf and soil.

The soil in your yard is a living, breathing entity that requires constant nutrient and moisture uptake from the roots of your lawn to stay healthy. Over time, this is disrupted by heavy foot traffic and vehicle traffic that compresses the soil and reduces air space. If your lawn has dense clumps of thatch, this can also interfere with water uptake. Liquid aeration, on the other hand, breaks up these layers and allows for easy uptake of water and nutrients.

Aerating your lawn in the fall is the best time to do this as it gives new grass seed a chance to grow thick before winter arrives. Adding premium Pennington Smart Seed and fertilizing right after aeration can set your lawn up for success. With the openings created by your aerator and the access to water, seed and nutrients they need, your lawn can quickly establish itself and flourish!

So, if you’re ready to get your lawn back on track for the season and give it some extra love, contact us at Lawn Pride. We’ll be happy to assess your lawn and recommend the best aeration plan for it. We offer both core aeration and liquid aeration, so you can choose the option that best fits your yard’s needs!

As part of lawn care, fertilization is a critical step to ensure that your grass is healthy and thick. It also prevents weed infestation, disease and drought, and provides many other environmental benefits.

Fertilizers add essential nutrients to the soil that are not naturally produced by plants. They can also help correct deficiencies in the soil that have been identified by a soil test. In addition, a well-fertilized lawn grows much faster than one that is not.

Most lawns require three applications of fertilizer per year – spring, summer and fall. A fertilizer with high nitrogen content is used in the spring to promote rapid growth and color, while a low-nitrogen fertilizer is used in midsummer to keep lawns looking good and avoid scorching. In the fall, a lawn fertilizer that is high in phosphorous and potassium and low in nitrogen is recommended to support root growth and prepare for winter.

When a lawn is fertilized, it should first be mowed and aerated to remove dead grass and cores, loosen the soil and allow for better penetration of the fertilizer. In addition, weeds should be removed and dethatching done if necessary to get the best results from the fertilizer. It is important that the lawn is watered well the night before the fertilizer is applied, as this will make it easier for the turf to absorb the nutrients.

To get the most benefit from a fertilizer, it should be spread evenly across the lawn. It is best to use a drop spreader for this job, as the broadcasting action will help ensure that the entire yard gets the same amount of fertilizer. Once the application is complete, it is important to sweep up any fertilizer that has landed on driveways, sidewalks or patios, and to put the remaining fertilizer back into its original bag for storage.

There are a number of different types of lawn fertilizers available, including slow-release synthetic and organic fertilizers. The latter generally cost more, and need to be worked into the soil by microbes in order to release their nutrients.

Weeds are the enemy of a healthy lawn. They steal valuable nutrients and sunlight from desirable grasses. Regular weed control treatments are necessary to keep your lawn looking its best. When you search for a lawn care company, be sure to ask whether they use organic or inorganic chemicals. Organic fertilizers and weed control products are safer for people, pets, and the environment than chemical weed killers.

There are a wide variety of weed control products on the market, and many of them can be used to kill different types of weeds. Some are pre-emergent and help prevent weeds from growing, while others are post-emergent and kill existing weeds. Some of these herbicides are selective, killing only a certain type of weed while leaving desirable grasses unharmed. Other herbicides are non-selective and kill any plant they touch. Most of the broadleaf weed controls available are systemic, meaning that they must be absorbed by the weed to work, and then moved through the leaves and into the roots to kill them. Because weeds can grow so quickly, regular weed control treatments are necessary to keep them under control.

In addition to weed killers, there are fungicides that control a number of diseases that can wreak havoc on turfgrass health, such as dollar spot, brown patch, summer patch, and rust. There are also insecticides that control harmful insects like grubs and ticks that can damage or even kill grasses.

Some lawn care companies use herbicides that are both pre-emergent and post-emergent. This allows them to treat the entire yard in a single visit and minimizes the amount of time required for weed removal. However, this method increases the risk of accidentally injuring or killing desirable grasses. For this reason, it is important to choose a reputable lawn care company that will only use herbicides when necessary and under strict supervision.

When it comes to weed control, the most effective strategy is to prevent them from getting started in the first place. This can be done by addressing cultural problems that favor weeds over turfgrass, such as poor soil fertility or pH, soil compaction, excessive thatch, watering problems, and mowing heights too low for the grass type.

A thriving lawn requires more than just water and sunshine. It needs a regular schedule of other care treatments to help it stay healthy and beautiful. Many residential and commercial landscapers offer lawn care services to keep their clients’ yards looking great. Some of these services include aeration, fertilization, and weed control. Others provide mowing and other maintenance services. Some services also include outdoor pest control, as well as tree and shrub health care. Most of the time, a lawn care service focuses on encouraging healthy growth and preventing problems such as fungus. Some lawn care companies use toxic chemicals to achieve these results, but many prefer to work with organic alternatives that are safer for the environment and people.

When a professional landscaping company takes on the job of mowing, you can expect them to have the right equipment for the job. The landscapers will have the proper mowers and blades to get the job done quickly, correctly, and efficiently. They will also know how high to cut the grass, based on its current stage of development and weather conditions. They should always be careful not to remove more than one-third of the grass height at a time, as this can lead to a weakened, thin lawn.

It is also important to mow the lawn when it is dry. This will ensure that the clippings are not blown into driveways, paths, or sidewalks where they could cause tripping and other accidents. The landscaper will also make sure that the clippings are not left on the lawn too long, as this can lead to fungal problems.

In addition to mowing, the landscapers will often take on the task of weed control and trimming. They will weed whack around the edges of the yard and clean up all the trimmings, making the lawn look pulled together and neat. This is a common service that many homeowners and business owners appreciate having taken off their to-do list, especially during the peak growing season when a lawn should be mowed weekly, if not more often.

Another popular service is liming, which is usually done in conjunction with overseeding. The landscaper will add the right soil amendments to the lawn and help it absorb all the nutrients needed to thrive. Lime helps to balance the acidity in the soil, so it is vital for all plants and grasses to receive this necessary ingredient.