2 MORE DAYS TO THE SHOW!
The weather may not be the best, but we sure are gearing up for spring!!!
Only 2 more days to the Region’s largest indoor Home and Garden show! See you there!
Does lightening help the grass grow?
Although grass appears greener after a storm because of an illusion created by water and sunshine, lighting still delivers a vital nutrient that keeps your lawn lush and green naturally in the long run.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_10042081_lightning-grass-grow.html
Spring is here!!!
Finally it feels like spring has arrived!
I will be posting pictures of our yard weekly to show the changes as they occur.
It too wet still to get on the lawn and and rake, but the spots the snow ploughs turned up should be repaired as soon as possible. Once the ground comes back to life, it will be difficult to fix. After this week it will be dry enough to get out and do the yard
A few tips for spring clean up:
- Return any grass to its original position that may have been turned up by the snow plow. If you catch it early enough, you can avoid having to replace it with sod or seed.
- Pick up all litter and debris.
- With a leaf rake, remove all of the sand left behind from the salt trucks.
- Lightly rake the entire yard with a leaf rake to help the grass stand up. Remove and compost debris.
- Clean all flower beds of refuse and debris.
- Edge driveway, walk ways and flower beds while the ground is still soft and the roots are not well established.
- When the ground is dry enough to “pull a good core”, aerate. Note: aeration is one of the best thing to achieve a healthy lawn.
- Apply a balanced fertilizer that is at least 50% slow release to help the grass grow but without having to mow every other day.
As mentioned there are a few things that should not be done in the spring:
- Do not de-thatch the lawn in the early spring. The grass is coming out of hibernation and new tender shoots will be severely damaged and the grass plant will be forced to repair itself before it can grow. If there is a thatch problem it should be addressed in late summer early fall.
- Do not roll the lawn. Rolling increases compaction which makes it harder for the grass to grow. HOWEVER, should your lawn be riddled with bumps, rolling can be done, but you must aerate twice the same year to reduce the compaction.
With the proper spring start up, the lawn should be easier to maintain for the entire growing season.
Enjoy the weather!!!
4/20/2015 Week in review
#lawncare
#lawncareservice
This week in review:
Lightly raked the yard
Cleaned out the flower beds
Cut down the ornamental grass
Trimmed the English Ivy
Tried to get permission (again) to fix the swamp … oops I mean the swale 🙂 Standing water is not good for grass.
We will be starting to apply fertilizer next week weather permitting. It is still very early in the season and we want to get maximum benefit for our applications. There is frost in the ground and so much so that Elimra golf course can not start up their irrigation system, because the irrigation lines are still frozen.
We will not be applying any weed control until mid-May, temperature permitting, unless we are seeding this spring. There are not enough weeds present to warrant applications, and the number of growing degree days for maximum effect is many weeks away. Timing is critical for the best control. This is link is from Cornell University in upper New York state.
http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/grass/degreedays/degreedays.html#
If a University doesn’t recommend weed control with synthetic pesticides that are far more effective, why would a north company be applying more time sensitive bio-pesticides? I was shocked to see several local companies applying fertilizer and weed control last week. Clearly they have no respect for the environment and their clients money.
At Apex Lawn Services, we do things right the first time…on time.
Have a great week!!!
4/27/2015 Week in review
What a week!!! I think we have seen the last of the snow. It was not a welcomed sight, but it was a big dose of reality. Ground temperature are slowly creeping and the grass is greening up but not growing much. We are starting our first application of fertilizer later this week.
This week:
- more pruning of the English ivy
- raked a few more dry areas
- Looked for solutions to fix the swale. I want to naturalise the feature and stop fighting the large amount of moisture that runs to the catch basin
04/05/2015 Week in review
What a week! We signed up 20+ new residential clients and three new industry partners:
John’s Nursery has been in business for longer than I can remember (since 1968) and their attention to detail and level of professionalism is felt through every conversation. I look forward to working closely with everyone there.
Another consummate professional is Keith Snider from St. Jacobs Country Gardens. Keith has been in the agriculture business for over 45 years and expanded into retail market in 2006 with construction of the the existing green house.
Both businesses provide on-site visits and will help you create the back yard of your dreams. I have no reservations on recommending either one of these businesses. They truly have your best interest in mind.
Another big welcome is for Peak Property Management. They specialize in property maintenance for commercial properties throughout the Tri-city area. Deborah is a true professional and is a pleasure to work with.
Thank you!
Now for the green stuff!!!
Last week we finally saw the turf start to grow and this week we started applying fertilizer. It is still a little early for weed control, but the count-down is on. By the end of next week we should be capable of getting the first application down.As you can see by the photos, the green up has been quite dramatic, and will be more prevalent once the rain gets the fertilizer into the soil. If you notice I have added a third photo this week. That picture is of our neighbours yard and he has manage streak his lawn with the fertilizer he used. Streaking can be avoided by:
Last week we finally saw the turf start to grow and this week we started applying fertilizer. It is still a little early for weed control, but the count-down is on. By the end of next week we should be capable of getting the first application down.As you can see by the photos, the green up has been quite dramatic, and will be more prevalent once the rain gets the fertilizer into the soil. If you notice I have added a third photo this week. That picture is of our neighbours yard and he has manage streak his lawn with the fertilizer he used. Streaking can be avoided by:
- Split the application in half and cross fertilize.
- Overlap the passes to the middle of the last pass
- Use less fertilizer, but apply more frequently
- Use at least a 50% slow release urea based nitrogen
- Hire Apex Lawn Services!
Looking forward…I will be mowing this week and finishing off the last of the yard clean up. We have not had a good rain yet this spring and it is starting to get dry out. The last rain there was still frost in the ground. I hate to say it, but the sprinkler may be coming out this week. Lets pray for rain.
Have a great week!
Ask the Expert 570 NEWS – April 30 2016 radio show
www.570news.com/2016/05/02/saturday-april-30th-2016-hr-2/
Have a listen to our debut radio show. We discussed the 4 key components of growing a great lawn.
Enjoy! #best #bestlawncare #lawncare
11/5/2015 Week in review
#weedcontrol #lawncare #lawnservices #lawncareservice
Week in review…May 11, 2015
Whoa…What is up with the weather? Unbelievable that the tree came into full leaf in one week and the weeds popped so quickly. We have not had an appreciable rain since the frost left the ground 4 weeks ago. Further, 5 weeks ago there was snow on the ground. The unseasonably warm weather has caught everyone in the industry off guard. The biggest concern we have now is the lack of moisture. We NEED rain badly.
Another amazing week with 20+ more customers on the roster and the phone keeps on ringing! We are hiring another technician this week and looks like another truck is going to be needed!
This past week on our property, we aerated the lawn, fertilized and did the first mow. There are a fair amount of weeds, but we did not apply any weed control last year at all. This coming week, we will be target spraying the weeds and possibly doing some repairs with seed.
If you have a chance get your sprinklers out and water at least 1″, or start doing a rain dance!
Have a great week!
What is the Cost When Choosing a Lawn Care Service Provider? Part 1: Chinch bugs
Well it has been a crazy busy year so far and I am super thankful for all of the referrals and new clients. Until this week, we have had some amazing growing conditions. Not too hot, lots of infrequent rains, cool nights, and plenty of sunshine. All of this has changed…
The hot and dry conditions are perfect for chinch bugs. They love this weather and it is really starting to show. Click on the link to download a fact sheet on their life cycle and how they attack your lawn. If you see any irregular sunken, grey-brown patches, do not wait to see if it will go away. Call us immediately ans they can destroy you lawn in a very short time period.
More updates coming…