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You are here: Home / Archives for fall lawn care

The Leaves are Falling

December 15, 2017 by admin

Leaf removal services

We all liked to jump into large piles of leaves as children. However, now that we are homeowners we have the added responsibility of keeping our yards in check. Each fall, mother nature covers our lawn with leaves and there are a number of ways to deal with those fallen leaves.

Turn Those Leaves into Mulch…
Many lawn mowers have a mulching option whereas the mower can chop the leaves into much smaller pieces and most of the leaf matter will disappear into the turf. Mulched leaves are a great natural way to feed your lawn provided the leaves are not too thick and choking out the turf by disrupting light, water and nutrients from getting into your lawn. Many homeowners also use the mulched leaves around their plants to help feed and protect shrubs, etc. But, be aware that many types of leaves are high in acid and may not be that beneficial.

Remove the Leaves
As mentioned, your lawn needs light, water and nutrients to survive and hopefully thrive. If there is a blanket of leaves on your lawn, it is likely that your turf is missing the benefits of light, moisture and any nutrients available. Lawns can show these signs of stress by developing brown spots, bare spots and grass blades that are more yellow than green. It is important to remove any leaves that come from trees with insect infestations or diseases. Leaves that are infected by insects and disease can ultimately create more problems down the road if they are allowed to stay on the turf.

Some of the more common issues that leaves left on your lawn could cause are brown patch and snow mold. In addition, the leaves left on the lawn will likely slow down or eliminate germination of new grass in the late winter and early spring making the appearance of your lawn less than desirable for the summer months.

Leaves Rain on the Parade of Cool-Season Grasses
Most lawns in Virginia are made up of one or more cool-season grasses. “Cool-season grasses” are so called because they are most active during those periods of the year when the weather is moderately cool. Fall is one of those times. Blessed with enough sunlight, nutrients and water, and enjoying temperatures that are neither too cold nor too hot, cool-season grasses such as a high-quality Fescue or Kentucky bluegrass revitalize themselves in the fall. This is when they must “make hay,” strengthening their root systems and that is why fall is the ideal time to aerate and overseed cool-season lawns.

But a thick layer of fallen leaves can get in the way of the growth of these grasses. Why? Because, for one thing, the leaves can deprive the grass of one of the key elements just mentioned: sunlight. If not raked up or removed in a timely fashion, a thick and/or matted layer of fallen leaves casts too much shade over the grass below.

In summary…
Most disease-free leaves that can be finely mulched ultimately create a great nutrient base (in time, becoming compost) for your lawn and plants. However, for the long-term benefit of your lawn, mulching or removing these leaves will help your lawn year around.

Filed Under: Lawn Care, Leaf Removal Tagged With: fall lawn care, healthy turf, leaves, mulching

Caring for your lawn after aeration

September 21, 2016 by admin

Aeration Coreing
A machine removes plugs (or cores) from the turf.

To achieve the best results from your seeding and aeration,
we suggest that you follow these guidelines:

1. Begin watering immediately after the aeration work is complete. Light and frequent watering is preferred for seedlings. Dos Amigos Landscaping recommends watering to the point where at least 1 inch of the top of the turf is wet or light puddling is taking place. Water at least two times per day. There are certain areas that are going to need more watering; those areas include slopes, areas under large trees, turf areas beside driveways and bare areas. Continue to water at least once a day until all seed is germinated.

2. Leave the clumps of sod and dirt alone! The aerating process will leave clumps of dirt on the lawn. These clumps of dirt and the holes in the soil are seed beds and will dissolve and disappear over time.

3. Be patient and water. Germination can take up to 21 days or even longer. Do not stop watering during this period of time. Seedlings are very susceptible to drying because they have not rooted into the soil. Dry seeds die.

4. Remove any fallen leaves asap. If leaves remain on the new turf for more than 2-3 days the turf will perish. Using a leaf blower is the best method of removing the leaves as many times a rake can damage the new seedlings.

5. Once the new grass has reached 2 inches, you can cut back your watering efforts. After approximately 28 days, the new seedlings should be at least two inches tall and watering can be cut back to one time per day. Please continue to water.

6. Do not cut your lawn. Your existing lawn will look very tall but this is exactly what you want. Once your lawn has reached a height of 4-5 inches, you may cut it back to 3.5 inches. Never cut fescue grass lower than three (3) inches. Maintaining this height will help drive the root system deeper and help the turf establish more quickly.

7. Weeds also germinate. It is more important to establish grass than to treat any weeds. Winter annual germination, such as henbit, chickweed, wild garlic, bittergrass and wild onions is normal. Weed control products should not be applied to your lawn at this time as it will likely kill the new seedlings/grass.

8. Do not apply additional grass seed for at least three (3) weeks. Remember that seedlings are just one shoot (or leaf blade) until the plants begin to tiller, sometime after 30 – 45 days. We plant in excess of 1,500,000 seeds per thousand square feet. This quantity of seed is more than enough to establish a thick and healthy lawn.

Filed Under: Aeration, Lawn Care Tagged With: aerating, core, fall lawn care

Why Aerate Your Lawn?

August 5, 2013 by admin

Aeration Coreing
A machine removes plugs (or cores) from the turf.

Why Aerate Your Lawn?

Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs, or cores, out of the lawn. Typically, this process takes place in late August and throughout September.  On many occasions, your lawn can be aerate/over-seed even later in the year provided the soil temperature stays high enough to get your new seed to germinate. There are numerous reasons to aerate your lawn. Here are some of the benefits of aerating:

•    Aerating reduces your dependency on water. Why spend more money watering your lawn than you have to? In neighborhoods or cities where water is very expensive, nearly everyone will aerate their lawn.  The aeration process allows water to get into the soil before the water has a chance to run off.
•    Aerating reduces compaction.  Over time, your lawn becomes compacted.  Whether it is from you walking on your lawn, your children playing on the lawn or just general use, the soil becomes compacted.  Soil that is compacted cannot absorb water, air, nutrients, seed, etc. that it desparately needs to stay healthy.
•    Aerating encourages your roots to grow deeper. Within two weeks of aerating, you’ll notice that the holes left by the aerator start to fill up with plant roots or from the new seed that is normally used during the over-seeding process in the fall of the year.
Lawn Aeration Benefits•    Aerating holes help to absorb water. Rather than water having to start penetrating from the surface, it can start penetrating from one to 2 ½ inches below the surface. Not only will the holes made by the aerator hold the water, but they will also help the water to sink 2 – 4 inches deeper into the soil.
•    It encourages thicker turf. As your roots grow down, your grass will grow quicker and also thicker, creating a thicker turf.
•    Aerating helps build organic material in the soil. Compacted soil just doesn’t have nearly as much organic material in it.  The aeration process allows organic material and other nutrients to enter the soil.

Let Dos Amigos Landscaping aerate your lawn this fall, for a beautiful green healthy lawn next spring! Call us to schedule: 434-465-0075

Filed Under: Aeration, Lawn Care Tagged With: aerating, core, fall lawn care, healthy soil, healthy turf, lawn compaction

Dos Amigos Landscaping

Contact Dos Amigos in Charlottesville, Albemarle and Surrounding Counties for all your Landscaping and Grounds Management Needs. We work for Commercial and Residential Customers.

Call: 434-465-0075

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“We wanted to let you know what an outstanding job your people have done on our lawn. It has never looked better in the 30 years we have lived here.”

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