Are you looking to hiring a lawn care service?
But you’re not sure how to you go about choosing the right company for your lawn? Here are 10 important details to consider before hiring a lawn care company. 1. Reputation Do your research. There are many lawn care services out there, some better than others. Do a quick Google search to see how they compare to one another? Are there a lot of good reviews or bad reviews? Does the company have any local press mentions or accolades? Asking neighbors what lawn service they use, this is a great way of finding a good local lawn care services. 2. Licensing Make sure the lawn service is licensed according to local by-laws. It might be cheaper to hire a company that is unlicensed; however, a license implies the company is professional and trained to work in their field. 3. Insurance Make sure the company is insured. An insured company ensures that you’re not going to be held responsible if a worker gets hurt on your property. 4. Memberships Is the lawn service in a provincial or national trade organization? A lawn care company that is a member of a trade organization demonstrates that this company is truly dedicated to their profession, and dedicated to upholding the standards of the lawn care industry. 5. Customer Service Look for a company that you can easily communicate with should a question or problem comes up. 6. Equipment Check to see how the lawn care company takes care of their equipment. Are the blades of a mower changed out or sharpened for every ten hours of mowing. Don’t be afraid of asking how often they change out their blades. 7. Contracts ask what kind of contract the lawn service requires. Monthly, Yearly? Is it mandatory to get a contract or is verbal agreement okay? Also, make sure you know what the contract entails. 8. Pricing Always get a quote. Do not trust companies that guarantee a rate without seeing your lawn first. Find out what payment plans are available. Can you pay a yearly fee upfront and save costs? Will you be charged for service calls? 9. Services before you start looking for a lawn-care company, decide what it is you are looking for. then look for a company that offers the services you require. 10. Reliability Word-of-mouth and online reviews sometimes are not enough. If you are unsure about a company’s reliability, ask them for references. A good company will not hesitate to provide you with references. With fall upon us and winter rapidly approaching, you're probably not spending much time thinking about your lawn. But fall,with its cooler temperatures and occasional rainfall, is the ideal time to prepare your lawn for next spring.
What Is Aeration? Technically speaking, aeration is the naturally occurring process of air exchange between the soil and its surrounding atmosphere. Practically speaking, aeration is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of thatch and soil from the lawn to improve natural soil aeration. It’s commonly called “core aeration” in the lawn service industry, and you may have heard of it as soil cultivation (coring, spiking and slicing). Most homeowners simply call it aeration. Aeration Benefits: Core aeration can help make your lawn healthier and reduce its maintenance requirements through these means: -Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere. -Enhanced soil water uptake. -Improved fertilizer uptake and use. -Reduced water runoff and puddling. -Stronger turf grass roots. -Reduced soil compaction. -Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance. -Improved resiliency and cushioning. -Enhanced thatch breakdown. Aeration Equipment Affects The Outcome... The type of aeration equipment can determine how effective the treatment will be. In general, turf responds best when core holes are close and deep. Equipment with hollow tines removes soil cores. Equipment with open tines divots the soil surface. Aeration equipment also varies in tine size up to 3/4 inch diameter and in depth of penetration up to 4 inches, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications. How Often Should You Aerate A Lawn? Most lawns benefit from annual aeration. Heavily used lawns, or those growing on heavy clay or subsoil may need more than one aeration each year. Again, turf responds best when tine spacing is closer and penetration is deeper. When Is The Best Time To Aerate Lawns? If you have cool season turf grass such as Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, both spring and fall are ideal times to aerate. In spring, aerate between March and May. Perform fall aeration between August and November. Aeration before or at the time of late season fertilization enhances root growth and improves spring green-up and growth. Warm season turf grasses such as zoysia grass and Bermuda grass should be aerated in mid-spring to summer. Avoid aerating when warm season grasses are dormant – it may encourage weed competition. In addition, avoid aerating warm season grasses during spring greenup, and not until after their first spring mowing. |
Graham OldreiveOwner operator of Ducks'e Lawn and Garden Archives
November 2017
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