Dayton Area Lawn Care Guide

In regards to you lawn spraying and fertilizing company…

It seems simple, but have you asked your Dayton Lawn Companywhat they would do if you needed them to respray or re-treat your lawn in between applications? It’s inevitable that with Mother Nature’s current trend, your lawn is going to develop weed problems, insect infestations and fungal growth at some point during the year. But would you lawn company charge you for a consultation in between normal visits?

Most professional lawn companies offer Free Service Calls, which means a lawn specialist or manager will return to your property at any time at your request in order to address your concerns. In most cases, they will re-spray the lawn if needed with no extra charge.

This is also a good time for you, the customer, to ask those pressing questions that have been weighing on your mind. So when you sign up for lawn fertilizing treatments this year, ask your representative about free service calls.

This article is not meant to offend your lawn care do-it-yourselfers, but… Many of you think that professional lawn spraying services in the Dayton Area are ruining the environment with all the chemicals they use on the customers’ lawns everyday; but you are very wrong!

Lawn fertilizing companies like TruGreen ChemLawn, Scott’s Lawn Service, Buckeye EcoCare, Leisure Lawn Service and Lawn Doctor all have large operations in the Dayton Area, so it would seem logical that they are putting down tons of pesticides on home lawns everyday. But have you considered what homeowners are doing when they attempt to apply these products themselves?

Problems with Weed-n-Feed bags for Do It Yourselfers

1. Bags of Weed-n-Feed sold to homeowners contain an over-abundance of nitrogenwhich detroys the soil and pushes too much top growth. They most normally contain “quick release” fertilizers that create fast greening, but no sustainable long term benefit to the turf. Feeding your lawn too much nitrogen from over-the-counter fertilizer bags like Scott’s and K-Grow is like feeding your kids candy all the time for every meal!
2. Many experts will tell you that phosphorous leaching into ground water is the big problem with these bagged products. And while I am not a fan of dumping mass amounts of anything on the lawn, I believe if homeowners and pros alike would follow labeling instructions, they are not endangering our groundwater or lakes. The key is FOLLOWING the DIRECTIONS on the bag! And most DIY homeowners do not understand fertilizer rates and proper application technique!
3. A granular weed-n-feed product like the Scott’s Plus 2 product contains herbicide and fertilizer in one convenient bag: just dump in your spreader, set the release rate, and lay it down…easy! The problem is that you are hurling massive amounts of granular weed killers everywhere weather there are weeds there or not.
   It doesn’t make sense to throw weed killer in areas of the lawn where there are no weeds! Whats more, while the weed control does not selectively kill the grass plants, it still puts heavy stress and pressure on them and can weaken them over time.
   

The best alternative to Weed-n-Feed products
I recommend a balanced approach that utilizes target weed control as needed with the eventual goal of eliminating it completely. This is what your professional lawn spraying company will do as a part of their everyday practices! They do not want to put down pesticides if they are not needed because that will cost them too much money! They use less because of environmental issues, and because it is better for their profit margins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is accomplished by spot-spraying weeds using a back pack pump sprayer with liquid weed control. In some cases, a blanket application of liquid weed killer may be needed, but over time, this will be reduced until the weed problem is manageable by good old fashioned “pulling” by hand. Some companies also have proprietary means to deliver weed killers only where needed, like Dayton TruGreen’s dual line spray system, for example.

In addition to spot-spraying of weeds, I recommend slow-release organic or semi-organic (called ‘bridge’ products or ‘hybrid’) lawn fertilizers. These products will add nutrients to the soil without destroying it in the process. They also support healthy soil biotics which are the foundation of healthy turf. Ask your lawn care provider is they have a line of natural-based fertilizers.

On a final note: it’s not a good idea to completely “refuse to use pesticides” in your lawn if you indeed do have a major weed problem.

Think about this: if your weeds go to seed every year and spread out to all the neighbors on your block, and they do not share the same environmental devotion as you, won’t you be indirectly causing them to put down greater amounts of pesticides every year? Your weeds will continue breeding in their lawns, and they will soak them with more weed killer; year after year! Think about that.

Many of these Lawn Care Services are located in Dayton, and many are located in suburbs such as Centerville, Miamisburg, Springboro and Middletown, Ohio. 

YARDMASTERS LAWN SERVICE 937-275-3800
4330 Wales Dr
Dayton, OH 45405

BACHMANNS LAWN SERVICE 937-274-4569
55 Stafford Ave
Dayton, OH 45405 

INTEGRITY SERVICES 937-233-2233
5611 Mendocino Ct
Dayton, OH 45424

STANLEYS SERVICES 937-233-0758
8526 Chambersburg Rd
Dayton, OH 45424

D & G LAWN SERVICE 937-233-0439
7130 Mauford Dr
Dayton, OH 45424

REED LAWN & SNOW SERVICE 937-278-1158
1737 Academy Pl
Dayton, OH 45406

SUPERIOR SERVICES OF DAYTON 937-898-2700
8200 N Dixie Dr
Dayton, OH 45414

AREA WIDE TREE & LAWN CARE 937-890-5635
2342 Cadie Ave
Dayton, OH 45414

BOESYS LAWN & LANDSCAPING 937-264-3220
7559 Gardenside Dr
Dayton, OH 45414

EARTH WORKS INCORPORATED 937-274-8661
5266 Wadsworth Rd
Dayton, OH 45414

LEISURE LAWN 937-866-8399
767 Liberty Ln
Dayton, OH 45449

Leisure Lawn is a subsidiary of TruGreen ChemLawn specializing in Lawn Fertilizing and Grub Control in Dayton and suburbsTAYLOR MADE LAWN CARE 937-236-4716
Dayton, OH 45390

TOTAL LAWN PROS 937-974-5672
Dayton, OH 45390

A ABEL TREE AND LANDSCAPING 937-277-2667
Dayton, OH 45390

SCOTTS LAWNSERVICE Dayton Area 937-291-8275
1701 Thomas Paine Pkwy
Centerville, OH 45459

TRUGREEN CHEMLAWN 937-454-1155
800 Center Dr
Vandalia, OH 45377
10.2MI from Dayton

TruGreen ChemLawn Also has locations in Springboro and CincinnattiA CLASSIC LAWN CARE 937-667-5066
Tipp City, OH 45371
11.4MI from Dayton

MORGANS LAWN & TREE SERVICE 937-274-5639
Tipp City, OH 45371
11.4MI from Dayton

SERVICES UNLIMITED 937-832-1143
4701 W Wenger Rd
Clayton, OH 45315
12.8MI from Dayton

YARD BARBERS 937-832-2153
23 Overlook St
Englewood, OH 45322
13.8MI from Dayton

NATURES LANDSCAPING 937-698-7462
455 N Main St
West Milton, OH 45383
17.5MI from Dayton

ALL AMERICAN LAWN CARE LLC 937-339-8462
Troy, OH 45373
18.9MI from Dayton

SAFE WAY TURF CARE COMPANY 937-849-6705
Springfield, OH 45501
20.1MI from Dayton

Chances are, if your lawn was mostly green last Fall, that it will recover from the long winter and be mostly green again in the Spring.

There are factors that can kill grass and truf areas during the winter. The 2 biggest culprits being salt and driveway melter damage, and heavy foot traffic on frozen grass. If you walked on your lawn in the winter, you may have smashed the crowns of the grass plant, killing it.

Have no fear though, as your local Dayton Lawn Fertilizing Company can help you. The big players in Dayton and Cinci are TruGreen ChemLawn, Scotts Lawn Service, Liesure Lawn Care and Buckeye Eco Care.

Each of these guys has their own specialized way of treating the lawn, but all have the same goal: making your lawn thicker and greener.

Whatever you do, there are a number of options they all agree on and here is a guide of what to buy from your Dayton lawn spraying company.

The long story short is that your lawn will recover and you should leave it up to your landscape professional to worry about how and why. Aferall, that’s what you pay them for right?

One of the most misunderstood elements in your lawn is the thatch layer. Customer hear the word and immediately think of ways their Dayton lawn service provider should eliminate it. But thatch is good for your lawn when kept at proper levels.

Here are the uses for Lawn Thatch:

The thatch layer is the grouping of dead grass, leaves and other organic matter that sits just above the soil line amongst the grass plant’s crowns. (crowns are the base of the grass plant where the blades grow from) A good thatch layer will be between 1 and 1.25 inches thick on average and appear “loose and airy” and not matted or compressed.

In good conditions, the thatch layer serves several purposes that contribute to healthy turf.

1. Shades the root system: if you have no thatch at all, the the summer sun will beat down directly on the turf crowns and dry them out, as well as heat up the grass’ root system and possible burn it. A proper thatch layer creates shade for these delicate parts of the turf.
    
2. Aids in moisture retention: a good layer of thatch keeps moisture from evaporating so quickly so the soil can retain moisture in between waterings.
    
3. Reduces soil erosion: Once again, it you have no thatch at all, during heavy rains, the soil can literally wash away from around turf roots and expose them. A solid thatch layer disperses heavy flow, keeping soil levels intact.
    
4. Promotes microbial activity: lots of microbes and bacteria reside in the decayed thatch layer and these microbes are a part of the overall “soil food web” that is the foundation of healthy turf.
   How to control thatch layer if too thick.

If your lawn feels extremely spongy when walking on it, you could have a thatch problem. Lawns that have been sodded many times will experience an over-abundant thatch layer during the first 4 or 5 years after installation. An out of control thatch layer will thin out the lawn and cause shallow rooting; here’s why:

Thatch layers over 1″ thick and matted will stop water and nutrients from getting down below the soil line. In addition to this, grass plants will have to compete for space and turf roots will grow shallow in order to obtain moisture. Shallow-rooted turf grass will eventually die, thus creating an even worse thatch problem. Eventually, if left unchecked, the lawn will turn to hay.

The best way to manage thatch layers in any lawn is the aerate yearly. Aeration is a process whereby cores of soil are removed and holes are punched in the thatch layer, thinning it out. The cores are deposited back onto the lawn to release soil bacteria that naturally feed on thatch as well. (BTW–those foolish aeration shoes they sell with spikes on them are worthless and will destroy your back! A true aeration will actually remove cores of soil that are about the size of dime rolls.)

If you have an extreme thatch problem of 2″ or more, you should aerate your lawn with a double pass in the Spring, and again in the Fall. Your local Dayton Lawn Care pro can do this for you.

Whatever you do, never power rake your lawn as this will remove 100% of the thatch and also rip out much of your good grass in the process. In my opinion, any landscape professional who offers power raking is not doing what’s best for his customers.

If you feel your thatch layer is so bad that even double aerations will not control it, then lightly rake with a metal rake prior to aerating in the spring to help loosen the matted thatch, then mow with your bagger to suck up the loosened materials.

Remember, no matter what your thatch layer thickness, you should aerate your lawn in the Spring as part of your overall organic lawn maintenance practices. It’s also a good idea to lay down a nice starter fertilizer after the aeration so the nutrients can get directly into the turf’s root system! Best of luck!

Another Lawn Tip brought to you by Dayton Area Lawn Care Guide, tell a friend!

Chances are, many of you will be hiring a Dayton Lawn Fertilizing Service very soon. With that in mind, there are a many choices; not only which company you will hire, but what services you will purchase from them. This article is designed to give you some information about the must-haves to ensure you get maximum results from your chemical spray company.

First off is the fertilizing portion. Most companies apply fertilizer and weed control 6 or 7 times per year, or about every 5 weeks. At first, this may seem to be a lot, but it really just means they put down a smaller amount each time instead or using heavier doses, fewer times.

Studies have found that frequent, light fertilizing is better for the environment than fewer, heavier applications. So signing up for 6 applications should be just fine.

The next essential treatment is the grub worm preventative. This is a must-buy because grub worms will detroy a lawn if their populations get out of hand. Your professional lawn care service can apply a grub worm application in June or July and it will protect your turf for the rest of the year.

Finally, a core aeration is a very good in Spring to help break down thatch layers and relieve soil compaction. Core aeration will help the lawn act like a sponge and suck up air, water and fertilizer nutrients directly into the root system which will increase the overall health of the lawn.

The time to call is NOW! Most lawn companies are already out with the first essential starter application and you don’t want to miss out! If you buy these essential applications and visits from your lawn company, you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful lawn this year!

Who Are the Biggest Pesticide Abusers?
Sorry to blame you, dear reader, but it’s you and/or your neighbors! Most homeowners who treat their own lawns utilize 4-step-type granular products that contain everything needed for the season, all conveniently packaged in 25 pound bags.

Included in at least 2 of those “steps” will be what are known as “Weed-n-feed” products, as well as some type of crab grass preventative, also termed “halts.” Some 4-step deals have also begun to include insecticides to prevent or kill grub worms.The most widely used home 4-step granular system is the Scott’s Company program that also includes Grub-X grubworm insecticide.

The Scott’s 4-step product achieves excellent results when the directions are followed. Their synthetic fertilizer is top-notch and contains micro-nutrients such as iron to give bluegrass lawns a deep-blue/green color. Their weed control is also decently effective considering its granular nature, and their grub control is professional grade. So where’s the problem?

Here is why using a 4-step DIY program is bad for the environment

It assumes that ALL lawns are created equal, and therefore all need the same thing. As a homeowner, do you think that your lawn in Dayton, Springboro, Centerville, Middletown or Miamisburg has the same composition as a lawn in Geargia or Florida? (I’m mainly referring to the composition of the soil in this analogy.)

While buying a “one size fits all” fertilizer program is easy and will get you results, it may not always be best for the environment in its composition.
Yearly bagged programs contain an overabundance of nitrogen. Impatient customers expect a super green lawn, super fast, and synthetic, high nitrogen fertilizers bring those results, but at the cost of ruining the soil and causing accelerated top growth of grass plants.

The bag that is labeled “weed-n-feed” means that you are spreading weed-killer (herbicide) over your entire lawn whether weeds are present or not. This is the worst one folks! Why would you throw weed killing products in a place where there are no weeds? But with granular, bagged products, you have no control.

Finally, there’s the “fudge factor” in applying these products. This one mainly falls on the homeowner, but also on the manufacturer as well. When you look at the bags you buy, they will normally read something like, “covers lawns up to 5,000 square feet,” and then they will also give you some approximate settings to use depending on the spreader you have in your garage. This labeling assumes the homeowner knows the size of his lawn, and then, can calibrate his spreader to exactly cover the desired areas. In addition, most homeowners will use the “eyeball” method of spreading fertilizer and put it down as heavy as they “think” it needs to be applied. That ain’t good!

On the flip side, if you hire a professional Dayton area lawn spraying or fertilizing company, they will only put down what is needed within state and federal guidelines, thus ensuring a more environmentally responsible application.

Finally, many local lawn care companies offer natural and organic choices in their lawn spraying and fertilizing programs that are also better for the environment.

Most homeowners think of their yard in terms of the grass only, but balanced soil is really where the overall health of your lawn begins. With this in mind, you should consult your Dayton Lawn Service and ask whether your lawn could benefit from an application of lime. 

Turf grasses will not grow well in highly acidic soils. Acid conditions in lawn soil can occur due to overuse of nitrogen fertilizers; introduction of excessive amounts of organic soil conditioner, such as compost or peat moss, and by needles dropped from evergreen bushes and trees.
Acidic soils are commonly referred to as “sour,” whereas alkaline soils are called “sweet.” Extremes on either end are not good for turf grass.

Hopefully you remember a little something from middle school chemistry and testing pH levels: remember that pH is measured from 1-14, with 7 being neutral?
Just like liquids in the chemistry lab, soil with a reaction of less than pH 7.0 is acidic and soil with a reaction greater than pH 7.0 is alkaline. Most turf grasses grow best between pH 6.5 and pH 7.0. (finicky little buggers those grass blades are!)

If you have large bare areas of your lawn that are getting plenty of sunlight but just won’t support turf grass, you may consider asking your lawn care service to perform a soil test and see what may be going on beneath the surface.

What’s lime anyway?

Lime is a compound of calcium or calcium and magnesium capable of counteracting the harmful effects of an acid soil on lawn grasses
 

Functions of Lime
Lime is NOT a fertilizer, but more of a soil amendment or conditioner. Here’s what it helps with:

• Corrects soil acidity (obviously!)
• Furnishes important plant nutrients-calcium and magnesium
• Promotes availability and use of major plant nutrients and micro nutrients. It’s like greasing a wheel… it just makes things run through more smoothly.
• It increases bacterial activity in the soil which promotes more air exchange, thus aerating the root system. (It’s all microbial and stuff like that!)

Time of Application
Applications of lime on existing lawns are best applied in Fall and Spring because of cooler temperatures and readily available moisture.

As I look out my window today, it appears as if winter is losing his grip and Spring is on the horizon.

With that in mind, it’s time to find a Dayton area lawn care professional to perform those all important first steps that need to be accomplished to get your lawn off to a great start.
 

Aeration
I recommend every lawn be aerated in mid-March or early April (assuming ground is thawed) to help manage thatch levels and loosen hardened and compacted soil. Thatch is the layer of dead grass, leaves and other ”stuff” that piles up just above the soil line.
Some thatch is good as it keeps the lawn’s root system shaded, reduces soil erosion and water runoff. However, too much thatch (thicker than one inch) can block water absorption and create shallow rooting in the lawn.
Aeration will manage the thatch layer properly without completely eliminating it like a power-raking would do. I rarely recommend power raking except in extreme cases. Your landscape professional should be able to perform aeration for you and if the thatch layer is out of hand, he can perform a double-pass aeration that will do the trick!

The Spring Cleanup
Your lawn probably has all kinds of junk and garbage strewed around after winter ice storms and strong winds. If you have big trees, you no doubt will have limbs and leaves scattered everywhere. Many of you will do this simple cleanup yourself, however, if you plan to hire a local landscaper to do it, call them NOW! These guys get booked very quickly and you don’t want to end up neglecting this cleanup! It’s not a good idea to have last year’s fall leaves matted into your turf. 

Starter Fertilizer
One you’ve completed the above, it’s time to hit the lawn with a nice dose of fertilizer to start the growing process off right. If you plan to hire a professional lawn spraying or fertilizing company, you should also call them soon. The reason for this is that they will be wanting to put down the crab grass pre-emergent application sometime in later April, but it is important to first get down a strong starter fertilizer to complement the next step: lawn seeding.

If you want to use a more natural option this season, you need to ask specifically if your lawn company offers natural or natural-based lawn fertilization in the Dayton-Cincinnati area.

Seeding
Notice that we have not put down any weed control or crab grass preventer yet? That’s because we’ll get those problems in April. Because of this, it’s a great time to introduce some fresh cultivars of grass seed into the turf. A general overseeding directly after the aeration is recommended to help the overall thickness of the turf. A rate of 1-pound per 1,000 square feet of turf is going to be plenty. Also, since we’re in the Spring season, the rains will keep the seed moist.

Almost all professional landscape companies will offer your fresh grass seed during the Spring cleanup and aeration.

If you ask your Dayton Landscape pro about these simple steps, chances are he will be glad to help you get off to a great start in 2008, and you’ll be happy with the results!

Now that Spring is near, chances are you’re getting out into your lawn to see what winter has done to it! As you dig around, you may come across some grub worms either in the turf, or in your flower beds. Should you be concerned about them? Should you call your Dayton Area Lawn Service to take care of them?

The answer is “no,” and here’s why…

Grub worms are the larvae of the Japanese beetle or June Bug. These beetles fly around in early summer…, munching on your trees and shrubs, warming themselves on your front porch lights, and getting caught in your pool skimmer. In July & August they begin laying eggs in well irrigated lawns like yours! These eggs develop into larvae called grub worms. They basically look like little shrimp under the turf.
Grubs chew up the roots of the grass plant, causing dead patches that begin to show up in early Fall.
Just before winter, they head deeper into the soil and overwinter until June, when they emerge and the process starts all over. With this in mind, some grubs will grab a quick snack in April and May just before they fly out, but are not going to be enough to cause any noticeable damage to your lawm.

Don’t worry if your neighbor’s lawn was chewed up last year either… Your neighbor’s grubs are in his lawn to stay until June, and even if you had some of your own last year, any early feeding they do this year will not cause noticeable damage.
We wouldn’t want you spreading pesticides in your lawn when they are not needed… just keep your lawn properly fertilized and mowed, and you’ll be all good.

So if your lawn care guy tells you to get a grub treatment in the Spring, go find another!
I would, however, recommend this summer you put down a grub worm preventative product such as Scott’s Grub X, or have your landscape professional do it. Be sure he uses a product that is long lasting in the soil such as Merit. If he tells you he’s using Dylox, then he is not fully protecting your turf. Merit is a proven, long lasting grub worm preventative and is the industry standard.

Japanese beetle populations have been extremely high in the Midwest in the last couple years, so get the treatment… but not until the summer!