Our turf treatment services are focused on ensuring your grass is healthy, green, lush and beautiful. Take a look at the services we offer.
Fertilization
Fertilization services can be provided “a la carte” or as part of a package. We use slow release lawn fertilizer that will feed your lawn consistently and provide the appropriate nutrient requirements to feed the type of grass you're growing. This slow release feed will create a smoother consistent green and reduces growth spikes and lulls. It is better for the environment than using quick release fertilizer that can easily leech into our waterways.
Lime
Lime can be provided as needed or as part of a package. In our packages, the amount of lime applied per year will only maintain a healthy ph. Only a soil test can determine how much lime needs to be applied to correct ph. We will use either dolomitic or high calcium lime depending on the needs of your lawn.
Turf Weed Control
Weed control can be provided as needed or as part of a package. We use both pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides depending on the time of year and what weeds are being targeted.
Turf Disease Control
Disease control can be provided as needed or as part of a package. The most common turf disease that we deal with here is brown patch. This disease first appears in late spring when temperatures stay 85 or higher and humidity is high. It will continue to be a problem throughout the summer months. Brown patch disease is extremely destructive to tall fescue lawns and needs to be treated promptly once noticed. Preventative treatments are the best method to eliminate any damage from occurring. We offer a 3 stage preventative program, but we can also treat your lawn curatively.
Insect Control
In central Virginia, typically, the only insect control for turf needed is grub control. This should be applied once per year in early summer to control existing grubs and prevent the larvae from hatching. Grub control can be provided as needed or as part of a package. We can apply insect control in turf for things like fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, etc. as requested. These measures will reduce the populations of those pests only.
Aeration
We offer core aeration. This is usually done in the fall along with over seeding but can be done anytime throughout the year. Core aeration is the act of mechanically pulling plugs out of the lawn and laying them on the surface of the ground where they will spread back out in the soil. Core aeration is much more beneficial than spike aeration because of its removal of the cores. Spike aeration only drives spikes into the ground which actually compacts the soil more. This service is offered “a la carte” or as part of a package.
Seeding and Over Seeding
We normally use turf type tall fescue grass seed in the central Virginia area. Other options would include using shade mix, perennial rye, hybrid bluegrass, or some warm season grasses which can be seeded in such as bermuda or zoysia grasses. Normal fall practices for tall fescue lawns would include aeration and over seeding. We over seed tall fescue at the rate of 5 lbs. per 1000 square feet. This helps insure a thicker lawn which may have received damage during the summer months. With all our seed selections, we only use the highest quality grass seeds available in our area. Each year we examine the national turf trials done throughout the country and select our seeds based on how they ranked compared between Va Tech (both Blacksburg and Hampton Roads locations), University of Md., and UNC Raleigh. Then we negotiate with our suppliers so that we can provide the best grass seed at a competitive price.
Power Seeding
Power seeding is where a machine slices the first 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the soil and lays grass seed in those slits. This is very effective in establishing turf where previous aeration and seeding has had little to no results. Germination rates on power seeding are about 95% as opposed to aeration and seeding which will provide 50% to 60% germination.
Power seeding when criss crossed is an effective and much less expensive alternative to laying sod when trying to establish a new lawn or renovating a lawn after receiving extensive damage.
Soil Testing
We provide soil testing services. We take a sample from your soil then deliver the sample to a lab. Once the results come in (usually about 2 weeks) we will provide you with a copy of the results and go over them with you in depth. We will provide recommendations and come up with a plan to best suite you lawn or landscape's needs.