Most broken sprinkler heads involve a simple fix that any home owner can do. The temptation might be to call a service that specializes in sprinkler head replacement, but this could cost upwards of $50.00 for a simple repair that anyone can do on their own. If your pop-up sprinkler has been broken because of a mower, edger, or string trimmer hitting it, the cost will usually be less than $5.00 and only take a few short minutes to replace.
Whether you knew it or not, late summer means a change in how to care for your lawn.
We know, we know. Yet another thing to worry about amidst a pandemic, smoke-filled air, and more.
Well, we can help with that: get a FREE quote here!
Or, you can help yourself and your lawn with these 5 quick-tips to preserve and prepare your summer lawn for the last run into Fall.
Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary. But, you’ll want to start with changing your watering times to the early AM.
Why?
This is the coolest time of the day with summer still here, and it will allow the grass to soak up every last drop to maintain throughout the warm day without being affected by evaporation or wind.
Need a recommendation for timing? Try between 4 - 10 AM. Maybe have a cup of coffee first.
Pro Tip: Start to cut your grass at a higher level than before. This will provide more shade for the soil to stay cooler for longer.
Speaking of cutting your grass…
Like a good chef’s knife, you want an always-sharp mower blade. We won’t judge you if you haven’t checked all summer. But you’re going to want to see what you’re working with right now because believe or not a clean cut will keep your lawn healthy and help retain water.
Obviously, you can eyeball your blade to determine if it’s dull. Another method is to look at the grass edges after a fresh cut: are they ragged or clean cut? That will give you your answer.
So, how exactly do you go about sharpening a lawn mower blade to retake control of your summer lawn?
The answer is completely up to you.
A few of the common options are to file by hand, find a blade sharpener drill bit attachment, a suitable grindstone, drop off at a local small engine shop, or any method you’re jazzed to try out.
Just be careful, okay? You don’t want to prematurely end your hand modeling career.
This is the bane of any homeowners summer lawn care routine. Unfortunately, your weed problem is just as persistent as ever now as it was in the beginning.
But you’re up for the challenge, right?
The tried and true option for weed control is to keep on pulling so it doesn’t grow to be out of control. And to double-down on a an in-lawn broadleaf, spray-on weed killer to keep them at bay.
Pro Tip: If you are pulling weeds, be sure to water down to the roots 24 hours before. This should help ensure you get the entire root. Also, make sure to get the correct spray for the type of weed you are dealing with.
And you’ll want to be mindful of where you spray. If you have or plan to grow other things outside of grass, just be careful of both where you spray and the type of spray.
It could be a determinate to your vegetable plans. But no one likes broccoli anyways.
Not all fertilizers are created equal, but you’ll want to find one made especially for late summer heading into the Fall.
During the warmer months is when your grass experiences rapid growth and damage (heat, insects, etc.) which is why you need to apply fertilizer to keep it healthy.
Just like your growing teenager, there’s never enough food in the house to keep them satisfied.
Look for fertilizers with soil-amending properties to slow release nitrogen to give your lawn the boost it needs to carry you through the remainder of summer!
It will also serve you well to preserve key nutrients for a triumphant return next spring.
Does everything above seem like too much work or a little too late?
We get it. I mean, our slogan is “Hire us and take your weekend back!” for good reason.
It may not be too late to save your lawn or at least get it ready for a better start next spring.
We love what we do and we like to think we do it well. That’s why we offer a Free Quote here!
No matter what, we hope this was helpful and we look forward to sharing more pro lawn care tips and tricks with you!
With grass-stained clothes and smiles on our faces -- thank you for reading!
- Cory’s Lawn Care Services
So those are kind of the top three things that I look for. Again, number one is a fact are they reputable. Whether it's online, or from referrals from your neighbors. Number two, do they have good customer service? I can tell you when you give that phone call, that initial shot, if they don't call you back right away, or they don't call you in a reasonable amount of time, you're kind of looking to what the service is going to be looking like for the future. And number three, are they insured?
tree damage
It almost doesn't matter how careful you are or how much you try and avoid nicking trees with a string trimmer or mower, over time it is bound to happen. The key is to not leave the damaged tree unattended, and there is a very simple way to help a damaged tree after a chunk has been taken out by a mower. This situation happen to one of my employees recently, which provided the perfect opportunity to show what should be done if a tree is damaged by a mower. The video below is a real situation where the rear tire of the the mower clipped the base of a tree and took out a 3" chunk of bark. Since the trees in the neighborhood are only a few years old, this damage could end up killing the tree if it is not attended to. It is important to recognize the damage right away and keep the bark that has been torn away from the base. By reapplying this piece of bark, like a missing puzzle piece, and duct taping the damaged area to prevent insects and other diseases from harming the tree during its recovery, the tree should heal over a 3 to 6 month period of being wrapped up and cared for.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPFmqkN6z8g[/youtube]
In hopes for the desperate need of snow in the Sierra Nevada Region it is time to talk about winter weather. The freezing temperatures come with a whole lot of snow and ice that can makes maintaining your sidewalk extremely difficult. Apart from the inconvenience they create, slippery surfaces constitute risk for your health. Furthermore, most HOA’s require you to keep your property and the surrounding area clean and safe. Otherwise you might become subject of severe penalties in the form harassing letters or. Patio cleaning is not the dream activity for filling your free time. Still, if you know how to do it properly you can save time and efforts.
If anyone that has not heard of de-thatching or your lawn guy just tells you to get it done yearly, there are some basic ways you can check to see if your lawn needs to be de-thatched before you go spending a lot of money to have it done. Although de-thatching a lawn can be done by a hand de-thatching rake, I would never recommended doing this unless you want to have an aching back after wasting a day. The most prominent way lawn care services de-thatch is by using a motorized de-thatcher also called a power rake. Obviously the ultimate goal for de-thatching is to provide you with a more healthy, lush, and green lawn. So how do I know if my lawn needs De-Thatching?
The most effective way to see if your lawn has excessive thatch is to take a shovel and cut out a small 6"x6" square of turf and examine if the area between the root system and the blades of grass. If this area has over a 1/2" of brown matted build up of thatch as shown in the picture, than it is time to de-thatch your lawn. A small amount of thatch is actually good for the lawn which help retain water and protect your grass from the harsh summer sun. If the build up is too much than it will prevent water, oxygen, and nutrients from getting to the roots. The best time to have de-thatching done for our cool climate is during mid to late spring when the lawn is actively growing and can quickly recover from the stress of de-thatching. More tips can be found once you determine if your lawn needs to be de-thatched.
If you are debating between having your lawn aerated or de-thatched this season, take the quick five minutes to do this test and see if you have an above average thatch layer. Both aerating and de-thatching can be done at the same time and most lawn care companies in Reno like ours, offer more affordable packages if you choose to do both. I have found a good de-thatching video if you want a better idea of how it works.
