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Showing posts from August, 2019

How To Revive Grass From Dog Urine

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Your lawn may be the favorite play area for your entire household, including your canine friend, but if your dog also uses the lawn to urinate on it, you probably know how harmful dog urine is for grass. Dog urine contain nitrogen and other elements in high concentration that can burn the grass they come into contact with. Fortunately, there are several great ways to revive the grass damaged by dog urine – here are a few tips: Remove the damaged grass – use a rake or a similar tool to eliminate as much of the dead grass as possible; Neutralize the urine - limestone is the most efficient neutralizing agent for urine. Apply limestone in the area that needs to be treated, then water the limestone to promote the absorption of the chemical into the soil and leave it to set for about a week; Cover the treated area with new, fertile soil, sprinkle grass seeds onto the new layer, then use a Lawn fertilizer and water the area gently; Water the area each day for a couple of weeks, until y...

Signs That Your Lawn Might Need More Water

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  Finding the amount of water that your lawn needs takes some experimentation – here are some signs that indicates your grass needs more water: Visible footprints – walk a little on your grass, then look back. Properly hydrated grass stands up immediately when the pressure is no longer applied, but if you see your own footprints, it means that your lawn needs more water; Changed color – healthy, nourished and hydrated grass is of a vibrant green color. If your grass is of a dull greyish-blue, it means that it is thirsty. To restore the health and the strength of your turf, water it correctly. Always water early in the morning to give your grass sufficient moisture to feed on during the day. Experiment a little to find the exact amount of water to be applied – the general rule is to add about half an inch of water, but the right amount depends on the grass variety as well as on the weather. You can also help your grass retain more water by mowing it regularly to the right hei...

Tips for Protecting Your Lawn from Aphids

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  The tiny, sap-sucking insects known as aphids are among the worst enemies of lawns – when they appear on your lawn, they suck out the life of your precious turf in no time, leaving behind dried, yellow leaves covered in a black, sticky substance (the secretion of aphids). There are several methods to get rid of aphid infestations or to keep the size of the colonies under colonies – here are some: Use the natural enemies of aphids – lady beetles and parasitic wasps feed on aphids, while certain plants, including carnip and aster drive aphids away, so companion planting might be the most durable solution. Garlic and chives also repel aphids, so a small vegetable garden next to your lawn might help a lot; Water in abundance – in some cases, all it takes to get rid of aphids is to wash them away with plenty of water and make sure to use a recommended lawn fertilizer that helps to eliminate them: Use insecticides – the best natural substances to use include canola oil or neem. ...

Lawn Service Providers Promote Using Revive To Their Customers

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One of the benefits of being a great organic lawn product is that people in the landscaping and lawn service industry recommend us and use our products. Below is a great endorsement from Lawn Doctor of Fort Collins : REVIVE® from Lawn Doctor of Ft. Collins REVIVE® is a 100% natural organic feed with a soil wetting agent designed to save water.  Colorado’s compacted, clay soils make it difficult for water to penetrate to the roots.  REVIVE®, specifically developed for our local conditions, helps water penetrate the soil for healthier turf and more efficient water use. Benefits of a natural REVIVE® application include: Adds organic matter and supplemental nutrients to the soil Aids in recovery for a drought-stressed lawn Attracts and retains water in the soil, even through heavy thatch Reduces run off, pooling and evaporation of water resources Price is based on the lawn square footage – Prices start at $50 for 2,000 sq. ft. Available June – October Lawn Dr. of...

How to Design A Drought Tolerant Urban Landscape

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  Urban environments are hotter and drier than rural areas, therefore garden owners in the city need to be very careful when they choose the plants for their landscape and when they create the design for the space. If you have lawn small lawn areas, be sure to plant drought tolerant grasses and apply organic lawn fertilizer to lower the amount of water that is needed.  Here are some landscape design tips for droughty areas: Use your paths to capture water – permeable surfaces, such as gravel or bricks promote the absorption of rainwater into the ground, adding valuable moisture to the soil and reducing watering needs; The right combination of plants – drought-resistant perennials, such as big bluestems, ornamental onions, agave and yarrows make excellent choices for an attractive garden. Combine your perennials with shrubs and bushes, such as lilacs, Japanese flowering quinces and butterfly bushes for a rustic, colourful landscape; Plant trees – sycamores, oaks, magnoli...

Understanding the Fairy Rings on Your Lawn

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  Fairy rings, also called elf rings or pixie rings, are practically large rings of mushrooms that appear and thrive on lawns. The appearance and the growth of the rings is favoured by the presence of excessive moisture, then, when the fungus reaches a certain size, it starts releasing a nutrient-rich substance that leads to the excessive growth of the grass surrounding the mushrooms. The phenomenon looks strange, but it is relatively easy to get rid of – here are some tips: A suitable fungicide – natural control for the problem does not exist, but there are many efficient fungicides available. Most of them need to be dissolved in water, then the mix should be applied on the affected lawn area. The process should be repeated as needed, until the white mushrooms disappear and the thickness of the turf also returns to normal; Prevention and care – the fungus grows in moisture-rich areas, therefore limiting the amount of moisture on the soil surface will create an unfavourable en...

Tips for Getting Rid of Brown Patches on Lawn

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The unsightly brown patches on lawn that cause so much distress to lawn owners are caused by the proliferation of a fungus called Rhizoctonia. Like any fungus, this species also grows and spreads in cool and moist environments, that’s why the brown patches that indicate its presence usually appear in early fall. Fortunately, the fungus is not very hardy, so here are some efficient methods for combatting it: Water exactly on schedule – ideally, you should water your lawn every 3-4 days during hot periods and increase the intervals when the air starts to cool at the end of summer. Always water early in the morning to allow your grass to dry before the dew drops appear in the evening; Leave the grass longer – cropping the grass very short to get rid of the diseased leaves might be tempting, but it is a mistake. Set the mowing blades about half an inch higher than usual and make sure that the blades are clean and sharp; Remove thatch – a thick layer of thatch prevents the proper venti...

How To Make Sure Your Plant Roots Get Enough Oxygen

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Oxygen is essential for grass and plants and not only for the stems and the leaves – roots cannot strive in low-oxygen environments, therefore facilitating oxygen penetration into the spoil is very important if you want a beautiful lawn & garden. Oxygen and the right nutrients are an important factor on how to make grass green all summer long .  Here some tips how to aerate your soil: Loosen the soil – use a suitable tool to move and break down the surface of the soil, but take care not to hurt the plant roots. You can use an aerating tool or whatever gardening tool that you consider suitable for the purpose and repeat the operation whenever you consider it necessary; Add compost – compost is the best nutrient for any soil, not only adding valuable minerals to it, but improving its texture with its fiber content and making it looser, too; Prevent compacting – one of the most common mistakes that results in hard, low-oxygen soil is using the improper watering technique. Usi...

Keeping Your Lawn Green During A Drought

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Drought is harmful for grass, so your lawn will need your help and attention to be able to survive droughty periods and to strive. Here is how you can make sure your turf stays strong and green even when rain is not even in the forecast: Use drought-tolerant varieties – not all grass varieties respond the same way to drought, some are more sensitive to the amount of moisture they get, others are hardier. Choose grass varieties that can take dryness well – you don’t need to remove your sensitive grass, over-sprinkling with drought-resistant seeds is usually enough; Water correctly – turn on your sprinklers or use your preferred watering method early in the morning, once or twice a week. That way, your grass will have access to sufficient moisture all day and will be able to stand up to the drought until the dew drops in the evening feed it again; Aerate the soil more frequently – compacted and covered soil prevents oxygen as well as moisture from reaching to the roots of the grass,...