My Lawn Care

By Fran Phalan

As we near the end of summer and thoughts of getting our children back to school and making those last minute end of season trips abound, we also need to spend time on our lawns and making sure that it is prepped for the coming fall. Homeowners in today's green-conscious world have quickly turned more and more to the most efficient lawn care methods that will translate into savings for our wallets. Beyond saving money is water conservation, which affects both us and the environment we live in.

In this article, we will focus on irrigation and mulch, two areas of lawn care that should be considered for all homeowners with the desire to conserve and decrease water consumption and a cost-efficient way to cultivate the lawn and landscape.

Irrigation

Lawn sprinklers and irrigation systems are known to be quite wasteful, consuming two or three times more water than the water used indoors. Experts report that much of the water applied to a lawn is lost due to poor application practices, high evaporation, uneven distribution, and excessive runoff. To combat these lawn ails, an efficient irrigation (or sprinkler) system and watering schedule is necessary.

Irrigation Techniques

To make the best use of irrigation, divide your plants up into groups or zones with the same watering needs. Lawns, plants in containers, vegetable beds and fruit orchards may need more water than other plants such as trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs. Your irrigation system should reflect your different plants' watering requirements and only fulfill what is absolutely necessary to maintain your greenery. Be sure to understand your watering zones and check that these systems are not giving too much or too little water to the plants or lawn area.

An efficient watering system such as drip or soaker hoses can be used to minimize water loss through evaporation or runoff. Lawn experts further recommend that, for reducing evaporation, operate your irrigation system during the cooler hours of the early morning rather than during the heat of the day or in windy weather.

Turf would be best irrigated with sprinklers, since infrequent, but deep watering can encourage deeper root growth and greater tolerance of soil moisture fluctuations. Keep in mind that about 1.5 inches of water are needed per week for the summer. If you are not sure how much water your system is delivering to your plants, simply place a bowl or a cup in the area before the sprinkler system comes on then remove it when the system cuts off. Then all you have to do is measure the collected water. If this amount is more or less than the recommended amount, adjust your system accordingly.

Maintain Your System

It is important to not only make sure sure your irrigation is working efficiently to get your plants and lawn the water they need, but also crucial to check up on your irrigation system to be certain that it's functioning correctly. This includes checking the system for leaks, broken heads, faulty valves, and other malfunctions. You may also want to check that water isn't being misdirected onto sidewalks, driveways, or streets.

Mulch

Mulch can act as both a protection for your plants from the heat as well as an agent to trap and retain moisture. With water conservation a big issue for homeowners, mulch is more important than ever as a way to efficiently keep your plants healthy and protect from harsh conditions. Mulching helps to maintain a more consistent soil temperature and can also control weeds that may otherwise consume water meant for garden plants.

While you may not be able to control your water consumption all the time, you can definitely make an impact on both your water bill and your local community by following lawn care methods that are focused around water conservation and efficient cultivation methods.

Fran Phalin is a freelance writer and editor specializing in home improvement topics. She is based in Austin, TX.

For water conservation friendly lawn care assistance, please visit ABC Lawn Services at http://www.abcpest.com.

Article Source: Ezinearticles.com

By Andrew Caxton

A garden or a lawn are pieces of major masterwork, your home and your location. Gardens and lawns are not isolated. When you begin to choose what to grow, you may make a little research.

Factors To Consider About Lawn Care Maintenance

Climate. It is almost obvious but many people skip the fact that climate differ along the year, and you need to sow and cultivate according to main characteristics of your climate. Dry climate pose more challenge to grass and flowers;windy climate has to be considered with care; humidity, frost and snow may be part of your climate menu and so on. Naturally are plants and grass more suitable for your climate than others,find which are they.

Location of your garden and lawn. Long hours of sun or long shady hours? Heavy traffics, pets, dog spots or a slightly traffic and plenty of tranquility? Enumerate and rate the factors. Prioritize the climate you are going to have most part of the year and divide the zones for different plants, some loves shade, some adores sun.

Grass

Grass varies greatly and offers many types.From resilient to weed to very sensible to pest. Grass that need very low watering for a dry zone is the best chose. For humidity climates search for grass that needs frequently watering.

Once you have make your choice, know the Basic: mowing is basic. Mow higher than the usual and you provide more strength to your grass, higher grass will help to decrease the health of the weeds, notice that weeds needs frequently watering and abundant sun in general, a tall, thick grass will prevent weed to feed correctly, thus lowering their rate of growth.

Raking to remove thatch is good to keep diseases caused to fungus off, a high thatch over your grass will act detrimentally against your grass growth and health.

About Professional Lawn Care Maintenance and Upkeep Services

In the last years lawn care services boomed incredibly with the development of a new industry based on professional services customized for homeowners, it is known that homeowners are short of time and many just want to enjoy the left time in the lawn and not working to keep good looking.,companies have noticed this change in the homeowner behavior and prepared themselves to play the roll of lawn services providing at professional level.

Companies varies their offerings, products and services according to the customer budget and lawn area size and many provide special services according to grass type, like Kentucky grass, a traditional and very popular lawn grass even today.They may be hired lawn care maintenance,being this partial or total,many of them trimmed their prices to target different budgets and encourages homeowner to get adequate assessment about their lawns.

The first appointment is always crucial for both provider and customer, remember to make all the question you need and be sure to know how much they are going to bill you exactly for the services they may give you and learn about regulations: the person and company rendering services must be licensed and well versed not only about its task but to comply with all rules and permits necessary, when you feel that the contractor is the appropriate, then you can begin to finish the details before signing any contract and make sure that all the details be included in the contract.

Andrew Caxton use to write on lawn care and similar subjects for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com A website with tips on Kentucky grass and lawn grass seed.

Article Source: Ezinearticles.com

By Chris S. Horton

Everyone wants to have a beautiful lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood, but a lot of people do not know how to achieve that beautiful, lush, healthy, green lawn during the warm summer months. It is actually not as hard as many people would think. If you follow these simple steps along with proper spring lawn care maintenance you can have a beautiful lawn this year.

First make sure your watering your lawn properly. Watering your lawn is a huge part of summer lawn care simply because for the most part it is the time of the year your lawn gets the least amount of water from rain. Normally you want to make sure your lawn is getting at least 1-1.5 inches of water including rainfall. During summer months this number sometimes needs to be adjusted a little higher, so look at your lawn and if you notice it is starting to yellow give it a little more water,1.5-1.75" should do the trick, but make sure not to over water the lawn either. It is also best to water your lawn in one bigger session than spreading it out all week long. You will want to water before 10 a.m. as well to cut down evaporation as you want all of the water to sink into the ground otherwise it will not help your lawn at all. You can also water at night when it is cooler, however it is best to water in the mornings because watering at night promotes fungus and disease in lawns. Never mow your lawn during the warm periods of the day as this will do absolutely nothing for your lawn, it can actually cause it to "burn up".

Second the height of mowing your lawn play a big role in the health of your lawn, especially during the summer. When mowing your lawn during the summer months mow it a little higher than you normally would. The reason you will want to mow the grass a little higher is to protect the roots from the heat of the sun. Although sun is important to the growth and health of your lawn it is also a big factor in the "burning", or yellowing "dead" effect many lawns suffer from during the summer. I suggest leaving your lawn at least 3-3.5" high. You may need to mow your lawn higher than that even sometimes as high as 4" depending on the grass type, and the heat of the sun.

The third thing you will want to do is mow your lawn less frequently. During the summer months you generally want to mow your lawn less then you do in the spring and fall months. You will at most want to mow your lawn once every other week during the summer. Also, mowing your lawn during the cooler morning and evening hours of the day is better not only for your lawn, but for yourself as it reduces the risk of heat stroke and dehydration.

Finally, keep your lawn mowers blades sharp. You always want to have sharp blades when mowing your lawn so that you actually get a good clean even cut. Dull blades do not really cut the grass they tear it. You want you want to keep your blades sharp year round, as it is important to cut the lawn instead of tear it. Tearing the lawn leaves it more open to diseases.

Horton's Lawn Care L.L.C. offers many services to assist you in the proper care, maintenance, and beatification of your lawn including: aeration, detaching, lawn rolling, re-seeding, granular fertilization, lawn mowing, weed whipping, edging, hedge trimming, flower, tree planting, landscaping, spring clean ups, fall clean ups, and snow removal. They currently provide lawn care services in the Genesee County Michigan area primarily in Burton, Davison, Flint, Flushing, Grand Blanc, Swartz Creek.

Article Source: Ezinearticles.com

By Andrew Caxton

What things you need to have a great looking lawn? Not many, but a few very important bunch of facts. Learn in this article the basics.

Basic About Lawn Care Advice

A properly tended lawn is more than a detail: add beauty and value to your property, be this residential or commercial. People who pass by may be appeal to enter to buy if the lawn is outside a shop, for example.People looking for properties will notice yours for further reference in buying.

Lawn care advice service is available for a moderate rate. An excellent source for improving your lawn can be got from the professional on lawn care, with skills and experience in the field.Asking a expert can dissipate doubts about your lawn care practice and add more information on how to make more special. Also free advice on how to take care of your garden and lawn can be obtained free and reliable from a brief talk with a professional.

On point to remark: a good advice should let you know that your lawn needs is more important than lasted technologies or equipment.

Take suitable steps to bring out the best in your lawn.

Handling Equipment Advice For Having A Great Looking Lawn

To have a well kept lawn needs time and as soon you get the information that will lead you to this goal, the soonest you will be closer to the goal. A lawn care advisory service is almost free in many gardening local shop, in the net or in your newspaper. Get the most of your search. Ask to many provider before select one to take care of you lawn.There are publication for gardening fans and professional, those are a good source too. Local caring advice is better than internet or by phone. A local lawn care provider knows about your location conditions and needs.

Lawn care provider must know about traditional methods and new technologies. An organic provider are available for those who are aware of pollution risks for the environment and their own health.

Providers knowledge will include landscaping, organic lawn care methods, natural methods, design of lawn and garden. Novelties on decoration, plants, grass and accessories sums point for the company if you searching for more than good mowing and fertilization work. Many home owners are growing more interested on garden and lawn decoration and landscaping. Not all the companies may supply with these kind of exigencies so it is better to make a good research before hiring one. It is possible to blend lawn care with decorative style that match your home and your lifestyle.Even they lease you plants for special occasion as lawn and garden reunions, on the other hand, if you want to take care yourself of some lawn cares, they lease equipment and tools for a period of time or to improve for a special occasion your lawn or garden. As you see there many services and many advice to be taken from lawn care services provider. Look the best for you and your work on backyard landscaping will be remarkable on your garden and lawns.

Andrew Caxton is the author of many resources on lawn care related topics published at http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com More articles on landscape equipment and landscaping mowers at his web.

Article Source: Ezinearticles.com

By Matt Morrison

With temperatures rising and rain fall decreasing, summer time is putting a serious strain on your lawn. If you are not careful, your lawn could end up dead. No rain and water restrictions can really take a shot at your ability to take care of your lawn. However, there are some tried and true tips that are sure to beat the summer heat.

When your lawn is suffering from a drought, these tips will help you survive:

1. Raise the blades on your mower. Taller grass provides more protection from sun and grows deeper roots, which makes it more resilient.

2. Resist the temptation to bag your lawn and use a mulching mower instead. The clippings will provide a barrier that keeps moisture in your lawn longer.

3. Aerate your lawn twice a year (fall and spring) to keep out thatch and help the roots grow deeper.

4. Sharpen your lawnmower blade. Dull blades put your grass under lots of undue stress. Stressed grass needs more water.

5. Water early in the morning and when it is not windy to avoid unnecessary evaporation of your rationed water.

6. Use a drip type irrigation system like a soaker hose. It put water in the ground, where it is needed, more efficiently.

7. Do not fertilize in the summer. Experts will tell you that fertilized lawns are more sensitive to heat and require more water.

Green is definitely a color to envy in the heart of the summer. Do yourself a favor and follow these tips to keep a green lawn that makes your neighbors squirm with envy.

For more information on Lawn Care visit Blades Lawn Care.

Article Source: Ezinearticles.com