When to Fertilize

One of the most important things you can do for your lawn is to provide it with regular fertilizing at the appropriate times of year. Fertilizing combined with annual or semi-annual aeration will help develop a stronger and deeper root system to better enable your lawn deal with heat, cold, and drought we often experience in San Jose.

Early Spring (February – April)

Your lawn is hungry from its’ cold dormant winter months. An early spring application of fertilizer will strengthen roots and prepare your lawn for the growing season. If needed, a pre-emergent control for broad-leaf weeds and crabgrass can be applied at this time. Read more →

Tips for Safe Lawn Mowing

• Keep children and pets out of your yard while mowing.
• Clear the lawn of large sticks or other debris.
• Wear clothing that offers a bit of protection, such as close-toed shoes. Wear eye protection.
• Be sure you understand all of your mowers’ safety features prior to use. Do not disable any safety features.
• Do not cut the lawn when it’s raining, or when the grass is slippery. Read more →

When top dressing lawns, there are several important steps that can be done to ensure good results. They are listed in the order they should be performed, though not all of these steps need to be done on all grasses. Read more →

Top dressing is the process of applying compost over the surface of your lawn.

Good soil is living soil. In nature, soil microbes enrich soil by converting fallen leaves and other debris into nutrients grass can use. Top dressing is simply a way of restoring that balance to your home lawns, building good soil and increasing the amount of living material in your soil. Read more →

There are three essential nutrients lawns need in varying amounts: nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K).

Nitrogen (N) promotes growth of existing plants and helps to make plants green. In addition to enhancing the lawn’s deep green color, nitrogen is also responsible for the hearty growth and density needed to help fight off weeds and to stand up to diseases, insects, and traffic. Read more →

This is a question we hear frequently as the weather starts to heat up in late spring and summer.

Other than not providing adequate water, mowing lawns too short during the warmer months is one of the biggest reasons we see for lawns turning brown.

All grass varieties have an optimal mowing height. This will help keep the lawn healthy and dense. Higher density results in more soil surface shading, will greatly limit the germination of many annual grassy and broadleaf weeds, and will reduce how quickly the soil dries out. Read more →

The soil under the areas of your lawn that receive a lot of foot traffic usually becomes compacted. The traffic may be from foot, paw, or tire, but result will be the same. Soil particles become packed closer together resulting in a root zone where there is little air, poor water penetration, and a tough place for roots to grow in. Roots respond to compacted soil with less growth and development. The result is a thin and shallow root system. Lawn growing in compacted soil is typically thin, Read more →

What is Thatch?

Thatch is the layer of living and dead stems, leaves and roots that builds up between the green layer of healthy grass and the soil surface. Some degree of thatch is a normal part of any actively growing lawn.

How does thatch affect your lawn?

A thin layer of thatch can be beneficial to the lawn because it helps to limit weed germination, reduce water evaporation, and protect from frost damage. Read more →

A thorough drenching once or twice a week is better than a light daily sprinkling. Deep watering encourages healthy root systems to flourish. Allow your lawn to dry out between waterings and send the roots downward in search of water.

Clay-based soil is heavy and absorbs water more slowly, but retains it longer. Clay soil also compacts more easily. This forces roots closer to the surface while looking for room to grow, leaving them vulnerable to drought. Read more →

• Don’t cut your grass too short. Leaving it higher will usually provide for a deeper root system, and helps to prevent weeds.
• Don’t remove any more than one third of the grass leaf at any one cutting. If your lawn happens to get too tall divide it into several mowings and get caught up with three or four days between mowings. Read more →