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Green Up offers a variety of
optional services to correct additional problems that may
occasionally arise. Core Aeration, Overseeding, Liming, and Preventive Grub Control are offered on an as-needed basis.
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Core Aeration
Aeration helps control thatch, improve soil structure, thicken underground roots, and improve penetration of water and fertilizers into the soil. Aeration removes small cores of soil from the lawn. The cores are left on the lawn, and break down into the soil after mowing or rainfall providing organic matter to improve soil structure.
By opening up the soil, core aeration reduces compaction,
improves water filtration, increases the flow of nutrients to
the roots, and reduces the thickness of the thatch layer (more
than 1⁄2" of thatch can be harmful). This will result in a
thicker, greener, more resilient lawn next spring. Fall is an excellent time to aerate the lawn.
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Overseeding
Done in the
Fall after core aeration. If your lawn is looking thin this
fall, you may want to consider a combination of core aeration
and overseeding. Spreading new grass seed right after core
aerating is a great way to thicken up a thin lawn or fill in
sparse areas. Green Up only uses a certified seed that (i) has
been tested to make sure that it contains no dormant weeds, and
(ii) is on Virginia Tech's list of recommended grasses. To be
sure, it's one of the best seed mixtures for lawns in South West
Virginia.
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Lime
Liming is used to adjust the acidity levels in your lawn so that optimum growing conditions exist.
Acidic soils below pH=6 cause nutrients to move rapidly through
the soil, decreasing the amount of nutrition available to
plants. Green Up uses Solu-Cal to adjust pH levels in the lawn. With the addition of water, these pellets dissolve into finely ground limestone to neutralize acidity.
Instead of automatically applying a "maintenance level"
application of lime each year, Green Up tests a sample of your
soil to determine if it needs lime. Testing each lawn insures us
that we don't put lime into healthy soils that don't need it,
and insures you that you are getting a service tailored for your
lawn.
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Preventive
Grub Control
"White grubs" are the most serious turf insect problem found in
Southwestern Virginia. "White grub" is a generic term for the
larval stage of several different types of beetles, the most
common of which is the Japanese Beetle.
The adult Japanese Beetle emerges in late June or early July and
almost immediately begins laying eggs that hatch out in late
July to early August. The newly hatched larva feed vigorously on
grass roots at this time and can cause turf damage. The damage
to the turf is caused by the severing of the roots, which causes
brown dead patches of grass to appear in the yard. A tell tale
sign of grub damage is that the turf will pull up easily because
of the severed roots.
Our Preventive Grub Control
Treatment consists of a granular application of the insecticide
Imidacloprid. Imidacloprid is very effective at controlling
white grub larvae. It has a three month residual effect to give
long term control. Since white grub larvae hatch out in late
July or early August, Imidacloprid must be applied in June so
that it is already active in the soil and grass when the grubs
begin to feed. If applied according to the label directions,
Imidacloprid will give almost 100% control of white grubs.
A side note is that homeowners
will often find grubs in the soil in the early spring and become
concerned that they should begin treating for grubs in the
Spring. The grubs found in the Spring are mature grubs that
cause little to no turf damage and are hard to control with
insecticides. It is not recommended to try and control grubs in
the Spring but to wait and control the next generation of grubs
that will come along in the summer.
An Imidacloprid application will
not eliminate all grubs but will reduce the grub population to a
level where there will be NO noticeable turf damage.
If you would like to sign up
for any optional programs or have more questions, please e-mail
info@guysinpurple.com
or call the office at 389-2208 or 1-800-540-7215. |
