October 2018 - East Coast Sprayers

Posted on October 29, 2018 by East Coast Sprayers

Did you know the average American is outside working on their lawns and gardens for 70 hours out of the year? That’s over an hour every week just keeping things maintained. Part of that maintenance revolves around the war on weeds.

Weeds are ugly, they spread quickly, never give up, and suffocate surrounding plants. Homeowners are always trying to figure how to get rid of a lawn full of weeds–for good. Consider your search over, we have the tips you need to get rid of them once and for all.

This is Weed Eradication 101, your guide to a healthy lawn.

How to Get Rid of a Lawn full of Weeds Permanently

First, before we start throwing down every weed-killer and substance onto our lawns, let’s cover some basics. Weeds are a generalized term for plants. They might be completely harmless, but if they’re ugly and spread like grass, they’re a weed.

Taking a blanketed approach or a “magic bullet” product and going to town on your yard is risky. You don’t know how surrounding plants will react. Most weed-killing sprays are made to protect grass only.

In order to target weeds and keep them from thriving is to make conditions as unwelcoming as possible. This starts with not over-mowing grass, monitoring soil health, and regular watering.

Steps to Success

The first step is to know thy enemy. Which type of weed is it exactly? If you do plan on using weed herbicides, you should go for family-specific types like crabgrass, dandelion, and etc.

Put down pre-emergent products everywhere that you don’t have weeds. There’s nothing worse than treating a lawn for weeds, only to have them pop up in another corner of the yard.

Check the soil condition of your yard. Make sure it is moist, loose, and has plenty of nutrients. You should check the pH levels at least once a year an perform a mow and fertilization treatment before temperatures dip at the end of the year.

When the cold air moves out, begin your cycle of pre-emergent weed defense. As your lawn grows, try to avoid falling behind on mowing. Frequent mows taking off only one-third at a time are ideal.

When you over-mow, grass can be in a vulnerable state and create conditions for weeds to take root.

Professional Weed Maintenance

If you’ve already done the above and either have failed or don’t have the time to fight weeds, that’s okay. If you’re afraid of ruining your lawn with an improper application of weed-killers, you should consider hiring a pro.

We know how to get rid of a lawn full of weeds without any risks involved. Years of experience working with all the native plant species in Palm Beach area.

Get rid of that ugly blight on your home’s landscaping. You can contact us today and set an appointment to get a personalized solution for your home. This includes immediate extraction and future upkeep for both residential and commercial lawns.

At East Coast Sprayers, we know the importance of keeping plants healthy and lawns manicured.

Posted on October 22, 2018 by East Coast Sprayers

Do you dream of a picturesque yard with an abundant amount of plants and lush green grass, but are stumped when it comes to picking out a lawn fertilizer?

You’re not alone.

Keeping your yard looking picture-perfect can feel like a burden sometimes, but not when you properly fertilize.

Now, not all fertilizers are the same, and there is no one-size-fits-all in terms of lawn fertilizer. In fact, the selection of lawn fertilizers can be quite intimidating when you go to make your purchase.

Luckily, we are here to make purchasing lawn fertilizer as easy as possible.

What is Lawn Fertilizer?

Yes, fertilizer makes your grass grow, but what exactly is it? Fertilizer is made up of three nutrient components, which can be found on the front packaging of any fertilizer product in the following order.

1. Nitrogen promotes the lush green color of grass and rapid growth.

2. Phosphorous promotes floral growth and a strong root system.

3. Potassium promotes drought resistant and prevents any plant diseases.

To learn more about what fertilizer is and how it benefits your grass, click here.

Choosing a Lawn Fertilizer

Now you know what fertilizer is made of, but you may be wondering where to go from here. There are many ways to determine what kind of fertilizer you want to use.

Based on pH Levels

To start off, take a sample of your soil to determine the ph level. This is important because if your pH level is off, it will affect the ability of the grass to absorb the nutrients.

Any soil below the pH level of 5.5 needs a lime fertilizer, and any soil below 7.0 needs gardener’s sulfur fertilizer.

Based on Location

The state that you live in determines the type of climate that is affecting your lawn. If you live in a cooler, northeastern state, you want to purchase a slow-release, organic fertilizer, and you want to fertilize your lawn around St. Patrick’s Day.

If you live in a warmer southern, central or western state, your grass is going to need a little more attention due to the harsher climate. Look for a high-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizers, and you want to fertilize your lawn around Easter.

Types of Lawn Fertilizer

There are three types of fertilizer you can find at the store. The question is, which one should you buy for your lawn?

Organic Fertilizers

These can be purchased at the store or even made at home with compost. This makes them all-natural, and they slowly release into the soil as it breaks down over time.

Granular Fertilizers

These allow you to control exactly when your lawn is fed with their wide selection of time-release formulas. This fertilizer can come in handy when you are looking to fine-tune your lawn fertility. Plus, it is cheaper when it is bought in bulk.

Water Soluble Fertilizers

These are ammonium-based, which means it is quickly absorbed into the grass. Water soluble fertilizers yield fast results in both growth and color. This is where your backpack and push sprayers will come into play.

What Lawn Fertilizer Will You Choose?

Now that you know a little more about what fertilizer you are looking for, you can get started on that lush lawn you have been longing for. Contact us today so we can help you make that first step.

Posted on October 15, 2018 by East Coast Sprayers

Pets are amazing additions to the family, especially dogs. It’s fun to watch them frolic around in the grass playing with their favorite toy.

But did you know letting a dog use the yard as a potty could wreak havoc on your lawn? It’s true. Those brown spots on your once beautiful, green grass are from doggie urine.

Dog urination burns grass. It’s loaded with nitrogen, which when it’s too high can affect the health of your grass.

Other factors matter as well, like the pH levels in the dog’s urine. A normal pH for a dog’s excretion is between 6.6 and 7.0.

Anything outside of this range means the pH in the urine is acidic, which will burn the grass. But you can get all this under control and protect the health of your grass.

If your dog or neighborhood dogs are doing a number on your grass, don’t fret. It’s not the end for your yard. Here are a few ways on how to prevent pet urine from killing grass.

How to Prevent Pet Urine from Killing Grass

You’ve probably given up all hope that your grass is going to grow back. It’s rained a hundred times and gotten plenty of sunshine, but those brown spots won’t grow away.

You can manage this problem with plenty of water, the right fertilizer, and adding training.

Fertilize Right

Three compounds make up fertilizer: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium–nitrogen being the key ingredient. Too much of it will damage your lawn.

Applying excessive fertilizer to your grass increases the nitrogen and salt levels. Add dog urine–which contains concentrated nitrogen–and you have the perfect recipe to kill grass.

Cut back on applying fertilizer in areas where your dog urinates. Or forgo fertilizing on your own. Contact a professional to have a professional grade of fertilizer applied to your grass.

The right amount of fertilizer helps your grass stay green and healthy.

Rinse with Water

Dogs relieve themselves without warning sometimes. One minute they’re playing and the next they’re going on the grass.

Add a spray nozzle to the end of your hose. Use it to spray the spots where your dog urinates. Diluting the urine puddles with water reduces the amount of nitrogen the lawn absorbs.

If additional water usage worries you, let your dog roam the yard a half hour before the sprinklers come on. That way, if he or she urines, the water from the sprinklers will dilute the urine.

Additional Training

Designate a potty area in the yard, then train your dog to go in that area only.

Keep the area free of debris and teach the dog to go on command. When you let him out, take him to that one spot and don’t let home leave until he relieves himself.

Use a non-toxic pheromone pee post. The smell from the stake will attract your dog and encourage him to eliminate in that spot only. Remember to reward him.

Lawn Repair Treatment

When all else fails, apply a lawn repair treatment that’s safe for dogs. Most pet-safe treatments contain organic enzymes that absorb nitrogen in dog urine.

Lawn repair treatments stop lawn burn and begin to repair the grass.

Keep your Lawn Healthy

These tips on how to prevent pet urine from killing grass are practical ways for keeping your grass healthy.

Consider them and others, but always enlist the help of a professional if you’re ever unsure.

Posted on October 8, 2018 by East Coast Sprayers

The lawn: It’s part of the white picket fence dream that most of us grew up with. A nice house in a great neighborhood, two kids, the family car, the large, fenced-in backyard and a golden retriever.

The problem is that it’s nowhere near that simple. Even the most basic aspects of keeping up a home and a lifestyle can require a lot of work.

Take the lawn, for instance. The law requires that the grass has to be under a certain length, which means you have to mow it every so often.

Not only that, but there’s also the issue of winter lawn care. What if you want your lawn to stay green so that it still looks great when the snow melts away? The good news is that this is totally possible, and we’ll show you now in the paragraphs below.

Fertilization

Fertilizing your lawn is a great way to ensure that grass continues to grow there, and maybe a few other things too. That being said, there are a few arguments that come up when talking about fertilizers.

There’s always the question of money. Unfortunately for that whole white-picket-fence image, most of us don’t have the money to just go around buying things whenever we want.

Plus, most fertilizers these days are made by major companies, people we don’t know and whose methods we can’t personally verify. This is especially troublesome with all the claims constantly popping up about gardening supplies and the things they can supposedly do to our bodies or the land.

Aeration

A healthy lawn should be well-aerated. Aeration is the act of loosening up the soil so that plants can more easily receive oxygen and water in their roots, and it’s essential in winter lawn care.

When to aerate and how often varies, but it mostly depends on what kind of plants and soil you have in your lawn.

One of the biggest obstacles is thatch. Thatch refers to dead grass that has been left behind on the ground. If thatch develops into a layer too thick, and even a half-inch can cause problems, it can block lawns from receiving the nutrients it needs.

The good news is that there are tools specifically designed to aerate lawns. Before and after tilling, though, a lawn should be watered fairly well. Otherwise, the whole process goes to waste.

Mowing, Raking, and More

There are more things you can do to help keep your lawn healthy, but most of it is fairly simple things that you probably already do, such as mowing and raking the leaves. You might also take up weeding if you have any.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Winter Lawn Care

We all know the basics of caring for our lawn, but many of us may not even be aware that winter lawn care is even a thing. That’s totally understandable, because why would you have to do anything during the season where all the plants die and then regrow next season?

There are actually a few things you can do. For instance, you can fertilize your lawn, loosen up the soil and grasses, mow it, and rake the leaves.

If you want to know more about lawn care, please visit our site. We can teach you about some common mistakes people make with their lawns and how to avoid them. We can also give you advice on some of the best lawn care equipment out there and why you need it.

Posted on October 1, 2018 by East Coast Sprayers

The lawn industry is worth $40 billion a year. If you need to replace your entire lawn with sod, it could cost you a pretty penny – anywhere up to $4,500 depending on size. That’s why it’s important to take care of your lawn.

Don’t let grass bugs destroy your beautiful new lawn. Here are the five most common lawn bugs to watch for and how to get rid of them fast.

1. Grubs (Beetle Larvae)

One of the most common and most damaging of all lawn pets are beetle larvae or grubs. These plump, c-shaped larvae arrive in the spring, summer, and early fall to eat the lawn grass roots. You will find them just below the soil surface.

To get rid of grubs, you can get nematodes, which are microscopic bacteria that invade the grubs and ultimately kill them. You can also try milk spore. The other options are chemical applications either preventative or curatives to kill immature larvae.

2. Chinch Bug

Chinh bugs kill grass by sucking on the blades. While they are feeding, they secrete an anticoagulant which prevents the grass from absorbing water. The grass withers and then dies.

These bugs mature quickly, so it’s important you treat your lawn immediately. Find insecticides labeled for cinch bugs. You should also water and feed your yard regularly to prevent further damage.

3. Sod Webworm

The webworm moth’s larvae eat grass blades and the entire stems. The young sod webworms are about 1 inch in length and will become green or brown with dark spotting. Look for find silken tunnels at the turf level.

To control sod webworms, you need to keep your yard fed and water so it can recover. Next, use a pesticide labeled for sod webworms. They feed at night, so apply in the late afternoon.

4. Armyworm

Armyworms eat the stems and blades. They feed at night or early in the morning.

If you have armyworm damage, these worms create bare spots in a circular shape. They can also make a lawn look like it moved if you have a heavy invasion.

You can try using neem oil spray to kill the larvae. If the damage spreads too quickly, look for the right insecticide which you can get in the organic form.

5. Cutworm

These worms about 2 inches long and are brown or gray with black marks. These worms burrow during the day. You can spot these worms at night or on a cloudy day.

Cutworms bite grass stems completely off. You can find the burrows and the sheared-off grasses if you look closely.

There are a couple of methods you could try to get rid of cutworms. You can spread a mulch of oak leaves or Bacillus thuringlensis, which is a natural method.

Effective Lawn Bug Control

It’s important to apply fertilizer and water your lawn. This helps your lawn stay as healthy as possible to bounce back from pest damage. You can get rid of insect pests yourself or hire a professional for insect control.

Unfortunately, pest damage to your lawn can go unnoticed until major damage shows. You can be proactive in applying preventative treatments to get ahead of the damage.

Want More Lawn Care Advice?

Everyone wants a beautiful lawn free of lawn bugs. Check out our blog today for helpful lawn care tips like seven common lawn care mistakes.

Month: October 2018