Lawn Care Wauwatosa Archive

Lawn Winter Damage Repair in Milwaukee & Waukesha

Winter Lawn Damage Repairs

As the temperatures start to rise, you may notice your lawn is not looking as well as it did in fall. Most lawns experience winter damage in one way or another, some worse than others.  The good news is most damage is easily rectified.  The first step is for you or a lawn specialist to determine the cause and then come up with the appropriate solution. Over the years we have noticed the top three concerns and causes of winter damage are salt, voles and snow mold.

 

Salt damage: Salt damages your grass because the salt draws the moisture away from the roots and dries out the turf area. Salt damage is typically on the edges of the road, driveway and sidewalks.

salt damage

 

What can be done: A professional can apply a organic Gypsum product to the salt damage areas. It should be applied only when the area has dried out and temps are averaging around 40-50 degrees. Gypsum is a calcium sulfate that replaces the salt with calcium and sulfur to help heal the damaged grass. It will then help retain the moisture in the soil to promote healthy grass. Once applied it should be watered in well.  If the lawn has been severely damaged by salt, shoveling and plowing damage, a top soil and seeding is recommended. If you are looking to prevent the damage from returning every year in areas that are prone to salt damage, a salt tolerant seed can be applied. A salt tolerant seed is a wider blade grass and can withstand the salt.

 

Voles: Voles are small rodents with short tails and legs. They like to feast on lush grass under the snow.  They can leave tunnels of dead grass in their path’s and this is typically what we see when the snow cover melts. When the voles chew on the grass leaves they typically leave the root system in tack.
Voles Smaller file

What can be done: Once the grass and soil dries out from the melting snow, rake away the dead grass and you can let nature take its course. The grass will grow back in, filling in the tunneled areas. If the damage is significant a spot seeding can be done to promote more grass growth. Voles can become a nuisance and a consistent problem, a professional can help with safely applying repellents to remedy the problem.

 

 

Snow Mold: Snow mold is a fungus that appears on the lawn area after the snow has melted. Snow mold appears in circular, matted down patches that can be gray or pink in color. A lawn specialist from Central Services can help identify your snow mold. Gray snow mold can be rectified on its own, however pink snow mold is harder to treat.

Snow mold 1

What can be done:  Gray snow mold will typically clear up on its own once the weather starts to warm up. It is only active up to temperatures that reach approximately 45 degrees. Pink Snow Mold can interfere with the root system of your grass and do permanent damage if not treated. The best solution for pink mold is to have a professional treat the areas with a fungicide. Pink mold is active when temps are between freezing and 60 degrees.

 

 

Spring is also a great time to have a lawn specialist from Central Services to evaluate your lawn condition for weeds and fertilizing needs. The sooner a yard is treated the better the outcome. Spring is a good time to put down a pre-emergent so that you can prevent any new weeds from seeding in. A spring application must be done in early spring before the temperatures start to rise. Here at Central Services we recommend having our horticulturists meet with you at your property and go over your concerns, and they can recommend solutions for you landscape maintenance needs.

 

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Preparing for spring –Early Spring Clean-Up

 

 

Preparing for Spring –Early Spring Clean-UpSpring 2015-3

 

 

Spring is right around the corner. March is a month where the weather is unpredictable, one day it can be snowing and cold, when the next day it is 50 degrees, the sun is shining and the snow is melting.  These days are great days to get outside, walk around your landscape, do a little early spring yard work, or contact a contractor to do the job for you.

Early spring is a great time to rake out any leaves, dead foliage, and debris from your landscape beds. Cut back those ornamental grasses, and any other perennials left standing thru the winter, this will prepare for the new growth. Ornamental grasses and other perennials should be cut back 4” to 6” from the ground.

Early spring pruning is a good time to prune away any winter killed branches to make new room from new growth. Do not prune any spring flowering shrubs. Their buds start to appear /form in late winter, by now their buds have been set for blooming, and pruning them would eliminate them from flowering.

As the ground starts to thaw and your trees and shrubs start to bud, it is a good time to give them a long soaking of water, especially for newly planted items from the previous year.

As the weather starts to warm up, there are other beneficial landscape maintenance services for your yard. April and May, are great times to start your weed and fertilization programs, core aeration for your lawn, seeding any areas damaged from the winter, fertilizing trees and shrubs, mulching planter beds, edging of beds and sidewalks.

Central Services offers a variety of spring clean-up, spring maintenance, and landscaping services. Contact us today and get your free quote!

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Crabgrass Control

Crabgrass can be any homeowner’s nightmare. It can grow at an alarming rate, even in dry, hot seasons, and take over a once beautiful lawn. Crabgrass is unsightly and most noticeable because it grows at a faster rate and makes the lawn look uneven.  There are chemicals that help eliminate crabgrass once it is established without hurting the  lawn but the best way to control it, is to prevent it.

Crabgrass is an upright weed that can be mat forming and often has purple stems.

Crabgrass is an upright weed that can be mat forming and when mature it often has purple stems.

In Wisconsin Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed, meaning it has a life of less than a year. The first hard frost of the year will kill off the weeds; however one crabgrass weed can distribute thousands of seed which will be ready to germinate in the spring. Crabgrass germinates when the soil temps are greater than 55°F for a consecutive 7-10 days and it will continue to germinate in soil temperatures up to 95°F. The best way to control it is by applying a professional grade pre-emergent herbicide before it germinates. In our area it is typically most effective if it is applied in April to mid-May however, in a seasonably cold or hot spring it can alter the best timing of this application.

Central Services takes in account all the variable of the season to time the crucial period of when to apply this pre-emergent. Applications of the professional pre-emergent used will not only help prevent crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds, it will promote a healthy, dense, lawn. Our specialists can implement the best program for your lawn to help control weeds. We will come out and evaluate your lawn and recommend the best program.  Contact us today and talk to a certified and licensed professional about managing your lawn.

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Slit Seeding Your Lawn

Does your lawn need a Slit Seeding?

The major benefit in slit seeding over conventional seeding is that you get direct seed to soil contact. It allows for a clean approach without disrupting your existing turf.  It can help improve the overall appearance of your lawn.  A slit seeder is a machine that slices even rows into the soil /existing turf, and drops grass seed directly into those rows to improve the growth rate. With our slit seeding service we also apply a starter fertilizer of slow release nutrients to promote healthy growth. The key to a successful slit seeding is the quality of seed, fertilizer, and adequate water.

A slit seeding service can be offered in conjunction with other services,  to improve results.  A great program we are offering includes a slit seeding, with applying an organic compost mixture over the seed to aid in the growth process.  The mixture promotes extra nutrients, holds moisture better, and is an all-natural material.

A slit seeding can be included with a lawn Aeration, where lawn aeration is first performed then followed by the slit seeding program to help relieve compacted soil, and better seed germination.

Slit seeding is also recommended after a dethatching service to improve bare areas where the thatch has been removed.

If you think you are interested in a slit seeding service please contact our office and a lawn professional will answer any questions you may have, do a site analysis, and get you the necessary quote.

Organic Over Seeding Program

Slit Seeding Program

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Lawn Care Wauwatosa

For lawn care, Wauwatosa residents turn to Central Services.

Wauwatosa residents know that the beauty of a creative and well-maintained landscape is a perfect way to honor Mother Nature. But we are willing to admit a bit more: the beauty of your landscape directly affects the value of your home as it is represented in the community.

When it comes to lawn care, our team of professionals has created satisfied costumers in Wauwatosa for 30 + years. From lawn fertilization and weed control to award winning landscape construction and design, Central Services is your full service landscape company.

Let our qualified team take care of your lawn care needs for your new or existing property! Call us at (262) 548-0005 or click here for more information.

It’s OK to be a little superficial sometimes. Because, when it comes to your home, it does matter what is on the outside.

Lawn Care New Berlin

For lawn care, New Berlin residents turn to Central Services.

New Berlin residents know that the beauty of a creative and well-maintained landscape is a perfect way to honor Mother Nature. But we are willing to admit a bit more: the beauty of your landscape directly affects the value of your home as it is represented in the community.

When it comes to lawn care, our team of professionals has created satisfied costumers in New Berlin for 30 + years. From lawn fertilization and weed control to award winning landscape construction and design, Central Services is your full service landscape company.

Let our qualified team take care of your lawn care needs for your new or existing property! Call us at (262) 548-0005 or click here for more information.