Sunday, October 18, 2015

A tale of two seasons

As we approach the end of another lawn care season I'm reminded of this year and the duality it represented.

Lawns looked fantastic to about the middle of July. In fact, many of our customers commented, it was the best their lawns had ever looked under our care. Then things took a turn.

With the heat and drought conditions, crabgrass exploded over night, chinch bugs marched forth in wave after wave with voracious hunger and white moth/ sod webworm made their presence known in bled, softball-sized pockets of brown, dead grass that lasted into mid September.

Not all lawns were affected, but enough were to keep us jumping through the summer months. This is why it is so important to make sure your lawn gets at least one deep watering a week during periods of high heat and it is cut properly- 3 inches high with no more than a third of the blade removed when mowing.

With the fall. most lawns have recovered nicely, as they usually do, but with grubs on the increase the raccoon damage north of the city has me worried for next season . Since we are entering a period where summer heat will be consistent over the next several years, I expect insect and weed issues to remain on the high to severe side - a sequel I'm not looking forward to.

Character development, conflict and eventual resolution might be great reading, but when it comes to your lawn...not so much.

If you want excellent curb appeal, stay away from the bargain-bin, dime-store novel and keep your lawn on the best-seller list.