Do you live in the Northeast region of the US? Have you noticed yellow spots in your lawn or patches of grass that seem limp? Stunted growth in your yard?

These could all be signs that your soil’s pH is either too acidic or too alkaline.  While both can be an issue, we are going to discuss high soil acidity.

Many lawn grasses thrive in a pH of 5.8-7 on the 1-14 scale.  In New England, our soil pH is generally slightly acidic. For this reason, New England lawn programs should include a Lime treatment. 

Is a winter fertilizer something you really need? Is it worth the money?  The answer is yes! 

It’s arguably the most important fertilizer application for your lawn (especially if you live in Northern climates).  We’ll explain why: 

Regular Fertilizer vs Winter Fertilizer:

What’s the main difference? Fertilizers applied throughout the year are intended to keep your grass growing.  A winter fertilizer is intended to make sure your lawn stores enough food over winter to rapidly grow once Spring comes.

Winter is a tough time for lawns.  A winterizer is a late fall application of fertilizer designed to help lawns store more food to survive winter and improve growth in spring.  It makes these stored nutrients readily available in Spring. This stored food ensures that your lawn is ready for a spring green-up.

Myth #1: I do not need to Core Aerate my lawn every fall. 

• This all depends on your lawn. If your lawn has a high clay content, we recommend a yearly Core Aeration service. Clay soil will compact when dry.  High traffic areas will also compact more and need aeration.  If you have a healthy, well maintained lawn, you only need Core Aeration services every other year.
  • Why Does My Lawn Need Core Aeration? [Explained]

What's the difference between sandy soil and clay soil? Soil characteristics play a large role in what your irrigation strategy should be. 

Sandy and clay soil hold and retain water differently.  Water moves slowly through clay soil and quickly through sandy soil.  

Moles can expand their runways at a rate of about 100 feet per day - for this reason, many people think they have multiple moles when it really just might be one.  If you have had a mole in your yard before, you know how destructive their digging can be. 

Assuming you have gotten rid of your moles and they are no longer an active threat, now it’s time to follow the steps below to fix the damage. 

If you have not yet gotten rid of the moles in your lawn, read this article below:

• How To Get Rid of Moles in My Lawn?

Will Ants Kill my Grass?

If you live in the Northeast, ants will not kill grass. In fact, they won’t even feed on grass. What they will feed on is anything sugary or protein-filled.  This can range anywhere from a cookie dropped in the lawn by your toddler to the carcasses of other dead insects around your yard. 

Mole Myths: Moles eat MORE than just Grubs!

Have you ever had moles wreak havoc on your lawn? If so, you know just how time consuming of a fix it can be.  Many people believe that if they have a lawn service that includes grub control that this will eliminate moles. The reality? Grubs are only a part of a mole’s diet. 

What is snow mold? It's a fungus that affects cool season grasses and is found after spring snow melt.

The conditions that are favorable to snow mold is when we have heavy snow fall on cool season grasses in years when the first snow fall is on ground that is not yet frozen.

We had a decent amount of snow fall this past winter and as all of this snow melts, we are hearing from several customers who are seeing series of small trail systems all over their yard. 

What are they? If this trail system is on the surface of your lawn, the odds are good that you have voles (or field mice) in your yard.  Their "highway system" will show signs of trampled grass from repeated use. What is the reason we are seeing this now? Snow melt.

A warm ground plus about 6 inches of snow pack throughout winter creates the perfect habitat for voles.  Snow acts as ground insulation and temperatures between the ground and snow usually linger around 32 degrees. Their protected tunnel system minimizes their time out in the open exposed to predators. 

Are ticks active in winter? Yes!  When temperatures are above freezing, black legged ticks (deer ticks) are active.  These ticks will find shelter in leaf litter to survive winter.

Their activity will decrease when temperatures dip below freezing but they are still out there!  As long as they aren't covered in snow, they are looking for hosts. 

“There’s a really good correlation with our increase in temperatures in the winter months and the increase in survival [for ticks],” explained Kirby Stafford, chief scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and state entomologist.