Raking/Dethatching:

The 1st step in preparing your lawn for spring is to clean up any debris that is lying around the yard (sticks, leaves, plow damage, thatch, etc).  

Thatch is a layer of both living and dead grass shoots/roots/stems that builds up between your soil and grass blades that can be eliminated by raking or dethatching your lawn (see below). 

Rake as many times as needed to achieve a thatch layer of ½ inch or less or hire a professional landscaping company to do this for you.  Anything greater than ½ inches of thatch can be unhealthy for your lawn. 

A thick layer will restrict the amount of nutrients and water that your grass roots will be able to absorb. 

Raking and dethatching can begin any time after your snow season is complete. 

Behind the Scenes: Why Lawn Care Company Prices Differ

Working in Lawn care customer service for now 30 years, one of the most common calls I get is, “I need to cancel my services because I can't afford it”. 

 Have you ever gotten a knock on your door or a phone call or a mailer with a 'too good to be true' price? 

If it seems too good to be true, it just might be...

Everyone's been there - you are outside enjoying a wonderful summer evening and the dreaded mosquitoes come swarming in, forcing your gathering inside.

Are there any pet owners out there tired of scanning your beloved best friends for ticks?

Tick and mosquito control treatments can overlap in many ways. We will go over the differences so you can decide which is right for you.

Throughout Connecticut we have over 48 different species of mosquitoes but only a dozen are considered pests. Female mosquitos are the only sex that bite humans and draw blood, while males feed on plant nectar. 

Mosquitos have existed for over 200 million years carrying numerous harmful diseases and are a nuisance when spending time outdoors.

Finding a Lawn Care Company That's Right for You. 

Are you tired of dealing with the “Big Boys”? National & Franchise Companies have their place in our industry but might not be right for you.

You may want a more trusted and local option. It’s not always easy to find the lawn care company that is right for you.

Here’s where I have experienced the best referrals and recommendations coming from in my now 29 years in the lawn care industry:

Triple Core Aeration and Seed

Core aeration is a type of aeration where thousands of  tiny "cores" or tubes of soil are removed from your lawn.  These small holes allow water, nutrients and air to penetrate compacted soil. This process allows your existing grass to create new plants through a process called tillering. 

Improve Your Mowing Practices with These Easy Tips

7 things you need to know to become a successful “Mole Hunter”

In my 29 years in the lawn care industry as a Licensed Lawn Supervisor, I have heard many stories and seen many strategies used to control moles such as filling the tunnels with gum, hair, rose shards, glass, gummy worms, gas tablets, moth balls or castor oil pellets to name a few.  All can work but to truly understand the effective strategies, you need to understand the mole. 

Hiring a lawn care company can be easy.  Hiring the right one...not always so easy. 

Who do you trust? Reviews offer simple, relevant guidance and show the truth of what a company is all about. Search Engines and Social Media such as Google, Facebook and Yelp reviews are controlled by the customer and once posted, share the customers experience to the world.  Asking neighbors and friends what lawn services they use and what they think of them, is a great way to find a company that might be right for you.

With spring fast approaching, is the lawn care company you are using having a price increase and you are struggling to understand why?

If so, this article is for you.

I usually start my articles with a search of the web to research what is being said. When I Googled “lawncare price increases” it gave many strategies on how much to increase and when to increase but not much on the why. In my 29 years in the industry, I have witnessed good reasons and then ones that just made me shake my head.