Moss Problems? Our New organic Product will Kill It!

Moss is one of the oldest plants in the world. It has evolved from a shade lover to a full sunlight survivor and survive it does.

Some people actually like Moss, but in most cases it is a growth most of our clients want to get rid of and for good reason. Moss will eat wooden structures such as decks, patios, siding, and wooden shingles, because it keeps the moisture in, I have even seen it cause mould which is not only another serious issue, it can and will affect your health in time..

In the last few weeks a fairly constant question is what do I do about this moss growing?

We are pleased to inform you the search is over and we have a proven product with a long track record that is made from a plant extract, it works really well, in fact we have contacted over 50 end users to ensure performance, everyone we contacted was amazed. It has been tested by numerous Universities and the results are excellent and proven.

In keeping with our company policy of being 100% Organic, our new moss killing product is Certified as a “100% Organic Natural Plant Extract that won’t harm your pets or children.”
If you would like to have a free spray estimate, feel free to contact us, as always no obligation!

What is the cause of Brown Patch on a Lawn?

A fairly common question from homeowners is what causes brown patches in my lawn? Based on experience and research I offer the following:

A lawn that has brown patches and bare spots can be an annoyance, not only do they look bad they leave room for weeds to start, fortunately with little effort the trouble spots can be fixed and you can take steps to ensure they do not return. The first thing we need to do is determine why they are there then we can deal with the issue at hand.

In my experience the number one cause is too much fertilizer, regular store purchased fertilizer can and will burn your lawn, our company only uses Organic Fertilizer and as such it is next to impossible to burn your grass. What is happening is you have an excess of nitrogen which leaches out of the soil fairly quickly, to start water the spots thoroughly and after a month or so they should be gone.

Next is traffic., if your patches look more like paths then perhaps family, visitors or pets are making short cuts through your lawn. What is happening is the soil is compacting, you can fix the problem by aerating the soil, see our blog on Aeration. In the long run it’s best to lay out pathways where visitors and hopefully the pets will walk.

Too much water, sometimes we become a little over enthusiastic about watering the lawn, our kindles can actually kill the lawn as too much water will drown the roots. Also remember research has shown the best time to water the lawn is in the early morning. It could also be that you have poor drainage in the area, in any event once the area has dried, overseed.

There is a disease called “Brown Patch” which is caused by a fairly common fungus. This fungus has been known to be in the soil for years and cause no problems until your grass is stressed. If your patch forms a round ring that is surrounded by healthy green grass chances are you have a fungus. The only way I know of to ensure this is the issue is to have the soil tested, once it is diagnosed and confirmed we have two Organic products that will cure your problem.

Finally there are a number of insects that can start a brown patch, the best way I know of is to look at the issue first hand.

So What Is Overseeding Anyhow?

Overseeding simply means spreading seed into a current lawn to increase the number of grass plants over your turf area. It does not require that we dig up your existing lawn.

We need to or have you mow the current grass very short, I generally suggest 2” or less, the lower the better, once completed we sow the new seed right in amongst the stubble of the existing live grass plants. They act as a mulch to hold the seed in place. As the new seed germinates and grows, sprouts fill in thin spots and bare areas of the lawn, denying weeds an opportunity to return and take over you can generally expect to see the new grass seed within 10 days, ensure that we apply organic fertilizer at the same time.It takes only really takes two days to see the difference.

Optional steps such as Organic aerating product and our Dethatch are important at this step. Follow-up watering is required and ensure you water in the early morning for best results. Overseeding is not an expensive process, it is quick and the results are very noticeable.

Why Overseed?

Overseeding has never been a very common lawn care practice by homeowners, however professional turf managers routinely overseed their athletic fields and golf courses almost every year. Although your lawn may not get the workout that golf courses, parks and athletic fields do, it can benefit enormously from overseeding.

A Few Of The Advantages of overseeding are:

• Overseeded lawns look greener and are denser.
• Thicker turf discourages the germination of weed seeds.
• Modern grass varieties add increased resistance to disease.
• Newly sown grass revives a lawn of tired grass.
• Diversity of grass varieties makes a healthier lawn.
  

As always ask us for a free, no obligation quote.

Grass Seed - Which One???

There seems to be as many types and manufacturers of grass seed on the market as there are cars.

I researched many and settled on a company called Canada Green, they have three seeds we use as follows:

Perfect Grass – it will grow anywhere even if there is next to no soil which we need for certain areas like Prospect for example where there is so much rock at surface, you will see grass within 10 days.

Viscosity Grass – This is great for over seeding as it builds a thick golf course like lawn

Canada Green - This seed is ideal for a new lawn where you do not wish to sod, it provides a turf that is amazing and grows very quick.

In the days to come I will write on moss as it seems to be an issue most of my clients have at some area of their property and overseeding, why do it?

Have a super day, we are a bit overwhelmed with clients calling with drainage issues, I will never put another company down, I just find a lot of work out there that is not the way we would do it.

I like doing things right the first time rather than have a client call me back, we do not take short cuts and will sometimes walk away if a client wants to. It’s no offence to anyone, I want to maintain an excellent reputation, if we take short cuts there is going to be problems and its a reflection on our work.

50mm of Rain?? It's actually ideal!

For our Organic Sprays especially our aerify product which works far better than core aeration as it gets to the root of the matter which is what you want.

First since it's spring lets take a look at Aerification as it's critical to a healthy lawn which is what we both want to obtain.

With spring finally here it is time to get your lawn ready to be the talk of the street!

You could save up to 30% over typical core (plug) aeration costs with a proven organic solution.
While our company does own and operate core aerators, we have an alternative solution for you to consider.

Why we chose a liquid Organic solution over a core aerator:

· Aerating machines only penetrate 2-3 inches into the root zone and much less on bumpy or thatchy lawns. This is where the soil is already pretty good on a lot of lawns. You want to get into the tougher, more claylike soil 3-8 inches deep to encourage rooting and improve drainage. Our spray will penetrate beyone the existing root zone and additional applications will penetrate even deeper.

· Aerating machines expose weed seeds to light and can cause them to germinate.

· If you do not have a thick lawn then removing plugs of grass and roots with a machine will result in thinning out the lawn.

· Aerating machines poke holes about 6 inches apart. They do not structurally change the soil. Our spray covers 100% of the soil and it actually breaks up the bonds that hold clay particles together.

· Aerating machines can harm tree roots, sprinklers and hidden pipes or wires under the lawn. Our spray is completely safe to use over all lawn areas. And because it penetrates deeper, it will help trees too.

· Aerating machines are only used in the spring and fall when conditions are just right. Our product can be applied at any time!

· Aerating machines leave messy plugs on top of the lawn. Our product leaves no mess at all.
Organic gardeners and horticultural professionals know that one of the secrets to having great lawns and gardens is having great soil. And that means a porous, well aerated soil where roots can grow deeply and where biolife can thrive.

Compacted soils cause unhealthy plants, lawns and trees. They stay soggy when wet, and turn rock hard when they dry out in the summer. When soils are "tight", necessary air, water and nutrients cannot move through the soil. Disease occurs. Roots are stunted. Beneficial micro-organisms can't survive. Plants are stressed and weakened. When you are doing everything else right, soil compaction will ruin all your efforts.

Oakridge Yard Care has a organic liquid spray that is the answer over standard, expensive core aeration, what is does is create a "space" in the soil, allowing roots, water and oxygen to permeate. Once you get oxygen into a clay soil, beneficial microbes will be able to survive. These microbes are needed to turn old roots and organic matter into all-important humus. Once you have humus, ou'll have much better soil quality and structure.

What can you expect?

If you have decent topsoil that has become compacted, our product should be able to give some immediate relief in terms of aeration and drainage. Follow up applications will keep the soil opened up and allow the natural microbial processes to restructure the soil, we always involve our clients and will suggest products as we feel they are required, it is totally up to you if you would like a product applied.

Here are a few benefits to our Organic product:

Eliminates the need for mechanical aeration
Reduces soil compaction
Breaks up clay deeply
Improves soil structure and humus formation
Can be applied any time during the growing season
Increases earthworm activity
Helps bioactivate all soils
Safe to use around sprinklers
Improves rooting by loosening soil
Improves air and water penetration
An IONIZED Soil Conditioner
Completely biodegradable
Helps save water & reduce plant stress and disease
Improves drainage & prevents erosion
Saves time and money As always, give us a call for a free estimate!

Visit our website for a complete list of Organic sprays and what they will do for you www.oakridgeyardcare.ca

Drainage Problems?

To say we are going out straight fixing client drainage issues at the moment would be an understatement, currently we have 36 jobs on the go and are adding another tractor/backhoe this week.

It has been interesting visiting prospect clients, many do not have proper drainage, some have what we call a French drain however it has no drain tile within the drain, some have a French drain with tile however it was never covered with proper landscape fabric and is plugged.

As with everything there is a proper way to do this:

· first we need to determine the grade
· next we dig a trench about 12” wide and 10” deep
· Layer with 2” ¾” clear stone
· Install perforated drain pipe that is sock wrapped, this is an additional protection from silt
· Cover the pipe with ¾” clear stone
· Cover the stone with landscaping fabric, we use the same fabric as used for septic fields, why? First is the cost, quality fabric is only 18% more than the 3 to 5 year product you buy at the big box store
· Cover the fabric with soil, we will sod it for you however I find many clients want to take over at this point which is fine with us.

I like to involve our clients in every project, as much or as little as they wish.If you are having drainage problems, give us a call, the demand at the moment is simply amazing and yes we are fixing a lot of drains that were not built properly, some only five years old.

March 29, 2009

Welcome to our first Blog post, I must admit I am not a writer however clients have suggested that I start a blog and post what is new or going on with our company.

We have started some landscaping and excavation work in the Halifax, Prospect and Hammonds Plains areas however the ground is still pretty frozen so if the job is critical and a rush I will be more than happy to help you out however it would probably be in your best interest to wait a week for the ground to thaw.

We recently completed the lettering on our vehicles and our larger trailer, our 14 foot cargo trailer should arrive soon, and this trailer will be used for the lawn care side of the business.
Our company will have enough organic products to handle around one hundred homes this year, with our current size that is about all we can handle. I have been visiting with prospects and providing estimates for Organic Fertilizer, Organic Weed Control and Organic Biological Detacher, a better and more cost efficient way to aerate your soil.