Lawn Basics

Litter and debris removed from driveway, lawn & garden beds

Cut back perennials and removal of dead plant material

Weeding of garden beds

Trees and shrubs are pruned to eliminate deadwood, broken branches, overgrowth, fungus and winterkill

Re-Edge garden beds and curbs where necessary

Clear lawn area and dispose of debris

Install Gro Bark mulch in gardens to reduce weeds and help to retain more water

Litter and debris removed from driveway, lawn & garden beds

Cut back perennials and removal of dead plant material

Weeding of garden beds

Re-Edge garden beds and curbs where necessary

Cultivate gardens and prepare beds for winter

Spring & Fall Clean Up

Mulch Garden Beds

Install Edge around Garden Beds & Walkways

Hedge Trimming

Shrub & Plant Pruning

Weeding

Leaf Clean Up

Tree Wrapping & Tying plus materials

In the spring it is very important to wait until the soil temperature reaches 13° below the frost line before we apply compost or seed.

The best time to get started in our region is the Victoria Day long-weekend any time prior to that the soil is generally too cold to germinate grass.

Step 1 take a fan rake and clear all debris off the lawn

Step 2 aerate the lawn

Step 3 apply compost pellets to your lawn after the aeration, it will allow the compost to start breaking down at the root zone where it’s needed most

Step 4 apply your grass seed

Step 5 water your lawn every day every morning for 14 days.

If your lawn has grub damage it is important to have a nematode application done prior to aerating and over-seeding.

Repeat all of the same steps in the fall as you would in the spring until your lawn has thickened up where it now crowds out the weeds.

If your lawn has problems with Grubs & Crane flies it is best to wait and apply your nematodes after Labour Day, Crane flies take longer to lay their eggs.

Make sure you kill all of the bugs that are feeding on your lawn not just 1 of them.

We do not bag grass clippings nor do we use large riding lawn mowers; our objective is to have your lawn looking at it’s best.

Seasonal contracts pay per visit as well as the occasional holiday cut are available.

Contact us for a fair and accurate quote.

The best time to aerate your lawn is in the spring and fall right before you’re about to seed your lawn.

Aerating and not seeding your lawn is a great way to spread weeds.

Try to aerate the lawn when it’s had several days without rain or watering this will allow the aerator to run smoothly through the lawn.

Nematodes are a type of microscopic bug that eats bad bugs in our lawns and gardens.

For more information please go to our grubs page.

If you do need to fertilize your lawn it is not necessary to fertilize anymore then in the spring and fall.

Be very careful when using fertilizer as applying too much to your lawn can cause it to burn when I do use fertilizer I prefer to use an organic base, which will prevent burning.

It is much safer to use compost to improve your soil conditions instead of fertilizer.

If you can only seed your lawn once per season the best time to seed is always in the fall when we have the best soil conditions possible for growing.

Seeding your lawn in the spring and the fall is the only way to crowd out weeds from growing in your lawn.

Every season that you add grass seed to your lawn you help to build up resistance to disease and pest.

For every 1000 ft.² of lawn area you will need 5 to 7 pounds of grass seed to cover that area effectively.

Compost pellets are the easiest most inexpensive way to introduce nutrients to your soil down at the roots own where it’s needed the most.

Aerating the soil before applying compost pellets is the most effective way to have the nutrients absorbed into the soil.

For every 1% of compost that we add to our soil it will increase water holding capacity and nutrient uptake by 50%.

When your lawn starts retaining 50% more water and nutrients you will not need to water your lawn as often nor will your grass grow as fast when you stop using fertilizer and only use compost pellets.

Using compost pellets will allow your grass to grow at its natural rate which means it should only be cut every 10 to 14 days versus every 5 to 7 a lawn that needs to be cut that often has lots of fertilizer forcing it to grow.

The only way to successfully prevent weeds in your lawn is to grow a thicker lawn the thicker the grass the least amount of area for weeds to grow.

When you seed your lawn each spring and fall this will help to thicken your lawn over time and eventually you will crowd out all the weeds.

I do not recommend using spray form weed killers as they tend to kill the grass as much as the weeds.

If you are over-seeding your lawn during the growing period you will need to water every morning for 14 days even on days that it rains unless it’s a very heavy rain, it’s recommended that you water as well.

When your goal is to maintain a healthy lawn it is recommended to water once a week or every 5 to 7 days so you can simulate a heavy rainstorm, it is not recommended to water every other day.

When you’re trying to find the right amount of water to apply to your lawn when applying nematodes it is recommended that you take a can the size of a small tuna can and place that beside your sprinkler and time how long it takes for the sprinkler to fill the entire can.

Many homes have different water pressure which is why this tip is so helpful when determining how much water to apply to your lawn.

It may take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes for the sprinkler to fill the can when you time it the first time you will know the exact amount of water in the exact amount of time it takes for what you need.

When doing a nematode application the lawn area must be very very wet and it is recommended that you fill three cans.

The time that it takes to fill three small tuna cans is how long you should water your lawn prior to the application.

After the application you will want to water the same amount of water for the three consecutive mornings of the treatment.

When cutting your grass it is always best to leave your grass at the highest possible setting which could be anywhere from 3 inches to 3 1/4 inches in height.

When leaving the grass longer this creates more shade on the lawn, which will allow the lawn to retain more water and help prevent weeds from spreading.

It is very important to remember the 1/3 rule that applies to grass as well as plants you should never cut more than one third of the blade of grass.

In wet weather when the grass grows faster this is when you need to be careful about not cutting too short some people who cut back more than one third or go below 2 1/2 inches are destined to burn and damage the lawn.

Whenever possible recycle all the grass clippings on the lawn.

It does not benefit the lawn to bag any grass clippings including in the fall when the leaf debris is on the lawn.

Unless we are trying to prevent grass from going into pools or garden beds these are the exceptions for bagging grass.

Some trees are known to get what is called black spot which is a form of fungus that can spread when grass and leaf debris are mulched into the lawn.

Black spot will require the grass clippings to be bagged to prevent further contamination.

Mulching leaf debris into your lawn is a great way to use natures compost.

Depending on the amount of trees on the property some bagging may be required and any excess leaf debris would be mulched thoroughly into the lawn.

If any tree on the property contains black spot we must bag all the debris.