Archives

The Importance of Cleaning Your Lawn Care Equipment

South Florida Lawn Care | SouthernGreenUSA.comMaking sure harmful weeds do not spread into your landscape is important. If you can stop weeds from establishing in your lawn, you won’t have to worry about spreading weed killer or dealing with other weed control methods. When you are fighting the weeds that inevitably pop up in hard to mow areas, it’s vital to make sure that you clean your lawn care equipment after you are done.

Using lawn equipment to mow down and remove weeds means you may be transferring weed seeds onto your equipment. It doesn’t matter if you are using mowers, trimmers, or rototillers, these pieces of equipment should be washed to prevent the spread of these weeds. Even just a few tiny seeds can turn into a big problem. Additionally, if you believe any of your lawn clippings have weed seeds in them, they should be thrown out to prevent contamination to other parts of your lawn. If you don’t, you’ll only be making the problem worse.

Take your landscape to the next level and hire Southern Green for North, Central, and South Florida lawn care services. Our business assists homeowners in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, as well as many other Florida cities.

Scalping Your Lawn to Fight Thatch is a Bad Idea

Lawn Care Jacksonville FL | SouthernGreenUSA.comThe eternal battle against thatch can feel frustrating, but you can never give up.  Losing your lawn to thatch can cost you a lot of money; not to mention the hours of labor you’ll spend re-establishing it.  It is for this reason that, when thatch threatens to kill your lawn, you’ll find yourself wanting to do everything you can to save it.  There are many ways to fight thatch- from vertical mowing and aeration to power raking, but one thing you should never do is scalp your lawn.

Some people believe that scalping their lawn makes sense, as they think mowing the grass to a shorter height will allow them to easily access and remove the thatch. Unless you are working directly with a lawn care professional or county extension agent, this is a bad idea. Scalping a St. Augustinegrass or centipedegrass lawn can kill your entire landscape. The most ideal plan for those committed to taking care of this problem on their own is to use a heavy-duty vertical mower. This piece of equipment will slice directly into the thatch to remove it!

Whether you are concerned with thatch problems or are just looking for someone to come and aerate your lawn, rest assured that the team at Southern Green will be able to assist you. We provide lawn care in Jacksonville, FL, as well as Orlando, Tampa, and South Florida cities.

Identifying Fire Ants

Fire Ant Control Orlando FL | SouthernGreenUSA.comBeing vigilant about caring for your landscape is vital. Having a fire ant infestation can be problematic for a number of reasons – they bite, they ruin your plants, and, simply put, they just make your landscape look bad. The team at Southern Green wants to help you protect your property from fire ants.  To do this, you must first be able to identify fire ant problems.

Fortunately, even the inexperienced eye can identify fire ants with a few of these tell-tale signs.  Fire ants are known for building mounds that are located in open sunny areas, as well as in rotting logs or around tree stumps. These mounds can grow as high as 24 inches in height. When you look at the ant itself, you’ll notice that the fire ant typically has a reddish brown color. Of course, you can also identify a fire ant by its painful bite – although we do not recommend this identification method to anyone. There are a variety of fire ants all over the United States, with the red imported fire ant being known as the worst, as these ants are aggressive, can reproduce rapidly, and have a particularly painful sting.

Don’t let fire ants ruin your lawn anymore! Contact Southern Green for fire ant control in Orlando, FL, as well as Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa. With our help, you’ll be able to walk on your lawn with bare feet whenever you please!

The Benefits of Lawn Aeration

Lawn Care Aeration | SouthernGreenUSA.comMaking your landscape look healthy is very important to the team at Southern Green. That’s why we offer incomparable aeration assistance as part of our lawn services. This is an important process that should be performed on all lawns.

When you aerate your landscape, you are putting small holes in the soil to allow water, air, and quality nutrients to get into your grass roots. Doing this allows the roots to grow deep and produces a strong lawn. You should be aerating your landscape for a variety of reasons, but one of the central reasons is to guarantee that your soil doesn’t get too compacted. When soil is too compacted, thatch and debris build up, causing excess thatch, which will kill your grass.

Making sure you aerate your landscape at the right time is the key to a beautiful lawn. If your lawn starts to dry out and feels spongy, then you should consider aerating your landscape. Additionally, it’s wise to aerate your lawn after new construction. These lawns usually have a lot of people walking over them, which strips and compacts the top soil, killing it before it has had its time to shine.

Sign up for lawn care aeration services when you contact Southern Green. Our teams serve people all over Florida, including Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida residents.

Developing an Irrigation Plan

Orlando Lawn Care | SouthernGreenUSA.comInstalling a new irrigation system on your landscape is important, as one needs to make sure that they are irrigating the landscape properly and not over-irrigating certain areas. Take a look at some of the issues you should consider before making the installation:

  • Frequency – How often will you be watering your landscape? Are you in a sunny area that needs more water or dealing with a shady landscape that doesn’t get too hot? Walk through the landscape and assess the grounds before making the installation.
  • Landscape Plans – If you have a wide array of landscape plans, such as putting in a garden or decorative flowers, then you want to work your irrigation system around these areas, to avoid any overwatering problems.
  • Watering Times – Knowing what times of the day you are going to water your lawn can factor into your irrigation system decisions. If you like to sleep in, you may want to consider investing in a programmable irrigation system that you can schedule to run digitally. This is also beneficial for homeowners who live in areas with watering restrictions.

Once you have installed your new system, you can come to Southern Green for lawn treatment services. Our team of specialists work in a wide array of areas, providing Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando lawn care services.

Mowing a Seashore Paspalum Lawn

Lawn Care Jacksonville FL | SouthernGreenUSA.comAs residents of the great state of Florida, we are able to grow grass that you won’t find in most other parts of the country. One of these unique grasses is seashore paspalum. This specialty grass is typically used in coastal areas, working well near saltwater.

When you are maintaining a seashore paspalum landscape, there are a variety of rules you must follow to get the best out of your grass. Most importantly, these lawns should be mowed at 1 ½ to 2 inches with mowers that feature sharp blades. By doing this, you can avoid tearing the leaf tissue. When too much of the leaf is removed, this grass begins to develop problems. If the grass starts to take on a scalped appearance, you can mow at a higher lawn mower height until the problem is corrected.

Seashore paspalum is most active during the summer months, which means you should mow your lawn more than once a week to guarantee that it looks good and doesn’t develop any thatch problems. While mowing, you can leave your grass clippings on the lawn, as they are readily decomposed and do not contribute to thatch.

Keep up with your seashore paspalum landscape with help from Southern Green. Our team provides unparalleled lawn care in Jacksonville, FL, as well as Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida cities.

Dealing with Weeds in Bermudagrass

South Florida Lawn Care | SouthernGreenUSA.comWeed problems are a reality that every homeowner must face. They are unsightly and can appear at any time of the year. It doesn’t matter if you live in a nice, quiet suburb or are located in an urban area, weeds have spent many years evolving – giving themselves the ability to grow in any location.

When you are dealing with weed problems in bermudagrass, it’s typically a sign that your landscape has become weakened by pest problems or the wrong lawn care practices. One of the first things you should do is review your fertilization, watering, and mowing practices to make sure you are doing everything properly. Once you have reviewed your methods, you should also inspect your landscape for signs of pests, such as brown spots. If pest control and new management practices do not take care of the problem, you can invest in herbicides that are created specifically for bermudagrass. These herbicides are available for both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control.

If you can’t take care of the problems yourself, you can request lawn treatment services from Southern Green. We offer Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and South Florida lawn care services, as well as landscape pest control assistance, that are customized to your landscape.

Dealing with Fire Ant Stings

Fire Ant Control Orlando FL | SouthernGreenUSA.comFire ants seem to exist only to ruin a good time. Whether they are in your lawn or have made their way into your home, it’s vital that you do something about it before they attack you and your family.

These ants sting because they are sensitive to vibration. When fire ants get on your leg or arm and you move, at least one of these insects will start to bite and sting. Once one ant does it, the rest of the ants are triggered to have the same response. These stings are not lethal, but it’s important to note that about 1% of the human population is hypersensitive to ant venom and can experience lethal reactions.

When you are stung, there is not much you can do except clean the area and stay alert for any effects, such as shortness of breath, sweating, or any other typical allergic reaction. If anything seems wrong or you don’t feel right, it’s important that you seek medical attention immediately. Medical experts will be able to treat the problem and stop any possible allergic reactions.

The team at Southern Green can assist you with fire ants, providing fire ant control in Orlando, FL, as well as Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa. Contact us today to learn more about how we get rid of fire ants on your property.

Nitrogen and Your Florida Landscape

Lawn Care St Petersburg FL | SouthernGreenUSA.comHelping your turfgrass grow means investing in a good fertilizer. Whether you live in North Florida and have a St. Augustinegrass landscape or are a Miami homeowner with a zoysiagrass lawn, using a nitrogen-based fertilizer is a great way to care for your turfgrass.

Nitrogen is a good fertilizer for most Florida grasses as it helps them survive in the mostly sandy soil. Most experts recommend that nitrogen be applied at least two times a year and as many as eight times, depending on your location and soil composition. The number will vary, depending on your grass and its needs. It is vital to monitor the grass after nitrogen is applied. If you put too much on your grass, it could leak into ground waters. You should plan on using a nitrogen fertilizer in times when your grass is not dormant. Furthermore, using nitrogen during the summer can make your landscape more susceptible to pests and disease.

The specialists at Southern Green know all about fertilizers and are available to start taking care of your landscape. We offer lawn care in St. Petersburg, FL, as well as Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. When you want talented professionals taking care of your lawn, you can rest assured that you have come to the best when you come to Southern Green.

The Disadvantages of Choosing Bahiagrass for Your Landscape

South Florida Lawn Care | SouthernGreenUSA.comWhenever we cover grass choices, it’s important to understand that as great as a turfgrass may seem, there are also disadvantages that go along with it. Before you establish a bahiagrass landscape, there are some disadvantages you should consider.

One of the most common complaints about bahiagrass is that it is not as dark green and dense as other popular Florida turfgrasses. In fact, this grass is known to form ugly, large seedheads throughout Spring, Summer, and Fall. Because of this, you can count on spending more time mowing your lawn.  You will also need to make sure that your lawnmower blades are always sharp- bahiagrass is known to be tough. Other common issues people have with this grass include its coarse texture, poor performance in high-pH soils, and susceptibility to the growth of weeds in sparse areas. Before making a decision to invest in bahiagrass, you should speak to a professional about your landscape to see if this grass is right for your needs.

Establishing a great lawn can take a lot of time, effort, and money.  That’s why it’s so important to choose a reliable provider that will help you keep up with your investment. Let Southern Green provide amazing services for your property, including North, Central, and South Florida lawn care services. Review our services and discover what our team can do for you!