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Why rain doesn’t solve all your problems!

Over the course of my lengthy lawn care, landscaping, and irrigation career, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard these words, “But it just rained last week. Why does my yard look so dry?”

The answer is simple and if you follow my simple irrigation rules, your lawn will continue to thrive as if it rained three days a week.

Don’t wait too long to water

Your brain is telling you that it just rained and you don’t need to run your irrigation system. Realistically, in just 2-3 days without water, your lawn can begin to show signs of drought stress. This is Florida, and in the summer in Florida, it’s extremely hot. Your lawn will absorb a certain amount of water from rainfall, but the rest will evaporate rapidly during the summer months. This will leave your grass roots thirsty for more.

Signs of drought stress include: grass blades beginning to fold, grass blades beginning to turn purple, and patches of your previously green lawn turning light brown. These are all warning signs that you need to run your irrigation.

Make sure to run your irrigation system

It’s not enough to rely on the rain during the hot summer months. Be attentive to how long it’s been since it rained. Just because it rained last week doesn’t mean your lawn will be properly hydrated for weeks to come! Watch out for dry patches in your lawn. This could be fixed with a simple irrigation system check and adjustment. Follow the simple rule of watering 3 days after it rains, and your issues should quickly dissipate. Ask the experts at Southern Green how you can save water and money with our expert irrigation program.

 

Mosquitoes: Are you protected?

It’s a beautiful summer evening. There’s a slight breeze, the sun is going down, and you’re ready to cook out on your back porch. It’s going to be a wonderful family night. But wait!! You can’t even go outside without being swarmed by mosquitoes! The pesky pests will not only ruin your evening, but can possibly pose a potential threat to you and your family.

The dangers of mosquitoes

According to mosquitoworld.net, mosquito bites can transmit diseases such as: Malaria, Zika Virus, West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, and Chikungunya. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control report that mosquitoes kill more than a million people per year from Malaria alone. Rates of infection are rapidly increasing, and scientists fear that global warming will translate into tremendous mosquito growth numbers.

Protect your home and family

It’s not enough to just apply bug spray and light citronella candles. They can slow mosquito bites and be mild deterrents, but getting rid of mosquitoes should be your goal. Mosquito treatments from a licensed chemical company can greatly reduce the threat of mosquitoes. These treatments kill a large amount of living mosquitoes as well as egg larvae. Contact the expert technicians at Southern Green today to learn how you can greatly reduce the threat of mosquitoes at and around your home.

Should You Hire a Chemical Lawn Care Company or Do it Yourself?

We’ve all been there. Heading to the store to buy overpriced fertilizer, cramming it in your trunk, then taking precious time out of your day to apply it to your lawn. You hope the results will be good, and even if they are, they don’t last long. So, you head back to the store, looking for a miracle product that will enhance the look of your lawn. Yet, you can only buy products with a small amount of potency due to regulations and guidelines. This is exactly why you need a chemical lawn care company to take care of your lawn.

Trust the experts

There is a reason the license for operating a chemical lawn care company is so hard to get. The state of Florida wants to make sure the license holders are absolute experts in their field. This license ensures that the products applied to your lawn will be correct and applied in the proper manner, as well as ensuring that the products are environmentally friendly. Also, the products used by a licensed chemical lawn care company are more complete and have more potency than the products you, as a consumer, can buy over the counter. These products are applied using the right dosage and at the correct times of the year.

Make life easier

Everyone would love to be able to push the easy button. Well, when it comes to the health of your lawn, you can. By signing up for service with a licensed chemical lawn care company, you no longer have to worry about what products to buy for your lawn and when to apply them. It’s all done for you! It’s a no brainer. For less money than you would spend buying over the counter chemicals with less potency, you can have a licensed company take care of your lawn with the proper chemicals at the proper time. See how our licensed professionals at Southern Green can save you time, money, and hassles today.

Your Lawn and the Human Body

OK, so you’ve signed up for a weed control, insect control, and fertilization program from a licensed chemical lawn care company. You’re optimistic and are looking for great results, hopeful that your lawn and shrubs will remain healthy and green. The main question is: How long should you stay with the service to get the best results possible? The answer is simple…

Stay with the program!

Just like you, your lawn and shrubs are living organisms. And just like you, living organisms need consistent care, nutrients, and attention.

Let’s compare the human body to your lawn. Imagine starting a healthy diet and you say you’re going to stick with your diet so you can be healthy. You start your diet and the first 2 months give great results. You’ve lost some weight, you have more energy, you’re sleeping better, and you feel great. You’re putting the proper nutrients in your body, you’re adequately hydrating by drinking plenty of water, and all this is due to you staying with your program. BUT, after 2 months, you decide that you can take a break from the diet. You stop taking in the necessary nutrients, you stop drinking plenty of water, and you stop staying with the program. What happens?! The weight comes back on and you become unhealthy again. And worse, you have to start all over to get the desired results!

The same is true for your lawn! This living organism needs proper nutrients, water, and attention. And it can’t be ‘start, stop, and start again’ like a bad diet. It must be consistent and constant, just like the health of your human body.

Don’t quit

A healthy lifestyle provides numerous benefits to the human body and needs to be steady and consistent. The longer you provide essential nutrients and water to your body, the better your body will be. This same concept applies to your lawn. Don’t stop giving your lawn the nutrients (fertilization), weed and insect control, and hydration (watering with your irrigation system) it needs. It can’t be sporadic, or your lawn will suffer the same as you would. We recommend staying on a chemical lawn care program for a minimum of at least 1 year. Treat your lawn as you would treat your body. The longer you take care of it, the better results you will have. Ask the experts at Southern Green USA how you can get those healthy lawn results you want.

Watering your lawn in the winter? Here’s why it’s a must!

You’ve taken the proper steps during the spring and summer months to make sure your lawn and landscape are properly watered. You ran your irrigation system three times a week for seven months and now you’re ready to give those sprinkler heads a break. BUT, WAIT!! You can give your irrigation system a little break, but don’t put it to sleep.

Winter lawns still need water

Your grass may look dead, but it’s not. It’s just dormant due to the colder weather. Even though your lawn doesn’t look thirsty, the roots are still alive and well, and still need water to stay healthy. Turf root health is essential for proper grass growth in the spring and summer months. According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), you shouldn’t change the amount of water applied each time you water your lawn but should change the frequency based on season.

So, how often should you water your lawn in the winter?

Licensed Irrigation Contractor, Alan Helquist, says, “Even though you may want to save money in the winter and think your lawn doesn’t need water, it’s essential to maintain a steady irrigation program during the colder months.” Helquist goes on to say that you need to water your lawn at least 1 day a week for 45 minutes per zone during the fall and winter months.

“Keeping those turf roots strong, watered, and healthy during the winter will produce tremendous results in the spring. Not watering during the winter to save a couple of bucks will cost you hundreds to thousands in sod replacement in the long run,” says Helquist.

The answer is simple. Make sure you still water your lawn during the cooler and colder months to keep it healthy for the spring and summer. All it takes is 1 day a week! Contact the expert irrigation technicians at Southern Green today and see how they can help you with your irrigation system.

Southern Green supports Kaye’s Kids

At Southern Green, giving back has always been a priority. In over 18 years of business, they have donated thousands of dollars to local and national charities. Along with many other charities, there is one they support year after year.

Started by Mark Kaye, a Jacksonville radio show host, Kaye’s Kids gifts iPads to children in the Jacksonville area suffering from life-threatening illnesses. In December of 2014, Mark and his wife, Pam, partnered with Dreams Come True to start the initiative Kaye’s Kids.

Southern Green owners, Eric Drake and Brad Stowell, took immediate notice of the good that Mark was doing and wanted to know how to help. So, they jumped right in. Over the last 2 years, Southern Green has purchased over 20 iPads for children. These iPads help to brighten the day for children whose days can be very dreary.

Recently, Southern Green supported Mark and Kaye’s Kids once again by purchasing a table at Mark’s charity poker tournament. The tournament alone raised over $15,000 for Kaye’s Kids and Southern Green was a huge part of that success.

“Being able to help Kaye’s Kids and these children is very important to us. To see them smile and know we are helping them in any way means everything,” says owner Eric Drake.

Often, there is more to a business than just day to day operations. And with Southern Green, there is so much more than meets the eye. At Southern Green, giving back to those in need is at the core of their belief system. Eric and Brad instilled this in the heart of the company since day one, and by giving back, continue to make the world a better place.

The Disadvantages of Zoysiagrass

Lawn Care St Petersburg FLZoysiagrass is a fabulous investment for any homeowner, but there are a handful of essential issues you should keep in mind before you start establishing your new landscape. From high levels of maintenance to pest problems, you should know what you are getting into before propagation.

From establishment to weekly maintenance, you will have to spend a lot of time working on your landscape. Because this grass grows slowly and can only be grown via vegetative propagation, you will have to spend two growing seasons to establish a full landscape properly. Additionally, it is also prone to thatch issues, which means you will need to spend time periodically doing thatch removal.

Another issue people face is certain varieties are prone to disease and pest problems. Many individuals have noticed that zoysiagrass is vulnerable to nematodes and hunting billings. Once your landscape has been established, it is crucial that you have an integrated pest management plan in place to prevent any damage from pests and disease.

Do you need assistance with your zoysiagrass landscape? The team at Southern Green is ready to help! We provide lawn care in St. Petersburg, FL, as well as Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and many South Florida cities.

The Advantages of Zoysiagrass

Lawn Care TampaIntroduced to the United States from Asia, Zoysiagrass is an attractive turfgrass that many homeowners and individuals with commercial landscapes love. If you are attentive and care for your zoysiagrass landscape, you can rest assured that you the results are sure to make any landscape look lovely.

One of the most significant advantages of selecting zoysiagrass is the fact that this is a very dense and attractive grass. It is often used for athletic fields, including golf courses. This denseness also means that the grass tends to resist weeds and grows slower, so you do not have to worry about mowing the lawn as often. Once a landscape with zoysiagrass is appropriately established, you will be the owner of a landscape that has terrific tolerance to shade, salty water, and foot traffic. Before you start building a new zoysiagrass lawn, you should review the cultivars available to choose a selection that will look great in your landscape.

Building the perfect landscape starts with assistance from Southern Green. From lawn care in Tampa to services in Jacksonville, our business provides dependable care all across the great state of Florida. We can assist you with fertilization, lawn aeration, and pest control services all year long.

Choosing Pest-Resistant Turfgrass

Lawn Pest Control Tampa FLTaking care of your lawn is a great way to be a considerate neighbor, as well as increase your property value. When you are establishing a new landscape, you should take time to learn about regionally integrated pest management methods to help you keep your lawn beautiful all year long.

A simple way to build a pest-resistant landscape is by selecting pest-resistant turfgrass. For many years, grass breeders have focused on only looks for breeding, leaving pest resistance as a secondary characteristic. Instead of focusing on just appearances, breeders are now working hard to create cultivars that are made to resist a variety of pests, such as chinch bugs and nematodes. Before you select new grass for your home, you should research what pests are prevalent and see if there is a type of cultivar that is resistant to your area pests and is right for your landscape.

Pest control is a crucial part of any landscape maintenance process. Southern Green provides exceptional lawn pest control in Tampa, FL, as well as Jacksonville, Miami, and Orlando. Contact us today at (904) 726-0880 to ask about our pest control services and make an appointment to meet with a specialist. We can help you with mosquitos, spiders, ants, and more.

A Healthy and Beautiful Landscape

Lawn Care AerationBuilding a beautiful Florida lawn seems simple – and it can be – but it is crucial that you perform specific tasks to keep your yard looking nice all year long. Fertilizing your landscape, regularly treating it for weeds, and making sure you do not overwater your lawn are standard things you can do, but you should also consider regular aeration services.

There are many benefits to aerating your lawn, but using aeration to fight against thatch is perhaps one of the best. When you aerate the lawn, you are creating a favorable environment for your grassroots and preventing thatch from covering the grass completely. Once the air and water can reach the roots, you are helping the thatch layer decompose. This eliminates the need for a thatch removal process.

Furthermore, aerating your lawn allows faster results from fertilization, irrigation, pest control, and weed prevention treatments. If you have been noticing that your lawn is growing slowly, it may be time to aerate.

Lawn care aeration services are available for you from the team at Southern Green as part of our lawn treatment services. We service a variety of cities throughout Florida, including Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and a massive array of South Florida cities.