The life of turf grass is a stressful one. The odds are against your lawn, and many different elements are working to keep it from reaching its full, lush and green potential. That doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it! In the past few weeks we have gone from warm days and cool nights, to hot (we mean, HOT) days and warm nights. The overexposure of heat to your turf can be devastating, and unless you can  block the suns rays, there isn’t much you can do about the heat. Heat isn’t the only stress wreaking havoc on your lawn, however. The other two stresses are lack of water and mowing stress. Though we can’t fix the heat, we can surely do something about these two! Simply Green Lawn Care has these tips to follow to keep your lawn looking great this year!

• Lack of Water – We are starting to see exceptionally hot days with a lack of rain to supplement it. So, if water is not finding its way to your lawn naturally, bring the water yourself! This is the time of year to start deep root watering, but how do we do that? Deep Root Watering – Instead of watering every other day to achieve the needed 1.0”-1.5,” water 1-2 days in a row, then don’t water the next 4-5 days. This provides deep root watering and allows your soil pores to open for oxygen.
• Mowing Stress – The stress your turf is experiencing is not always due to natural elements. Sometimes it is our own doing. Warm season turf should be mowed every 7-10 days. We are seeing issues when homeowners are mowing every 14 days or more which is causing additional stress to the turf grass by removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade. With Bermuda turfgrass if you mow on a 14 day rotation your lawn will turn brown the day after mowing. Follow these mowing tips to keep from being the destructive force on your lawn:
  • Cut, not tear. Mower blades must be sharp or instead of cutting you will be tearing your lawn. If your leaf blades have brown tips 2-3 days after you mow, your mower blades may need to be sharpened.
  • Rule of thirds. Mow your lawn at least every 7 days in the growing season. Never mow more than one-third of the grass leaf at a time.
  • To catch or not to catch? If you are mowing at the correct height every 7 days, you do not need to catch your grass clippings. Clippings contain beneficial nutrients and do not build harmful thatch.
  • Change directions. Change your mowing direction each time you mow. This ensures a more even cut and grass blades will be less likely to develop into a set pattern.
  • Height matters. Mowing height is extremely important. Know your grass type and mow at the correct height for the time of the year.

Photo Credit: Flickr Photo via Denise Krebs

The rose. It is one of the most widely regarded and utilized flowers to ever exist. It is a symbol of love and a truly beautiful plant to look at. Here, at Simply Green Lawn Care in Lilburn, Ga, we love to see a rose bed in one of customer’s yards. Planting and caring for roses isn’t as easy as putting them in the ground, however. There is much care involved in cultivating a beautiful rose, so here are some tips to help you get started! Happy gardening!

Tips From Farmers Almanac:

• Roses prefer a near-neutral pH range of 5.5–7.0. A pH of 6.5 is just about right for most home gardens (slightly acidic to neutral).
• Before you plant, be sure that you choose varieties proven in your climate. When in doubt, All-America Rose Selections winners are good bets. Or check with your local nursery.
• Plant roses where they will receive a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of full sun per day.
• Diligently water your roses. Soak the entire root zone at least twice a week in dry summer weather.
• Use mulch. To help conserve water, reduce stress, and encourage healthy growth, apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of chopped and shredded leaves, grass clippings, or shredded bark around the base of your roses.
• Feed roses on a regular basis before and throughout the blooming cycle (avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides if you’re harvesting for the kitchen).
• Prune roses every spring and destroy all old or diseased plant material.

With the devastating floods wreaking havoc in Texas over the past week, we are seeing the destructive nature an influx of water can have. Unfortunately, we are not always able to accurately predict when severe flooding might take place, and if we see it coming, we sometimes mis-asses how bad it will be. Floods destroy most things in its path, from homes to cars. If you find yourself a victim of this natural disaster, it can be an extremely emotional time.

Many homeowners spend a lot of time and effort to turn their lawns into something beautiful they can look at and enjoy. Making a beautiful lawn and landscape isn’t something that can be tackled in a weekend though. It takes time, and seeing all of that work washed away can be difficult. Here, at Simply Green Lawn Care, we don’t specialize in restoring homes or cars, but we can help restore your turf back to its original glory.

Tips for restoring your turf after a flood

1. After the flooding subsides, give the water time to fully absorb into the ground. This might take 2 or 3 weeks.
2. During this time, and for a time after, minimize the amount of foot traffic on your lawn. The turf is in a very vulnerable state right now, and susceptible to damage.
3. Remove debris. This will allow the turf to breath and absorb more sunlight, and will also give you the opportunity to move forward with whatever might be needed.
4. Feed you lawn. If the flood was bad enough, it will have washed away much of the nutrients your lawn needs to flourish. You will need to replenish those nutrients, and if you are unsure how to go about doing that, a professional lawn care company can help.
5. Once your turf begins to recover, keep feeding it with fertilizer to rebuild those strong roots!

If you are interested in the services of Simply Green, contact us!

The end of May is quickly approaching and the weather has been beautiful for the past couple of weeks! Spring is in full swing, and we are approaching the hot, summer months. To have the lushest turf possible in the summer months, it is crucial to prepare your lawn now. Simply Green Lawn Care in Lilburn, Ga, has a few turf tips to follow this spring for greener lawn later!

Bermuda, Zoysia Lawn Program

• Late Spring: Controlled release fertilization to bring your lawn out of dormancy. Spot weed control.
• Summer: Controlled release fertilization to continue to keep your lawn Green. Spot weed control.

Fescue Lawn Program

• Late Spring: Light feeding with controlled release products to help prepare your Fescue for summer. Spot treat any existing weeds if needed.
• Summer: Bio-Stimulant with a micro-package to help your Fescue turf survive the hot summer. Spot treat any existing weeds if needed.

Keep up with us on social media. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and Simply Green Lawn Care wants to wish all of the mothers out there the happiest of days! We know a lot of moms out there are gifted with green thumbs, and love spending time on their lawns and gardens. If this is the mom in your life, there are a lot of great gift ideas to choose from! We have compiled a list of some of the best gifts we have seen to help you find the perfect one!

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

• Bird Feeder – This one is for all the bird watchers. Feeders can attract many different types of birds to a yard, and having the air filled with fluttering wings and chirps can be wonderful and exciting.
• Gardening Tools – For those of you who want to give a gift that she can really use, quality gardening tools are a great addition to any gardeners arsenal.
• Potted Plants – Rather than a traditional bouquet, a potted plant can be a beautiful addition, indoors and outdoors. The typical arrangement of  flowers, though pretty, won’t last nearly as long as potted plant might.
• Cookbook – If she is a vegetable or fruit gardener, chances are she enjoys being in the kitchen. Find a nice cookbook that incorporates a lot of the ingredients that she has been growing.

We hope this helps, and happy Mother’s Day!

Keep up with us! You can follow Simply Green on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus!

The submissions just keep rolling in! To those of you who have already shared your dogs and puppies with us, thank you! We have really enjoyed seeing all of the entries for the Simply Green Furry Friends Contest, and can’t wait to see more! Do you have a dog or puppy that you would like to submit to our contest? Please do, because you could be the lucky winner of a $100 Visa gift card! For details on how to enter, click here!

Take a look at some of the submission we have already received! We are seeing everything from stylish pooches to dogs in weddings, and from trick-or-treaters to good ol’ lazy dogs.

It’s hard not to think about making the earth around us a little better on a week like this. Earth day was on Wednesday,and Arbor Day is today! There are many different ways to make our homes and communities a little greener, but one simple way to do your part is by planting a tree. But before you run out and plant a forest of trees in your front yard, there are a few things to consider.

Simply Green Lawn Care has these easy-to-follow steps for planting a tree:

1. Select a good time of year. Late spring and early summer are, generally speaking, not good times of year to plant trees. Now, in the months of April and May, is the best time to go out and
2. Be careful where you dig. Most yards nowadays have buried cables and lines that run to your house. So be cautious when digging so you don’t end up without internet for a few days.
3. Find a suitable tree for your area. Different trees grow better in different regions. For instance, peach trees thrive in the Georgia soil and climate. Do a little research before planting something that may not do well in your region.
4. Select a good location. Remember, this tree will grow. Take that into account when choosing a spot. Plant away from your house and power lines, the tree should be able to grow unobstructed.
5. Dig a hole 4-5 times the width of the root ball.
   1. Big enough to work with.
   2. Roots need broken up soil to spread.
   3. The point where tree comes out of the ground should be slightly higher (1/4 to a 1/2 inch) than the rest to avoid over watering.
6. Time to plant! Place the tree, gently, in the hole you just dug, and check to make sure it doesn’t sit too deep or too shallow
7. If the soil you are using is not rich, mix some compost in when filling the hole.
8. Use stakes if necessary for the first year or so.
9. Pat yourself on the back, you just added that much more oxygen and greenery to the world!

Here, at Simply Green Lawn Care we love our dogs! So it seemed only fitting to host a contest this year for people and their furry friends! We want to give you an opportunity to share pictures of your dogs, and win prizes. There will be two different contests to enter; one will be “Best Dog” and the other will be “Best Puppy,” with the winners being selected at random. The winners of the contests will each receive a $100 Visa gift card! Entering the contest is easy, and only takes a few minutes, so what do you have to loose! If you are eager to enter, follow the guidelines below:

HOW TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY

Submitting an entry is as easy as one, two… Well, just one and two; it couldn’t be simpler!

• Like our page
  
• Fill out this form
  

CONTEST RULES AND TERMS

• To be eligible to win, each participant must like our page, and fill out the submission form in its entirety.
• The photo should include a picture of your dog or puppy. (No inappropriate photos)
• Only one submission per person.
• We may use your pictures for promotions.

Share this contest with your friends, the more the merrier! The Furry Friends Contest will run one month from its start date (4-15-2015), and we wish all of the participants the best of luck!

As we talked about last week, April is Gardening Month. We hope that our last entry about the basics of gardening enticed a few of you first-timers to exercise your green thumbs this season! If are gardening this season, you have probably realized already that different plants come with a different set of care instructions. This week, Simply Green Lawn Care wants to talk about herbs. Most of us have used herbs like basil or thyme in our kitchens when preparing meals or drinks, so these plants are great to have on hand.

Basil

• Water and Sun: Basil is one of those plants that likes a steady supply of moisture to stay at optimal health. If your basil is planted in the ground, or in a spot where it does not move, use mulch to help retain the moisture in the soil. Planting basil in a container you can move in and out of the sun may make it easier to care for this plant.
• General Care: Be sure to pinch off flowers to keep your basil plant producing.
• Harvesting: Basil is at its most flavorful and fragrant just as it begins to bud. So, this is also the best time to harvest.
• Uses: Most commonly used in tomato sauces or pestos. Basil can also be chopped and sprinkled over a salad.

Mint

• Water and Sun: Mint should be planted in an area that receives regular sunlight. This herb, like basil, likes to receive a steady supply of moisture. So, if you plant your mint in the ground, use mulch to help retain moisture in the soil.
• General Care: This is one of those plants that can be neglected a little bit and still bounce back. Just be sure to keep it evenly moist.
• Harvesting: You can harvest a mint plant up to 3 times in a season, or, like a lot of people, pick the leaves off as you need them.
• Uses: Mint Juleps are a great way to use your mint, and enjoy a hot summers day. Mint can also freshen up a fruit salad, or enhance a tea.

Thyme

• Water and Sun: Thyme should be given a lot of sunlight each day (avoid heavy shade), and planted in soil with good drainage. Water your thyme in the warmer months of spring and summer every 10 to 15 days at a depth of 1 inch.
• General Care: Thyme needs little care to be bountiful.
• Harvesting: Don’t take more than 1/3 of growth at any one time. You can pick leaves throughout the season as needed, or harvest the whole plant when it begins to bloom.
• Uses: Thyme is used a lot in cooking nowadays. It has been used to put a new spin on scrambled eggs, in dry rubs, on breads or stuffing chickens.

Rosemary

• Water and Sun: Rosemary should receive a lot of sun, and needs well drained soil. Rosemary should be watered sparingly.
• General Care: Make sure to prune rosemary on a regular basis to keep it from getting lanky. Rosemary can grow to be a large plant so it needs a good deal of space.
• Harvesting: You can cut the stems of rosemary at anytime for freshness. During the winter months, rosemary should be brought in doors. You can also dry the leaves and store in an airtight container for use year-round.
• Uses: Rosemary can be used in soups, sprinkled on top of fish or chicken, or as an oil infusion.