Happy Garden Month! This year, like years before, many people will try their hand at gardening for the first time. Like anything new, we first need to begin with the basics. Having a solid understanding of the fundamentals of gardening will give you a great foundation to build from for years to come. Simply Green Lawn Care located around Atlanta, GA has several steps to follow to get you playing in the dirt this spring!

• Pick a location – For the most part, plants are going to need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day to yield the best results. Scope out your yard, and see what parts receive a consistent amount of sun everyday. Also, consider proximity when selecting a location to start. Is there a source of water near by? Easy access from the house for cooking? Take some time for this part of the process, it is very difficult to change locations once you’ve planted.
• Get your supplies – Decide what supplies you are going to need. If you are just starting out, you really don’t need anything fancy, just a few basic supplies like a trowel, gloves, soil, pots (if doing a container garden), shovel and pruners.
• What will you grow?! – This is where the fun really starts to happen. Make a visit your local nursery, or anywhere that provides gardening essentials. Take your time, walk through the aisles of vegetables, herbs and flowers and pick what you like! Ask yourself questions depending on what you are planting. What will I eat the most of? What textures look good next to one another (flowers or decorative plants)? If you want a more uncommon plant like an heirloom variety, think about looking at the seeds section. It often provides a wider variety of plants.
• Design – It’s up to you! Whatever you envision for your garden, go for it! Make sure to look up a few basic rules of gardening as guidelines while planting, especially when dealing with ornamentals, an aesthetic design guide can really help.
• Maintain – Once you’ve gone through the above steps, all that’s left to do is maintain your garden and reap the rewards! But what is needed to keep your garden at optimal health?
  • Water your plants regularly. Plants require a good deal of water to survive. A good rule of thumb is to stick your finger in the soil; if it is dry, make sure to give them a bit of water. Also, water your plants at the beginning of the day if possible. This will allow the sun the dry of the leaves, and help avoid fungal diseases caused by moisture. If you notice that some of your leaves are beginning to brown, take your pruning shears and cut it at the base.
  • Keep the weeds out! Check your garden everyday for encroaching weeds. Pick them and discard away from your garden.
  • Expect pests. Insects and critters are almost always a sure issue, and there are many different methods for dealing with the issue.
  • Last, but not least, enjoy it! Gardening is a really great way to get outdoors and relieve from stress from the day. Happy gardening!

The weather is getting warmer, the grass is growing and it’s that time of year again to start considering watering your lawn. There is no exact, or correct month of the year to start watering your grass. It really all just depends on the conditions. But before you get started for the year, Simply Green Lawn Care located near Atlanta, Ga has several things for you to consider.

• Check your Local Watering Laws – It is important to adhere to the local water restrictions when watering your lawn. Go to www.georgiadrought.org to check your local laws.
• When to Start – Like we said before, there is no one correct time to start watering your lawn. Even after a stretch of dry hot days, you may still not need to water your lawn. One way to test the readiness of your grass, is by performing a simple step test. If you step on your lawn and it doesn’t bounce back, it may be time to bring out the sprinkler.
• How much? – It is important to remember that you can give your lawn too much water. The idea is to keep the top 6” of your soil moist; most lawns require 1.0”-1.5” of water per week during the growing season.
• Watering Schedule – The best time of day to water your lawn is early in the morning when temperatures are cooler. Between the hours of 4 am and 10 am are generally the best times to do this. This will allow the grass to dry before nightfall, reducing disease and water waste due to evaporation during the heat of the day.

As always, you can contact us with any lawn care questions you may have!

Simply Green wants to wish you a happy first day of spring! This time of year conjures up images of blooming flowers,spring break and some of the first barbecues of the year. But spring of 2015 has started off on a brisk and rainy note. If you have lived in Georgia for any extended period of time, you know that the weather here can be pretty fickle. Today may have called for hot chocolate, but tomorrow may be iced lemonade. So, just what can we expect for the first weeks of spring this year?

According to the 2015 Farmer’s Almanac:

• Today (March 20): Cloudy, with a brisk 48 degrees in the morning. Temperatures will rise to 70 degrees by 4 pm.
• Saturday (March 21): Sunny, with a low of 54 degrees, and a high of 73 degrees.
• Sunday (March 22): Rainy, with a low of 52 degrees, and a high of 59 degrees.
• March 23-31: We can expect the weather to cool down a bit, with a few warm days and some rainy periods.

APRIL

• Overview: The average temperature will be 66 degrees (3 degrees above avg.). Precipitation will be around 2.5″ (0.5″ below avg.)
• April 1-4: It is expected to be sunny and nice out for the first days of April.
• April 5-9: Expect these days to be rainy, and then nice and sunny.
• April 10-21: This block of days will bring with it a few thunderstorms and warm temperatures.
• April 22-25: It will be sunny and warm for these days.
• April 26-30: It will start out rainy, then sunny and will cool down around the 29th and 30th.

The official first day of spring is just a week or so away, and we are already beginning to see signs of the season. Much of what makes a successful lawn for the warmer months, is preparation. Simply Green Lawn Care is dedicated to ensuring your lawn looks its best, and has listed these questions to ask yourself before spring arrives.

Spring preparation checklist:

1. Have you cleaned up your yard? Winter is a messy season; leaves have fallen, sticks and debris are probably in your yard. Make sure to rid your yard off all of the leftovers from winter so as not to damage your spring lawn.
2. Have you given your lawn its initial cut? It is good to get started cutting your lawn as early as the weather permits. Set your blades a little lower, and this will cut out the dead parts of your grass, and allow for more sunlight to reach the bottom of the blades.
3. How is your equipment? Check your lawn care equipment to make sure everything is in working order. Is your mower running properly? Are your blades sharp? Check everything so you don’t have to wait to get started!
4. Pre-emergent? It is a good idea to treat your lawn with pre-emergent after that first cut. This will help in preventing crab grass from sprouting.
5. Have you fertilized your lawn? This is something else you should do after that first cut. Feed your lawn with fertilizer, for the best results.

Answer all of these questions, sit back and watch your yard flourish! Preparation is key when pursuing a lush green lawn.

It’s still pretty cold outside, in fact, it seems that it is snowing or freezing every other day. Here, at Simply Green, spring is the last thing we are reminded of when we step outside this March. This doesn’t mean that spring lawn care procedures should not be followed though. It’s cold now, but in the coming weeks, we will see the sun begin to shine again and weather will begin to feel like spring. One thing we all need to do in spring, is to start scalping our warm season lawns!

So how do you scalp a lawn properly, and why?

• Firstly, make sure you have warm season grass, like bermuda or zoysia. Cool season grasses, like fescue, will not
  

  Scalping lawn

  benefit from cutting it shorter this time of year.

• Before you start, make sure all of the left over frost from winter is gone. If frost still exists, you could actually do more harm than good.
• You might wonder, just how short you need to cut for it to be considered scalping. Put your mowing blades on its lowest level to efficiently scalp your lawn.
• The act of scalping your lawn removes dry and dormant turf, and can actually help prevent weed problems during the coming months.

History is not often synonymous with lawn care. But its roots are rich and vibrant, dating back to medieval times. Many events, inventions and occurrences had to happen to bring us the yards of today. Simply Green has compiled a timeline of key happenings in lawn care.

• The lawn, as we know it, seems to have European origins. Some of the earliest lawns were the grasslands around medieval castles in France and Britain. These areas were kept clear of trees and shrubbery so guards had a plain view of what was around them.
• 16th Century – The renaissance of the 16th century saw lawns being deliberately cultivated by the rich in France and England.
  • The greenery used was most likely not the grass we are used to today. Something like thyme may have been used for ground cover.
• 17th Century –  The first closely and meticulously manicured lawns appear. It was still a luxury only the rich could afford, because teams had to be hired to use scythes, and weed the grass. Having a manicured lawn in these days was a status symbol and a mark of wealth.
• 1800’s – The lawn didn’t become widely popular in North American until the Industrial Revolution. It was seen as an unnecessary expense up until then.
• 1828 – The term, “landscape architecture”, was coined by a Scottish man, Gilbert Laing Meason, in his book, On The Landscape Architecture of the Great Painters of Italy. Though this term was used in reference to painters, it worked its way into lawn care.
• 1830 – Englishman Edwin Bear Budding was granted the patent for the first mechanical lawn mower, known as the reel lawn mower.
• 1915 – The U.S Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Golf Association collaborate to find the right types of grass to suite all climate types. Some of the grasses in contention, are now household names. Bermuda from Africa, Blue Grass from Europe  and Fescue are all tested for American soil.
• 1940 – The rotary push mower is invented.
  • Inventions like the lawn mower make lawn care more realistic to the average homeowner.
• 1963 – The riding lawn mower is invented.

Today the average homeowner spends about 4 hours a week and 5 to 8.5 days out of the years on their lawns. We have come a long way since medieval castles.

Let us help you keep history alive! Contact us for your landscaping needs!

Photo Credit: Flickr 2.0 CC via Antonio Cinotti

Most businesses love to hear of a job well done from its customers. Here, at Simply Green, a good customer testimonial means more than just a pat on the back though, it’s also a reminder of why we do what we do.

If you walk into our office, you will see a wall that is dedicated to our team member’s outstanding customer service. When customers tell us a team member is going above and beyond expectations, both the customer’s name and the team member’s name are placed on the George Morrell Customer Service Wall of Fame. George was one of the partners at Simply Green, but he lost his 18 year battle with cancer in October 2012.  George is missed around here, and anytime our customers brag on our team members, it reminds us why we are in the business of providing service. So if you want to brag on one of our team members, please do, it really makes our day! We love what we do, and strive to keep your lawn looking better and better.

Keep us in the loop, and let us know what we can help you prepare for spring! Also, follow Simply Green Lawn Care on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus for more up-to-date lawn care and Simply Green news.

One of the most influential elements of any successful lawn or garden, is the soil. Soil is what helps a plant absorb necessary nutrients, and testing it periodically is imperative. The pH levels in your soil can truly make or break it, and maintaining healthy levels, means beautiful grass and plants. Simply Green Lawn Care is committed to bringing greener, healthier lawns to the Atlanta area, and that is why we have broken down what all of this means for your lawn.

What it is.

So what is pH? When we measure pH, we are measuring the acidity and the alkalinity in something. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14, with 7 being a neutral number. Anything above 7 means an alkaline heavy soil, and below 7 means that it is a more acidic soil. Our soil in Georgia tends to be more acidic, and a good range for soil in Georgia tends to be between 5.8 and 6.5.

How do I check the pH levels of my soil?

You can send a soil sample to a local extension service, and they will check the levels for a fee. Simply Green Lawn Care also offers these services for a small fee. This test will determine the pH levels of your soil, along with phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese and iron levels.

What does it mean if these levels are off?

If the soil has a low pH of something like 5.5 and below, plants and grass are unable to receive the nutrients that they needs. If you fertilized, a large portion of it is going to waste, and the rich color of your lawn will begin to dwindle. After the results have come back, adjustments in lawn care treatments should be made accordingly.

Simply Green Lawn Care offers top-notch services for the home and business. If you would like to have us test your soil and treat your lawn, please contact us!

If you have a lush tall fescue lawn, you probably want to keep it that way. We discussed the importance of pre-emergent last week, but if you have tall fescue, it is imperative that you fertilize this time of year!

Tall fescue does best in warm climates, like here in Georgia. It can grow in several different types of soil and is resilient to drought. Simply Green Lawn Care encourages treatments now, to promote the healthiest, best looking lawn possible.

Fertilizing this time of year isn’t an arbitrary decision, however. There is a lot of science and reasoning behind it. We have put together a list of reasons why you should fertilize now for the best results later.

• Fertilizing now will promote a greener, more vibrant lawn in the spring! This has been proven season after season. Fertilizing in February will provide you with a rewarding spring and summer season of rich, green fescue.
• It can help avoid brown patches in your lawn. Fescue is subject to brown patches during periods of excessive heat and moisture. Living in the south, this is almost inevitable with high temperatures and humidity.
• Fescue does not recover well on it’s own. If the lawn has had a lot of foot traffic or wear from pets, fertilization is a necessity.
• Fertilization in warm weather is not advisable; doing this can prevent necessary nutrients from getting to the roots of the grass.

If you have a tall fescue lawn, contact us for a treatment today! We will have your grass looking the best it ever has for spring and summer!

You may not see them now, but those weeds you try to avoid are looming in the distance. Just when you thought crab grass was a thing of the past, it will rear its ugly head in the spring and summer. Pre-emergent is essential to preventing these eyesores. It stops the weeds from growing before it spreads. We are gearing up at Simply Green Lawn Care for these pesky annual weeds. How does it all work though? 

Pre-emergent facts:

• The herbicide enters the plant through the root, and works its way from the outside-in to prevent the weed from growing successfully.
• It will not kill established plants. This is the beauty of pre-emergent, while it infiltrates crab grass before it starts growing, it will not kill your lawn.
• Timing is key when using pre-emergent. If the annual weed has already established itself, pre-emergent will not help. It is key to hit the weed before it has a chance to grow. Now, in late January and early February is a perfect time to begin with treatments.
• If it is mid to late spring, and the weeds have had time to grow, post-emergent will need to be used. This process is a little more difficult especially if the weeds have spread throughout your lawn. Post-emergent is a non-selective herbicide, unlike pre-emergent, which is selective. Non-selective means that it will kill all established plants instead of just the weed, and should be used more cautiously.

If you have any questions regarding pre-emergent or would like a treatment for your lawn, please contact us!