Details of Lawn Services
We don’t expect you to read all of this, but please take the time to familiarize yourself with what we do and how we do it for services you order, so that there are no surprises.
Grass cutting:
Mowing your grass is one of the most important things
done in maintaining the health of your lawn and the
overall appearance of your home. Good and consistent
lawn mowing is essential if you want a high-quality lawn,
and will ensure that your lawn has fewer weeds, better
olerance to dry weather and generally better quality than
lawns than those that are not regularly maintained.
We offer:
(a) A regular weekly grass cutting service from May through October, followed by bi-weekly service until mid-November, subject to seasonal weather conditions.
(b) A regular bi-weekly grass cutting service from May till mid-November, subject to seasonal weather conditions.
(c) A regular grass cutting service with 3 to 8 weeks between grass cuts. Due to the sandy soil in Wasaga Beach, some lawns have very thin grass that can be cut less frequently.
Our grass cutting program provides for mulching or side discharge in accordance with the 1/3 rule of mowing lawns. This means that you cut off NO MORE than 1/3 the length of the grass in a single cut. In general, we cut your lawn when the grass is about 4½ inches long, and cut it back to 3 inches. If your lawn is longer than about 4½ inches, it may take a second cut to bring the length down to 3 inches, or it may be cut higher to protect your lawn in summer heat. Excessively long grass may be caused by seasonal conditions, over fertilizing, excessive watering, or even excessive morning dew on the lawn. In this situation, we suggest you consider reducing the amount of water and/or fertilizer being applied by your sprinkler system.
In situations where the amount of grass clippings (or leaves) that may be left on your lawn as a result of a cut would be harmful to your lawn, the grass (or leaves) will be cut a second time or the clippings will be collected and bagged, or dumped on-site if so requested and approved.
Either way, there may be an additional charge.
Special notes on grass cutting:
- In the early part of the grass cutting season (late April and May), many customers request that we “tidy up” their property from leaves and branches. Also, in this time-frame, the grass will grow at a faster rate than in the Summer, making it hard for us to keep on schedule. The longer grass will mean that it will take us longer to cut each customer. Please be patient. The price for your first lawn cut may be up to twice your quoted price if your grass is excessively long (over 8 inches), and it may be necessary to collect and bag the clippings.
- If your lot has excessive sand and/or minimal top soil (you see dirt when looking at your lawn), you may be able to cut the grass once every 2 or 3 weeks, maybe even more. But if you have green grass on your lawn, it should be cut weekly. You will not get a good grass cut if your grass is excessively long (5” or more) at time of cutting. Long grass will retain moisture (morning due, rain or watering), causing it to lay down while being cut, then rise after our crew has left. Your lawn will then require a second cut, which may be billable.
- Please try to keep your lawn free of pet waste. Thanks
Our standard procedures for all full grass cuts include trimming around the house, fence, flower beds, trees, etc. as required, and front paved driveway/walkway blow-off. Grass cutting with collection of the grass clippings is also available upon request at an additional charge. However, we recognize that this is YOUR lawn, and we will modify our standard procedures where feasible to provide the service you want. If additional effort (or less effort) is required to provide the “cut” you want, the price per cut will be adjusted appropriately.
We try to perform our services in a manner that is in the best interest of your lawn, and encourage you to view the YouTube video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXbKiI7Rry0
and read the basic rules of mowing lawns at
http://gardening.yardener.com/Basic-Rules-Of-Mowing
Spring clean-up:
Collection of seasonal debris such as fallen tree branches, leaves, etc. left around your yard and in flower beds after winter, and make them ready for city pick-up. A Spring clean-up will also include the collection of leaves on your lawn (general lawn raking), but will not provide an aggressive raking (de-thatching) to remove dead grass or leaves stuck to the lawn. Note that a spring clean-up does not cover multi-year debris piles or lawn clipping or leaves that have been put in a dedicated dump area of your property. Such areas that are within your property limits will only be basically tidied up.
General Lawn Raking:
Each year in Spring, it is likely that your lawn will benefit greatly from being raked. This will collect the dead leaves left on your lawn over the Fall and Winter. General Lawn Raking will likely be more than adequate for your Spring lawn raking. Most of the thatch, dead grass, twigs and small sticks will be collected by this process. In most cases, a lawn that has been well maintained will not need any more raking than this service will provide.
Lawn De-thatching:
Lawn De-thatching is for customers who may want a more aggressive raking than the General Lawn Raking service provides. If your lawn has not been well maintained over the past couple of years, maybe you want to order this service to remove more of the thatch and dead grass roots that has collected over the years. However, we do not think this more aggressive raking is necessary for lawns that have been well maintained over the past couple of years.
Lawn fertilizing:
Using lawn fertilizer is simply feeding your lawn. Like any living thing, grass needs food for nutrition. Plant nutrition is synthesized from the basic elements in their environment and from photosynthesis. Plant nutrients are either derived from the soil or added in the form of fertilizer.
Our seasonally formulated, top-quality lawn food (Scotts Turf Builder Pro mix) helps your lawn build a healthy, deep root system. It feeds and strengthens to help your lawn withstand the stress of bugs and heat while crowding out weeds. We provide up to 3 applications over the lawn growing season (April/May, July/August and October). Make no mistake, this stuff works. It is formulated to take an average grass lawn to a lush, thick green carpet. If you have decent top soil and you water your lawn adequately (rainfall or sprinkler), this fertilizer will do the rest.
A thick lawn, achieved by fertilizer and good watering schedules, and maintained at between 2½ and 4½ inches, will assist greatly with controlling weeds by blocking sunlight from reaching the ever-present weed seeds on your lawn and preventing germination.
NOTE: A healthy lawn, with appropriate fertilizer and water, will grow from a cut length of 3 inches to a length of 4½ - 5 inches in 7 days, and will be ready for its next cut.
Understanding seasonally formulated fertilizer numbers: N-P-K
The first number is the percentage of nitrogen in the bag. So a bag of 25-5-10 has 25 percent total nitrogen. Encourages plants to grow quickly and taller, and develop a darker green color. Great for a dark green lawn (spring and summer), but then expect to mow more often.
The second number in the analysis is the percentage of phosphorus in the mix. For example, a bag of 25-5-10 would contain 5 percent phosphorus. Aids in root development and increases flowering ability and bloom size. Use when plants are being established in your garden (spring), or when sowing a new lawn or planting a new tree, for instance.
The third number represents the percentage of potassium found in the product. A bag of 25-5-10 has 10 percent potassium in the mix. Potassium guards the plant against diseases and aids in drought protection and cold tolerance, and serves a role in improving root development. You might consider using a high-potassium fertilizer at the start of winter and in spring to protect crops from temperature extremes.
Broadleaf Weed control (Targeted):
Healthy lawns are less likely to have weed problems.
Thick grass smothers weeds and prevents their seeds
from germinating.
Before using herbicides, try improving the general
condition of your lawn by aerating, overseeding, and
occasionally weeding by hand. Tolerating some weeds
(like clover) is a no-cost, no-effort alternative to weed
control.
Weeds could be a bigger problem in a newly seeded lawn that is not yet well established. Good planning and preparing the soil properly will reduce weed problems and promote quick growth of the lawn.
Our targeted weed control program addresses broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, plantain,
thistle, purslane and mallow. In this program, we
provide up to 3 treatments for the control of broadleaf
weeds over the lawn growing season. This treatment
should be applied a few days after a grass cut so the
weeds will have exposed leaves. After treated, the
grass should not be cut or watered for at least 24
hours so the sprayed “chemical” can be absorbed
from the leaves into the actual weed plant.
Let us be honest. Any product applied to your lawn to kill weeds has to be “toxic” to some degree. By this we mean that I would not want my Grand-children (or my dog) to be licking the grass after it have been treated. We cannot kill weeds by putting water on them. Weed spray could certainly affect small animals (cats, dogs, birds, chipmunks) if they consume enough of the product. It is the customer’s responsibility to protect their family and pets from ingesting such products.
IMPORTANT POINT: Clover, chickweed and ground ivy (among others) are no longer classified as “weeds”. Since 2009 when the ban on “toxic” weed killers went into effect in Ontario, weeds which could no longer be killed by the new weed killers (eco-friendly ones) were re-classified as “ground cover” and no longer called “weeds”. As such, products developed to kill weeds (like “WEED-B-GON” or Fiesta) are not effective against these tough weeds.
Crab Grass is about the hardest “weed” to kill with a spray. Any weed killer for crab grass will also kill your good grass. We can only suggest manually removing crab grass.
Weed & Feed (combination service):
Weed & Feed is the combination of the Lawn Fertilizing and Broadleaf Weed Control programs. Please water the lawn 24 hours after this service.
When both Fertilizing and Weed control are ordered, both services will be done together, resulting in a significant savings.
Aeration:
Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow
air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. This helps
the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous
lawn.
Aeration on its own is not generally very beneficial for Wasaga
Beach due to our mostly sandy and loose soil, but can be
beneficial when combined with over-seeding. (See the Plug &
Plant combination service below). As the aeration equipment
will damage sprinkler heads in your lawn area, please mark
the locations of the sprinkler heads. We can, upon request,
provide some surveyor flags for this purpose.
Over-seeding:
This service provides grass seed spread over your lawn area, followed by spreading grass seed fertilizer to help the new seed germinate and grow. The customer should water the seeded lawn regularly to keep the soil moist.
Our over-seeding program is intended to replace ONLY the grass lost on an annual basis due to insects, pets, weather conditions, soil conditions, watering procedures, etc. It provided 2 lb of grass seed per 1,000 sq-ft of lawn area. It is only a healthy maintenance application for a lawn which is in reasonably good condition to start with.
For an over-seeding program intended to improve a poor lawn (or make a lawn), we would recommend about 8-12 lbs. of grass seed per 1,000 sq-ft of lawn area (not 3 lbs.)
Plug & Plant (combination service):
Plug & Plant is the combination of the Aeration and Lawn Over-seeding programs. Aeration on its own is not generally very beneficial for Wasaga Beach due to our mostly sandy and loose soil, but can be very beneficial when combined with over-seeding, as the new grass seed will get some top soil around them. Also, the seed will get some protection from birds.
When Aeration and Over-seeding are ordered, both services will be done together, resulting in a significant savings.
“Tough Weed” control (Targeted):
Since 2009 when the ban on “toxic” weed killers went into effect in Ontario, weeds which could no longer be killed by the new weed killers (eco-friendly ones) were re-classified as “ground cover” and no longer called “weeds”. As such, products developed to kill weeds (like “WEED-B-GON” or Fiesta) are not effective against these tough weeds.
Our “TOUGH WEED” program may be able to help you if you want to reduce creeping plants like clover, ground ivy (creeping charlie), and chickweed in your lawn. At your request, we can treat a small area and test the effect. If it works for you, we can treat the area you want. Call us for help.
Edging (for driveways, walkways and flower beds):
Give your lawn a polished look by having us create a sharp edge along walkways, driveways and flower beds.
Grub and Garden insect control:
If any parts of your lawn area are dug up or the grass
rolled back, chances are that racoons or skunks caused
this damage (see picture on the right). They dug it up to
get the grubs.
We use nematodes, supplied to us by Natural Insect
Control in the Niagara area, that are keyed to treat
Canadian varieties of Japanese Beetles, May/June
Beetles, and European Chafer. The vast majority of
grubs in our soil are the larval stage of these beetles.
Our nematodes are supplied in a package that contain 25 million beneficial nematodes, and is “designed” to treat up to 5,000 sq-ft of lawn area.
Due to the “infestation” of grubs in Wasaga Beach and the sandy soil in the area, grubs are able to move up to 100 feet in a week. Customers who order grub control should consider increasing the number of packages of beneficial nematodes applied to their lawn, especially if skunks or racoons have damaged their lawn in previous years. To them, it was an enjoyable smorgasbord, and they will return for another feast!
Please apply a lot of water to your lawn for the next 3 days to get the best benefit from this service. We will try to schedule the application for when the weather forecast will provide the best assistance, but we can’t rely on Mother Nature to do this watering for us.
What are grubs: Grubs are the larval stage of many types
of beetles. The larvae all have six strong legs near the head,
and are white. They live in the soil and feed on the root system
of lawns. This causes significant damage to the lawn as they
eat the grass roots. Grubs are also a food source for skunks,
racoons and some other small animals. Skunks and raccoons
can dig holes or turn back the sod of your lawn in search of
grubs, and as creatures of habit, will return year after year to
the same lawn.
What are nematodes, and do they actually work to control grubs?
Nematodes are small, parasitic roundworms that naturally occur in soil. Although they live in soil of lawns, not enough nematodes are present for adequate grub control. Beneficial nematodes, or predator nematodes, can be applied to turf lawns to control grub populations. Beneficial nematodes migrate through soil, looking for host grubs. They find them by detecting carbon dioxide and other chemicals that are emitted by grubs. Once they locate a grub, they enter the grub and release a symbiotic bacterium. Nematodes enter the grub through the natural openings of the grub or pierce its body using their hook-like mouth to create an entrance. The bacterium kills the grub within 24 to 48 hours. Nematodes remain in the dead grub and multiply. In 12 to 14 days, the nematodes leave the dead grub and move through the soil, looking for new hosts. This cycle is repeated over and over, and it provides effective grub control.
Poison Ivy control:
Over the last years, poison ivy has become much more
prevalent in Wasaga Beach than in the past. This weed
can seriously hurt people, particularly children. We have
not seen where poison ivy has a serious effect on pets,
but dogs and cats can bring the oil from these plants into
your home. Giving the pet attention can then present
problems. Photo shows the poison ivy plant, and the
resulting rash caused by contact. Call us for help.
Fall leaf collection:
The collection and bagging of seasonal leaves and fallen tree branches from your lawn area and flower beds, and make them ready for city pick-up. Note that a fall clean-up does not cover multi-year debris piles or lawn clipping dump areas. Such areas will only be basically tidied up.
Garden Services:
Along with the cutting of your grass, the maintenance of
your flower beds and shrubs/hedges is an important aspect
of the first impression created by your property. In addition,
we have found that regular (maybe monthly) attention to
weeding flower beds and trimming shrubs makes for a lot
less work than doing 1 or 2 big jobs each year.
With these thoughts in mind, for all customers that order
regular weekly or bi-weekly grass cutting service, we offer a
10% discount on their monthly garden work. It adds value to
your home when you have a tidy front lawn and a
well-maintained garden with colourful flowers and trimmed
hedges. We can also remove dead trees, or cut back dead
branches, to improve the appearance and health of the tree.
The garden group can assist you with creating a flower
garden or a vegetable garden, or with weeding your flower
beds and trimming your hedges. We can also cut down
and/or remove trees, and we can spray and remove the
weeds along your driveway, and on your walkway and patio.
Also, we can use our cultivator (tiller) to freshen up the soil in flower beds.
Top-dress & lawn repair: This service provides a layer of top soil and/or triple mix over a selected area of your lawn along with some top-quality grass seed.
Note: There is a yard waste bag charge added to all jobs where yard waste bags are used. These services include, but may not be limited to, grass cutting, dethatching, edging, Spring cleanups, Fall leaf collection, garden services and some “special service” jobs.
We do not use customer provided lawn waste bags.
Marlwood Grass and Snow
Call David at 705-305-4000
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