Lawn Care

Your Spring Lawn To-Do List

How to to Set Your Lawn up for Success

It’s officially springtime and one of our favorite times of the year here at EcoScapes. We’re just starting to see the promise of new growth on trees and some tulips are peaking out of the ground. It’s also officially time to start giving your lawn lots of love to set it up for a healthy spring and summer. Here’s what should be on your spring lawn care to-do lists.

Spring Lawn Cleanup To-Do List

Tidy Up The Lawn

Grass requires plenty of sun to thrive, so anything on top of it prevents successful growth. Finish raking if you forgot to in the fall, remove tree branches that fell during winter storms, and clean up any toys left out. Now is the perfect time to consider dethatching your Nebraska lawn.

Check Your Supplies

Now is a good time to make sure your tools are in working order. Your lawnmower is quite possibly the most important tool for your yard. Use this guide to see if it is ready for spring. Then, consider this list of other essential lawn tools.

Perform a Soil Test

Is your soil ready? Test the acidity and nutrient levels to determine if the pH is correct for growing.

Spring Lawn Care Tips

Plan Ahead: Once the temperature climbs into the 50’s and 60’s, it will be time to seed your lawn if you didn’t have the chance in the fall. Research what type of grass is appropriate for your yard.
Fertilize: Depending on your grass type, it might be the time to apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. Our 6 Step lawn fertilization program includes everything your lawn needs for a quick green up.
Aerate and Overseed Bare Patches: Lawn aeration is one of the most critical services to maintaining a healthy yard. Plant grass seed as soon as the soil warms up to allow new grass time to establish itself before summer. Water lightly and frequently until the grass has become well established
Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide: Now is the time to prevent weeds and crabgrass from growing in your lawn. Consider treating it with a preventative weed killer.

Call EcoScapes for Help With Your Spring Lawn Cleanup.

With our eco-friendly lawn care program, you get six applications of necessary treatments to keep your lawn healthy all year long. For more information, call us today at (402) 671-0453.

Autumn is synonymous with earthy tones, hoodies, and pumpkin-flavored sweets. It’s also well-known as the best time of the year to aerate and overseed your lawn.

After a scorching summer, all that cool weather translates to ideal growing conditions for your lawn. The most essential things to concentrate on in the fall are repairing any damage from July and August, preparing for the winter, and preparing your grass for a lush spring. There are several things you can do for your lawn this time of year, but none offer the many benefits of lawn aeration.

In this article, we are going to focus on preparing your lawn for aerating and overseeding.

At the very least once a year, your turf should be aerated and overseeded. Preparing your lawn for aeration and overseeding can help you finish the growing season strong and get your yard ready for next year.

Let’s take a look at the best ways to get your lawn ready for fall aeration.

How to Create a More Eco-friendly Lawn

A healthy lawn is essential for everyone and property owners can encourage this by making more environmentally conscious decisions with their lawn and landscape care.

Listed are Six Ways You Can Make Your Lawn Eco-friendly:

Mulch your grass clippings: Instead of bagging the clippings, mulch them. Doing so allows the clippings to decompose back into the earth, thus providing nutrients which in turn will eliminate the need to add chemicals. It can also help the environment because the production of fertilizers creates pollutants in the atmosphere. Also, fertilizers can often end up in natural waters which can pollute lakes and streams, killing any wildlife that exists there.

Use electric trimmer’s, blower’s, hedge trimmer’s, edger’s, etc., instead of their small 2 cycle powered predecessors. Did you know that in less than one hour, a 2-cycle engine can create the same amount of pollutants as 11 vehicles. Imagine several of these running at the same time! While we’re not saying you should drop the 2 cycle tools and do the work manually (unless you want to). You should invest in electric lawn and garden tools which will do the same job without all the damaging pollutants a gas-powered one will produce.

Grow grass suitable to your climate: Do you know where Kentucky bluegrass grows best? Kentucky. Well, and the Midwest. But in warmer states of the country, this type of grass will require extra care and water to give it a chance to survive. So, it’s advisable to do some research into what grass your lawn has. Then to see what it requires before purchasing and applying chemicals that claim to make any grass grow greener and stronger.

Use yard waste and kitchen compost: Keeping a compost bin in your garden is not only a place where you can throw out your kitchen scraps but a way to add these to a pile of compost. Make sure you turn the compost every few days and in no-time you’ll have high-quality fertilizer. And the best part, it won’t cost you penny.

Invite insects and worms: Aerating your lawn at least once per year can become a bit of a drag. A natural way of getting the soil the oxygen it needs is to give a colony of worms a new home. Once spreading them throughout the lawn and watering thoroughly, they will work their way into the soil. Ants also do an excellent job of this as well as feeding on harmful insects and distributing seeds too. Yes, the ants can be a nuisance, so you’ll want to keep them under control.

Water more but less: This means that you should water your lawn more heavily but less frequently. This is because sprinklers are a great way of evenly distributing water consistently; it can have much of its water evaporated before t even touches the lawn. This leads to a high wastage of the natural resource. An easy way around this is to have your sprinkler set to come on after midnight. It is at this time the air is at its coolest. This allows the soil to absorb as much moisture as possible because it is not being evaporated at a fast pace.

5 Must Have Lawn Care Tools for Homeowners

Lawn aeration in Omaha, Nebraska by EcoScapes Lawn Care

Every homeowner needs a basic set of lawn care tools, especially if you’re the do-it-yourself type. Having the following six lawn care tools close at hand can help you create the lawn and landscape you want. Read on to learn more about the essential items you need.

1. Lawn Mower

First and foremost, you need a lawn mower. There are an infinite number of models out there, so make your choice based on your budget and the size of your lawn. Lawn mowers can have a hefty price tag attached, so the numerous options work in your favor. Mower types range from manual reel mowers (for small lots) to motorized walk-behind models (for average-sized lots) to riding mowers (for larger properties).

2. Pruning Shears

Used mainly for small tree and shrub pruning, a good pair of hand-held pruners should be able to cut through twigs and branches with ease. Lopping pruning shears are used for thicker branches. You can also use shears to cut through twine and burlap. Grass or edging shears are specifically designed to edge garden beds by pushing soil away from the edges of your grass.

3. Rake

Rakes aren’t just for autumn. Use them to clear leaves and debris from your lawn at all times of the year. Spring is a great time to use a rake to clean out gardens to prepare for new growth, while rakes come in handy in the autumn for cleaning up fallen foliage.

4. Shovel

Shovels and spades are vital for planting. Use a shovel to dig holes, smooth soil, and transfer gravel and mulch. Spades (smaller hand-held shovels) are useful for planting and digging up smaller plants.

5. Gloves

Protect your hands from splinters, blisters, thorns, and cuts by protecting them with gloves specifically designed for gardening.

Questions About Using Your Lawn Care Tools?

Contact the experts at EcoScapes today at (402) 671-0453. We’ll help answer any pressing questions you have about lawn care tools or Omaha lawn care in general.

Why Hire a Pet Friendly Lawn Care Service

Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care by EcoScapes

Advantages To Hiring A Pet Friendly Lawn Care Service

Your pets are extended members of your family. You love them and treat them as special as you can. You buy special food, toys, treats, beds, and more to help care for them. However, have you ever considered your Omaha lawn care service? Do you know if it is pet-friendly or are you risking the safety of your precious four-legged family members?

Hiring an eco-friendly lawn care company in Omaha is easier than you might think. Here at EcoScapes, we provide a variety of lawn care services to help you keep your yard beautiful while protecting your pets. Your lawn is one of the first impressions people have of your home. It is important that it is inviting, appealing, and vibrant. That is exactly what our company provides. However, you also want to make sure that you have a pet-friendly service. Check out below the different advantages to hiring an eco-friendly lawn care service.

Pet Friendly Products

The type of products applied to your lawn can make a huge difference in its appearance. However, it can also be dangerous to your pets. That is why it is important that the lawn care service you go with applies products safely that are not a danger to your animals. Dogs have their faces to the ground when they are outside and it’s important that they do not breathe in toxic chemicals. You also don’t want them eating the grass or digging in the soil that may cause them to have an adverse reaction to the treatment used.

Protection For Your Pets

Using a eco-friendly lawn service can provide your lawn with protection for your animals. Ticks and fleas wreak havoc on your pets. They can cause adverse reactions such as skin conditions with your pets, irritation, and can even come into your home and harm your family. Working with a lawn care service allows you the extra added protection of having your lawn treated on a regular basis. This treatment is safe for your pets and keeps the pests away. Having a flea infestation in your home is daunting to get rid of. That is why it is critical that you take advantage of services provided to you by your lawn care company to reduce the risk of your pets bringing in uninvited guests.

Controlling Ants

First you need to do some research. You want to ask questions of your potential Omaha lawn care companies. Be sure you check into the chemicals they use, ask about their methods for treating your yard, and make sure that you check previous client reviews. This helps you to know what you’re getting into.

How Do You Choose A Company?

Ants may not bother your pet but they are a real pest to you. You most likely enjoy outdoor time with your pets. Having ant beds that are crouching in wait can put a damper on your fun. By having your yard treated, you can reduce the risk of stinging ant bites that could cause allergic reactions. It can also help reduce other types of pests in the yard that can reduce your outdoor time.

EcoScapes

Here in Omaha we have been working with clients just like you for years. We work to make sure your yard is in pristine condition at all times. This gives you a lush and vibrant front and back yard no matter what season there is. We are pet owners ourselves so we ensure that your lawn is taken care of and so are your pets. Here are a few services we provide to help you make sure you have the best lawn possible.

Core Aeration

This service helps to keep your lawn fresh and vibrant. This service is where we take out plugs from your yard to give it more room to grow. The process is actually needed here in Omaha to help the lawn grow green and vibrant. It is important as it allows the yard to release gases, control buildup of thatch, and reduces water runoff.

Disease Control

Our pet-friendly lawn treatments allow you to reduce or treat disease in your yard. Lawn disease can cause dead grass and damage the look of your entire property. Our team can diagnose the disease and treat it while protecting your pets in the process.

Tips For During Treatment

While our chemicals do not affect your pets, there are other tips to keep in mind when having your lawn treated. Be sure to keep your pets inside during the treatment of your lawn. Our chemicals will not hurt them but we do not want to take a chance during spray if they may have an allergy or sensitivity.

Keep fences and gates locked when the pets may be in the yard. It is important that they are protected at all times during the treatment. Also, make sure that your pet food bowls and water bowls are taken up as well. Treatments can have overspray and you want to ensure that the bowls are protected from any chemicals.

Our team also makes sure to talk with you before we arrive about any pets that you have on the grounds. We want to ensure your family members are safe and that you get the best and most out of your lawn service.

Choosing an eco-friendly lawn service is easy to do when you work with EcoScapes here in Omaha. Our company has experience in all facets of treating your lawn for pests, disease, and to help it grow vibrant and healthy.You can trust that our team is here to help you get the type of lawn you want while protecting your pets in the process.

Contact our team today and inquire about the pet-friendly services we offer. We treat your family members like our own. Whether you have a diseased yard, need help with maintaining your lawn, or need landscaping, our company is here to help you. Contact us today to get your appointment set for growing a healthy lawn in the beautiful Omaha community.

A Brief Intro to Pet Friendly Lawn Care

Lawn Care Safe for the Environment and Your Pets

When pursuing a lush green, vibrant, and weed free lawn, it is normal to be concerned about the safety and health of your pets and loved ones being exposed to sometimes harmful chemicals. We get it, pets are part of the family too and your choice of a professional lawn care provider is a very important decision. We are pet owners as well and are always on the search for new pet friendly products to integrate into our eco-friendly lawn care programs and services. The good news for all of us pet owners is we no-longer need to sacrifice a beautiful lawn to keep our pets and loved ones safe.

At EcoScapes, we have many pet friendly options available for controlling broad leaf weeds and most of the fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides that we apply are not hazardous to pets or humans. There is however, no reasonable Organic solution for pre-emergent other than the very costly and messy corn gluten. We have developed a reduced chemical hybrid pre-emergent, so it gets the job done with less chemicals, less mess, and less money. These hybrid products are 100% safe after the product has been watered in and had time to dry.

How Long Should We Stay Off the Lawn?

We recommend that children and pets wait until these hybrid pre-emergent applications have been watered in and had time to dry before excessive contact. Don’t worry, it is perfectly safe for your puppies to go potty. We just recommend they don’t spend much time in the lawn before watering. If you can water in the application right away, then everyone is safe to enjoy the yard again after only a few hours. Our lawn care technicians always provide written application specifics and any special instructions if they apply following every application. They will notate the date and time of the treatment as well so if you’re not home you will know exactly when they were there.

Some statistics show that 65% of pet poisonings from lawn fertilizers could have been avoided if the owner had followed the instructions for both application and storage. Hiring a professional eco-friendly lawn care service and following the directions given will eliminate these risks.

An Eco-friendly Lawn Care Approach

At EcoScapes, we take an eco-friendly approach to effective pest, insect, and weed control. This eliminates harmful effects on pets, humans, wildlife and the environment. Our focus is to thicken and green your lawn by building it from the soil up. We start with a soil sample which will tell us exactly what it needs. We are then able to deliver the correct nutrients and elements which will naturally reduce weeds and disease. Starting with soil health and getting it in balance means less products are needed to maintain a healthy, weed free lawn. Our “Green” professionals are licensed by the State of Nebraska and individually trained in best practices. Being licensed by the state ensures you that they have studied and been tested on the application of products safely and in recommended amounts, but this test is geared towards the application of chemical based products. Therefore, each of our technicians complete our in-house training on eco-friendly best practices as well as learn the core principles of eco-friendly lawn care.

Who Can I Contact to Learn More?

If you would like to learn more about our eco-friendly lawn care solutions or would simply like to discuss the options available, you can reach us at (402) 671-0453.

5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Lawn Care Service in Omaha

Considering Hiring a Lawn Care Company? Read this First!

All lawn care services are the same, right? I can’t even begin to tell you how many times we get asked that question. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, the services offered are similar, but the people, quality, professionalism, and how they go about performing their services are what really makes the difference. So, what should you consider when you’re trying to choose the right lawn care company in Omaha? Keep reading…

Local Business or Franchise

Believe it or not but many of the lawn care companies in Omaha are actually franchised businesses operating nation-wide. While this may not always be a bad thing, such franchised based companies are sometimes focused more on marketing rather than providing the best service. I can tell you for certain that one such franchise even has a customer retention rate of 40% built into their marketing budget. In other words, they can remain profitable by retaining only 4 out of every 10 customers they sign up. Amazing what large marketing budgets can do isn’t it? You’re not usually going to run into these issues with a reputable local small business. Local businesses have much smaller marketing budgets, so they need to focus on providing excellent service and results to keep their existing customers happy. I wish I could say that all local lawn care companies thought this way, but unfortunately in this industry, there will always be those companies that provide a bad customer service experience, are non-professional, or do not provide satisfactory results. Which leads us into the second thing you should consider.

Reputation

Gone are the days where all you had to verify the reputation of a business was word of mouth referrals from friends, neighbors, or family, and the Better Business Bureau “BBB”. A companies’ social proof is everything in today’s review driven society. Online reviews are everywhere including Google, Facebook, and Yelp which are the more popular social review sites. This is a great way to sort through and eliminate the sub-par lawn care services. It doesn’t take long to look up a company online and view its reputation. Can’t find the company online? Well, maybe there’s a reason for that. Does the company have bad reviews? Definitely something you should consider. I wouldn’t say that referrals from your friends and family aren’t important though as they are up next in our list of things to consider.

Referrals

Ask your neighbors, your friends, and your family. Well, ask the one’s with nice eco-friendly lawns at least. We are proud to say that most of our business comes from referrals because we the take the time to assure our lawns are healthy, green, and safe. Ask around and chances are you’ll hear our name brought up. Why? Because we we stand by our work and our reputation.

Quality

Quality lawn care isn’t always easy to spot. Sure, someone’s lawn may look nice, but do you have any idea how many chemicals are being used to artificially get the grass that green? When we think of quality lawn care, we consider more than just how green the grass is. We consider the condition of the soil, how safe the lawn is for those that play in it, and of course how lush green and weed free it is. We recondition your turf for long lasting results rather than deplete its natural resources with harsh chemicals. There are other more subtle things to look for as well such as, does the lawn look freshly edged? Are there rut marks in the turf? Are there grass clippings on any of the hard surfaces? Was there debris chopped up in the lawn while mowing? These are just a few of the things to keep an eye out for.

Professionalism

Admit it, sometimes when you think of Omaha lawn care companies, the first thing that comes to mind is a junky old pickup pulling up with some mowers in back and 2 guys jumping out with no shirts, both with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. Who wants this pulling up in front of their home and working on their lawn? Unfortunately, this is a real issue in our industry and all we can do is do our part in changing that. When you choose EcoScapes you are choosing professionalism. From our branded vehicles and trailers and no smoking policy, to our trained, certified and uniformed “Green” professionals, we do our best to assure we are not an embarrassment to the neighborhood when we pull up.

Bonus #6 to Consider

Be sure that the lawn care company you choose is insured before hiring them. If a non-insured lawn service provider gets hurt on your property, there’s a good chance you will be liable. Or if they damage your property, guess who has to pick up the tab since they don’t have insurance to cover it.

If applying any kind of fertilizer, pesticide, fungicide, or weed control, you will also want to make sure they are licensed by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. This ensures they have studied and passed an exam in order to apply such products. Keep in mind though, being licensed does not mean your lawn care provider is doing their part in protecting you, your loved ones, and the environment.

Eco-Friendly Fall Lawn Care Tips

Benefits of Lawn Aeration in Omaha NE by EcoScapes Lawn Care

IT’S ALL ABOUT FERTILIZING, AERATING, WEEDING, COMPOSTING, MOWING & PLANTING.

As the days become short and crisp, you might think that your lawn care chores are done. While the grass appears to be dying off and your flowers have wilted, don’t be fooled into thinking that your work is over. There are plenty of chores that must be done before the first frost in order to keep your lawn in tip-top shape for next year.

This can be tough to do if you’re trying to approach your lawn care tasks with an environmentally conscious mindset. Taking care of your lawn often means spending hundreds of dollars on chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to get the job done. Luckily, there are some easy steps you can take to ensure your lawn is healthy–without damaging the health of the rest of the planet in the process. Rather not take on the tasks? You can hire a professional lawn service in Omaha that specializes in eco-friendly lawn services

Fertilize

Fall is the most important time to fertilize because it will help sustain your lawn throughout the winter and produce lush growth come spring. The most environmentally friendly way to produce a healthy lawn is to simply leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. This will provide a natural source of nitrogen to your soil.

Similarly, you can mow over fallen leaves with your mulching mower and leave them on the ground to decompose. The small pieces produced with a mulcher will make it tough for mold or other debris to settle, and the leaves will act as a natural fertilizer for your lawn.

Other easy, natural lawn fertilizers include aquarium fresh water (which has high levels of phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen), fireplace ash, pine needles, and wood shavings.

Aerate

Lawn aeration should be done at least once a year, and fall is the best time to do it, as it will give grass access to much-needed nutrients throughout the year. Over the summer months, as your lawn receives more foot, vehicle, and other traffic, the soil becomes compacted. This makes it more difficult for plants to reach vital nutrients, water, and air. Aerating your soil helps to loosen the soil and is especially important in Omaha where lawns are prone to having dense, waterlogged clay soils.

Work on Those Weeds

Don’t bother with dangerous herbicides, which often kill the desired grass along with weeds. By using a chemical herbicide, you risk burning your grass and reducing the viability of its root systems. Instead, weed the lawn by hand for a fun, eco-friendly exercise. You can also use white vinegar as a natural herbicide, but be careful, as this can kill any plant it comes into contact within the same way a chemical herbicide might.

Another option to control weeds? Make sure you take the time to overseed any bare areas in the fall. Each year perform a quick inventory of your lawn to look for areas that may have been damaged by neglected lawn furniture, vehicle tracks, or pet waste, and add some seed to help encourage growth. Overseeding will protect the lawn for the winter months and also make it more difficult for unwanted weeds to develop.

Compost Your Leaves

If you choose not to allow your leaves to remain on the grass to decompose, your other option to get rid of them is to compost them. Many people waste time and energy raking and bagging their leaves to be picked up by the trash collection agency. However, this is inefficient, as it creates an extra step for you and more waste that needs to be taken care of.

Don’t Stop Mowing

You should not stop mowing your lawn just because it isn’t growing as quickly. Keep your grass no longer than two and a half to three inches tall. Long grass will be more susceptible to cold snaps and may be more likely to grow snow mold. This will make it more difficult to control in the spring, often requiring the use of chemical fertilizers or herbicides. Instead, do the work now by keeping your lawn nice and trimmed and come Spring you can focus on the 5 Steps to a Greener Lawn.

Use Plants that Drive Away Pests

Rather than resort to chemical forms of pest control, consider planting insect repelling plants in your garden and flowerbeds. There are a number of insect repelling plants, including Petunias, Lavender, Mint and Chrysanthemum.

By treating your lawn naturally, you increase the likelihood that it will be healthy and verdant in years to come. With a little extra forethought and elbow grease, your former environmentally damaging lawn care practices will be a forgotten, unneeded notion from the past.

Why Hire a Professional Lawn Care Service in Omaha NE?

Why Hiring a Professional Lawn Care Service May be a Good Idea

Leave the lawn care to a pro

Hiring a professional lawn care company will save you time, money, aggravation and a possible trip to the doctor. But be aware there are many fly-by-night companies out there claiming they are “professional” and your experience with them may be anything but that. Do some research before you hire.

Hiring a professional lawn service in Omaha will save you a lot of aggravation not to mention time and money. But before hiring a lawn care company be sure to do your research. There are many fly-by night lawn companies in Omaha claiming to be “professionals” but are really anything but. Spend the time and make sure you are hiring the right company before hiring. Following are a few of the benefits to hiring a professional.

Why it pays to hire a lawn care professional.

Your lawn and landscaping are the first impression of your home and let’s be honest, opinions can be formed quickly. A beautiful outdoor space brings pride and peace whereas an unsightly lawn can bring stress and embarrassment.

Investing in your lawn & landscape increases the value and curb appeal of your home. Did you know that a well-maintained lawn and landscape can add an additional 15% to the value of your property?

It takes a lot of time, knowledge, and physical work to produce a beautiful, healthy lawn and landscape.

Hiring the right professional lawn care service can take the worry out of lawn care not to mention the countless hours it will save you.

Improperly applied fertilizers and pesticides can be dangerous to the environment as well as the homeowner, loved ones, and pets.

There are a lot of different products out there. How are you supposed to know what to apply or when to apply it? Eliminate the trial and error and dangers associated with locating the right products for your lawn and landscape.

Think of all the extra room you’ll have. No more needing to store mowers, trimmers, blowers, edgers, pruners, etc.

Eliminate the risk associated with applying fertilizers with dangerous pesticides. EcoScapes professionals are trained and licensed to apply both fertilizers and pesticides.

Your home is your most prized asset. You can’t go wrong by hiring a professional to care for your Lawn & Landscape needs.

At EcoScapes, we offer an environmentally friendly solution to lawn and landscape care. We start with a lawn analysis to first assess the condition of your turf. A licensed, trained professional then delivers carefully timed applications that are specifically designed for Nebraska’s climate and turf types. Our Earth Friendly products are designed to build a strong root system while enhancing the color of your lawn. Take it to the next level and take advantage of our aeration and over seeding services to further enhance the health and appearance of your lawn.

If you’re located in Omaha, Bennington, Elkhorn or Gretna give us a call at (402) 671-0453, where Quality and your Satisfaction are Guaranteed!

How to Prepare Your Lawn for the Cold Nebraska Winter

Nebraska Winters Can be Brutally Cold. Here’s How to Prepare Your Lawn.

The Fall and Winter months are the most critical seasons for your Omaha NE lawn.

Homeowners and commercial property owners alike should be thinking about next spring as they prepare their lawns for the upcoming cold Nebraska winter months.

To help you prepare your lawn from the coming frost and freezing temperatures, we’ve put together a list of fall lawn care tips that every lawn owner should know. By taking these precautionary measures, you can help give your grass the best chance possible at surviving the colder months, so that it’s lush and healthy come springtime.

Mulch Your Leaves

At EcoScapes, we recommend that you mulch up all those leaves on the ground before the first frost. Mulching the leaves and evenly dispersing them can help reduce the number of brown patches and prevent parts of your yard from falling victim to winter kill. Any leaves left on the ground can become wet and form a barrier that makes it impossible for the turf to breathe.

Instead of raking the leaves up, run over them with your lawnmower a few times until they are ground into mulch and evenly dispersed throughout the lawn. These mulched leaves can help protect your lawn from drought and wind. You can purchase a mulching blade for your lawn mower which helps to chop the leaves into very fine particles. As an added bonus, when mulched leaves decompose, they create an organic matter that is absorbed into the soil which helps feed the roots.

Don’t Stop Mowing Too Early

One of many unknown fall lawn care tips is to continue mowing, even when the cold autumn months begin rolling in. We recommend that you follow a semi-regular schedule and continue mowing until you see the growth slow.

It is good practice to keep your grass between 2 to 2.5 inches tall throughout the late autumn months. If the grass starts to grow longer than 3 inches, it may begin to mat. Once matting starts, it is possible for your lawn to start suffering from various issues, such as disease and mold. On the other hand, if you cut the grass too short, then its ability to store nutrients can be hindered.

Make Sure to Water if Needed

Although the temperatures may be cooler, it is still vitally important that you continue to water your lawn as needed. Because the grass continues to grow into the autumn months, you’ll want to sustain and encourage this growth by following a consistent watering schedule. Continue to water, as needed, until the ground begins to freeze. If you have an automatic irrigation system, avoid damage by having it winterized before it freezes.

Broadleaf Weed Control

Fall is the perfect time of year to control perennial broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelions creeping charlie. Some of these weeds can be pulled by hand, but many are scattered throughout your lawn making manual weed control a very difficult chore. As an alternative, an efficient method of removing these weeds is to spot-treat them with an environmentally friendly broadleaf weed killer.

Aerate Once per Year

It is important to make sure that your lawn gets the air it needs in autumn and winter. Aeration is done to break up compacted turf and pull-up plugs of soil and grass. This is usually done with a gas-powered machine called an aerator. Aerator are roughly the size of a mower and are great for larger yards.

Aerating is the process of creating holes in the soil which will allow much-needed oxygen, nutrients and water to reach deeper into the soil and reach the roots. This not only helps the roots establish deeper into the soil but prevents compaction. Aeration gives your lawn the best chance at surviving the winter months.

The aerating process provides room in your lawn for seeds to sprout, and new grass to grow and spread, without competing with annoying broadleaf weeds or compacted soil.

Over seed Your Lawn in the Fall

Autumn is typically the season when the soil temperature reaches 55℉ in Omaha. Since grass roots grow extensively in the fall and winter, this is the best time to over seed your lawn.

Don’t skimp here, cheap seed often contains weed seed and annual rye grass seed. If you want a lush, green lawn come spring, it is best to spend the extra money and buy the more expensive seed, which is more likely to resist insects, disease and drought.

After you plant the seed, water it lightly several times each day until it germinates. Typically, this takes approximately 10 to 20 days.

Apply Fall Fertilizer Before the First Frost

Applying fertilizer in late fall before the first frost occurs can provide your lawn with essential nutrients that it can absorb and store for the winter. This in turn can help the grass survive the harsh winter months and encourage it to grow as the warmer temperatures of Spring begin to arrive. This should also be your last lawn treatment of the year.

Lawns that are fertilized late-season are typically the first to green up and grow in the spring. Make sure to choose a fertilizer that is high in phosphorous (10-15% is best). Or better yet an Organic product such as fish bone meal. This is crucial for healthy root growth.

Prepare Plants & Outdoor Spigots for the Freeze

As a resident of Omaha which experiences very cold winters, be sure to put away watering systems and hoses for the season. It is also important to turn off water to any outdoor spigots. You may even want to protect the spigots with insulated foam covers.

Be sure to bring any outdoor plants or flowers into your home before temperatures approach freezing protect them. This is also a good time to remove and/or cut-back plants from your flowerbeds that are no longer in season.

Conclusion

With temperatures dropping and leaves changing colors and falling, it’s not uncommon to forget about the lawn, and focus on football, staying warm, and getting through the holidays. But, if you follow just a few of the tips in this Fall lawn care guide, you’ll be giving your lawn what it needs to survive the (cold) season.

Advantages of Mulching Your Leaves in the Fall

Mulched Leaves Provide Many Benefits for Your Lawn

The fall months bring cooler temperatures, falling leaves and many beautiful colors around your landscape. Many could also associate fall with the need to clean the yard and rake the leaves, which can be a chore. However, there are alternatives that can help your lawn and landscape thrive along with eliminating the need to rake your leaves. Mulching your leaves is an eco-friendly lawn care practice and has many benefits for your lawn and the process is also easy to accomplish. Let’s go over some of the advantages to be had from mulching.

What is Mulching?

In short, mulching is the process of mincing and dicing your leaves with a lawnmower. Before you begin, make sure to even out your leaves throughout your yard to create an even surface. Be sure not to leave any thick piles of leaves because it could be too much for your mower. Also, if the piles are too thick they can suffocate your grass, even after mulching, so a thin layer is always preferable. A good rule of thumb is if your mower deck is pushing large piles of leaves in front of it, or the engine on your mower is bogging down, there are too many to mulch. If this is the case, you will need to either rake or blow some of the leaves into piles and bag them up to be removed from the property. Mulch them often and you won’t have to worry about there being too many. By mulching your leaves, you will get a healthier and better-looking lawn.

The Benefits are Plentiful

The biggest benefit from mulched leaves is that they will decompose into an organic fertilizer. This process is done by earthworms and microorganisms that turn the mulch into organic plant matter. Since winter quickly follows the fall, the mulched leaves can provide additional nutrients during the harsh months ahead. Mulched leaves can also do wonders for the soil however, you can’t let the leaves do all the work. If you don’t have healthy soil in your lawn to begin with, you may have trouble seeing the benefits of mulching your leaves.

Benefits for Your Landscape

Mulched leaves are not just for the grass. Your landscaping and garden can also reap the many benefits from mulching. Decomposing leaves provide nutrients to the soil and plants. It can also give your plants more protection from the cold months ahead. You may even notice brighter and more vibrant colors coming from your flowers next Spring. Another benefit can include moisture that comes from the rain or watering, the mulch helps to retain the moisture within for a longer time.

An Organic Process

Another advantage that comes from mulching is a better environment for everyone. Mulching your leaves, as opposed to putting them in the trash, will keep them out of landfills where the valuable nutrients are put to waste. The overall effect that comes from mulching is more plant food for your lawn and landscape without the need for additional fertilizers. Mulching is organic in every sense of the word, so take advantage of this process that will give you a gorgeous garden layout.

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