Lawn Care Blog

Are you ready to get out in the fresh air and sunshine and start your yard work? More importantly, are your lawn and garden tools ready? Give your tools a spring cleaning by refreshing them before use. Maryland lawn care specialists know that maintaining tools will make your job easier and help the tools to last longer.

Clean pruning tools with alcohol to prevent spreading disease from tree to tree. If you cut trees or shrubs last year and simply put away the tools, they should be cleaned before using them again. The alcohol will take away any fungi, insect eggs or weed killer that might be clinging to the tools with the potential to spread to healthy trees and shrubs. This season would be a good time to start a cleaning regimen between uses, as well. Any tool such as a spade, rake, hoe or shovel that comes in contact with soil should be hosed off with water after use and dried with a cloth to prevent rust. These tools can also be oiled to help keep rust at bay. The oil acts as an insulator to prevent the steel from oxidizing.

Next, oil and grease moving parts on equipment like lawn mowers, wheel barrows or pruners. This not only makes them easier to use, it makes them safer. Sharpen blades on mowers, pruners and shovels. Sharp blades are much more efficient when it comes to time and effort. Check your rake and shovel handles – if they are rough in any spot, sand the handle to smooth it out and avoid splinters. Oil it to keep it smooth.

A little investment in time to maintain your tools can result in a big payback when gardening or doing yard work.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Lawn-care season is just about in full swing in Maryland by now, and if you haven’t already made lawn mowing part of your busy schedule, make room before the grass is knee-high. Lawns across Harford County are looking green and manicured, and lawn care services are roaring to life throughout the area. Once a week grass cutting is about the most common schedule for lawn care specialists, if you are considering hiring out for this task. If you choose to do it yourself, then it’s time to break out the mower and get it ready for the weekly ritual.

Start your season off right by making sure your mower is in the best possible shape. Get your mower blades sharpened and clean the mower deck. Blades can be sharpened at a lawn care shop. The difference between a dull and a sharp blade can mean the difference between a lush lawn and lazy lawn. It can also save you time cutting the grass. The mower deck should be free of debris for safety purposes.

For a thick-looking lawn, set the blades to cut at a height of four inches. This height will also help keep the lawn from burning in the dry weather conditions Harford County has been experiencing. If the grass is too long or heavy and bunches up in the mower, double cut in the opposite direction. Finally, mulch your clippings instead of picking them up – it’s a great way to provide natural fertilization for other areas of your lawn and garden.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Our lawn technicians attended the Maryland Turf Grass Council Conference in early January.  Held at the University of Maryland in College Park, the conference is a fundraiser for turf grass research at the University.  Hillside Lawn Service attendees experienced a variety of seminars and trade show booths showcasing the latest lawn and turf technologies.  

The general session opened with a discussion of the 2011 Fertilizer Act, moderated by Dr. Gary Felton of the University’s Department of Environmental Science and Technology.  Our professional lawn care specialists attended Lawn Care and Lawn Turf Sessions that highlighted nitrogen fertility, organic weed control, green lawn projects, water conservation with irrigation, and white grub behavior and disease management, among other topics.  Ornamental Care presentations educated our staff on healthy trees, the Emerald Ash Borer and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, and pest control for ornamental trees.  The conference also covered golf course turf and athletic field turf technologies.

"Attending the conference allows us to stay current on industry trends and improvements and stay compliant with the MDA. The end result is a better product for everyone involved. Simply put: It's better for business, it's better for the customer and it's better for the environment," says Rob Rosolowski, one of our lawn and tree specialists.

You can be sure that all of our technicians will apply their newly acquired knowledge to the customers of our Harford County lawn service, giving them the latest in ornamental and professional lawn care in Maryland.  

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

If you’re thinking of investing in your lawn this spring, one of the items you might consider is a lawn irrigation system or automatic sprinkler system.  Expensive?  Yes.  An investment?  Yes.  But if you regularly water your lawn, a system can be both convenient and conservative.  

Convenience comes with not having to move the sprinkler, roll out the hose, move the hose, forget about the sprinkler, and have saturated grass in one area.  Conservation comes with the well-thought-out plan for sprinklers placed strategically throughout your yard and put on a timer.  They will eliminate over-watering, water run-off and wasting water because you forgot to turn off the hose.  The lawn will be healthier and less likely to harbor weeds and pests.  Pesticides and fertilizers can be applied and watered as needed.  The system will also result in a beautiful, green lawn throughout the season, because it will be convenient and conservative.  Remember that this lush lawn will require more mowing and lawn care maintenance from your lawn care specialist.  

Your irrigation or sprinkler system should simulate natural weather patterns, according to about.com.  Water should go deep in the soil; shallow and frequent watering leads to a weak plant, but deeper watering helps develop strong root systems.  Drought and extreme heat have less effect on healthy grass.
 
Finally, if you are considering a system, consider having it professionally installed by a professional lawn care company in Maryland, like Hillside Lawn Service.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink