Lawn Care Blog

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.  

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.

Continuing our discussion of limestone, Hillside Lawn Service is beginning its lime applications as part of its professional lawn care in Maryland. We use pelletized limestone, because it can be applied thoroughly and evenly to lawns, helping to neutralize acidic soils. Pelletized lime can be applied either by using a spreader or by hand, and it has the advantage of not producing dust, keeping walkways and flower beds free of lime debris. Additionally, it is the most abundant type and more cost-effective than burnt or hydrated lime. While burnt lime and hydrated lime can be harmful to human skin, pelletized lime is easier to handle.
 
Not only does lime counteract the acidic soil and offer nutrients, it also reduces the toxicity of elements like aluminum, manganese and iron in the soil. It regulates zinc, copper and phosphorus. Lime also improves the activity of bacteria, enriching the soil’s composition.  
 
Winter in Harford County and Cecil County, Maryland is the ideal time for lime applications, due to the alternate freezing and thawing. This helps lime to be absorbed into the soil more easily. Early spring rains also allow it to penetrate the soil. So, if you’re considering an ongoing lawn treatment package this year, start now with lime application and get your lawn ready for spring.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to save money or be more fiscally responsible, start by putting lawn care in your budget. Take a good look at the tools and supplies you use throughout the year – grass seed, fertilizer, gasoline for your mower and edger, equipment maintenance, just to name a few. Come up with a total anticipated dollar amount for both lawn and garden maintenance and improvements. Then, decide where that money will come from – and budget the time it will take to do what you have planned. If you are startled by the numbers, both in dollars and hours, consider other ways to get the job done.

Don’t be afraid to explore options offered by lawn care services. You may be pleasantly surprised at the cost effectiveness and flexibility of professional lawn care. You can have your lawn mown weekly for as little as $25 for a half-acre plot.* Hillside Lawn Service has a variety of lawn maintenance packages that are designed to fit your budget and needs. We can work with you to do part or all of your lawn and garden care. From simply maintaining your lawn to year-round fertilizing treatments for grass, trees and shrubs, we can personalize your service within a budget designed for you. Click on our Services to explore the options and update your lawn care budget in the new year. 

*Note: While we recognize the necessity for regular lawn mowing, Hillside's services focus on maintaining healthy soil, grasses, trees and shrubs. We do not offer lawn mowing service.

Treat your turf grass to some winterization. Keeping your turf healthy will keep you and the environment healthy. Turf releases oxygen, helps control pollution, reduces soil erosion and purifies and replenishes the water supply. Treat your turf to nutrients through fertilization, only after planting more to thicken the turf. Put off fertilizing until the new turf has grown in and you’ve mown a few times. Disease can fester when the daytime temperatures are still high, so waiting to fertilize will ensure you eradicate any warm-weather disease.

If you live in Harford County (or surrounding counties) and want to keep turf green through the winter, overseed with a cool-season grass before the end of October. Overseeding with cool-season grass may also bring success in weed control. When the grass is dense and fed well, the weeds tend to be fewer and more easily controlled.

Treat your turf well, and treat yourself to lush greenery all year long!

  

If you’re still looking at all the leaves covering your lawn and wondering how you’re going to find time and energy between football games to tackle yard work, consider leaving it to the pros. Not only will hiring a professional lawn service save you time and effort, it will also help you to have the yard that turns heads all year long.  

When you enlist the services of a professional, you get their expert advice on your specific situation. The lawn care professional should ask you about your maintenance habits for your lawn and shrubbery, and recommend treatments that will keep your yard at its peak for the longest time period. The service should give you choices for treating your plants, trees and shrubs, as well as your lawn all year long. Click here for examples of lawn maintenance packages.  

Treatments like grub control, pest control and lime application need to be done at certain times of the year. The professionals can get the timing right for your geographic area, whether it’s Harford County or Baltimore County. Then you won’t miss getting it done because you’re too busy for your yard work.  

And you won’t have to worry about missing those Sunday football games, either!  

   

Just to be sure that we all know what mature crabgrass looks like, I thought I would post these late July pictures of crabgrass reaching maturity.  Two of these pics show the plant in mulch beds, unscathed by a mower, you can see the true size and shape of the unsightly lawn weed. Notice how the runners are creeping out onto the sidewalk, just like it creeps through your lawn.  All of these runners will put out seedheads, which will produce next year's crop of this invasive, annual grassy weed.  If you have crabgrass in your lawn, call HillSide Lawn Service for a free lawn analysis and a plan to get rid of your crabgrass for good.