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2020 Fall Newsletter

Fall Newsletter

As we start the Fall Season, we hope that everyone enjoyed their Summer!

This Summer the weather was very rough on the lawns and landscapes.  June had heavy rainfall and high humidity which promoted an abundance of turf disease and excessive weed and weed grass growth.  July brought excessive heat, with temperatures in the high 90’s, and very little rain. This was followed by heavy storms and flooding in August. Unsurprisingly, these conditions created an unhealthy environment for your lawn and landscape, causing damage to many of our trees, shrubs and lawns.  The good news: we have seen some recovery with the cooler temperatures at the end of August.

With the Fall Service we will be repairing the damage caused by the Summer weather.  Here are some suggestions for corrective measures you should consider for this Fall:

Caring for Your Lawn in the Fall

Certain areas of your lawn may thin out each year because of annual grasses, summer stress, insects and diseases. It will be necessary to have these areas reseeded; this work will be performed along with your Fall Service. Prior to your Fall Service, we would like you to be aware of the following:

  • This is an excellent time to give your lawn a good raking. As in the Spring, get your leaf rake and rake out the dead grasses in any damaged or thin areas. Doing this means that when your reseeding is done, the seed will be able to easily make the soil contact needed to germinate.
  • After raking you should fill in any thin, low areas, or holes in the turf by adding small amounts of topsoil. This “topdressing” can be done by lightly spreading ½ to 1 inch of soil onto the ground with a garden rake.  This soil can be purchased in 40 lb. bags from any garden center.
  • Note: For those who want topdressing, but cannot do it yourselves, our company offers this service at an extra charge. The topdressing will be done at the time of your Fall Service.

Entire Lawn Core Aeration is Available

During the Fall Service, we spot core aerate when we repair the damaged areas as part of the reseeding extra work.  However, if you are interested in having the entire lawn core aerated this Fall, please contact us and we will email you the cost for your property. For more information on the benefits of whole lawn core aeration, see our web page’s FAQ: Core Aeration

Leaf Removal

As we get deeper into autumn, it is important that you remove the leaves from your lawn for as long as they continue to fall. This means raking and clearing right into December and January.  Leaves left on the lawn cause dead areas and other problems. The easiest and safest way of removing leaves from your lawn is to use a lawn mower bag while cutting. For heavier amounts of leaves, raking is not a problem on established turf.  Please note on newly-seeded, shady, or shallow-rooted areas, heavy raking may be damaging to the lawn.  Either rake these areas lightly or (if you have one) use a leaf blower. A blower would move the leaves off the weak areas onto established turf, driveway, street or sidewalk where they can then safely be raked into bags.

 If you need help finding assistance with leaf removal, please contact us and we can make recommendations.

Watering Procedures

Please do not turn off your water until late November. In the Autumn, the lawns become drier than most people realize due to windy days, trees absorbing moisture before winter dormancy, and cooler temperatures. If there is no measurable rainfall for a week, make sure that you provide a good soaking, especially if extensive seeding was done in the Fall service. Continue watering until the weather prohibits.

For those customers who have a sprinkler system, you will need to water three times a week because of the amount of time needed to be sure each zone is properly watered – especially if extensive seeding was done in the Fall.  Due to the cooler temperatures this time of year, you need to set your sprinkler to start later in the morning, for example at 10 a.m. rather than 5 a.m.  You may also reduce the amount of time each zone is on.  Please do not set the system to come on the day your lawn is scheduled to be mowed. Unless directed otherwise by our company, you can schedule your sprinkler system’s winterization after November 15th.

We will be starting our Fall Service shortly.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com.

Have a wonderful Fall Season!

 

Gabriel L. Clouser, President

Eric M. Plummer, Vice President

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2020 High Summer Newsletter

High Summer 2020 Newsletter – Print (PDF)

High Summer Newsletter

We hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July! The High Summer Season is about to start and that means two things: heat and drought. Summer weather is very rough on lawns and landscapes.  Excessive heat, with temperatures in the high 90’s, high humidity and very little rain in July and August are common occurrences.  These conditions create an unhealthy environment for your lawn and landscape, causing damage to many of our lawns.  With the Fall Service, we always concentrate on correcting the damage caused by summer weather.  But there are things you can do for your lawn to lessen the damage.  Let’s talk about prevention!

Caring for Your Lawn in the Heat of Summer:

At this time of year, watering is of the upmost importance. Your lawn needs water, not just to look good, but to prevent damage. Good mowing and watering practices are essential.

  • Cut your lawn less frequently and recycle the grass clippings into the lawn if possible. Continue to mow at a height of 4 inches.
  • Make sure that your lawn is watered once a week if there is no measurable rainfall, and twice a week during prolonged hot spells — soak the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. This usually takes about 1 hour of watering in each area of the lawn.
  • Mornings are the best time to water.  This will allow the soil to absorb the water and the turf to dry, which can help reduce the occurrence of turf diseases.

It is easier and requires less water to maintain your established grass areas, shrubs and trees than to have them repaired or replaced.

Check our website for weather and watering conditions: www.finolawn.com Current conditions are Red.  The temperatures have been above 90 and there has been no measurable rainfall in the last 2 weeks.

Entire Lawn Core Aeration:

If you want to make the most out of your watering efforts, you might want to consider core aeration for your entire lawn. Over time, the lawn becomes compacted by repeated foot traffic and weekly mowing.  Soil compaction can lead to an increase in numerous issues including: thatch buildup, poor drainage and even increased insect and disease activity.   With the use of larger and heavier mowers, compaction has become a greater problem for our lawns.  Core aeration is the best non-chemical process that can be used to improve the health of the lawn.

Core Aeration offers the following benefits to the lawn:

  • Reduced Water run-off
  • Reduced Soil Compaction
  • Improved Fertilizer uptake and use
  • Enhanced soil water uptake
  • Improved Root development
  • Enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance
  • Enhanced resistance to diseases and insects
  • Improved resiliency and cushioning
  • Enhanced thatch breakdown
  • Improved air exchange between soil and atmosphere

During the Fall Service, we spot core aerate when we repair the damaged areas as part of the reseeding extra work.  However, if you are interested in having the entire lawn core aerated, please contact us and we will email you the cost for your property.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on 302-792-2201 or at Finolawn@gmail.com

Have a wonderful Summer Season!

Gabriel L. Clouser, President     &    Eric M. Plummer, Vice President

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2020 E. Summer Newsletter

Early Summer 2020 Newsletter – Print (PDF)

Changes Due to the Corona Virus

We have started this year’s early summer service on schedule, and yet, in completely unprecedented times. Here is where we would usually talk about the weather, but instead, we must also address a different kind of daily climate and conditions. The Coronavirus remains a concern for our community and we want to reassure you, our customers, vendors, and co-workers, that we continue to take this situation seriously.

As a family-oriented company, the safety and security of our employees, partners and customers is of the upmost importance. We will continue to refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other public health agencies to determine the safest course of action.

Specifically, here are steps that we are taking on a daily basis:

  • We will be providing our regular services, however, to minimize risks to you, we will not be knocking on doors or leaving invoices. All invoices and seasonal bulletins will be emailed.
  • Social distancing: We are still available to help you with any questions or concerns via our website, phone and email. If you need to meet in person, we will observe social distancing guidelines.
  • Because we work with chemicals, we are always safety conscious and wear protective gear. However, as part of our regular operations, we have increased the cleaning and sanitization of the warehouse environment.
  • We are following the CDC’s recommendations and will continue to monitor and adhere to their best practice health guidelines.

Despite all the changes that we must contend with, somethings we can rely on to stay the same. The sun will come up, spring weather will warm into summer, and the grass will keep growing.  We will continue to provide the best quality turfcare, tailor-made, for your property.

Also, a reminder: There’s still time to sign-up for Our Flea & Tick Program!

Flea and Tick Control is a separate service from the Regular Turf Care that you currently receive.  It is a five application service (starting in May and running through September) that specifically targets fleas and ticks in your lawn and landscape.  We use a granular product with the same active ingredients as the products applied directly to pets. However, because we are controlling the parasites precisely where they live, in your lawn and landscape, we can use a lower active rate. A lower active rate is even safer for you and your pets. It’s more environmentally friendly and gentle on the beneficial insects in your landscape.

If you are interested in this extra program or have extra questions, please let us know.  We have officially started our regular turf care rounds and you can expect to see us in your neighborhood soon.

Stay safe and have a wonderful early summer!

Gabriel L. Clouser, President
Eric M. Plummer, Vice President