HELPFUL TIPS
Why Mulch?
Mulching is an essential step in establishing and/or maintaining a healthy and beautiful landscape. It can be done once in the spring, once in the fall or in both the spring and fall. Regardless of timing, you must be sure of one very important rule:

Never have more than three inches of mulch at any given time.

Deeper layers of mulch may provide greater weed suppression, but can also lead to plant decline. Deep layers of mulch also can lead to wet, poorly aerated soil underneath. In addition, piling mulch up against the trunk of a tree can cause rotting of the bark if the trunk stays moist. If you are re-mulching an existing landscape, remember to use a shallow layer so as not to build up the mulch layer above a 3 inch depth.
Below we have listed a few reasons you should include mulching as part of your yearly landscape maintenance schedule:

1. Mulches are useful in landscapes for moisture conservation, appearance, surface insulation (i.e. moderates temperature extremes) and the added benefit of weed control. A three inch layer of mulch is ideal.

2. Mulches aid in amending the soil. As organic mulches break down, they become good growing media. You can actually till organic mulches into the soil when renovating your landscape, which will benefit the soil by introducing organic matter.

3. Mulch also increases water absorption/retention and helps to prevent soil compaction and improve aeration in the planting area.

4. Last but not least, mulching is used to beautify the garden. Mulching makes surfaces more attractive, usable and of course, easier to maintain.


Why use granular weed pre-emergent when mulching?
Pre-emergence herbicides are another tool to improve weed control over mulch alone. Most pre-emergence herbicides do not control existing weeds. Therefore, the application timing is essential in ensuring that the herbicide is in place before weed germination. Late winter or early spring applications control summer-annual weeds such as large crabgrass and prostrate spurge.
» First and foremost, they give you a much needed "head-start" on keeping the weeds under control. Just about the time it gets too hot for most people, and the thought of spending hours and hours in the garden, most weeds are just hitting the peak of their growing season.

» Weeds you pre-emergently control do not have the opportunity to produce seed. Therefore, if you apply pre-emergents annually, the weed population will decrease with each passing year.

» Pre-emergence herbicides usually last a few months. Most post-emergence herbicides do not have a residual effect, which means they do not control weed germination after the application. This will result in more frequent herbicide applications if you rely solely on post-emergence control.

» When they are applied correctly and in accordance with the label, pre-emergence herbicides pose less risk of "non-target" plant damage than post-emergence herbicides.

» Pre-emergence herbicides often are available in granular form, which reduce the risk of drift spray.

» Pre-emergents control weeds during germination, so no unsightly dead foliage appears after the weeds die.


Should you install a landscape plastic or fabric prior to mulching?
Many people ask about the installation of a fabric or plastic prior to mulching. These are viable options but they have limitations that by far outweigh their benefits.

Black plastic provides excellent annual-weed control. However, the surface does not hold mulch well, especially on a slope. Heavy rains will wash off the mulch, exposing the plastic and detracting from the appearance of a landscape. This allows sunlight to reach the plastic. In time, the material will break down and allow weeds to emerge. Black plastic also limits water movement into, and gas exchange with the soil below. The plastic barrier also prevents the mulch from breaking down and mixing with the soil below.

Landscape fabrics, on the other hand, allow water to move through the material to reach plant roots below the fabric and allow for exchange of gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Therefore, landscape fabrics are better choices for long-term weed control than the plastics. However, the fabrics have the same limitations as the plastics. The surface does not hold mulch well, especially on a slope and the barrier prevents the mulch from breaking down and mixing with the soil below.

However, if you are considering using a decorative gravel of some sort, it is absolutely essential to install a layer of fabric or plastic, prior to installing the gravel. If you do not, weeds will become a huge problem over time. The gravel can mix with the soil below and create a nightmare if you ever decide to change the planting area.


Why Aerate?
Benefits of Aeration

Once the stresses of summer have wreaked havoc on your lawn and the moderate temperatures of early fall set in, it is time to repair the damage that has been done. On clay- or silt-type soils, or any soil type for that matter, soil sealing and compacting can seriously impair turf growth. Grass roots are injured because air, water and fertilizers cannot reach them in sufficient quantities. Mechanical core aeration, which breaks through this barrier, is essential for continued turf health. Fertilizer applications following aeration most efficiently provide nutrients to the turf roots. We apply an 18-24-12 fertilizer which hastens germination and promotes rapid root development. Also, after aeration, the plugs which are left behind assist in breaking down thatch.

Aeration is best done by power equipment that pulls out small cores of soil every 3 to 4 inches. Unlike other companies, we double aerate all turf areas. This maximizes the number of holes created, allowing twice as much seed to germinate and twice as much fertilizer to get to the root zone. We use the highest quality turf type tall fescue blend. This blend has a 99 percent germination rate, when irrigated properly.

Aeration should be done at least once a year. We believe that spring aeration creates a prime environment for weed germination. Therefore, early fall is the best time for all cool season grasses. The earlier these steps are taken, the more time the grass has to mature and root in before winter arrives. This in turn will make for a better spring turf.

Large bare spots in the yard need special attention and are not included in the standard aeration price. Depending on size, the areas need to be renovated or hand scratched and seeded.

If you have an invisible dog fence and/or an irrigation system we will work with you to get them marked before aeration begins. We look forward to making your lawn the most attractive in the neighborhood.

Rules for Watering
Shallow, frequent sprinkling to add a little water each day is the worst way to water a lawn. It only encourages shallow, weak roots, crabgrass and disease development. Before sunrise, irrigate to full depth of the root system. Then wait until the supply is nearly exhausted before watering again. But, do not let the grass undergo drought stress. The key here is duration, not frequency. It is better to irrigate for longer periods of time and less frequently than vice-versa.
Bluegrass and red fescue roots may not reach depths greater than 4 to 6 inches during the summer. About one inch of water (620 gallons per 1,000 square feet) can be stored in an average Missouri soil to this depth, and this should last about a week. A reasonable rule for summer lawn irrigation is to apply enough water in addition to natural rainfall to total one inch per week. On sandy soils that cannot store this much, greater frequency with lesser amounts may be required. During the heat of summer, it may be necessary to irrigate an extra day, to compensate for the lack of rainfall and extreme heat.
Don't guess at how much water must be applied to reach desirable wetting depth. Place tall, straight-sided cans in the sprinkler pattern. Measure water depth in the cans when the root zone is thoroughly wetted, that is, when puddles and runoff begin to form. Thrust a small probe (screwdriver) into the soil. Decreased resistance to the probe in wetted soil can help gauge depth of wetting.
Most sprinklers apply water faster than soil can absorb it. Few established lawn soils in Missouri can absorb 1/2 inch per hour; many absorb much less. To prevent waste, move sprinklers frequently. Properly engineered permanent irrigation systems with timing controls for "interval watering" do the best job. A soaker hose is also an excellent choice.
Steep slopes, hard spots and hot areas require special attention. Mechanical aeration, extra slow watering and use of wetting agents may help water infiltration
Keep these things in mind and it will help you minimize the damage a St. Louis summer can do to your lawn.

Why not mulch my leaves with the mower?
We believe that the potential harm you can cause to your lawn by repeatedly cutting over leaves outweighs the potential benefits of leaving the organic matter on the turf. Sure, you are leaving an all natural substance on the lawn, which, at some point could benefit the lawn, but too much of anything is not good. As the chopped up leaf particles build up, they can actually smother the grass. This causes the turf to thin out, opening the door for weeds. The leaf matter does not break down fast enough to provide an immediate benefit to the lawn. For these reasons, we believe the leaves should be cleaned before any fall cuttings.