What is Overseeding, And Why Should You do it?

Overseeding is one of the most important lawn care tasks, yet most homeowners do not take the time to do it. It is important because, like most things, grass is not immortal. After five or six years, grass plants will slow down their reproduction rates; they get tired just like we do as we age. Thin grass invites weeds, and that leaves you with another problem to deal with! For more tips on overseeding your lawn, go to:   http://gardening.yardener.com/YardenersPlantHelper/LawnCareForYardeners/FixingLawns/OverseedingLawns

 What Does Overseeding Do For Your Lawn?

Overseeding compensates for that natural slow down of the turf's reproduction. There are two major benefits to overseeding every five or six years:

• First, you insure your lawn stays thick and dense, or if it has thinned, you will make it thick again. Thick grass has few if any weeds if it is mowed over 2 inches tall.

• The second benefit is disease resistance. The new varieties of seed you sow this year will have better disease resistance than those varieties already in your lawn.

How Can You Tell If Your Lawn Needs To Be Overseeded?

Go to the garden center selling sod and try to spread the grass blades to see if you can see any soil. Usually, the grass is so thick you cannot see soil of brand new sod. Now go outside and check your own turf to see if by spreading the grass blades you can see any soil. It is likely the soil will be readily visible. That means your lawn needs to be overseeded. Early September is the best time to overseed your lawn.

Overseeding requires a good deal of work, so instead of spending your weekends in the hot Florida sun, prepping your lawn, let the professionals at ProMo Lawn Care do it for you!

ProMo Lawn Care is a residential and commercial lawn service company dedicated to making your yard beautiful with our custom lawn treatment services. Our expert staff consistently maintains lawns and landscapes by paying special attention to the specific needs of your Southwest Florida grass.
We are quickly becoming known as one of the top local lawn companies with the best service — serving Cape Coral, Fort Myers and North Ft. Myers, Estero, Punta Gorda, Bonita Springs and Naples. Most other lawn treatment companies in Southwest Florida don’t offer the kind of services we do — a lawn analysis that accompanies any and all of the following services you need:

Lawn care and maintenance (mow-edge-blow) Weed control (beds-n-borders) Sod repair Sprinkler head cleaning

Mulch, bark and decorative rock installation Shrub and hedge trimming Palm tree pruning Over seeding

Our lawn service prices as well as prices for additional landscape services remain reasonable because we want you to spend less time on your yard and more time doing the things you enjoy! Call us today for a FREE estimate!

Water Smart Lawn Tips

Did you know that watering less can actually make your lawn healthier?

The Florida sod growers co-operative has some great tips on not only when and how to water, but how to make every drop count! Check out the lawn tips below, and visit www.floridalawn.com for more great ideas on cost saving strategies and conservation! 

Lawns that are irrigated only when they need it develop deep, healthy root systems that help them withstand drought stress and make them less susceptible to pests and diseases.Your Florida lawn probably doesn't require as much water as you think. 

By planning your irrigation based on the plant's need - rather than a day of the week or a pre-set schedule - you can have a healthier, better looking lawn and make every drop count. 

Don’t just set it and forget it

Automatic irrigation systems are a great tool when used properly. However,
setting the sprinklers to turn on automatically — whether your landscape needs it or not — can waste water and cause lawn problems. Consider switching your system off during Florida’s cooler winter months and during the summer rainy season.

Let your lawn tell you when it needs water

Turn on your sprinklers only when your lawn shows signs of needing water — a grayish color, folded leaf blades and footprints that remain for several minutes.  When you do irrigate, set sprinklers to provide about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of water per zone. 

Rise and shine... and water your

Irrigate early in the day, preferably before sunrise. This helps minimize evaporation loss and limits the time the lawn is wet, which reduces the potential for disease.

Get a rain gauge

A rain gauge is a simple tool to use when deciding when to water. If 1/2 inch or more rain has recently fallen, empty the gauge, leave your controller off and delay the next watering.

Soil moisture sensors also can be installed to work with existing automatic systems to help regulate irrigation events based on the amount of moisture already present in the soil. 

Mow smart

That is where ProMo Lawn Care comes in! ProMo Lawn Care is a full-service lawn and landscape company serving Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples and Punta Gorda. We are insured professionals and a member of the BBB, so if you want it done right, call us or fill out our free estimate form.

Call us now:
1-800-NEW-LAWN (639-5296)
Local residents call (239) 458-9200

 

Healthy Florida Lawns

 The Southwest Florida Water Management District has some great tips, and instructions, for selecting and applying fertilizer for your lawn. Sometimes Florida yards need fertilizer to help keep them healthy, but applying too much fertilizer, too often or at the wrong time can cause damage to your lawn. The following steps will help you through the process of knowing when, and how much, to fertilize! To learn more, please visit the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Florida-friendly website at http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/yards/fertilizing.

• Know When to Apply Fertilizer 

  It’s important to know the right time to fertilize. Follow these tips before fertilizing:

• Consider the time of year, climate, soil type and, most important, type of grass and health or condition of the lawn before applying fertilizer.
• Fertilize only when the grass is actively growing. For instance, during the winter, grass is dormant in many areas of Florida; therefore, fertilizer is not necessary. Fertilizer applied when grass is not growing wastes your money and time, since it will not be beneficially used by the grass.
• If your lawn has problem areas, find out if this is related to a pest, soil or environmental problem such as excess shade or the uneven distribution of irrigation water. These problems should be corrected and not just masked by fertilization.
• If your household uses reclaimed water, check with your utility to determine if your reclaimed water has nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are also in fertilizer. If so, you may not need to fertilize as much.
• Do not fertilize if rain is predicted in the next 24–36 hours or when a heavy rain, tropical storm, hurricane or flood is predicted

• Determining How Much to Buy  

To avoid storing leftover fertilizer, decide how much you need before you make a purchase. Don’t guess! Measure your property and calculate the total square footage of turfgrass. Do not include landscape plants in the area to be fertilized.

• Selecting Fertilizer

Read the Label

All fertilizer labels have three bold numbers. The first number on the label represents nitrogen, the second number represents phosphorus and the third number represents potassium. These are the three major nutrients your lawn needs to thrive.

In general, select a fertilizer where the first and third numbers on the label are equal or in a 2:1 ratio and the middle number is zero or as low as possible.

Look for a fertilizer where the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (the first to second number) is a minimum of 4 to 1. For example, a 12-3-10 and a 15-0-15 fertilizer would follow this recommendation.

Choose Slow-Release Fertilizer

Most home lawn fertilizers contain some slow-release nitrogen. It takes longer for your yard to benefit from slow-release nitrogen, but the effects will last longer. Many of these fertilizers provide fertilization for 60 days or longer, depending on environmental conditions. As a result, fewer nutrients may be wasted or lost as pollutants.To find a slow-release fertilizer, look for these terms on the product or fertilizer tag for nitrogen

• Timed-release, slow-release or controlled-release
• Water insoluble nitrogen
• Isobutylidene diurea (IBDU)
• Ureaform (UF)
• Nitroform
• Sulfur-, polymer-, plastic- or resin-coated urea

•  Applying Fertilizer

When applying fertilizer, the most important thing to remember is to read and follow the instructions on the fertilizer bag. Proper application will ensure maximum coverage, resulting in a healthy lawn while protecting water bodies.

Calculate Application Rates

To determine the correct amount of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet, divide 100 by the percentage of nitrogen in the bag. For example, a fertilizer with a 15-0-15 label contains 15% nitrogen, 0% phosphorus and 15% potassium. Divide 100 by 15 to get 6.6; this is the number of pounds of slow-release fertilizer needed to apply one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. This works for any fertilizer product or amount of nitrogen.

• Maintaining a Healthy Lawn

Proper lawn maintenance is vital for the long-term health of your lawn. Appropriate mowing and watering practices must occur so your lawn will have a healthy root system, be more drought-tolerant and be able to resist pests and disease. To ensure your lawns best appearance and health, call the professionals at ProMo Lawn Care.

ProMo Lawn Care is one of the best because we hire the best, make your lawn look its best, and offer the best pricing for professional lawn care in Southwest Florida. Your satisfaction with our lawn care is important. We pride ourselves in providing a quality lawn care that tailors each service to suit your lawn and its individual needs. Contact ProMo Lawn Care for customer service that puts you first.

We are a full service lawn and landscape care company serving Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples and Punta Gorda. We are insured professionals accredited by the BBB, so if you want it done right, call us at 1-800-NEW-LAWN.

Do You Have a “Florida-friendly” Yard?

According to Southwest Florida’s Water Management District, there are nine principals to a “Florida-friendly” yard. What is a “Florida-friendly” yard? It is a yard that is not only beautiful, but that also becomes an asset to the environment by protecting natural resources. Recognizing that the home landscape is part of a larger natural system will help in creating a “Florida-friendly” yard.

To maintain a “Florida-friendly yard, the SWF Water Management District emphasizes nine principals:

1.     Right plant, right place

Plants selected to suit a specific site will require minimal amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides.

2.     Water efficiently

Irrigate only when your lawn needs water. Efficient watering is the key to a healthy Florida yard and conservation of limited resources.

3.     Fertilize appropriately

Less is often best. Overuse of fertilizers can be hazardous to your yard and the environment.

4.     Mulch

Maintaining a 3-inch layer of mulch will help retain soil moisture, prevent erosion and suppress weeds.

5.     Attract wildlife

Plants in your yard that provide food, water and shelter will attract Florida’s diverse wildlife.

6.     Manage yard pests responsibly

Unwise use of pesticides can harm people, pets, beneficial organisms and the environment.

7.     Recycle

 Grass clippings and leaves provide nutrients to the soil and reduce waste disposal when reused on the landscape.

8.     Reduce storm water runoff

Water running off your landscape can carry pollutants such as soil, debris, fertilizer, gasoline and pesticides that can adversely impact water quality. Reduction of this runoff will help prevent nonpoint-source pollution.

9.     Protect the waterfront

Waterfront property, whether on a river, stream, pond, bay or beach, is very fragile and should be carefully protected to maintain freshwater and marine ecosystems.

For more information about “Florida-friendly” yards, go to http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/yards to check out their searchable plant database and get more tips on how to make your yard “Florida-friendly.” Then let ProMo Lawn Care professionals help you attain the yard of your dreams! We offer the most comprehensive lawn care services in Southwest Florida, including:

·  Lawn care and maintenance (mow-edge-blow)

·  Mulch, bark and decorative rock installation

·  Weed control (beds-n-borders)

·  Shrub and hedge trimming

·  Sprinkler head cleaning

·  Sod Repair

·  Palm tree pruning

·  Over seeding

ProMo Lawn Care is a residential and commercial lawn service company dedicated to making your yard beautiful with our custom lawn treatment services. Our expert staff consistently maintains lawns and landscapes by paying special attention to the specific needs of your Southwest Florida grass.
Give us the opportunity to estimate services for your lawn needs today! We serve Cape Coral, Fort Myers and North Ft. Myers, Estero, Punta Gorda, Bonita Springs, Naples and Port Charlotte.