Healthy Lawn
Licensed & Certified

PO Box 276
Youngstown, NY 14174

Phone Numbers:

In Buffalo Call:
716-692-4433

In Youngstown Call:
716-692-4433

In Lockport Call:
716-433-9433

In Niagara Falls Call:
716-692-4433

In Grand Island Call: 
716-692-4433

In Tonawanda's Call:
716-692-4433

OUR RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Fertilizer Facts

How to Apply Fertilizer

Plant Nutrition

Tools for a Beautiful Lawn

Cultural Practices for a Healthy Lawn

Lawn Mowing...
Most people don't realize how much proper mowing contributes to the overall health and appearance of their home lawn.  Therefore, let's take a look at some of the mowing basics that will provide you the best possible results:

• 1ST RULE!!! 80% OF LAWN CARE IS MOWING HEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

• "Mow Your lawn in the coolest part of the day for the cleanest cut."  Use a mulching mower and always leave the clippings.

• "The longer the grass, the deeper the root." 
   Grass growing in the shade needs to be cut as long as possible, since it needs more leaf area to intercept limited light.

• "Never remove more than 1/3 of the height of the grass at a time." (Example: If you are mowing your lawn at 3 inches, always cut it before it gets beyond 4-1/2 inches in height)

• Try to mow often enough, and under the right conditions, so that clumps of grass aren't left on the lawn.  Clean your mower deck after mowing.

Late Fall Maintenance... (October - Early November in Western New York) 

• Ensure your grass is cut short enough (but not scalped) to prevent it from "laying over" under deep snow cover. Using a 2 to 2-1/2 inch cutting height should be sufficient. It's actually best to gradually lower your cutting height over the final three cuts of the year, instead of trying to do it all in one final cut. Shorter grass is less likely to suffer from snow mold disease.

• Check for any last minute leaf accumulations that may smother your grass.

• If your lawn soil test calls for lime, late Fall is considered the best time of year to make a lime application. Retest your lawn soil every three to five years for deficiencies.

• Late Fall is the time to apply "winterizer" fertilizers

• Don't forget to sharpen your mower blade for next year.

Watering...
The most frequently asked questions are:

When is the best time of day to water?
Morning is the best, between the hours of 4AM and 8AM.  Late evening is the time to avoid watering a lawn if possible. Why? Turf grass watered in the evening tends to stay wet all night, providing an ideal environment for fungus disease. Also watering during the heat of the day is a waste of precious water because most of it evaporates. The ground temperature can reach as high as 115 degrees F in the hot months.

How much water should I give my lawn?
This varies somewhat depending on grass type. In general, applying one half inch of water per watering and never more than 3 times per week in most circumstances. Water can be measured by marking the side of a pie tin placed in the lawn. Remember that if nature provides water by rainfall, irrigation may not be needed.

What about too much or too little water?
When you water your lawn too frequently it can cause excess growth, summer fungal diseases and more frequent mowing. 

Lawns that receive little to no water from irrigation or rainfall during summer months will go dormant. Grass blade coloring will lighten. Most lawns will recover when water returns. During a severe drought, the grass may die and require over seeding in the fall. This may be acceptable to those looking to conserve water during summer months.

How can I tell if my lawn needs water?
A lawn turns from the normal green color to light green or dried out green brown color. In these areas the grass will start to thin out. This is the first sign of "wilt" and indicates a need for water.

Tips for better watering...
Deep and infrequent watering maintains a healthy root system and reduces weed infestation (as opposed to light and frequent irrigation, which promotes shallow roots and germination of weed seeds).
Applying one inch of water is often difficult to achieve in a single watering given the slow infiltration rate on most soils. Therefore, smaller amounts of water applied every 3 to 4 days may be required to allow water to enter the soil without causing runoff.
Water is best applied early in the day (4 to 8 a.m.) when evaporation loss is lowest. Afternoon watering is acceptable but wind  and temperature may affect uniformity. Night watering minimizes evaporation, but may increase fungal diseases. Consider that numerous automatic sprinklers all running during periods of high household use (early morning) may place extreme demands on a community's water system.

Water the lawn, not driveways, sidewalks, or roads, by adjusting sprinkler heads.

Mow your grass at the right height (3+ inches)during the summer. Longer grass blades increase the depth of the root system, shade the soil, and help drought tolerance.

If your current grass is not drought tolerant, consider replacing it with one that is.

Remember that newly sodded or seeded lawns require more frequent watering (for the first 3 to 4 weeks) than do well established (older than 12 months) lawns.

Keep your mower blade sharp.
Annual core aeration can loosen compacted soil and allow water to infiltrate deeper into the ground.

For more information...

If you would like more information on our services, please click here for our easy to use submittal form or give us a call, In Buffalo call 716-692-4433, in Youngstown call 716-692-4433, in Lockport call 716-433-9433, in Niagara Falls call 716-692-4433, in Erie County, Grand Island & the Tonawanda's call 716-692-4433.

Our New York Lawn Care Service Areas...