**BUY OUR ANNUAL PROGRAM AND GET $25 OFF** ends February 15, 2012

As Kermit the Frog has always said. It’s not easy being green. Well, in Kansas, it’s not easy staying green either. Since we seem to being going through the “Winter that Wasn’t”. I thought we would mention our Annual Fertilizer Program we have to offer for fescue, bluegrass, bermuda, zoysia or whatever lawn you may have. Believe it or not, we are gaining ground on Spring and our first application is only about a month away. It’s very important to get the Step-1 Prevent down in order to stop crab grass from growing. Of course, if you have plans to overseed in the Spring, there are some alternatives you would want to use. Prevent fertilizers are not picky on what they prevent from growing. Meaning that they will also prevent grass from coming up.

For our 6-Step annual program we use all granular products. We do supplement weed control with sprays at the time of the granular applications at no additional charge. Our program is effective on two levels. Price and control. Our commercial Lesco spreaders are set to apply the correct amount of fertilizer. There is no such thing as “close enough”. Our prices are set competitive to your costs of only purchasing the fertilizer itself. Then add in your time and gas to get it each time and the time it takes to put it down. I am willing to bet too, that you either buy the bag to “make it work” or too much and have to store it… for how long and away from pets and kids etc.

Our 6-step program summary is as follows, but you can visit our Program Page for more details:

STEP 1  Late Winter / Early Spring - Professional, slow-release fertilizer plus crabgrass prevent.

STEP 2  Spring – Fertilizer, plus professional strength herbicide, for control of dandelions, clover, plantain and other broad leaf weeds.

STEP 3  Summer – A second application of professional, slow-release fertilizer plus crabgrass prevent.

STEP 4  Summer – Professional, grub control helps control grubs at the appropriate time in their life-cycle.

STEP 5  Fall – Professional, slow-release nitrogen fertilizer helps turf recover from summer stress.

STEP 6  Late Fall / Winter - Winter root builder made to move roots laterally and develop rhizomes, for fast thick spring growth. Encourages drought and traffic tolerance.

Give up the headache. Leave it to us and move on with your life. We are here to whatever level suits your needs. I used to like to just mow. Not worry about chasing sprinklers, so I got a system put it, then I hired a now competitor for fertilizer, so I have been a consumer. I know what the other guys do and how they perform and what they cost. No excuses. We are licensed, knowledgeable all while cost and performance effective. It’s a no-brainer.

Email us your address for a Free No-Obligation Estimate today.

- The Hometown Lawn Team

We can perform duties by the hour or by the job. Truck or Bobcat work is available. If needed, we can even haul snow off-site.

It’s never too late to contact us. Give us a call or an email and we can consult with you as to what may be the best services fit. We specialize in commercial properties, businesses, apartments, multi-family living, senior living, office and retail complexes. Landlords, call us to have worry free dependable service. We are only a phone call away. Learn what so many others already know! That Hometown Lawn is dedicated to customer satisfaction.

We have pushed snow for Wal-Mart, U-Haul, Price Brothers, Block LLC  and many, many more.

-The Hometown Lawn Team
913-256-LAWN (5296)

Aerate

Aerating is probably the most popular with people term-wise. It seems that everyone we talk to wants to “aerate”. The funny thing is that the more we talk the more we discover that they aren’t real sure why they want to aerate and that might just be what they have heard to do. So, let’s put some identity to the action.

More than likely we have all seen a lawn or golf course that has been aerated. I like to say that it looks a lot like a yard that has been pooped on by a bazillion little dogs. Well, that’s not what actually happened. Aerating is actually a shortened term for Core Aeration. In the Civil Engineering world we would refer to them as “samples”.

But anyway, aerating is done by a machine that has several tubes attached to a drum. These tubes dig into the ground, by the weight of the machine, about 2-3 inches as the machine moves forward. The hollow centers of the tubes collects your soil, grass and thatch leaving a hole in the ground while pushing out the soil from the previous rotation and hole.

The reason that aerating is done to a lawn is to decrease the compaction of the soils. By pulling out a “core” and leaving a hole and depositing its contents at the surface, the soils have room to expand and thus decrease compaction. Decreasing compaction allows for your grass roots to expand freely. It is also important to note that thatch is brought out with each core made. You want thatch gone, because while in place, it intercepts the delivery of water, fertilizer and other nutrients to you soils and grass roots.

We have seen many advertised costs starting at $50 per avg. Johnson County lawn. Don’t automatically assume that a higher advertised cost is just a bad deal. Ask questions about the service offered such as if it includes going in two directions or just one. (You want two, one perpendicular to the street and one at a 45 degree offset.)

Verticut

Verticutting uses a machine to cut straight lines into your lawn. The depth of these lines is variable and a by product of the slicing action is known as de-thatching. A verticut machine, like the aerator, has several blades attached to a drum. These blades slice the ground producing a proper seed bed, or corn-row, while removing thatch along the way. A machine like what is shown in the picture above has the ability to perform all three actions at once. Seed, cut and de-thatch.

Verticutting is argued the best way to prepare a lawn for over-seeding. By removing the thatch and cutting the rows, a “clean” evenly distributed seed bed creates an even lawn. Again, like aerating, verticutting should be done in two passes. Once to remove the thatch and slice, and again at a 45 degree to spread the seed. It should not be ignored that verticutting does also decrease lawn compaction by cutting in the rows. It is, however, not to the extreme as a core aerator is.

Verticut costs have been seen advertised starting at $70 per avg. Johnson County lawn. Again, higher pricing doesn’t mean a rip-off. The machine types, removing and collecting the thatch and two directions are all factors to consider. For what it’s worth, my lawn is verticut perpendicular to the street, thatch collected and removed, then cut in a 45 degree then distributing the seed.

Aerate vs. Verticut

The main thing we hear is of people that want both done. I always reply with, “That’s not a good idea.” Why? As you have read above, if you do both, you have hit your lawn between the two a total of FOUR times. What do you have left? Dust.

Core aeration is great for the lawn as it breaks up compaction and helps control thatch. It is not the best practice for seeding. If your main focus is to overseed then verticut as it provides for the best and most even seed bed. Core aeration can be used but verticutting is preferred. Aeration is best done in the fall but can also be done in the spring.

- Dennis Patton
Johnson County K-State Research and Extension

We at Hometown Lawn, suggest an alternating annual schedule of verticut and overseed one year, then aerate the next. I would never suggest doing both at the same time. If not only for the pet peeve of that a core hole collects your new seed and creates yard “hair plugs”. Agh, it looks horrible.

If your lawn needs both, then we would suggest a verticut and overseed in the fall and aerate in the early spring. This gives new grass time to establish as well as aerating early in the season will still allow for an application of Prevent. In our area, Spring Seed without growing a lot of weeds is nearly impossible.

Fall seeding for our area is best at an overseed application of 5-8 lbs / 1,000 sq ft. Followed by a starter fertilizer immediately after seeding and another high nitrogen fertilizer in four weeks. Follow up with a Winter fertilizer in November.

If you are ready to go, or still undecided give us a call 913.256.LAWN (5296) and let us get started or answer a few questions to help you determine what’s right for you and your lawn.

Hometown Lawn uses Grass Pad seed. Please specify Bluegrass or Fescue.

We offer our lawn aerating / verticut / verticutting / overseeding services to all the cities of Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, Shawnee, Prairie Village, Fairway, Gardner, Spring Hill, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Leawood and more in Johnson County, Kansas as well as in Kansas City, Mo and Kansas City, Ks. Don’t see your city? Just contact us and we would be happy to discuss it.