Services

Spring Clean-up

 Each spring clean-up consists of the following:

6-Step Fertilizing Program

Organic Fertilizing Program (new)

(Click here for more information about the Organic Fertilizing Program)

Dethaching

Thatch is that layer of dying and dead leaves, stems, and roots that develops between the top of your green lawn and the soil surface.  All lawns will develop some thatch over time, some much quicker than others. The amount of thatch that your lawn will develop is unpredictable, but it appears to relate to grass variety and soil conditions,
 especially soil reaction (pH). Thatch development is NOT related to the return of clippings to the lawn (they quickly decompose), provided you are mowing on a regular basis. Of course, clippings will be a problem if you let your lawn get very long between mowings.  A small amount of thatch does no harm to a lawn, and in fact can be beneficial. A lawn will typically develop a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of thatch within a couple of years after seeding. This amount of thatch will provide some cushion to the lawn, reduce surface runoff, improve water infiltration and reduce watering requirements by limiting soil surface evaporation. When thatch becomes 3/4 to one-inch deep, it will become detrimental. This amount of thatch will harbor insects and diseases. It will also result in the grass becoming shallow rooted, making it more prone to drought. When thatch becomes this thick, control measures should take place.

Aerating

As lawns age or sustain heavy use from play, sports activities, pets, vehicle traffic and parking, soil compaction can result. Soil compacting forces are most severe in poorly drained or wet sites. Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold air. Roots require oxygen to grow and absorb nutrients and water. Compaction reduces total pore space and the amount of air within the soil. It has a negative impact on nutrient uptake and water infiltration, in addition to being a physical barrier to root growth. This results in poor top growth and lawn deterioration. Core aeration can benefit your lawn by:

Hedge Trimming

 Done two to three times a year depending on growth habit of shrub.  After each trimming, area will be properly cleaned up and privet will be fed with 10-10-10.

Mowing and Trimming

Proper mowing is perhaps the single most important cultural practice to ensuring a good looking lawn. Lawns should be cut to 3 – 3 ½” in height. Without the proper surface area of green leaf the grass cannot carry on photosynthesis necessary to convert energy to food. By leaving the grass longer it also shades the soil and helps keep the soil temperature cooler. This is important since the common varieties of
turf grass in the Northeast include bluegrass, fescues and ryegrass. All three are referred to as cool season grasses. Crabgrass, the dreaded pest of the lawn is a warm season grass. So when the grass is cut too short the soil heats up quicker and you set up an environment that favors the growing of crabgrass

Garden Maintenance

Done on a weekly, bi-weekly, or once a month schedule.  From the months of June through the end of September. Gardening consists of the following:

Overseeding

Late summer is the best time to repair your thin lawns through over-seeding. Late summer - early fall provides warm soils to promote rapid seed germination. It provides for a long period of favorable growth. There is also reduced weed competition from summer annuals like crabgrass. In addition shorter days, cooler nights and heavier dews are favorable to starting new grass from seed. Grass like any crop must be regularly planted to ensure the highest yield (thickest lawn). Since grass is cut before it goes to seed you should periodically over-seed your lawn.

Grub Control

Grubs have become an increasing problem on the island.  Grubs feed on the root systems of your lawn, and can and will destroy an entire lawn if not caught early.  Grubs also attract moles, which feed on the grubs.  Moles will create tunnels underneath your lawn, creating humps and holes throughout the lawn while they search for these grubs.  We use two types of treatments for Grub Control. Merit and Milky Spore.
-Merit- Merit is a systemic insecticide, which means that the material is taken up by the root system of the plant.  As pests feed on the plant, they are ingesting your insecticide.  Using a product with systemic action means that you do not have to depend on the targeted pest to come into contact with applied products.  This action also aids in the long residual of the product because
insecticides that are inside the plant and its roots cannot be harmed as much by the sun or other elements.

-Milky Spore Treatment- Turf inoculation treatments / applications with Milky Spore puts in place an on-guard protective blanket on your lawn.
Considered the weakest link in the chain and the most vulnerable point to introduce an infection, resident spores in treated turf are swallowed by grubs during their normal pattern of feeding; this starts the demise of healthy grubs. Milky Spore disease then begins to cripple the grub, and within the next 7-21 days will eventually die. As the grub decomposes, it releases billions of new spores.  Milky Spore is not harmful to beneficial insects, birds, bees, pets or man. The product is approved and registered with EPA, Milky Spore will not affect wells, ponds or streams.
Milky Spore treatments are the only organic way to kill grubs at the moment.  Milky spore can take longer to work than the chemical approaches, but the milky spore will stay in your lawn for several years continuing to kill grubs.  The chemical treatments of grubs will be washed out into the water table after a few weeks to a month. 

Fall Clean-up

A fall clean-up consists of raking leaves out of beds and lawns. Many insects and disease causing organisms (bacteria and fungi) overwinter in the leaf litter beneath trees and shrubs. This leaf litter creates a barrier that protects these organisms from the harsh winter temperatures here on Nantucket. By removing plant debris (sticks, leaves and weeds) from the landscape we will also be removing many of the pests that would be otherwise left behind to come haunt us in the spring.  A clean-up also consists of:

We also do the following Landscape construction jobs:

 

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