blog

Deep Tine Aeration

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:27:26 -0500

This is a picture of our Deep Tine Aerator in action. Deep tine aeration is a sports field specific service that reduces compaction deep into the soil profile, improves drainage & breaks up soil layering.

Vole Damage

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:40:14 -0500

It is very common for us to receive calls from concerned homeowners about vole damage this time of year. Vole damage looks like little trails or tunnels throughout the lawn. These trails are lined with dead grass. Voles create these tunnel systems under the blanket of snow throughout the winter. As the snow melts, their little kingdoms become uncovered. Vole damage is temporary. Just rake the affected areas and the grass will come back when your lawn starts to grow again. This year we expect that there will be minimal damage from voles due to the lack of snow.

This is typical vole damage seen in the Spring after the snow has melted away.

Mole Control Program

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:22:32 -0500

There seems to be a lot of mole activity this year. Mostly due to the mild winter. If you want to make your lawn a "No Mole Zone", call our office and request an estimate. Our mole control program works great!

Earth Wise Soil Conditioner

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:49:18 -0500

Earth Wise Soil Conditioner is available exclusively at AAA Lawn Care, Inc. We formulated this unique blend of Organic Soil Conditioner and Micro Nutrients to meet the needs of West Michigan soils. Think of this application as a mulit-vitamin package for your lawn. Healthier lawns have less insect, disease and weed problems. You will also notice a nice color response from this special nutrient blend.

Summer heat is a major stress on your lawn. Earth Wise Soil Conditioner will help your lawn through this late summer season and rebound more quickly as we move toward fall.

Necrotic Ring Spot (NRS)

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:57:45 -0500

Does your lawn have "frog eyes" in it? We hope you don't because it is probably Necrotic Ring Spot (NRS).

A common name for this disease is "frog eye" due to the appearance of the patches.

NRS is a nasty turf disease and it is difficult to eliminate from your lawn. NRS is a patch disease caused by a fungus that infects the roots of Kentucky bluegrass. It is most active during the Spring and Fall when temperatures are cool and soil moisture is high. However, you may not notice any problems. During hot, dry periods of weather, NRS will manifest itself as circular areas of dead turf, often with a patch of green in the center. NRS fungi attack the root zone of the grass plant which reduces the plant’s ability to move water. This explains why the symptoms are most severe in mid season, even though that is not when the disease in most active.

If your lawn has this problem, give us a call. We can help!!!

New Referral Program

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:34:20 -0500

AAA’s New Referral Bonus Program is a Win-Win for everyone!

We know your recommendation carries a lot of weight with friends, neighbors, co-workers and family. When you recommend AAA Lawn Care and your “good word” results in a new AAA customer, you win by receiving $20 of credit towards your lawn care program and your friend wins by receiving $20 of credit towards their lawn care program. The Referral Bonus Program is easy and it’s automatic. Just make sure your friend mentions your name when requesting an estimate. Thank you for referring AAA Lawn Care!

Mulch your leaves!!!

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:27:53 -0400

My yard is full of trees. Big ones. Maple and oaks. My maples are beautiful in the Fall. However, big trees equals lots of leaves. I live in a subdivision and getting rid of them can be a real hassle. I don't have woods to dump them in. I would have to pay for disposal bags or find some other way to remove them from my property. I would say a lot people are in this situation. Well, there a very easy solution. Mulch your leaves into the ground. The more you mow the smaller pieces of leaves become. Research is very clear in that mulching leaves instead of picking them up is helpful in building your soil and decreasing weeds.

Mole Control Service

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:36:13 -0400

Moles are busy right now. If you have a mole ripping up your lawn right now, consider our mole control service. Sign up now and receive free service calls through the end of the 2012 season!

The Fall grub season is here!

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:14:52 -0400

This is just a quick reminder that the Fall grub season is here. White grubs damage lawns in both the Spring and Fall. Areas that look like they are starting to turn brown or just doesn't look right may have grubs. It is easy to check. Firmly grasp the turf with your hand and try to pull it back. If it easily pulls back you probably have grubs. Dig around in the areas that you just uncovered or in the roots of the turf you just pulled up. You will see little white grubs. Some may be smaller, some may be plump and juicy. Speaking of plump and juicy, skunks love grubs and will not hesitate to rip up your lawn by pulling back clumps of turf and snacking on the grubs.

One of our technicians was called to a lawn that was not looking right. He pulled up the turf and this is what he found. Grubs. Everywhere.

So you have grubs. What now? You will want to apply a curative grub control product (call a lawn care company or go to your local garden center). This will stop the grubs from damaging more turf. If you catch it early enough, the affected areas will bounce back. However, some seeding may be required. Lastly, do yourself a favor and apply a grub preventative application in the Summer. This will cover you for a year and prevent additional grub damage in the Spring.

Good Luck!!!!

Considering Multi Use Athletic Fields

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:43:29 -0400

Long story short. A group of soccer parents (in another part of the state) were upset that their kids had to play varsity soccer games at an elementary school instead of the varsity football field. The school says it will ruin the field. The local lawn care company says soccer is good for the field because soccer games will aerate the field, etc. I think you get the point.

This senario is common, but the issue is much more complicated. There really isn't a correct answer because there are so many variables to consider when dealing with an issue like this. Politics is huge in this. Money is huge in this. Available facilities is huge in this issue. But let's get to the core factors that this district needs to consider or at least disspell some myths.

You absolutely can play soccer and football on the same field. It's done all the time. However, a couple of things need to be considered. Increased activities on any given field will require more maintenance which in turn will require more dollars. So, adding soccer will not make the field better because soccer aerates the field. Whoever gave that advice needs to stay out of sports turf. Also, the current state of the football field must be considered (ie. How well does the football field hold up to rain events? and How well is the football field holding up in general?) If the football field is struggling just to make it through a season, then the amount of current maintenance is probably insufficient and the amount of money needed to add soccer games will be even more. On the flip side, if the field is doing great year in and year out, adding soccer probably won't require a huge investment.

This is one of my multi-use football/soccer game fields. Using proper athletic maintenance practices, this field tolerates wear & tear extremely well.

A couple of things about multi use football/soccer fields. Football wear and tear on a game field is considerable and even worse if the field is poorly drained or if games are played in the rain. Usually the grass is cut a little longer to help with wear and tear or to "slow" the other team down. Soccer on the other hand, likes to keep the turf cut shorter so the ball can roll better. Plus soccer players like to have a smooth field without divots etc. So in order to keep a multi use field playable for both football and soccer, the turf needs to be cut shorter and you will need to deal with divots, holes, uneveness from year to year. Shorter cut fields require more maintenance. Also, both sports will need to look at each others field lines.

If the school and soccer parents are serious about finding a resolution, a couple of things need to happen. They need to find a reputable sports turf maintenance company and assess the football field and determine what needs to be done in order to add soccer events. They also need to assess why the elementary school field is not adequate in the soccer parents minds. Is the field bad? Not enough seating? You may find that adding resources to improving the soccer field may be less money than trying to add soccer onto the varsity football field.

There are more variables to consider. There always are. But I hope this gives you a bit of insight in what goes into making desicions about maintenance on athletic fields.

Turn on the sprinklers!

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:32:26 -0400

I have been seeing a lot of dry lawns during my travels around West Michigan. A lot of us have turned our irrigation systems down or off since the weather has cooled off. Me included. So I guess this is just a reminder that your lawn may need a drink until we get significant rain fall.

Also, this is the perfect time to seed your lawn. If you do overseed, make sure to keep your irrigation running until it is time to turn it off in the Fall.

What is Drought Stress?

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:45:26 -0400

Brown patches caused by Drought Stress

Drought stress is a lawn condition that causes areas of your lawn to turn brown due to lack of water. Drought Stress can occur very quickly. Virtually overnight, large patches of brown grass or even tire tracks from the lawn mower appear in your lawn. This is caused by your lawn becoming dry followed by a period of adequate irrigation or rain. Even if you water everyday, drought stress can occur because a weather change (ie. hot weather) causes the irrigation system to fallbehind. Lawns with sandy soil or areas along concrete or asphalt are also commonly affected.

What to do? Don't despair. This is a temporary condition. The grass plant isn't dead. It just needs time to grow new grass blades. Turn up the water. Adjust sprinkler heads if needed. The grass plant will recover and your lawn will be back to new within 2-3 weeks. Also, if you have mower tracks in your lawn, make sure to avoid mowing on your lawn if the grass looked dull and gray. Also, another way to check is to step on your lawn. If the grass plants don't pop back up and you make a footprint, your lawn needs more water.

Below are some pictures of Drought Stress...

Mower Tracks caused by Drought Stress

Brown patches caused by Drought Stress

Crabgrass

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:57:56 -0400

I do not like crabgrass at all. It is a pain in the behind. Not only does it not look very good, it is difficult to manage. Of course, crabgrass just loves the hot & humid weather we have enjoyed the last couple of weeks. Crabgrass grows stronger as your lawn become weaker due to the heat.

We are applying post emergent product to deal with bad infestations. However, crabgrass is better managed with pre emergent products in the Spring. Maintaining a healthy dense turfgrass stand is the best defense. If you only have a couple patches of crabgrass in your lawn, just pull them with your hands. Make sure to get roots. This is what I do on my lawn. Just like everyone else, I tend to get crabgrass along the edge of the road.

If this is your first go around with crabgrass, just remember, it will die with the first frost of the year.

Crabgrass grows close to the ground and is light green in color.

Heat, Humidity & Grass

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:34:53 -0400

It is going to be one hot week here in West Michigan. The weather forecast is calling for 90 degree days and plenty of humidity. All of this heat and humidity is going to have some negative effects on your lawn. In Michigan, we use grasses in our lawns are that are considered "cool season" grasses. These include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues. Cool season grasses do not like temperatures in the 90's and humidity. They stop growing, they lose color and become the target of turf grass diseases and insects. Cool season grasses are not used the further south you go because of this. This starts around Kentucky and even those in southern Ohio use transition zone grass types (tall fescue, etc.). Things you can do to help the situation. #1 Do not water your lawn in the evening or night. Water during the early morning or during the day. This will help decrease the chance of the turf disease. #2 Keep your mowing height on the high end. The longer the grass the better. This helps keep your grass cooler. #3 Adjust your expectations. Your lawn won't do so good while this weather continues. Just know that better (cooler) days lie ahead and that your lawn will recover.