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Today here in Lawn Care Pueblo Colorado, we will provide you a tip on how to create your own weed killer by using 3 ingredients that are mostly available, cheap does not contain any potential harsh chemicals.
Here are the ingredients - 1 quart of vinegar - 2 cups Epsom salt - ¼ cup Dawn dish soap - spray bottle or sprayer Here’s how to do it. 1. Use a pan to heat up the vinegar. 2. Add the Epsom salt and stir with a whisk until it is all dissolved. 3. Add Dawn dish soap to the spray bottle. Once the vinegar mixture has cooled for a bit, slowly pour it in the spray bottle. Remember to pour it slowly so you don’t get a lot of suds. To apply it properly: Make sure that there is no rain forecast for at least 24 to 48 hours. Then spray it during the hottest part of the day. The reason is that the vinegar in the mixture draws out the moisture out of the plant thus killing it in the process and the sun will magnify this process. Some of the weeds may need a second application later to completely kill them off, but most of them will be dead and gone after several days. Call us or fill up our form for us to take care of your weed issues.
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Today here in Lawn Care Pueblo Colorado, we will be talking about mulch. Mulch is basically any organic material that can decay which is spread around of over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil. Benefits of having mulch on your lawn or garden are the following
- it insulates the soil by providing a buffer from heat and cold temperatures - it retains the water to keep the roots of your grass or plants moist - it helps keep the weeds out thus making root competition between your grass or plants to be minimized - it prevents soil compaction - it reduces lawn mower damage - plus, it makes your garden or lawn look nice and clean But if mulch is installed incorrectly, it can also bring a lot of issues that can be avoided in the first place. Here are some mistakes that should be avoided when applying mulch to your lawn or garden. 1. Using the wrong mulch Please avoid using free mulch as much as possible simply because you do not know where it came from or how was it processed. As an example, the free mulch given by many municipalities are mostly composed of ground up wood. Remember that mulch should have a balance of different organic materials. And since that you don’t know how the free mulch was processed, there could be a chance that it might contain weed seeds, pests and pesticide residue. On the other hand, processed mulch goes through aging period. This process creates high temperature which kills off insects and weeds seeds, which makes it safe and worry free to be used for gardens or lawns. 2. Not mulching We have listed the benefits of having a fresh layer of mulch on your lawn or garden above. Mulch should be applied annually. So, if you don’t mulch, your lawn or garden will obviously not get the benefits above plus it exposes your lawn or garden to a lot of problems. Below are the effects of not having a fresh layer of mulch on your garden or lawn - Roots of grass or plants can be damaged by hot or cold temperatures because there is no layer of insulation to them - Soil can be compacted due to absence of fresh organic matter - Weeds can grow because there is no buffered layer on top of the soil to stop the weed seeds from growing into the soil - Since weeds can grow without a fresh layer of mulch on your lawn or garden, plants and grass will have a competition from root growth and nutrients consumption, making them unhealthy - it exposes your lawn or plants to be a haven for insects and diseases. 3. Making mulch volcanoes We are talking about piling mulch up against the trunk of a tree or shrub, making it look like a volcano. Immense damage to trees and shrubs is being done every time this is done to them by trapping in the moisture thus making the mulch rot. Once it rots, this makes a gateway for insects and fungi to infect the plant. It is important to keep mulch an inch or two away from the trunks of trees and shrubs. 4. Using too much mulch Just like a verse of a song “too much love will kill you”, this also applies to mulch as well. Having too much mulch chokes the air out of our plants or grass. This will also lead for the roots of your plants or grass to rot because there is too much water being retained from it. Always keep the thickness of your mulch to 2 inches and remove old layer of mulch. 5. Using little mulch Having less mulch is almost the same as having no mulch. Weeds will still have a chance to grow and roots of your plants and grass will not be insulated properly. Once again, keep the layer of mulch up to 2 inches. And since that mulch is an organic matter, it will break down over time. Having less amount of mulch means there will be even less in a few months. Call us or fill up our form to help you out with your lawn care. We mostly use this on our kitchen. But today, you’ll find out that you can use it on your kitchen garden too. You may consider this as one of D.I.Y. solutions for some of your kitchen garden problems brought to you by Lawn Care Pueblo Colorado.
- 1 cup of vinegar for every - 3 to 4 cups water Mix this solution in a tub of water and soak your dirty pots on it for 20-30 minutes. Increase the amount of vinegar if its not working. After 30 minutes, run your pots on the dishwasher.
- 1 cup water - Half cup apple cider vinegar - ¼ cup sugar - 1 tablespoon molasses Mix all of the ingredients in a container. Then hang the container on a tree on where fruit flies usually attack. The mixture itself will attract the fruit flies and trap them inside the container.
- A cup of white vinegar - 3 to 3.5 liters of water Mix well the ingredients above on a gallon then use it to water your acid loving plants. The effect of white vinegar is not long lasting but this will still give them a boost.
- 2 teaspoons vinegar - brewed chamomile tea Add 2 teaspoons of chamomile tea and spray this solution on the affected areas of the plant. Please call us or fill up our form for us to take care of your lawn needs. Fungicides that are available on the market can be expensive and could be hazardous to your lawn, garden, environment and to your loved ones. Here today at Lawn Care Pueblo Colorado, we will provide a way for you to create your own inexpensive, effective and safe lawn and garden fungicide using your common household ingredients. The steps required are easy to do and this D.I.Y. fungicide is safe for the lawn, garden, environment and loved ones. This can be an alternative for more expensive fungicides or if a commercial fungicide is not available.
The ingredients are - 1 tablespoon of baking soda - 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap - 1-gallon water - garden sprayer (a small hand pump type of sprayer will do) Here are the steps to do it 1. Mix the baking soda, vegetable oil, and liquid dish soap in one-gallon water in a garden sprayer. 2. Shake the solution to make sure it is thoroughly mixed and always make sure it is thoroughly mixed all the time while using it. 3. Spray the solution on the affected areas of your lawn or garden. It can be used on lawn grasses, vegetables and ornamental plants. One gallon of spray will cover approximately 1000 square feet. Please call or fill up our form for us to help you with taking care of your lawn. When it comes to lawn care, the lawnmower is one of the first things that comes into your mind. But they are also the one that is always taken for granted. You’ll only pay attention to it if something goes wrong on it. Taking good care of your lawnmower not only saves you from an expensive headache but it also prolongs it lifespan. Doing these 5 lawnmower tips that Lawn Care Pueblo Colorado will provide will certainly lessen your lawnmower maintenance worries and in return will save you money from repair costs.
1. Change the oil Just like any other machine, your lawnmower can be seriously damaged if the oil is too low or too dirty. Changing the oil depending schedule stated on the owner’s manual or every spring will keep the engine clean and lubricated. Also, check the owner’s manual on the type of oil you should be using and the correct amount to prevent possible damage. 2. Clean or replace the spark plug A bad spark plug will make the mower difficult or impossible to start. It will also make the engine run in a bad condition plus it decreases fuel economy. To maintain the spark plug’s good working condition, remove the spark plug each spring and wipe it clean and replace if it looks bad. You may also replace the spark plug every year for good measure (they are inexpensive anyway). Once again, check the owner’s manual to know the correct spark plug that is compatible with your lawnmower. You may also apply anti-seize compound to the new plug so that it can be removed easily next spring. 3. Maintain the sharpness of the blades We have mentioned a few times the advantages of a sharp lawnmower blade and the benefits it gives to your lawn. Having a sharp lawnmower blades cuts the grass clean, instead of ripping the grass. Giving the grass a clean cut makes your lawn greener. As a safety measure before removing the blades, disconnect the spark plug wire first. Then use a wrench to remove the blade. If you want to sharpen the blades yourself, use a file and make sure to use the same number of strokes on both sides to prevent an imbalance. 4. Maintaining the air filter Like a car, a clogged air filter chokes the lawnmower engine. This makes the engine run badly, causing it to work harder and use more fuel. Please perform the following steps below at least once each spring (and more often in dusty climates) 1. Disconnect the spark plug wire 2. Remove the air filter 3. Remove and clean the foam pre-filter 4. Replace the paper filter 5. Lawnmower underside maintenance Maintaining the cleanliness of your lawnmower’s underside will help your mower function better plus it decreases the risk of spreading plant disease in your lawn. Please perform the following steps below at least twice a year to maintain your lawnmower’s underside. 1. Disconnect the spark plug wire 2. Empty the gas tank 3. Turn the mower on its side then spray the underside thoroughly with a garden hose 4. Use a brush and soapy water to remove any other debris or dirt 5. Lightly coat the mower’s underside with vegetable oil to prevent debris from sticking Let us mow your lawn by calling us or filling up our form. Dead spots on your lawn makes it look ugly and gives you the feeling that somethings not right. Dead grass spots or lawn bare spots have different kinds of causes and will also have different kinds of approaches for it to be fixed. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to repair dead grass spots due to dog urine.
Here are the things needed: - Hand rake or anything that can remove the dead grass in the affected area - Extra fine grind limestone - Quality top soil - Grass seed - Water And here's how to do it: 1. Scrape the area to remove dead grass as much as possible to the affected area. 2. Sprinkle the affected area with extra fine grind limestone. Dog urine has a huge amount of ammonia which is an acidic substance. Applying limestone to the affected area will neutralize the acidity of the affected area due to the dog urine. Then let it sit for about a week. 3. Cover the affected area with quality top soil then sprinkle generous amounts of grass seed. You may use your hands on this and to also pat the seeds down gently. 4. Soak the newly seeded area right away with water by using a light sprinkle flow from a garden hose or a large watering can. Be careful not to let the grass seeds be washed away. Do this for the next couple of weeks, unless you are expecting rainy days within that period. It takes about six weeks for the dead grass spots to look healthy again and a few more weeks to look nice and lush, depending on your location. Please call us or fill up our form to know more about our lawn care services. Every lawn has its own personality, based from whoever maintains it. Some lawns really look good and beautiful and some are just simply well maintained. Regardless of what type of lawn owner you are or the type of maintenance method you use on your lawn, preventing these 5 common mistakes will make the best of your lawn with minimal effort.
1. Reading and not following or misunderstanding the directions on labels People think that they know the stuff if they keep on using the same thing repeatedly. This same goes with product labels that we use for our lawn, specially the chemicals that we use to treat the lawn. Keep in mind that we are handling chemicals, meaning in some sort of way, it will have a negative side effect on your lawn if the instructions on how to use it are not followed down to the letter. Plus, you are not getting the very best of the product. This is the reasons why there are instructions in the label. 2. Not using or incorrectly using protective equipment. Protective equipment is not only applicable in a laboratory or work sites but while working on your lawn as well. No perfect plant or lawn is worth losing the use of your hands, eyes or hearing. With that in mind, here’s a list of protective equipment that you will need while working on your lawn. - Safety Glasses - Hearing protection (like ear plugs of muffs) - Heavy sole shoes or boots - Gardening or heavy gloves - A wide brim hat to protect you from the sun - Long sleeves shirt - Sunscreen - Insect repellent - Tall rubber boots 3. Using the wrong grass type in your area Some lawn issues can be fixed by using the correct grass type for the area they live. Grasses have certain types that can only grow with respect to their suitable environments. For example, bluegrass is the favorite among homeowners but it needs at least 6 hours of sun in a day for it to stay healthy. Otherwise, look for other grass types like creeping or tall fescue. Or just ask a lawn care professional on what type of grass can used on your lawn. 4. Not using or incorrectly using the equipment Sometimes we use equipment in a wrong way for us to get the work done quickly. But by doing this, you are costing yourself more time in the long run and can do more harm than good to the plant. For example, a bad cut on a tree by using the wrong equipment can cause it to get a disease or insect problem which will then have to be treated or worst, the tree can die. But if you used the proper equipment then rest assured that the tree was taken care of properly without it risking to have a disease or insect problem. If you do not have the proper equipment or it seems expensive for you to have then you can try to borrow from your neighbors or rent one. 5. Not maintaining equipment Let’s be honest, we do take our tools for granted. Taking care of your tools do pay forward because you will be able to use them at the longest possible time. It doesn’t matter if its hand tools, power tools or the lawn mower itself. Everything should be washed occasionally. Here’s a guide on how to maintain that equipment.
Tip: Try to get another set of lawn mower blade if you do not have one. Then get in the habit of sharpening or changing your lawn mower blades after using it for the 10th or 12th time. You will have to sharpen your blades more often if you have sandy or rocky soil. Please call us or fill up our form to know more about our lawn care services. Taking care of grass clippings is one of the things that others might consider a challenge to deal with after mowing their lawn, especially if you have a large lawn to work with. Most of us have gotten used to simply sending it in a landfill for disposal. But some landfills don’t allow it. There are times that we don’t have the time to transport them for proper disposal. But what if we can provide you some ways of handling your grass clippings that will also benefit your lawn in the long run? If this catches your attention, then read on.
Below are the 8 ways that we can think of on where you can get away with your grass clippings that will not only benefit your lawn but yourself as well. 1. Do not bag them, just leave them from where they came from We have mentioned this a few times already but we really do not mind if we keep on telling people repeatedly 😊. Grass clippings do contain nutrients that your lawn needs in order for it to thrive. They will eventually break down and once that happens, it will release the nutrients that it holds then those nutrients will find its way back to your lawn. Study shows that this process can back up to 25% of the nutrients that growth removed from soil. They also encourage helpful microorganisms and earthworms that digests this grass and maintain a healthy soil for your lawn. Just be mindful that clippings that are too long won’t break down, making your lawn unsightly. To prevent this from happening (and as we have mentioned on our previous blogs), the proper way of mowing your lawn is to mow higher and more often. Please do note that if your lawn is showing disease or has weeds then you will need to sort these issues first before leaving the grass clippings on your lawn because this will only worsen the problems. 2. Can be used for animal feed Grass clippings can be used to make silage for cattle feed. Test shows that silage made from grass clippings has a protein content of 18.2% and a digestible matter content of 68% which is much higher than hay on which typically averages a digestible matter content of about 59%. Grass clippings can also be a suitable supplementary food source for sheep as per the several studies conducted. You can ask your neighbors or anyone nearby that you know of that has a cattle or sheep if they are interested in your grass clippings. But remember not to offer your grass clippings if your lawn was chemically treated (like for lawn fertilization or weed control). 3. Use them as compost Grass clippings do organically come from grass. This fact itself makes it a good candidate for compost in our garden. Once you prepare and treat the clippings in the right manner, you’ll be able to recycle the nutrients and take them in the other areas of your garden. A proper compost should have a mix of green and brown materials. Grass clippings is the “green” part while dried leaves, branches or twigs is the “brown” part. Just make sure to turn the grass into a pile to enhance aeration and prevent compaction. As an alternative to the brown part of your compost, you can also leave the clippings to dry out to make it the brown part of your compost. 4. As a… tea Yep, you read it right. We know it sounds surprising and unusual but this is a great way to suppress disease, give yourself the nutrients that you can get from the grass clippings, speed up the breakdown of toxins in your body and improve the nutritional quality and flavor of vegetables. To brew a lawn clipping tea, put your freshly cut grass into a bucket of water and allow it to steep. This process will release beneficial nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, phosphorous, chlorophyll and amino acids into the water. After three days or so, strain off the liquid and use it to feed your plants by pouring it to the roots or spraying it on the leaves. 5. As mulch The definition of mulch is that it is a type of material that you can use to cover the surface of the soil as a covering. Organic mulch has a lot of benefits to the soil like helping it to retain its moisture, suppress weeds, keeping the soil cool and improve its fertility. High amounts of nitrogen can be found on grass clippings, either fresh or dried and this is one of the nutrients that plants need to grow and flourish. As a mulch for your garden, you can start by laying a ¼ inch layer of fresh grass clippings around your garden bed. If the amount is thicker, it might take a while for the grass to break down, resulting in an unpleasant smell as it decomposes. While dried clippings can be used for vegetable crops can be spread on thicker amounts. 6. As an ingredient in your soil mix for your garden with raised beds You can mix the grass clippings with your soil to improve soil quality and boost the yield of your garden raised bed. In the lower regions of the bed, spread one part of grass clippings with two parts shredded leaves – these will turn into compost to enrich the soil. This should be spread thinly to prevent matting. Once the bed is full (within six to twelve inches from the top), add a barrier that can also serve as compost (like a cardboard) and fill the remainder with your chosen soil mix. 7. As a natural dye They can also be used as a natural green dye that you can use for decorative purposes. Some examples are using it to dye Easter eggs or as an organic fabric dye. Try to search online to know how. 8. Bring them to a recycle center Bringing them to a recycling center disposes the grass clippings in a green and clean manner instead of simply disposing it to a landfill. Lawn Care Pueblo Colorado is strongly against burning of grass clippings or leaves. This process creates thick smoke which is a health and environment hazard. Please call or fill up our form to avail our lawn care services. Avoiding a few common mowing mistakes can make your yard look beautiful again in just a few weeks. Believe it or not, the way you mow your lawn makes a huge impact on the overall health of your lawn. Some people do spend a lot of time and money to maintain their lawn. But by simply applying a few sound mowing techniques, you can be on your way saving and maintaining your landscape without spending a dime.
1. Mowing with dull blades. This is the most common mowing mistake. Dull blades tear the grass instead of slicing it clean. In return, the tips of the grass become damaged and turn brown. So instead of having a green lawn after mowing, you’ll get a brown one in a few days. The brown tips of damaged grass can make an entire lawn look dry and staving for water. But in reality, it is only the tips of the grass that are brown, not the whole lawn itself. Lawn mower blades should be sharpened on a regular basis. For a sizable yard of ¼ acre or more, a once a month schedule should be okay. Tip: Keep an extra set of blades on hand and change out once a month in season. While the spare one is used, then you can sharpen the other set. By the way, sharp mower blades not only decrease the stress to your lawn when mowing, it also maintains your lawn mower operating in good shape. 2. Cutting the grass too low. This practice makes you think that it can save you time because you do not need to cut often. But this creates all kinds of long-lasting negative effects to your lawn. One of them is by drying up your turf quickly because there is no adequate cover for your bare soil to block the sun. And this also allows weed seeds a place to settle and sprout. The proper way is to mow higher and more often. Grass length that are high puts less stress to your lawn because the additional height and thickness serves as a shade to the soil below and keep the weeds out. A typical height for a traditional lawn is somewhere between 3.25 and 4 inches. Tip: Never cut more than ¼ length of grass on a single cutting. Removing too much grass at once puts a lot of stress into the lawn and also creates a mess of clumped dead grass that can kill the lawn below. So, mow higher and mow more often. This is a great way to keep your yard looking fresh and clean. 3. Bagging the lawn clippings. Just leave the clippings on where they came from. They contain valuable nutrients that feed your lawn and this is the most natural way to fertilize your lawn. Lawn clippings contain nitrogen (this gives the healthy green hue on your lawn) and other important minerals that lawn needs. Do not worry if this makes your lawn look dirty because it will break down over time. You may evenly distribute the clippings to somewhat mask your lawn from looking dirty. 4. Mowing wet grass. Some of us do believe that a wet grass is soft, hence it’s easier to mow. But this damages your lawn blades and in the long run, the mower itself. Wet grass dulls the blades quickly plus it works more harder as the grass becomes bogged down and clogged underneath. This technique produces a tear cut instead of the slice cut on which as we have mentioned in tip number 1 creates the brown tip issue with cutting your lawn using dull blades. In addition, clumping from a wet mowing can snuff out the good grass as it lays in the yard and dries out. This in return creates unwanted bare spots and thatch. So do not mow on a wet grass. Let your lawn dry out whenever possible before mowing. Please call or fill up our form to know more about our lawn mowing service. Make no mistake. We are not going to cook something with sugar to get a beautiful green lawn. So why sugar got involved in this blog. Keep reading.
Doing lawn care and keeping it green is not easy and in fact it costs money. You might be spending around $300-$500 a year to keep your grass looking green – and that’s for fertilizer and weed killers only. And that amount itself could at least be used to buy something else. One time I was looking on my lawn and I remembered my mother in law putting sugar on a pot of soil before she planting something that happened a few years ago. I did not ask why on that time because it might sound disrespectful. Then I asked my dad the possible reason why. Then my dad said that sugar can act as a natural fertilizer on soil. So, I did some research and found out that it was true. Now, we are not saying to throw your chemical fertilizers and weed killers away. Sugar fertilizes your lawn using a different approach. So, you’ll still need those fertilizers and weed killers. Below are the reasons how can sugar can fertilize your lawn and its benefits that it can give when applied to your lawn.
How to apply sugar on your lawn It could be helpful if you have a hand-spreader or a broadcast spreader to be used to apply the sugar. But to be honest, it is not required. In fact, you can use your hand for it. There is no required or recommended amount of sugar that a soil will need. Plus, it is chemical free. So, you do not need to worry about the possibility of harming your lawn because of too much sugar. Here are some tips for applying sugar by hand.
Please give us a call or fill up our form if you need further assistance on making your lawn green again. |
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