D.M. Taylor, Inc.'s environmental specialists have been serving the Eastern Shore with high-quality landscaping and grounds maintenance for over 30 years. See some of the most frequently asked questions from our customers.
Call D.M. Taylor, Inc. today at 410-742-4005 for Salisbury or 302-856-4079 for Georgetown for all your lawn care needs, or e-mail us anytime at info@dmtaylor.com if you have a problem with your lawn or landscape. Check out our sister company, Taylor Termite & Pest Control.
Yes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. A licensed contractor is schooled and tested in his field of expertise. He will know better how to diagnose problems and prescribe remedies. To be licensed, a company must have the required amount of insurance, workmen's compensation, etc. License technicians are all required to attend classes on yearly basis for re-certification on their particular studies for which they are licensed. The storage, handling and application of chemicals also required special know-how, and if your contractor is licensed, you can be confident that he is well informed and experienced. This is especially important because of the threat of run-off into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
No one has control of the weather. Normally when rain delays our cutting schedule we have to make hour-by-hour alterations to accommodate the work that must be performed. Clients weekly cutting schedule may be moved from day to day within a rain delaying week, but we attempt to ensure that everyone is maintained.
No. When our specialist completes your treatment, he will leave a door hanger in your door with instructions, if any, regarding watering, etc.
Rain after an application will not decrease the effectiveness of an application. In fact, it is often beneficial.
With the advent of drought, heat waves, and water restrictions, it is now more important then ever to use water in the most efficient and effective manner when watering your lawn. In order to do this, it is important to understand the obstacles to doing so: high heat, evaporation, wind, lawn diseases, and politicians (water restrictions).
Here are a few guidelines you can follow:
1.) Always try to water your lawn in the early morning. By early morning, we mean around 5 a.m.! Early morning watering is best due to: the lack of evaporation that takes place, low winds that can blow you lawn dry, high humidity and morning dew that adds to the moisture. Early morning watering helps to prevent lawn diseases that can be caused by watering at night because it gives your lawn time to dry by night fall. Obviously, this can be best accomplished with a sprinkler system, unless you just can't sleep, especially during the summer months.
2.) If you have just planted a new lawn, you will usually need to water three times for ten minutes: early morning, noon and late afternoon. This will enable the seeds to germinate and a good solid root system form. Depending on the season, weather, soil, and type of grass this should be continued for 2-4 weeks.
3.) If you plan on mowing your lawn and hate the browning that forms on the crowns (tips) of the grass afterward, then try watering a day before mowing. This will allow your lawn to recover from the cutting and help it to look nicer as a result! It is also important to always use sharp blades to prevent browning of tips.
4.) If you have recently fertilized your lawn, especially with a granular (dry) fertilizer, then you may want to water a few extra times, especially during dry and hot summer months. This can help the fertilizer take hold and aid in preventing the fertilizer from "burning" the grass.
Obviously, this depends on the season, the grass type, and the soil type. A general rule of thumb is that your lawn should receive at least 1 inch of water per week. However, how often you water also depends on how you want your lawn to look. Many people simply do not water their lawn enough. On the other hand, you can also water your lawn too much. Basically, your lawn needs moisture (water), nutrients, and air to grow. Too much water will saturate your soil to the point where the grass roots lack air and cannot grow deep enough roots. Conversely, not enough water can dry out the grass, soil, and root system, and your lawn may either go dormant or ultimately die during hot summer months!
Here are a few tips to keep that from happening to you:
1.) The best way to gauge if your lawn is not receiving enough water is to probe the soil to see how moist or dry it is. Soil probes usually either take a sample out of the ground or use electronic sensors to test the moisture. If you're not interested in buying one of these instruments, you can simply take a narrow screwdriver or stiff wire and push it into the ground in several places. If you are able to penetrate to the suggested root depth (usually 4-6 inches), then your soil is properly saturated. If not, then your watering is not reaching the desired depth and you may need to water for longer periods of time.
2.) If you find that you're not getting enough water in the soil but do not know how much your sprinkler produces in a given time, then you may want to perform a sprinkler test. A sprinkler test can be carried out by simply placing equal sized old coffee cans or containers around the area that you run your sprinkler and let it run for 20 minutes. Once completed, take a measurement of the water that has accumulated in each container. This will show you two things: One, if you are getting an equal distribution of water in the area. If not, make the necessary adjustments to your sprinkler or sprinkler heads and test again. Two, it will tell you how much water is sprayed in twenty minutes. For example, if you have accumulated 1 inch of water in your container, then you are spraying 3 inches ( 20 minutes X 3 = 60 minutes ) of water per hour. The desired water amount can depend on the soil and its ability to absorb. As a rule of thumb, to reach the desired root depth ( usually 4-6 inches ) it generally can take sandy soils 1 hour per inch of water, clay soils 4-5 hours per inch of water, and Loam Soils up to 2 hours per one inch of water. However, this is only a general guide and it will vary for each lawn. In many cases, to reach the desired depths, clay soils will take 1 1/2 inches of water, loam soils can take 1 inch of water, and sand soils can take 1/2 an inch of water. So, depending on your soil type, make your adjustments accordingly.
3.) The ideal situation is to have your lawn develop a deep, healthy root system ( usually 4-6 inches deep ) by watering just enough ( especially during the summer months ) to keep your lawn nice and green. Water more in times of high heat, lots of sunlight, high winds, dry air, and drought. Alternately, you should water less when the temperature is cooler and there are a lot of clouds or shade, low winds, humidity, and high rainfall.
Owning a dog while maintaining a beautiful lawn can sometimes present problems. Brown spots can develop in areas frequented by your pet. However, it should be pointed out that if these spots are NOT where your dog urinates, then you could have a lawn disease instead! So make sure you follow your dog's habits before you begin to treat your lawn.
The dead patches and lawn burn, which result from dog urine, are due to the high levels of nitrogen that is released into the lawn through the urine. Nitrogen is actually a stimulant that encourages lawn growth when properly applied as a fertilizer. The problem presented with dog urine is that since most dogs urinate in one spot, large amounts of liquid nitrogen (urine) will be deposited in that one area thereby causing a burning reaction and even a dead spot in the lawn. Often, the affected spot will show vigorous grass growth around the edges due to the increased nitrogen levels that stimulate growth. Since larger dogs usually produce larger amounts of urine, there is a direct correlation between the size of your dog and the changes of developing lawn burn and dead spots in your lawn through urination.
Solving the Problem:
1.) Saturate the urinated areas (spots) with water. This will allow the excess nitrogen to leach or dilute through the lawn and reducing the concentration in one area. It is usually best to treat the areas up to 9 hours after urination and to apply at least three times the amount of water to urine to the area.
2.) Repair or replace the affected spot. Dead spots can either be over-seeded or totally replaced with new seed or sod. If you have a warm-season grass, it will generally repair itself over time through the spreading of stolons and rhizomes over the affected area.
3.) Replant with a more urine-resistant grass. The most urine-resistant grasses tend to be Perennial Ryegrasses and Fescues. The worst urine-resistant grasses tend to be Kentucky Bluegrass and Bermuda. If you have a number of dogs and/or confine them to small areas of the yard, then you may want to consider re-planting with one of the more urine-resistant grasses.
4.) Train your dog to urinate in certain areas. If you have the time and location of your yard to designate as a "urinating spot", you can simply use an alternative ground covering on that spot such as a mulch.
More questions? No problem!
Contact D.M. Taylor Inc. today!