Even though we’ve had a slow/cold start to the spring, the phone has already started ringing with potential lawn care customers, who have fought the good fight for a great lawn, and just haven’t seen the return on the investment they had hoped for! I had a nice gentleman put it to me in a great way one day recently when he said, “I have invested enough in my lawn that it should be a Lexus, but I have a Yugo!” As we talked, I discovered the same story we hear quite often at here at GrowinGreen Lawn Care! If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times! Having a great lawn is not rocket science, but it is about doing the right thing, at the right time and most importantly, it’s a partnership between our program and our customer doing their part! In Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and the rest of the Triad of North Carolina, growing tall fescue is very difficult if both parties don’t do their part! Here are a few of the biggest lawn care myths we hear that can make or break your success in having a “Lawn You Can Love”.
I mow as short as possible, so I don’t have to mow it as much: I’m sure you’ve heard the rule, never remove more than a 1/3 at a time? It’s not hard to figure out that the grass will regrow 1/3 
of 2 inches a whole lot faster than it will 1/3 of 4 inches. But the real problem is you’re doing major damage to your turf! If you mow your lawn shorter, you are harming the grass in many different ways. If you chopped off more than 1/3 of the grass blade you just stunted the root growth. Lawns that are mowed short (2.5 inches or less) are more prone to stresses such as insect, fungus, and drought. Lawns mowed at 3-4 inches (after cut) have been shown in University Studies to have double the root mass, which means a lower water bill during the summer and less stress. Another benefit of mowing higher is less weeds or crabgrass pressure. This photo from a study at N.C State University shows how important the mowing height is in managing your weeds!
If one bag is good two bags will be better: We’ve had customers sign up with us and then also put down fertilizer themselves! Why? Because they think if they put down some fertilizer in addition to our Lawn Programs, then their lawn will be extra green and thick? They couldn’t be more wrong! All of our programs are based on a scientific approach using the latest information from NC State University, our own in-house research program, years of experience, and a systematic plan formulated specifically for lawns in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Kernersville and High Point NC, not the southeast, like our national competitors. If you put down extra, it not only can be harmful, but it is a waste of money. You can potentially burn up the lawn or have it growing so much it uses all its energy in top growth. Again, this makes the grass more prone to stresses just like cutting off more than 1/3 of the grass blade. One of our biggest problems in our Triad lawns is brown patch fungus. I recently heard from an upset customer because of a publication our extension service puts out that says, “do not fertilize after March 15”, he felt our fertilizing was the cause of his fungus problem. Well the reality is, this is put out to keep homeowners from dumping too much fertilizer on their lawn and burning it in the heat of the summer! What he didn’t see was the statement that said, “Professional Lawn Care companies may use a different maintenance schedule that may differ from this, but be equally effective”. How I knew this? I worked with the turf scientists to write this when I was the President of the NC Turfgrass Council. Our fertilizing program is designed to provide the proper amount’s of food needed for it to recover from the stress of fighting, heat stress, fungus, and insect’s all based on a soil test. If you were sick, do you think you would recover better with a properly planned well-balanced nutrition program based on prescription or one trip to the buffet a few times a year?
I have an irrigation system: Sometimes these are like church bells and then sometimes when I hear a customer has an irrigation system, it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard! The reason I saved this one for last is because, if you take care of the first two your need for water should be minimal! Tall fescue is the most drought tolerant cool season grass we have and once established, will survive just about anything! Don’t get me wrong, proper water will definitely help your lawn perform better, but most people drown their lawn thinking “the more, the better”, and just like with fertility along with that mentality comes the consequences of short roots, fungus, insects and a higher bill to your water company!
GrowinGreen Lawn Care is made up of caring professionals that are all about two thing’s 1) Healthy Lawns and 2) Our Customers! Try us out and you will quickly find out why our mission is to “Inspire You To Love Your Lawn”!
