What is Pesticide Free Lawn Care?

What is Pesticide Free Lawn Care?

Your Part:

It is important to do all you can to maintain a healthy lawn. This is the first step in reducing weed and insect pests.

1. Watering -Water deeply. Light watering encourages shallow rooting which makes for weaker grass and thatch formation. Water about once a week on average. The lawn needs about 1″ of water per week. Check your sprinkler by placing a tin can on the lawn to see how long it takes to get 1″ of water on your lawn.
2. Mow right away. Don’t allow the grass to get too long between mowings. If you cut off too much at once, the grass will go brown. Removing more than 1/3 of the plant is very is hard on the roots. Keep your blade sharp.
3. Mow high. Keep your mowing height at 3″ for most of the season. A higher cut will provide more shade and keep the soil cooler and moister. The extra shade also discourages weeds, crabgrass and insect pests. Mow shorter near the end of the season, especially the last cut.
4. Thatch- Excessive thatch favours disease development, and will harbour insects. Aerations are the first step to reduce thatch. Rake the lawn in the spring to dislodge surface thatch.
5. Fill in bare or thin areas with new grass. Weeds and crabgrass are less likely to get started in your lawn if you can get grass growing first. Grass seed will grow fairly early in the year before crabgrass or many weeds are active, but will sprout at any time if kept constantly moist. Fall is the best time to seed (Late August through September). Use “endophytic” perennial rye seed– turf type grass that naturally resists insects.

Our Part:

Our professional team can help by doing things you cannot do or don’t want to do.

1. Aerate the lawn- Aerations improve soil conditions. This in turn leads to a healthier lawn. Aeration helps to reduce thatch by increasing microbial activity. Aeration increases water retention, and reduces soil compaction. Aerate yearly on normal lawns, twice a year on poor lawns.
2. Thicken the lawn. Dense root and top growth will crowd out weeds. A dense turf keeps sunlight away from the soil. Sunlight is necessary for many weed seeds to germinate. Turf King has several types of  organic fertilizers will feed your lawn naturally and slowly. Build a healthy soil environment that encourages beneficial microorganisms. They improve soil structure. They decompose clippings and thatch. This releases nutrients back into the soil. We also have a completely natural fertilizer available. Please inquire.
3. Mechanical dethatching by Turf King can be done in severe cases of thatch. Follow with an aeration.
4. Sometimes treatments are needed for severely infested lawns. Spot treatments of weed control, crabgrass control or insect controls are available if needed or desired. Please let us know how best to meet your needs.
5. Use new, all natural, Corn-tastic Fertilizer.
6. Provide additional advice on how best to care for your lawn.

????Pesticide Free Program- Corn-Tastic

Thank you for your interest in Organic Lawn Care by Turf King. We recognize your concern for the safety of your loved ones and pets. Here is a new lawn fertilizer product that is composed entirely of organic materials.
Corn-tastic Lawn Program with Corn Gluten Meal
Our Corn-tastic program will make your lawn healthy, green and thick. A thick healthy lawn will reduce weed seed germination.
Our Corn-tastic program uses our Corn-tastic application. Our Corn-tastic application contains Corn gluten meal.

Corn gluten meal is made from one of nature’s most wholesale grains–corn. Corn gluten meal is a by-product of the wet-milling process and is sold as a feed material for cattle, poultry and other livestock. It has been used in commercial fish food and is also a primary ingredient in many dog food products.

Our Corn-tastic application feeds with natural, slow release Nitrogen – a valuable plant nutrient responsible for the vivid green colour of healthy plants. Natural nitrogen becomes available to the lawn over a long period of time and will not burn the turf. Supplement feeding may be needed to provide a complete range of nutrients for optimum growth. When you are on our Corn-tastic program, we will include the supplemental fertilizer at the proper time.

Corn gluten meal has been researched at the Iowa State University by Dr. Nick Christians. He has discovered that Corn gluten meal not only feeds the lawn but will also prevent crabgrass and certain other weeds from germinating.

Timing is important. We do our Corn-tastic application during late April to Mid-May and again in August. This is meant to be available on your lawn about 4-6 weeks before the main weed germinating seasons. The Corn-tastic application works best if watered in and then allowed to dry for 2-3 days. Our Corn-tastic application will keep working on your lawn for 4-6 weeks.

When used properly, the Corn-tastic application is completely safe for pets, humans and the environment and will not harm beneficial insects, soil organisms, pond or stream life.

Corn gluten meal only prevents weeds and has no effect on existing weeds. Other treatments may be needed to clean up existing weeds.
Please call today to book a Corn-tastic Lawn Program, or if you have any questions.

Pesticide Free Program- Sweet Beet

Sweet Beet Organic Weed Management Program

Nature’s Feed 18-0-5 contains sugar beet extracts and other food grade organic matter such as beneficial organisms, humic acids, soil conditioners, and root stimulants. This beet juice will feed your lawn and improve the soil. This product will give you a healthy lawn that will crowd out and reduce broadleaf weeds. Both young emerging weeds as well as older established weeds may be affected by a healthier lawn as a result of the Sweet Beet application. Results will vary depending on timing and weather. Emerged weeds will require several treatments to be controlled.

People and pets may walk on the lawn immediately following application. However, due to stickiness of product, feet should be wiped before going indoors. Watering should be avoided for 6 hours after an application as the chlorine in city water will reduce its effectiveness. After an application of sugar beet extract the leaves of the both the weeds and lawn may be spotted and brown on the edges. The turfgrass, however, rapidly recovers. Do not apply if the lawn is newly seeded.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

1. It is important to do all you can to maintain a healthy lawn. This is the first step in creating a thick, green and healthy lawn.
2. Watering -Water deeply. Light watering encourages shallow rooting which makes for weaker grass and thatch formation. Water about once a week on average. The lawn needs about 1″ of water per week. Check your sprinkler by placing a tin can on the lawn to see how long it takes to get 1″ of water on your lawn.
3. Mow right away. Don’t allow the grass to get too long between mowings. If you cut off too much at once, the grass will go brown. Removing more than 1/3 of the plant is very hard on the roots. Keep your blade sharp.
4. Mow high. Keep your mowing height at 3″ for most of the season. A higher cut will provide more shade and keep the soil cooler and moister. The extra shade also discourages weeds, crabgrass and insect pests. Mow shorter near the end of the season, especially the last cut.
5. Thatch- Excessive thatch favours disease development, and will harbour insects. Aerations are the first step to reduce thatch. Rake the lawn in the spring to dislodge surface thatch.
6. Fill in bare or thin areas with new grass. Weeds and crabgrass are less likely to get started in your lawn if you can get grass growing first. Grass seed will grow fairly early in the year before crabgrass or many weeds are active, but will sprout at any time if kept constantly moist. Fall is the best time to seed (Late August through September). Use an ‘endophytic’ perennial rye seed- turf type grass seed that naturally resists insects.

Turf King Muskoka Serving:
Muskoka, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Port Carling, Bala, Torrance,    Muskoka Lakes, Milford Bay, Minett, Windermere, Baysville