FULL MEAL DEAL
What is a Full Meal Deal?
A Full Meal Deal is special treatment for lawns in need of more than just maintenance, but repair. It includes Thatching, Aerating, Overseeding with highest quality grass seed and premium starter fertilizer (Organic by request for $20).
LAWN THATCHING
- Removes undesirable old grass and moss, so new stronger seeds can be planted.
- With thatch removed, air, water, nutrients, herbicides and pesticides can do their job more efficiently.
- Turf becomes healthier and more resistant to insect damage and disease.
LAWN AERATING
- Promotes deep vigorous root growth.
- Provides individual germinating chambers for new seedlings.
- Improves air circulation to the roots and promotes deeper root growth
- Breaks up hard clay soil
- Saves on your watering bill
- Stimulates beneficial microorganisms
- Helps the seed germinate and become established
- Creates a lush, thick, healthy lawn
OVERSEEDING
- Spring is a great time for overseeding.
- I use only the highest-quality Golf Course Fairway Grass Seed.
- Overseeding pays off with a thicker, more vibrant and healthy lawn.
- Excellent choice for rapid establishment, disease resistance and traffic tolerance.
STARTER FERTILIZER
- We use a special premium 60% slow-release Starter.
- Nourishes and protects your new seedlings and provides excellent lawn color throughout the season.
- Promotes deep root growth with good color, while limiting turf growth.
- Will not stain cement as most fertilizers do.
- No herbicides, insecticides, or fungicides, so it is not harmful to animals.
- Will give your lawn good color without making it grow too fast.
Benefits of a Full Meal Deal
A Lawn Tune-up is recommended for maintenance, whereas the Full Meal Deal is recommended for repair and renovation. By thatching before aerating a lawn, it removes the moss and dead grass making room for newer stronger seedlings.
Fall is the most important time of the year to feed and fertilize your lawn. Your lawn stores its energy in the roots of the grass and in the springtime when your lawn needs to grow, your grass calls on these reserves. In fall, even after the lawn has stopped growing, deep root growth is still occurring and does so for several weeks.
Organic lawn care consists of taking care of lawns without synthetic lawn fertilizer or pesticides. The farmer says using organic lawn fertilizers feeds microbial life into the soil and the micro-biome breaks down and builds up that biomass. In some cases when crabgrass is present, conventional treatments include applying synthetic pre-emergent weedicide every spring in early spring. Organic lawn practices encourage healthy lawns to reduce the number of crabgrasses and to keep the new seed sown.
This premium 5-4-5 organic lawn starter fertilizer does much more than just feed your plants – it feeds the soil too. Soil re-mineralization is an important focus of this product, as the minerals are what truly make this fertilizer different. Minerals replenish the soil with nutrients that are taken away over the course of a season and need to be replaced in order for vitality to return to the soil. Including carbohydrates that provide a quick burst of energy to beneficial bacteria, and the humic acid complex provides a sustainable food source for long-term biological activity. So don’t wait – give your lawn and garden the care they deserve with this one-of-a-kind fertilizer today!
The increase in environmental impacts for homeowners is a result of many choosing chemical-free landscaping to maintain grass and water efficiency. Natural lawns are a natural product that provides vital nutrients and macronutrients to the soil. Some common components include Alfalfa, Cottonseed or Corn Gluten Meals, Rock Phosphate, and Animal Manures.
Organic and conventional lawn fertilizers are safe for lawns and when used properly. Generally, the process by which vegetation absorbs nutrients in the soil is the same whether it comes from organic lawn fertilizer or not.
A higher quality fertilizer that controls the release of nitrogen through temperature, water or microbial activity; a technique that “spoon-feeds” your lawn and prevents growth surges. The fertilizer that I use is a 60% slow-release fertilizer which is high in phosphorous; promoting deep root growth and is of a higher quality.
Quick release fertilizer makes nutrients immediately available to your lawn and is generally of very short duration.
No. If you have a very weedy lawn, it could be 20% weeds. So if you apply weed and feed, 80% is wasted on a healthy lawn. Of the weeds, many are monocots and weed and feed only kills dicots (broadleaf). For herbicides, selective spot spraying is best. Because of kids, pets and the environment, homeowners are becoming more receptive to taking care of their landscapes with a less toxic approach, including organics. You have to set realistic expectations and figure out how to achieve this. Having a healthy, thick, vigorously growing lawn is the best deterrent to prevent weed infestation and crane fly damage.
I like organic fertilizers that are high in mineral content and have been digested by an animal that is not hormone fed.
Yes, but make sure the synthetic lawn fertilizers that you are using are 50% slow release or more and don’t have herbicides, insecticides or fungicides.
Wait 6 weeks after starter fertilizer to apply the regular fertilizer. Go to a nursery and ask for organic lawn fertilizer; or you can buy 50lb bags from me. You should not apply weed & feed to new seedlings.
Weed control cannot be used around new seedlings or the seeds will not germinate.
The grass used in landscaping is generally known as lawns — while grass used in the golf course is called turf. Grass can be defined by definition as the area on which a lawn has developed.
Organic lawn fertilizers are fertilizers derived from natural ingredients, such as animal manure, compost, and rock phosphate, and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals.
Organic lawn fertilizers are generally considered to be safer for the environment and human health than synthetic fertilizers. They can help to improve soil health, promote healthy grass growth, and suppress weeds.
- The US is the second largest producer and consumer of fertilizer in the world after China, in both categories.
- The fertilizer manufacturing industry employs 33,000 jobs in the United States.
- Despite the Pacific Northwest’s rainy reputation, the average annual rainfall is just below 40 inches, which is even less than New York City!
I use a core aerator that extracts plugs of soil from your lawn. The plugs can be up to 2-3/4 inches long, depending on how compact your soil is.
Aerating produces holes that act as a seed bed which helps to shelter the seed and encourages better germination.
On lawns with compacted soils or under renovation, it is beneficial to aerate twice yearly. With sandy soil, once a year aerating is recommended.
No. If you have clay, sand and clay can turn your soil into a concrete substance. I suggest adding an organic material such as a native soil or fine compost.
My aerator is 26″ wide so as long as you have a 27″ of space, we will be able to carefully make it fit.
Worms. Worms come in and provide passage ways for air to enter the soil which helps develope good fungi.
You can but the first rule of successful overseeding is getting the grass seed in contact with your lawns soil. Just because a grass seed germinates on your lawn does not mean the seedling will survive even short term. For long term successful lawn establishment, grass seeds need to be planted in the soil for proper root development. This is why lawn aeration with a starter fertilizer is recommended before overseeding your lawn.
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- Aerate seed and fertilize twice a year. Aeration helps to stimulate microbes that digest thatch the newer grass seed produces less thatch when mature.
- Use low nitrogen fertilizers with slow release technology.
- Apply an organic fertilizer twice a year for healthy soil; healthy soil will digest excess thatch.
- Rather than watering lightly often, deep and infrequent watering will encourage strong root growth while discouraging thatch development.
When buying seed for your lawn, buy from a reputable and knowledgeable representative. Don’t just buy any brand. Seed distributors have to supply the big box stores where they market their lower quality seed. This is why I purchase my seed by the ton, from a seed broker I have known for over 10 years. My seed cannot be purchased at nurseries or box stores. I use only seed that local golf courses use on their fairways. A fairway grass is a Class C turf which most closely resembles your home lawn. A putting green is an example of a Class A turf. For home lawns I prefer to use a 70/30 seeding mix.
Fescue grass also requires more water longer than perennial rye grass in order to become established. You need to water a little longer than you think so the secondary grasses can become established. Also note that you don’t want to let the perennial rye grass grow above 5 inches tall before first cut or it will shade out your fescues.
A blend is a mixture of several different varieties of the same seed. An example would be a three-way perennial rye grass, similar in concept to like-blended whiskies.
Different types of seed are mixed together, such as perennial rye grass and fescue. This provides the advantage of mixing sun and shade grasses and disease with pest resistance.
Many things are considered when seed is mixed or blended:
- the color of the grass at maturity
- the fineness of the blade and uniformity
- how the grass will be maintained, such as cutting and fertilization
- disease and susceptibility to pests
Cheap seed is no bargain. It quite often contains other non-desirable grasses by accident or on purpose. At the box stores I now see a change in marketing techniques by reputable seed producers. They market seed with their nationally-known name but it is aimed at the cheapest purchaser. These seeds are marketed using descriptions like “contractors’ mix” or “extremely fast establishing” or “quick green”. The frugal shopper buys this seed, gets it home, applies it, and it looks great. But when the seed finally matures, it’s usually wide-bladed and ugly and “goes to seed” all the time. The frugal shopper then sees the ugly lawn and by then has forgotten what he put on last year, so goes back and buys a cheap, low-quality product again.
Failure can be caused by: poor germinating temperatures, a weed and feed or chemical being applied either before or after seeding, lack of watering, overwatering, birds and other animals feeding on the seeds, contaminated soil, chemicals, diesel fuel and/or paint thinners.
Kentucky Bluegrass does not live longer than one year here in Western Washington. Winters are not cold enough for the grass to go into dormancy; disease will also kill it.
Sodding properties over 4,000 square feet gets expensive. Many landscape designers now prefer hydroseeding for larger properties. You have to water more in the beginning, but what you save in labor and cost can be spent on proper site preparation.
When comparing hydroseeding estimates, please consider the following criteria. All bids are not equal. More is to be considered than just cost per square foot. Ask about:
- the hydro mulch to be used.
- seed quality and fertilizer.
- if the soil to be hydroseeded is on a slope, then is a tackifying agent needed to prevent soil from washing away?
- does the company experience working on residential lawns?
- what do they recommend for weed control?
- years in business: opt for companies with established experience and a proven track record.
- insurance and licensing: ensure they have proper insurance and licensing to protect you and their workers.
Use quality seed, fertilizer, the right mix in the tank, and irrigation.
In the Spring the birds have so much other food to eat they typically don?t eat many, if any, seeds.
You can but the first rule of successful overseeding is getting the grass seed in contact with your lawns soil. Just because a grass seed germinates on your lawn does not mean the seedling will survive even short term. For long term successful lawn establishment, grass seeds need to be planted in the soil for proper root development. This is why lawn aeration with a starter fertilizer is recommended before overseeding your lawn.
While you can just sprinkle grass seed on your lawn, it’s not generally recommended for several reasons and won’t guarantee successful germination or a healthy lawn:
Low Success Rate: Just throwing seeds on top of the soil often results in poor seed-to-soil contact, which is crucial for germination. Many seeds will be washed away by rain, eaten by birds, or struggle to compete with existing weeds.
Uneven Growth: Without proper preparation, the seed distribution will likely be uneven, leading to patchy growth and a less aesthetically pleasing lawn.
Remember: Proper preparation is key for successful lawn establishment.Â