How To Mulch Around A Tree It is very common nowadays for mulch to be used to accent your landscape. When mulching around your trees you need to understand the pros and cons of mulching. Here is a list of practical dos and don'ts for mulching around trees. Steps To Transplanting A Tree As your lawn and landscaping mature, you'll often find a need to move a particular tree. Maybe because it's getting too big, or it needs more or less exposure, or because you think it would be nicer somewhere else. To give your tree the best chance of success, consider these simple steps while you're making the transplant. Proper Way To Grade A Lawn What should a properly graded yard look like? Does it only drain away from the house, or does it drain to the side of the yard as well? Spring Planting Tips: Part 3 Container grown plants are much easier. Follow the rules for depth of planting as described earlier. Before gently removing the plant from the container check the drain holes in the bottom of the container for roots that might be growing out the holes. If so cut them off so they will not make it difficult to get the plant out of the container. Spring Planting Tips: Part 2 If your soil is heavy clay, I highly suggest that your raise the planting bed at least 8” with good rich topsoil. If you can't do that for some reason, install the plant so that at least 2” or more of the root ball is above the existing grade and mound the soil over the root ball. Spring Planting Tips: Part 1 Spring means that the garden centers are packed with people, and car trunks are packed with plants. Everybody has dirt on their knees, dirt under their nails, and are excited about gardening. To make certain that this excitement yields positive results, let's discuss the basics in this article of spring planting tips. Caring for and Planting a Balled in Burlap Christmas Tree Tis the season when lots of people drag a real tree into their house and decorate it. Some people buy live trees that are balled in burlap instead of a cut tree. A live tree is a great idea, but many people make serious mistakes when it comes to handling a live tree, and they end up losing their money. The information in this article also pertains to any live tree you are planting, be it now during the winter, or during the summer. Tips for Preparing a Planting Bed If you are preparing beds for landscaping around your house this article should simplify the process for you. I say that because of everything that is written about this subject, some of it is accurate, some of it is just plain wrong, and much of it is much more complicated than it needs to be. Getting Rid of Standing Water In Your Yard Do you have one or more areas in your yard that hold water after a rainfall? This is a common problem, and sometimes difficult to solve. Over the years I’ve talked with dozens of people trying to battle this problem, and on several occasions I have been hired to solve the problem. So what can be done? Tips For Transplanting Trees Early spring is a great time for transplanting trees and shrubs, but you must do so before they wake up. Transplanting a plant is a very traumatic experience for the plant if it is awake. It’s like doing surgery on a person while they are awake. Dormancy starts in the fall as soon as you experience a good hard freeze, and the plants remain dormant until the weather warms up in the spring. This is when you should transplant, while the plants are dormant. Free Gardening Ebook Meet Mike McGroarty. Mike runs a website full of useful tips for lawn care. He has a special offer right now for a free Ebook on gardening. Switching From Conventional to Natural Organic Lawn Care The first step in switching from conventional to natural organic lawn care is to assess the quality of the existing lawn. If an existing lawn contains few weeds and consists of desirable turfgrass species, natural organic methods and cultural practices can maintain a satisfactory lawn. However, if a lawn has excessive weeds and/or consists of undesirable turfgrass species, it is best to kill the entire lawn and start over. After this decision has been made, the next step is to assess soil quality. Weed Control Facts: Winning the Battle of the Weeds You've spent countless hours planting your lawn and garden, only to find that the weeds are growing better than your lawn and flowers. But you can win the battle of the weeds. This article explains how you can achieve victory over the weeds. General Lawn Care Tips A beautiful lawn does not come without some effort. Depending upon what type of soil you have, the amount of effort will vary. For instance when raising trees and shrubs, sandy or a gravel base soil is great. Landscape plants like well drained soiled. A lawn on the other hand is different. Lawn grasses grow constantly throughout the growing season, and need an ample supply of both nutrients and water. Selecting a Lawn Maintenance Service Maintaining an attractive lawn requires attention to every aspect of turfgrass culture. Maintaining a lawn in Florida is a constant chore. Many people forego turf maintenance themselves and hire a lawn maintenance service. Selecting a lawn maintenance service best suited for individual needs is not an easy task, but this publication should provide some suggestions to help in making a good choice.

Steps To Control White Grub Infestation Anyone that has maintained a lawn for several years are familiar with the white grub. This little beast is the larva of the Japanese Beetle and can destroy parts of your lawn if not caught and properly controlled. When To Apply Grub Control I would like to know when to apply GrubEx or Bayer to our lawn for the control of Japanese Beetle grubs. Should Milky Spore be applied at a different time of year? Grow Herbs in your Garden for Pleasure and Profit Herbs can add a touch of magic to your garden with their supernatural associations and practical uses. No Dig Gardens - How to Build One The no dig garden is exactly what it describes...a fertile garden bed with no digging at all. It involves layering clean, organic materials that will literally compost around your plants as they grow. Starting Seedlings Indoors Unless you have access to a greenhouse, or something like it, those living in cooler climates will have to start seedlings indoors if they are to take full advantage of their growing season. Hydroponic Gardening - Getting Great Results with Your Hydroponic Vegetables! Did you ever wish to have the type of garden which would produce delicious vegetables, fruits, and flowers throughout the whole year? Did you even know that was possible? Well it is - if you do hydroponic gardening! And you can create a hydroponic garden in your own home. How To Build A Compost Heap Building a compost heap is easy and cheap, since most of your ingredients are already being created right in your kitchen: Items such as egg shells, coffee grounds, and pieces of vegetables that normally would go down your disposal or in your garbage can. Composting The Easy Way Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the gardeners' dream. It has many uses, and all of those uses will result in nicer plants. However, composting can be time consuming and hard work. I place a reasonable value on my time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn’t qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book. Nonetheless, I do compost, but I do so on my terms. Free Gardening Ebook Meet Mike McGroarty. Mike runs a website full of useful tips for lawn care. He has a special offer right now for a free Ebook on gardening. Going Organic More people are asking for information regarding organic lawn care. Many people want to decrease or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in their home lawns. There is concern that some of these products may be harmful to humans, beneficial insects, wildlife, and pets. With proper knowledge, the homeowner can use naturally occurring resources to maintain a home lawn without using synthetic products. Should I Hire a Professional Lawn Care Service? Considering hiring a professional lawn care company to maintain your lawn? There are many different companies available to maintain your lawn and each company may offer slightly different services and at different prices. The following are answers to some commonly asked questions when considering hiring a professional lawn care company. Weed Control Facts: Winning the Battle of the Weeds You've spent countless hours planting your lawn and garden, only to find that the weeds are growing better than your lawn and flowers. But you can win the battle of the weeds. This article explains how you can achieve victory over the weeds. Lawn Mower Accessories You can find lawn mower accessories in different sizes and shapes. Most of these accessories are additions to the usual mower rider. Usually, lawnmowers comes without any safety supplement for the operator. They must be bought by the customer. A good example is the canopy that will protect the operator from the sun. These gardening additions use to be quite expensive, because they actually need to be attached to the mower’s deck or push bar. In order to secure them it might require any extra mower’s modification, increasing then the price of the supplement itself. General Lawn Care Tips A beautiful lawn does not come without some effort. Depending upon what type of soil you have, the amount of effort will vary. For instance when raising trees and shrubs, sandy or a gravel base soil is great. Landscape plants like well drained soiled. A lawn on the other hand is different. Lawn grasses grow constantly throughout the growing season, and need an ample supply of both nutrients and water. Selecting a Lawn Maintenance Service Maintaining an attractive lawn requires attention to every aspect of turfgrass culture. Maintaining a lawn in Florida is a constant chore. Many people forego turf maintenance themselves and hire a lawn maintenance service. Selecting a lawn maintenance service best suited for individual needs is not an easy task, but this publication should provide some suggestions to help in making a good choice.

Advertising A Lawn Care Business Advice on the best way to advertise my new lawn care business. Advice On Estimating A Lawn Mowing Job Don't ever give a mowing estimate by the hour. Use the hourly rate to estimate what you want for the job, then give that number to the customer, not the hourly rate. How to Start and Run a Landscape & Garden Maintenance Business Statistics show that nine out of every ten new businesses fail. Most of these businesses fail within the first year. The rest don't make it past their third anniversary. Given such dismal odds why would you want to start a landscaping or interiorscaping business? How To Price a Lawn There is an interesting video on lawncare-business.com which demonstrates a way to "price a lawn" or estimate the price for mowing a lawn. If you are thinking about or already have a lawn care service business, you'll want to check this out. Types of Insurance for the Lawn Care Business I know what you might be thinking is, "I don't need insurance". Want to make your life uncomfortable? Let your mower throw a rock and hit a child. I've had rocks break several windows in my day, but I am so lucking it didn't hit anyone. Look into insurance!

Lawn Mowing Blog A new website hasn recently popped up which blogs about lawn mowers. The site is called Successful Mowing. The topics covered include: Lawn Mower Information, Lawn Mower Advice, Lawn Mower Experts, and Lawn Mower Help. Website: Clean Air Gardening Clean Air Gardening Features environmentally friendly lawn and garden supplies including manual reel mowers, compost bins, container garden planters, garden tools and more. Cooperative Extension Service Websites by State As part of the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States has offices in each state for the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension. Anyone involved in lawn care has most likely utilized the vast amount of information they make available on their websites.

Selecting A Lawn Maintenance Service In Florida Selecting a lawn maintenance service best suited for individual needs is not an easy task, but this publication should provide some suggestions to help in making a good choice. Should I Hire a Professional Lawn Care Service? Considering hiring a professional lawn care company to maintain your lawn? There are many different companies available to maintain your lawn and each company may offer slightly different services and at different prices. The following are answers to some commonly asked questions when considering hiring a professional lawn care company. Selecting a Lawn Maintenance Service Maintaining an attractive lawn requires attention to every aspect of turfgrass culture. Maintaining a lawn in Florida is a constant chore. Many people forego turf maintenance themselves and hire a lawn maintenance service. Selecting a lawn maintenance service best suited for individual needs is not an easy task, but this publication should provide some suggestions to help in making a good choice.

How To Mulch Around A Tree It is very common nowadays for mulch to be used to accent your landscape. When mulching around your trees you need to understand the pros and cons of mulching. Here is a list of practical dos and don'ts for mulching around trees. Steps To Transplanting A Tree As your lawn and landscaping mature, you'll often find a need to move a particular tree. Maybe because it's getting too big, or it needs more or less exposure, or because you think it would be nicer somewhere else. To give your tree the best chance of success, consider these simple steps while you're making the transplant. Quick Tips For A Healthier Lawn You don't have to become a lawn expert to have a healthy lawn. Just follow these simple tips and you'll be well on your way. Do I Buy A Mulching Lawn Mower Or Collect The Grass When buying a new lawn mower, you need to decide up front if you plan to mulch or collect the grass clippings trimmed off by your lawn mower. Spring Planting Tips: Part 3 Container grown plants are much easier. Follow the rules for depth of planting as described earlier. Before gently removing the plant from the container check the drain holes in the bottom of the container for roots that might be growing out the holes. If so cut them off so they will not make it difficult to get the plant out of the container. Spring Planting Tips: Part 2 If your soil is heavy clay, I highly suggest that your raise the planting bed at least 8” with good rich topsoil. If you can't do that for some reason, install the plant so that at least 2” or more of the root ball is above the existing grade and mound the soil over the root ball. Spring Planting Tips: Part 1 Spring means that the garden centers are packed with people, and car trunks are packed with plants. Everybody has dirt on their knees, dirt under their nails, and are excited about gardening. To make certain that this excitement yields positive results, let's discuss the basics in this article of spring planting tips. Four Things You Should Know Before Watering Your Lawn Proper watering is one of the most important aspects of lawn care. Too little water will cause your lawn grasses to wilt or cause brown patches to appear in your lawn. On the other hand, too much water can "drown" the grasses and cause your lawn to die. Here are a few things you need to know before you start watering your lawn. Lawn Aeration in the Seattle Area 2007 November 2006 was one of rainiest months on record. Then December hit with severe cold weather and freezing temperatures. Over 200,000 residences lost power. After the freezing temperatures, the windstorms hit. January was cold and it snowed, turned to ice, and just hung around. What Are You Waiting For? It was a beautiful, warm spring like day when I decided to go and enjoy the great outdoors and do some yard work that had been left undone by ole man winter. As I finished repairing a barbwire fence and cleaned up all the debris left from that project, I decide I would disposed of all the small pieces in huge hole that was built by an uprooted tree when Katrina came through. As I rode into the woods to the big hole, I begin feel some strange movement on the lawnmower. Getting Rid of Standing Water In Your Yard Do you have one or more areas in your yard that hold water after a rainfall? This is a common problem, and sometimes difficult to solve. Over the years I’ve talked with dozens of people trying to battle this problem, and on several occasions I have been hired to solve the problem. So what can be done? Tips For Transplanting Trees Early spring is a great time for transplanting trees and shrubs, but you must do so before they wake up. Transplanting a plant is a very traumatic experience for the plant if it is awake. It’s like doing surgery on a person while they are awake. Dormancy starts in the fall as soon as you experience a good hard freeze, and the plants remain dormant until the weather warms up in the spring. This is when you should transplant, while the plants are dormant. Composting The Easy Way Having an ample supply of good rich compost is the gardeners' dream. It has many uses, and all of those uses will result in nicer plants. However, composting can be time consuming and hard work. I place a reasonable value on my time, so spending hours and hours turning compost piles doesn’t qualify as a worthwhile exercise, at least in my book. Nonetheless, I do compost, but I do so on my terms. Free Gardening Ebook Meet Mike McGroarty. Mike runs a website full of useful tips for lawn care. He has a special offer right now for a free Ebook on gardening. Should I Hire a Professional Lawn Care Service? Considering hiring a professional lawn care company to maintain your lawn? There are many different companies available to maintain your lawn and each company may offer slightly different services and at different prices. The following are answers to some commonly asked questions when considering hiring a professional lawn care company. General Lawn Care Tips A beautiful lawn does not come without some effort. Depending upon what type of soil you have, the amount of effort will vary. For instance when raising trees and shrubs, sandy or a gravel base soil is great. Landscape plants like well drained soiled. A lawn on the other hand is different. Lawn grasses grow constantly throughout the growing season, and need an ample supply of both nutrients and water.

Do I Buy A Mulching Lawn Mower Or Collect The Grass When buying a new lawn mower, you need to decide up front if you plan to mulch or collect the grass clippings trimmed off by your lawn mower. Lawn Mowing Blog A new website hasn recently popped up which blogs about lawn mowers. The site is called Successful Mowing. The topics covered include: Lawn Mower Information, Lawn Mower Advice, Lawn Mower Experts, and Lawn Mower Help. NEW: Lawn Equipment Blog Lawn Mower Review is a new blog that discusses and recommends different lawn equipment. Protect Your Lawn With The Proper Lawn Care Equipment As any homeowner will tell you, the upkeep of the perfect lawn can be a meticulous and time-consuming job requiring many hours of dedication and around-the-year care. For some, who do not have the time or skills needed to maintain a healthy lawn, professional lawn care services are appropriate and worth the money. Robotic Lawn Mowers Are Here To Stay They are not for every lawn but some might find the little robots that mow your lawn very useful. Some of you might have heard of the Roomba which makes robotic vacuum cleaners. They also make lawn mowers. Lawn Mower Accessories You can find lawn mower accessories in different sizes and shapes. Most of these accessories are additions to the usual mower rider. Usually, lawnmowers comes without any safety supplement for the operator. They must be bought by the customer. A good example is the canopy that will protect the operator from the sun. These gardening additions use to be quite expensive, because they actually need to be attached to the mower’s deck or push bar. In order to secure them it might require any extra mower’s modification, increasing then the price of the supplement itself.

Free Gardening Ebook Meet Mike McGroarty. Mike runs a website full of useful tips for lawn care. He has a special offer right now for a free Ebook on gardening. Weed Control Facts: Winning the Battle of the Weeds You've spent countless hours planting your lawn and garden, only to find that the weeds are growing better than your lawn and flowers. But you can win the battle of the weeds. This article explains how you can achieve victory over the weeds. General Lawn Care Tips A beautiful lawn does not come without some effort. Depending upon what type of soil you have, the amount of effort will vary. For instance when raising trees and shrubs, sandy or a gravel base soil is great. Landscape plants like well drained soiled. A lawn on the other hand is different. Lawn grasses grow constantly throughout the growing season, and need an ample supply of both nutrients and water.

Website: Clean Air Gardening Clean Air Gardening Features environmentally friendly lawn and garden supplies including manual reel mowers, compost bins, container garden planters, garden tools and more. Controlling Insects Organically Most gardeners are anxious to get out into their gardens as soon as the weather warms up and the first green sprout appears. Unfortunately, plant-eating insects are just as anxious as we are to get into the garden. They seem to think that our beautiful shrubs and tasty vegetables were planted for their benefit! Organic Lawn Care Most homeowners, especially those with pets and kids, are worried about the safety of the products they use on their lawns. Chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides might make your lawn more attractive, but they have negative effects on your family's health and the environment at large. Because of the hazards from commercial lawn care products, most gardeners turn to organic methods. You too can implement organic lawn maintenance in your own home. Maintaining An Organic Lawn: Soil Testing I have personally tried to use organic treatments for my lawn but I was always skeptical and because of certain circumstances (sometimes cost and sometimes desperation) never was really committed to doing it right. Web Resources For Organic Lawn Care If you are interested in managing your lawn the organic way, here are some links for you to check out. Switching From Conventional to Natural Organic Lawn Care The first step in switching from conventional to natural organic lawn care is to assess the quality of the existing lawn. If an existing lawn contains few weeds and consists of desirable turfgrass species, natural organic methods and cultural practices can maintain a satisfactory lawn. However, if a lawn has excessive weeds and/or consists of undesirable turfgrass species, it is best to kill the entire lawn and start over. After this decision has been made, the next step is to assess soil quality. Going Organic More people are asking for information regarding organic lawn care. Many people want to decrease or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in their home lawns. There is concern that some of these products may be harmful to humans, beneficial insects, wildlife, and pets. With proper knowledge, the homeowner can use naturally occurring resources to maintain a home lawn without using synthetic products.