Lawn Care Tips

Lawn Mowing

  • How often should I mow? We recommend mowing once a week. Delaying it longer than that, and removing too much grass at one time, will cause stress to your lawn. By mowing weekly, you will maintain healthy grass and keep a uniformed look.
  • What height should I mow at? We suggest mowing at 3”. Mowing too short will damage the grass and too long will leave a shaggy look. We find 3” to be the perfect balance!
  • Mulch or bag the clippings? We suggest mulching the clippings. The clippings are full of nutrients so returning them back into the soil is a huge benefit.
  • What if there are still lots of clippings left? If the grass becomes too long, clippings will not mulch properly. The excess grass should be raked or bagged. We suggest mowing more frequently to avoid this issue.
  • How often should I sharpen my mower blade? For the typical homeowner who is only mowing a single lawn, we suggest sharpening the blade once a year. However, if the lawn is large, or has unfavorable conditions, more frequent sharpening is required. For example, our mowers are sharpened daily, as we use them continually.
  • What type of lawn mower should I buy? For homeowners, electric battery mowers tend to work best because there are no messy oil changes, fuel to buy, or as much maintenance to worry about.
  • What if I live a busy life and do not have time to mow? We can help! We offer a consistent and dependable mowing service to keep your lawn looking great!

Lawn Treatments

  • How often should I fertilize my lawn? Fertilizer provides vital nutrients to keep the lawn healthy. Every fertilizer is a little different so be sure to follow the instructions on the bag you are using. Applying the fertilizer unevenly or applying too much can have devastating effects, so we recommend leaving this to the experts at Lawn Troopers®.
  • How can I get rid of the weeds on my lawn? This is best left to the experts. Our technicians are licenced by the Ministry of the Environment and undergo special training to apply legal and effective weed control. In addition, weeds can be pulled by hand, but be sure to remove the root of the weed as well, otherwise they will return.

Gardening

  • How do I prepare my gardens for spring?  We recommend doing a full spring clean-up of the property once the snow has melted and spring has arrived. This should include lightly raking the grass, cleaning up any leaves and debris, as well as turning the soil in your gardens and edging the beds. This is also a great time to install fresh mulch. We are happy to help with this!
  • My gardens have weeds, what do I do? Gardens require regular tending and care. Unlike the lawn areas, gardens cannot be sprayed and will require weeding to be done by hand and regular trimming of plants as required. We are happy to help with this!

Watering

  • How much should I water an established healthy lawn? We recommend watering 45 minutes per area, every other day. This allows the water to soak down deeper and encourages root growth. Watering every other day gives your lawn time to dry up and reduces lawn fungus and diseases.
  • What time of day should I water an established lawn? We recommend watering early in the morning or later in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. This way, sunlight will not evaporate the water
  • How much should I water a freshly seeded lawn? New seeds require special watering to germinate. We recommend watering for very short periods of five minutes per area, but more frequently, three times a day. This will keep the seeds moist so they can germinate, but not too wet that they drowned. The goal is to not let the seeds dry out, but to also not overdo it. This is the one exception when its ok to water in the hot sun. Seeds take about 10 days to germinate; once you notice little seedlings popping up, switch to the “established lawn” watering instructions.
  • How much should I water new sod? Soak it! New sod needs substantial extra water to take root. We recommend watering for one hour per area, twice a day. After three weeks, switch to the “established lawn” watering instructions.
  • What if I forget to water? We suggest installing an inground sprinkler system. Once installed, the system will work with a timer and automate the process. We suggest contacting Landscape Ontario can help find a contractor for this service.

Any Lawn Issues

Please feel free to email us with your questions. Whether you are a customer or not, we are always happy to offer free advice. Please send questions to [email protected]