"Why does The Master's Lawn Care base its lawn health program on 6 visits?" We get this question a lot, pretty much anytime we enroll a new client into our Gainesville lawn care program. Why 6 visits and more to the point, does a lawn need that much fertilizer to stay alive?
Truthfully, no. Lawns don't need to be treated 6 times per year. In fact, it was just a few years ago that we were offering a 5 application program (we visited homes roughly every two and half months). However, what I came to realize is that our clients don't want just a fertilization company. What our clients want is a company who takes care of their lawn. If you had the time or expertise to watch over your lawn, you wouldn't have called us in the first place and would be doing the work yourself.
That is why we now visit 6 times a year. If you're waiting too long for your lawn application company to come out, a lot of bad things can happen in the time between visits.
A few examples would be:
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What starts as a few weeds can turn into a crop of weeds in that amount of time.
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Chinch bugs or sod webworms can devastate your lawn.
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A lawn disease / fungus can do irreparable damage to your lawn.
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And the list goes on.
That is why we believe that a 6 visit lawn program is best. Our Gainesville lawn program is set up as 6 timed applications based on seasonal changes, which allows us to be in your lawn at the most critical times of the year for pests, disease, weeds, and lawn health.
We are not just spreading fertilizer, even though that is one of the many things our program includes. Suprisingly, the fertilizer isn't the most important thing we do each application. The 5-point lawn and landscape health analysis is the most important piece of our program, and the adjustments that come from that inspection are what set our Gainesville Lawn Program apart from the rest. The 5 point inspection is made up of:
- Lawn Health Evaluation - This analysis helps identify problems such as invasive weeds, lawn-damaging insects, and nutrient diffencies in your lawn to make sure they are resolved before they damage your lawn.
- Soil Probe Test - This tests your soil for moisture retention ability, soil fertility, and composure to identify areas we can improve our lawn program in helping your lawn thrive. Soil health is the most often ignored part of a Florida lawn. Most housing subdivisions are built on "Archer Fill dirt" or Builder's Sand, which is one of the leading causes in struggling lawns.
- Environmental Factor Investigation - Your environment plays a keys role in how your lawn grows. That's why we look at sun exposure, foot traffic, tree root density, and rain patterns to see what needs to be done to keep a healthy lawn.
- Care Reccomendations - Knowing how to properly mow and water your lawn is a must to have a healthy lawn. Mowing heights differ between types of grasses and watering recommendations can change quickly based on the weather. Having a lawn health professional give recommendations to help you achieve a lawn you'll love is always a benefit to using our lawn health professionals.
- Ornamental Health Checkup - Ornamentals are your shrubs, flowers, and trees that are used in your landscape to help keep your curb appeal top notch. If they are struggling pests, disease, or nutritient-diffencies, we will gladly inspect them at no charge.
That's what our lawn treatment program does, and why we've been in business for over 15 years helping Gainesville lawns just like yours. We strive to give you the lawn of your dreams without the worry or work so you can concentrate on more important things.
So what happens during those 6 visits?
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Visit 1: In late winter we apply a product which controls existing weeds. We also treat as necessary to control large patch fungus that pops up in many lawns as the cool weather visits Florida. We also use Potassium to develop the root system, which helps the turf have a quick green-up in spring.
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Visit 2: In early spring we apply a granular quick-release fertilizer mixed with a pre-emergent weed control which gives a good jump start for the spring growth of your lawn, while preventing certain broadleaf weeds and crabgrass seeds from starting to germinate. We also preventatively apply a lawn insect control product to fend off Chinch bugs before their active season begins.
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Visits 3: In late spring, we do spot treatments of post-emergent weed control as needed to keep the lawn weeds under control. Liquid iron is applied to help the lawn keep its color along with applying a slow-release fertilizer that continues to feed the lawn.
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Visit 4: In early summer, we apply a granular lawn food that slowly releases essential nutrients to help the turf grow deeper roots and prepare for the heat of summer. We also re-treat with preventative insect control products to continue working against Chinch bugs, as well as preventatively work against sod webworms. We continue to spot treat for weeds as necessary.
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Visit 5: In late summer, we apply another pre-emergent and broadleaf weed control for winter weeds. We also treat as necessary for any remaining lawn-
damaging insects such as chinch bugs, webworms, and mole crickets. Liquid iron isadded in this visit too, to help maintain the lawns’ color through fall. -
Visit 6: In late fall or early winter we apply a granular lawn food to help the turf focus on root development. This again helps the lawn to store nutrients, energy and to survive the winter. We spot treat any broadleaf weeds as necessary. We also again, treat as necessary to control and prevent any large patch fungus.
After we're done, the technician will create a report on what he's seen and insert it into our system so that we keep tailoring our program for your specific lawn, and we send the report to you via email with the list of what we've done and recommendations for you from our lawn evaluation.
Our 6 visit program keeps most all of our customers 100% satisfied. Rest assured though, if you have any problems during the course of the year, we are always available to help. We offer complimentary service calls, even between visits, if you're on our lawn health program. All you have to do is call (352) 378-5296 or email info@themasterslawncare.com.