During the winter months, your grass may begin showing brown circular spots that seem to be struggling. This is the first sign of Large Patch Fungus, which is a fungal disease commonly seen in Florida lawns during the cooler months, particularly St. Augustine and Zoysia grass.

Turf in Florida is most vulnerable to this  Fungus when rainfall, high humidity, or excessive irrigation leave your lawn damp for a duration of more than 48 hours. This turf disease is active when nighttime temperatures range from 60-75 degrees and daytime temperatures don’t exceed 85-90 degrees. This is the biggest reason why it is so prevalent in spring and summer, as the high temperatures that typically evaporate the moisture aren't present in early spring and late fall.

To reduce the chances of being infected by Brown Patch Fungus, or limit and manage the disease water your lawn on an as-needed basis, rather than just a set schedule, and consider the time of year and rainfall, to ensure your turf is receiving the proper amount of water. A fungicide application should also be made in order to stop the spread of the fungus. New grass will grow in eventually, but this can be a slow process in the Fall, as turfgrass is heading toward its dormant period.

As ugly as Large Patch can look, it’s important to remember this disease typically does not kill the entire grass plant - and is mostly cosmetic. Frequent mowing at the recommended mow height is critical to the health of the turf. It is very important that your turf is not cut too short, or “scalped”.

It must be mentioned, though, that active Large Patch fungus can be spread easily without much effort. In the event an area with active Large Patch Fungus is mowed, make sure to clean off the tires and blades of the mower after going through the affected area to avoid spreading it through your entire Gainesville lawn.

Large patch Fungus is a disease that has once infected the soil, will reoccur every year in the fall and spring. This is why we offer a disease prevention lawn health program that keeps it from popping back up every year. It won't cure it, because there is no known cure yet - but it stops it from presenting symptoms in your lawn which is the most important part.

Keep in mind, there may be other causes for brown patches in a lawn though. Ching Bug damage from summer or sprinkler service may be needed? If you see discoloration in a lawn and aren’t sure what the cause is, contact us at (352) 378-LAWN for a complimentary lawn inspection.

During the cool season here in Florida you will find frost damage to your lawn that almost looks like leopard print. Frost damage can happen without freezing temperatures. The National Weather Service measures the air temperature about 6 feet above ground level however, the ground-level temperature might be even lower.

This swirly leopard print pattern is caused by the grass going into a dormant state during the cool season and may also happen as your lawn comes out of hibernation in late winter.

If you notice this pattern in your winter lawn, don’t fret, it can be fixed. Your grass will steadily green-up moving into the spring with the longer days and warmer temperatures. Allow your lawn to recover and continue mowing at the optional mowing height for your particular grass. It may take a few weeks for the pattern to dissipate, once it does, you can mow the grass back down to ⅓ of the blade to avoid scalping the grass.

Your landscape creates a powerful first impression. At The Master's Lawn Care, our customized Gainesville lawn health program is much more than just lawn spraying. It targets common lawn problems that negatively impact the health and appearance of your turf. If you want help preparing your lawn to thrive season after season, call our office for a free lawn evaluation today at (352) 378-5296.

As winter comes, grass grows dormant for the cold winter months, by shutting down and turning brown in order to conserve water and nutrients.

Common winter annual weeds are chickweed, henbit, Carolina geranium, annual bluegrass, hop clover, and lawn burweed. These weeds will be bright green in comparison to your dormant grass.

You can control these weeds by preventing their growth in the warmer months. These weeds are in your lawn all year long but are dormant in the warmer months. Once you begin seeing the weeds, they are actually close to the end of their life cycle. So for now, mowing over the weeds might be your best bet. But this is not your permanent solution.

To be sure you do not struggle with the same problem next winter, it is important to spray preemergence herbicide in the fall when nightly temperatures are between 55° to 60°F
for several consecutive nights (Usually beginning in October). Doing this will form a barrier on the soil surface that prevents the winter annual weeds from emerging.

Be sure to use a herbicide that is labeled for use for the lawn grass that you have. If you aren’t sure what kind of grass you have, we would be happy to help you out with identifying your grass, treating the problem areas, and controlling the weeds before you even notice them.

If you need help with Gainesville lawn weed treatments and fertilizer programs, give our team a call or text at (352) 378-5296. We're local and have been serving Gainesville for over 15 years. We look forward to working with you!

Mosquitoes are an unfortunate fact of life, especially in Florida. They can quickly turn your backyard landscape oasis into a nightmare you’d rather forget.

Like many insects, mosquitoes are prolific breeders. A female mosquito needs a blood meal to lay eggs which is why they’re persistently looking to feed from you. A mosquito can lay anywhere from 50-300 eggs at once depending on species and the time of year – that’s a lot more mosquito bites coming your way!
It may not be possible to get rid of mosquitoes completely, but by making some changes to your property you can make your home and backyard much less inviting for these pests. Some smart Gainesville landscaping changes around your house can change your yard from a haven for mosquitoes to a place that offers them nothing beneficial and they’ll go terrorize someone else. Here are some things you need to do to prevent as many mosquitoes as possible from setting up camp around your home.

Unlike some pests, there’s a lot of landscaping changes you can make to minimize the mosquitoes you see. By understanding mosquito biology (where they prefer to live and lay eggs), we can make a big impact quickly.

#1 Eliminate Standing Water

Mosquitoes require calm water because it gives them a place to lay their eggs. Without standing water to live in, the mosquito larvae can't survive. This is the most important weakness of mosquito biology to exploit in your landscape plan. Getting rid of sources of standing water will have the greatest impact in reducing the local mosquito population. Here’s a few of the most common sources of standing water around your home that mosquitoes love -

• Backed up gutters. Keeping your gutters clean and clear of debris makes sure the water flows through them and drains away, rather than collecting and providing mosquitoes with a place to lay their eggs. Let us know if we can help with this. 
• Ensure good Gainesville drainage. Eliminate wet spots in your yard that are prone to flooding or where stagnant water collects. You can eliminate these areas through the use of gravel, stone pavers, or more advanced landscape solutions like adjusting the pitch of your yard or installing a French drain.
• Clean up the clutter. Make sure to remove anything that can collect water such as buckets, tires, uncovered garbage cans, etc. Place covers on outdoor rain barrels so that mosquitoes can't get inside. Regularly empty drip trays from planters and make sure your planters aren't collecting too much water.
• Treat your outdoor water. It's not always possible to entirely eliminate all the water sources in your yard. For instance, if you have a pond or fountain, you may want to keep it. Luckily, there are some good solutions. You can install a water circulator to move water around enough that it won’t be a breeding site. You can also use a product called “mosquito dunks”. These contain Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, also known as Bti. These bacteria, though harmless to people and wildlife, kill mosquito larvae before they can hatch into adults.

#2 Use Scents to Repel Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes track us primarily through the smell of the CO2 we exhale with every breath. By using competing scents, it’s possible to repel mosquitoes.

Lavender, citrosa, basil, and geraniums are fragrant plants that some people swear by as deterring mosquitoes from hanging around. However, you should be aware that the science on this is not settled. While some gardeners swear by them, these plants have not been found in a lab to provide a repellent effect. Still, thanks to the pleasant smell they make for humans, they're not a bad thing to have in your Gainesville yard anyway.

Citronella oil on the other hand is studied and known to have a repellent effect on mosquitoes. This oil comes from lemongrass, and it produces a smell mosquitoes don't like. Burning citronella candles or tiki torches in your backyard can help to keep bugs away.
It’s also possible to use an active mosquito trap such as the Mosquito Magnet. The Mosquito Magnet burns propane which emits CO2 and traps mosquitoes that come nearby suctioning them into a net which they can’t escape from. A device like this may be a bit overkill for a small yard, but it’s one of the few ways to effectively control adult mosquitoes.

#3 Upgrade Your Outdoor Living Space

There are a few smart changes you can make to your outdoor living space to significantly reduce your chances of being bit. The first – a screened-in porch. If you're not ready to stop using your yard during high mosquito activity, consider a screened-in living area. Screening off your porch lets you take the fresh air and experience the outdoors while keeping mosquitoes at bay.

Another small change that can make a big impact is installing some outdoor fans. Mosquitoes are weak flyers. Their delicate bodies are easily blown around, so they tend not to fly in strong winds. Installing a ceiling fan or just running some larger fans in your backyard can prevent mosquitoes from getting near you.

#4 Start a Mosquito Perimeter Pest Treatment

When applied by a knowledgeable technician, a mosquito control can be provided that will keep your lawn safe from mosquitoes. Although The Master's offers Gainesville Perimeter Home Pest Control programs, we do not offer mosquito control services at the time of this blog post. A Mosquito pesticide treatment can help to greatly reduce the mosquitoes living directly around your house. Because of their high humidity requirement, mosquitoes like damp and shady areas to shelter in. Regularly treating these areas with an appropriately labeled pesticide can kill mosquitoes and make it impossible for them to breed.

A pesticide with a long-lasting residual effect that will continue to kill mosquitoes for weeks even after the chemical has dried. Multiple applications will probably be required throughout the summer season.

Areas such as trellises, shaded walls, the underside of bushes and trees, crawlspaces, sheds, underneath swimming pools, and anywhere else that doesn't get a lot of sun should be treated regularly. These are the areas where mosquitoes like to rest during the day when it’s hottest, so treating them with a pesticide will greatly reduce the number of bugs on your property.

You may not be able to rid the world of mosquitoes, but there’s a lot a quality Gainesville landscaping company can do to reduce the population on your property. With the right landscaping, you can have less bug bites and more peace of mind. Call us today at (352) 378-5296 if we can help you with your drainage, pest control, gutters, or landscaping in any way!

One of the most common plants in Gainesville landscapes are the Crape Myrtle tree or dwarf shrub, known for their beautiful summer colors. Their pink, white, red, and purple flowers brighten north Florida landscapes throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall. However, they are also known for getting a black sooty mold covering the leaves that may leave you wondering, "why does my crape myrtle have mold?"

The black covering isn't a mold, fungus, or disease  - it's actualy the symptom of a Gainesville landscape pest-  the crape myrtle aphid.

To control these Gainesville lawn pests (Crape Myrtle Aphids), we recommend one of three ways. However none of these will remove the sooty mold - just the pest causing the sooty mold. The black discoloration will go away as it drops it's leaves and regenerates growth in the spring.

1 - If it's late enough in fall and the temperatures are below 85-degrees, you can use Horticultural oil as a contact killer. https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Earth-Monterey-Horticultural-Oil/dp/B001R…
2 - If it's still the heat of season, use bifinthrin as the contact (quick control) and immidacloprid as a systemic (long-term) insecticide. https://bit.ly/2HxkXw9
3 - If it's just before the first frost and it's about to lose it's leaves, wait until spring and use the bifinthrin/immidacloprid mixture so that it controls them in next years growing season, as the Crape Myrtle is going dormant soon.

To learn more about our Gainesville, Florida lawn service, visit our website at http://www.themasterslawncare.com

The time has finally come to begin planning your fall Gainesville landscaping tasks with Fall just around the corner. It may not feel like it, but cooler days will be here in a month or so, and evening temperatures are already on a downward slope. Get ready for fall landscaping activities by planning for and scheduling tasks those hard-to-get-to tasks now.

Schedule the projects, purchase supplies, and plan what your priorities are -although the actual work won't begin just yet. You will be fertilizing your lawn, monitoring lawn pest and weed activity, and dialing in irrigation schedules. You may also choose to add some fall seasonal color or add new shrubs and trees.

Plan Cool-Season Annuals
Right now, your warm-season annuals are still looking good. Angelonia, torenia, vinca, zinnias, coleus, and caladium are blooming well. In our Gainesville, Florida lawns, these will continue thriving into mid-October. Depending on if you're using Fall color such as Mums or moving straight to Pansies and Petunias, you can delay purchasing and installing cool-season annuals until November. For Mums it would be an earlier timeline though.

If you like to grow flowers from seeds, however, now is the time to start thinking about it, especially if you plan to order supplies and seeds online. Setting up your seedling areas can be a project if you want to sow lots of seeds. This can also be a great project for kids to see as the plants grow.

Consider these Gainesville area cool-season annuals for your flower beds:

Snapdragons, Pansies, Violas, Mums, Petunias, Phlox, or Sweet Pea

Fall Gainesville Lawn Fertilizing
Be ready for the year's last round of nitrogen feeding in September or October. General garden fertilizer is suitable for most trees and shrubs (12-4-8 or 15-5-15 or 15-4-8) and your turf mix would vary depending upon your grass type - St. Augustine, Zoysia, or Centipede.

For tree and shrub fertilization (Ornamental fertilizer), spread it evenly on the ground under the tree out to the drip line (edge of the outer mimbs of the trees).

For lawns, look the turf fertilizer depends on your breed of turfgrass. St. Augustine and Bahia get their final feeding of the year in September; Zoysia and Bermuda will be later in the year, although continuing to feed other micro and macro nutrient s is important for root density and health through the winter. 

Add New Shrubs
Want to add new shrubs or flowers? Fall is the perfect time. If you wait until October when the days are cooler, the planting process doesn’t stress shrubs as much, and our winters aren't extreme so it gives new plants a long time to adjust and root before the next heat wave of summer.

Use September as the month of ground prep for new shrubs. Get rid of all weeds, either by hand-picking or spraying weed contorl. Remove plants that are failing. Dig up the soil and turn it over, adding enriching amendments such as cow manure (purchased in a bag at a nursery or garden center), grass clippings, wood chips, straw, and wood ash.

The ground will be ready for installing new shrubs in late September or October. Fall is also a good time to add new trees.

Keep a Watch for Pests
Until the days really cool down, pests remain active. On shrubs and plants, keep a watch for aphids, mites, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Crape Myrtle's will regularly struggle with black sooty mold from Aphids,

As for your Gainesville lawn pests, look for chinch bug damage (dry patches by concrete and curbs), moths fluttering in the lawn (which is the adult sod webworm), and their damage of chewed leaf blades. Leave the beneficial insects alone: lacewings, spiders, mantids, and ladybugs. These good bugs eat the destructive ones. You can also look for lawn fungus, leaf spot, and melting out this time of year as well.

Turn on Irrigation as Needed
Early September may still see afternoon showers. As the fall progresses and less rain falls, homeowners should be prepared to turn on irrigation systems more fequently. Fortunately, many systems are equipped with rain sensors or smart controllers to keep them from running too often. However, the grass still needs monitoring to ensure that it is receiving enough water. 

I hope this is helpful as you plan your Fall Landscape To-Do List. Let us know if we can help your Gainesville lawn or landscape in any way by calling/texting (352) 378-5296 or emailing us at info@themasterslawncare.com.

Each year around Summer, we get clients inquiring about 'these weird little round growths' they are finding in their trees, commonly Live Oaks.

These 'weird little balls’ are called galls, which are plant tissue growths caused by exposure to small doses of hormone-like chemicals, which are produced by the gall makers. The gall makers can be many different things - but usually it is insects that cause them. Galls can actually occur on roots, flowers, bark, and buds, but people generally notice them when they are on leaves or twigs because they're the easiest to spot. 

Most often clients ask me about the galls that are appearing on their oak trees, as they are common in Gainesville, FL landscapes. It is usually mealy oak galls they are finding which are tan and can be roughly the size of a jaw breaker, as the photo shows.

The galls will eventually drop, at which point they are woody and hard under bare feet in your lawn. If you look closely at one you’ll note a single exit hole where the adult gall maker gnawed its way out of its home.

With mealy oak galls the gall maker is a wasp. However, most people associate wasps as an insect that can sting and in this case the wasp that has produced the gall isn’t the stinging type.

The way it works is that a mother wasp finds an appropriate live oak twig to which she attaches her egg, and the chemicals on the egg induce the oak to grow a home for the soon-to-hatch grub. That is how Mealy Oak Galls are formed. The grub dines on the interior tissue of the gall until it matures and chews its way through the outer shell. Once vacant the gall shell can persist on the twig for a long time until it eventually drops into your lawn.

While some galls can be harmful, it is important to note that oak goals are not. They don’t do much to harm you tree. And applying insecticides to manage any perceived problem is overkill in my professional opinion. If you are worried about how they look, take comfort that gall makers tend run in cycles. Some years will be heavy and others will be minimal

If you need help with a lawn or landscape problem, we would love to earn your trust. We have been helping our Gainesville, Florida lawn and landscapes for over 15 years. Give call us at 352-378-5296 or info@themasterslawncare.com.

We’ve gotten a number of calls from customers asking questions about how to improve their lawn's appearance in the North Florida dry spell. Lawns are struggling from drought stress in any area that gets sun exposure, landscape plants are beginning to wilt, and you're already watering with your sprinkler system. What can you do?

Until we begin to get normal rainfall, here are some watering tips. Notice that these tips are beyond the basics of watering early in the morning, follow the 2 day per week schedule (unless you have new sod or plants), and put down an inch of water. These tips are specifically the dry spells we have come accustomed to a couple times a year in Gainesville landscapes. These tips need to be reveresed after normal rainfall begins as you could create problems with overwatering and fungus when the dry spell ends. 

• Use the Seasonal Adjust function -On most irrigation controllers installed in the past decade, there is an option called "seasonal adjust" that has a percent in it (typically it is left at 100%). Increasing this to 150% is a simple and quick way to adjust up in dry/hot seasons and down (50-60%) in cold/wet seasons. Please note this function only increases your time of watering per zone, and not your amount of days. (For example, a zone that is set to run 30 minutes would be set to run 150% of it's set time, or 45 minutes, during the dry spell. Then, if you set it to 50% for the winter, it would only run half the normal time, or 15 minutes)
• Creatively Obey the Rules - Watering 2 times a week in a severe dry spell in full sun exposure will rarely keep your Gainesville grass healthy, but there isn't a rule that says you can only water your lawn 2 times a week. The code says you can only water your lawn 2 days per week, and only during the morning or evening. Let's say your address is an even number, so your watering days are Thursday and Sunday. You could water early in the morning on Thursday (around 5am) and then late in the evening again on Thursday (around 10pm). Repeating this on Sunday would allow you to reduce your time between waterings from 3 days to 2, and severely limit the amount of stress on your Gainesville grass.
• Apply "Moisture Manager" to your Lawn and Landscape- This is something I highly recommend for Zoysia lawns that get so drought stressed in our dry spells! Moisture Manager (click this link to watch a video) allows your soil to hold more moisture around the plant's roots due to it's microscopic water-absorption technology, and saves you on your GRU water bill. This is commonly called Hydretain by other companies in town, but it works really well to increase your waterings effectiveness. 
• Use Soak Cycles - This is something we all should use year-round, but they are difficult to set up on irrigation timers that aren't Hunter's Hydrawise Smart Controllers . These soak zones break a normal zone zycle (for example, a zone set to run for 60 minutes) into 4 seperate 15-minute cycles with a 10-20 minute break between each one. What does this do? It allows the water to soak in, rather than puddle up and run off down the driveway, and down the front curb. This is a great tip we use for watering lawns on slopes, but it really works well for most all Gainesville Florida lawns. 
• Inspect your irrigation system - This one is a fundamental tip, but you would be amazed how many lawns struggle in speceific areas during the dry season because of lack of adjustments as plants grew, trees developed, and the irrigation needs shifted - but the system didn't. Checking your irrigation system twice a year will help you avoid those "hot spots" where they always dry out in the heat of the year.

We hope these tips are helpful for you during this dry season! If we can be of help with your Gainesville, Florida sprinkler system, Lawn Pest Control (Gainesville Chinch Bugs LOVE dry lawns!) or Landscape Managment, please give us a call at (352) 378-5296 or email us at info@themasterslawncare.com. 

A lush, well-manicured lawn adds to curb appeal and enjoyment of your home. But lawns are susceptible to diseases and pests, especially if they're left vulnerable from poor cultural practices like underwatering or being scalped too low. Here are five common things your Gainesville lawn is trying to communicate to you, and how to spot and fix each before they get bad.

Problem #1
Problem: Brown Spots

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: There are several causes of brown, or even dead, spots in your turf. Some are obvious, like a dog peeing in a certain area, but others require a little more detective work. It could be  weeds dying off from a lawn weed treatment, the soil pH could be too acidic, or even an area having too much shade or not enough water. How do you know? It may have a couple causes like the ones listed in the tips below, but I would start out looking to see if it's too shaded or not getting enough water - as that is most often the case.

If it's in full sun, check your sprinkler coverage by testing the system; you may need to adjust sprinkler head orientation to get full coverage. If it's in the shade, you need 4-6 hours of sunlight to grow a healthy Gainesville lawn. You may want to prune some tree limbs up. 

Problem #2
Problem: Grass Is Wilting or blades are folding up

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: It probably needs a deep watering. Most lawns have a mix of different types of grass, and some types will start to wilt or turn brown before the others. In our area, Zoysia is the first to decline in dry weather due to it going dormant. (I know, it's weird that the drought-tolerant grass shows drought stress the qucikest - see our YouTube videos for more on this)

The folding grass blades, even when mixed with healthy green blades, are early indicators that the lawn is starting to suffer from a drought. The photo above is a St. Augustine lawn with bad drought stress. 

If you haven't increased your watering in the spring, this is the time. Check soil moisture by sticking your finger in the soil. If the soil is dry, it will feel like sand and know you need to increase your irrigation settings. You will need to water for longer periods of time to allow the water to sink deeper into the soil, and water a minimum of 2x per week.

"You want to water infrequently but longer to encourage the roots to go deeper," our irrigation manager Chuck says. "Watering light everyday is not as good as a deep watering two or three times a week." The ideal time is between 4 and 6 am. Cooler temperatures limit evaporation, but the grass will dry during the day. Watering at night leaves wet grass, which can promote Gainesville lawn fungus and disease. 

Problem #3
Problem: Circles Pop Up in the Grass

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: The circles, are the result of a fungus in the soil and presents itself as Large Patch or Brown Patch Fungus.

The fungal threads in the soil will initially cause the grass in the circle to appear orange in the outer circle  because that is where the fungus is most active. As it grows, the middle will turn brown and the outer ring will expand to take over more and more of your lawn. This disease stays in the soil year-round, but typically pops up in Gainesville grass in Fall and Spring Seasons as we transition between cold and warm weather and there is excess moisture to make it activate.

Reducing irrigation and applying fungicide is your first line of defense against the circles. You only have to treat the affected area, but lawn fungus applications aren't inexpensive. Cutting back irrigation should be a priority, and whatever you do - do not fertilize when you have large patch in your lawn. It will feed the fungus instead of the lawn. 

Problem #4
Problem: Grass Won't Grow Under a Tree

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: Large trees can block the sun, while pine trees drop needles around the trunk, which also can kill the grass.

To be perfectly honest here: let it go. Trying to maintain healthy turf under the tree can be a constant challenge. You'll have to trim back branches to let the sun shine through, or continually rake up leaves and pine straw. Even then, the grass may struggle due to the fight for water and nutrients with the larger and stronger tree roots. 

You're better off not having the competition between the tree and the turf. Instead, we recommend putting mulch around the base of the tree and shade-tolerant landscaping like Hydrangea and Agapanthus to add color and create an attractive bed rather than a receding Gainesville lawn. 

Problem #5
Problem: Patchy dead spots by sidewalk, walkway, curb

What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You: Chinch Bugs can take up residence in your Gainesville lawn quickly and cause all kinds of problems. A lawn suffering from disease or heat stress from lack of water is most vulnerable, and typically they love to attack near concrete, driveways, or walkways (such as the photo shows). The trick is to identify it quickly and treat them before they damage more of the lawn. 

Common lawn pests include chinch bugs, army worms, webworms, and spittlebugs - but the most common this time of year are chinch bugs. These ant-sized bugs feast on drought-stressed grass and typically start by the concrete. But they overwinter in your lawn, and the larva emerge there, eating and killing turfgrass roots.

You can treat infestations with insecticides, but be careful. "Knowing what you're going after is the key," Chuck said. "It's important to use an insecticide that is labeled for that insect on not just any big box store product." If you aren't experienced in this area, hire a Gainseville lawn pest control professional. 

We hope these 5 tips about what your lawn is communicating are helpful to keep your Gainesville landscape looking top notch. If we can be of service, cal us at (352) 378-5296 or email info@themasterslawncare.com.

WHY IS AERATION FOR YOUR GAINESVILLE LAWN SO IMPORTANT?

Simply put, aeration is essential to having a healthy, resilient lawn as it lets oxygen, water, and nutrients penetrate past the topsoil to reach the root zone of your turfgrass, where essential lawn nutrients can stimulate roots to grow and create healthier, stronger Gainesville, Florida lawns.

Aerating your lawn is pretty cool because it …

• Better enables oxygen to get below the topsoil
• Improves the uptake of The Master's lawn fertilizers and nutrient feedings
• Lets the soil more readily absorb the irrigation
• Reduces water runoff and puddling – and reduces the amount you need to water
• Improves drainage from heavy rains as it moves through the soil faster
• Helps strengthen your yard’s root system, the key to a healthy lawn
• Reduces soil compaction which leads to soil erosion & low grass production
• Strengthens your lawn’s ability to endure heat waves and droughts
• Makes your lawn one resilient, beautiful space for fun family time

If you don’t aerate your lawn, you risk having compacted soil. Which basically means oxygen, water, and lawn nutrients from our Gainesville lawn nutrition program can’t get past the surface-level layer (what you see with your naked eye). All the soil beneath that top layer is then at risk of starving when it’s deprived of air and water and nutrients.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR LAWN NEEDS AERATION?

A great way to test if your lawn needs aeration is with a screwdriver. Yep, a screwdriver! Flathead or Phillips, it doesn’t matter – take the screwdriver and insert the head into the soil. If the screwdriver can’t be inserted very easily when the soil is moist, then your lawn likely needs a little TLC from aeration and fertilization. You’ve come to the right place to get help with both.

Chances are your lawn needs aeration if you’ve got compacted, poor, or clay-heavy soil, or if you’re lawn is heavy used. Foot traffic and heavy equipment can turn your soil harder than concrete. Also, it’s a good idea to aerate if you’re renovating a yard (lucky you!). 

Another reason to schedule Gainesville aeration for your lawn is if your soil pH is too high. Adding milorganite after aeration will help slowly bring down the pH to make it more suitable for long-term lawn health.