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I have a lot of trouble with moss in my lawn. What can I do about it?
This is a result of constant, excessive moisture and shade. Over time, moss spreads and the lawn thins. You must change the conditions. The constant excessive moisture may be the result of poor drainage, or too much shade. If it’s drainage, all you may need to do to fix it is to bring in some …
My property backs on to a ditch and some railroad tracks. I’ve tried everything to stop the thistles from coming into my back lawn. Help?
We hear you. Did you know Canadian thistles can grow to over 6 feet tall?! But to answer your question — the problem lies in the root structure. Thistles reproduce in two ways, through seeds and through rhizomes. Rhizomes are shallow roots that run close to the surface and eventually sprout new plants. If you …
How do I get rid of quackgrass?
There are no known effective means. The problem is quackgrass is a grass plant species just like the Kentucky bluegrass that makes up most of your lawn. All species of grasses have common hormones and process their food almost identically. Therefore any type of herbicide or other chemical control will also kill the Kentucky bluegrass …
I’m installing a new lawn. Which is better, peat based sod or mineral based sod?
It depends on the purpose of the lawn. Peat based sod is for what we call the “classy” lawn or the “look but don’t touch” lawn. Peat based lawns are very high maintenance. They require vigilance and uninterrupted care. The benefit of a peat lawn is that it will achieve much darker colour than mineral …
I want to top dress my lawn. How much should I put on my lawn and when is the best time to be doing this?
The best time is in the spring. No matter how much top dressing you apply, you will be smothering grass plants that need oxygen and sunlight to survive. In the spring, conditions are usually cool and moist, so the lawn grows vigorously and is easily able to punch through the top dressing. Many homeowners also …
I’ve got this orange powder on my lawn. When I walked across my lawn it got all over shoes. What is it?
Your lawn is infected with a disease called “rust”. Rust is a very rare lawn disease that usually develops very slowly, over several weeks. There is no way to predict if your lawn will gets rust. It strikes lawns that are excessively dry and nitrogen deficient. The orange powder is actually microscopic spores that spread …
The motor on my lawn mower died. Is there somewhere I can take it to have it recycled?
All too often, we at BAM! Green hear people say, “My lawn mower died. I guess I need to get a new one.” Every year, we pull out our lawn mowers, change the spark plug, the air filter, and the fuel filter. But when the motor dies, most people seem to think they need to …
I have a dog, and typically let him out to do his business in the backyard. Is there anything I can do about all the dead spots on the lawn caused by his urine?
Regrettably, there isn’t much you can do to repair the damage once it’s done. Of course, given enough time, any dead spot in the lawn will fill in eventually. Even so, BAM! Green would like to share with you some (dog) business analysis, and a suggestion: Your dog’s urine is acidic. Female dog urine is …
I want to put wood mulch or wood chips in my shrub beds. How can I make sure that weeds don’t come through?
When considering ground cover, keep your surroundings in mind as well as the seasons. If you lay down wood mulch around the base of trees and shrubs that, come fall, will have leaves to be raked up, so you’ll end up raking away some of that wood mulch as well. So expect to have to …
How do sports fields and golf courses get that striping effect?
That’s achieved using a weighted roller mounted behind the mower. The roller simply flattens the grass. Each row the mower cuts is flattened in alternating directions. By flattening the grass, more of the green part of the blade is exposed. When looking at the lawn, the grass that has been flattened away from you appears …
Last summer my lawn was ravaged by chinch Bugs. How do I protect it?
Chinch bugs are the most devastating affliction to a lawn. The damage they cause is abrupt, ferocious, and permanent. Even worse, their damage continues, even after they are eradicated, as the poison they have injected into the lawn continues to do its damage. As if this weren’t enough, Chinch bugs also lay eggs that will …
I can’t afford lawn care programs. Can’t I do something else to keep my weeds down?
Absolutely. Weeds love a weak or thin spot in your lawn and move in before you know it. The best defense is a good offence. Here’s how to strengthen your lawn making it thicker and more resilient over time, effectively crowding weeds out:
Should I mulch or bag my grass clippings?
It depends. How much time do you have to dedicate to your lawn? Mulching is the better way to go. It returns nutrients to the soil regularly and evenly. But mulching must be done correctly! During periods of excessive growth, your lawn may need to be cut as often as three times a week! So, …
I’ve got this white powder on part of my lawn. What is that?
That’s a harmless fungal growth commonly referred to as “powdery mildew”. It’s most prevalent during periods of high humidity and cool nights. It also tells you there is a high nitrogen content but it is completely harmless to your lawn. While a fungicide is available to treat severe cases, we at BAM! Green have never …
Now and then I get mushrooms in my lawn. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them?
No, not really. We typically get mushrooms during periods of excessive moisture. They will most often grow in a cluster, accompanied by darker grass in the shape of a crescent moon. Lawn care professionals call this “fairy ring”. You will often find more than one of these crescent moons lined with mushrooms in an average …
I’ve got some old weed and feed product in my garage. What do I do with it?
Best thing? Use it for what it was intended for. Much of the active ingredient(s) will have dissipated within the container, but your lawn will still likely benefit from what remains of nutrients that are still lingering. Do not throw unused fertilizer or weed control products into the garbage since it will inevitably end up …
How long should a lawn last?
We at BAM! Green think of a lawn like a human body. Eat your veggies, get lots of exercise, take your vitamins, take medicines when you get sick and so on and you will likely lead a long healthy life. Spend your life drinking, smoking, and doing drugs and your body will probably pay for …
My lawn suffered from a lot of winterkill this year. What can I do to get my lawn to recover? Better yet, how can I keep this from happening?
The amount of winterkill tends to depend upon the previous year’s dry conditions. Things like how fast the snow melts, how many times the meltwater under the snow on your lawn freezes and thaws, whether the lawn faces north or south — all of these factors will affect the prevalence and severity of winterkill. But the …
I have a two-foot strip of dead lawn all the way around the foundation of my house. I’ve Tried Everything and Can’t Get it to grow! Meanwhile, the rest of my lawn looks great! What’s the deal with my foundation?
By any chance, does your house have a stucco exterior? Stucco contains lime. Over time, the lime in the stucco gets washed down the side of your home and into the soil around the foundation. Lime is alkaline, meaning it raises the pH in the soil. Your lawn requires a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 …
I’ve got a lot of little white moths flying out of my lawn. What is going on?
These are often called “paper moths” because they look like a light piece of paper blowing erratically in the wind. They are not often cause for concern. There are literally hundreds of species of moths that look very much the same. There is only one moth that is of concern and this is sod webworm. …
I’ve got these weird ant hills all over one part of my lawn. There’s just single holes with a ring of dirt around them. Help?
First of all, those aren’t ant hills. What you’ve got there is a swarm of night crawlers that have nested in your lawn in the fall and hibernated over winter. Night crawlers are thick long worms often used as lures when fishing. Night crawlers don’t usually cause any serious or permanent damage, although they can …
When I move or just stand out on my lawn I see hundreds of little green bugs jumping out of the grass. What are they, and is it serious?
Those bugs are called leafhoppers. They’re about the size of a grain of rice and always present in your lawn. They typically hop from blade to blade sucking out the juices. You can tell by the small yellow spot in the middle of the blade. They also excrete a sap-like substance called honeydew which sometimes …
How do I know if my lawn needs to be aerated?
Aeration is the process of pulling small finger-like cores of soil out of the lawn. The cores should ideally be 2.5-3 inches long. The length depends on how hard or compact the lawn is. The purpose is to: So if you have heavily compacted soil, aerating once or twice every couple of years will dramatically …
110% GUARANTEE ON ALL LAWN CARE PROGRAMS!
All BAM! Green Lawn Care programs are guaranteed to improve the health and appearance of your lawn and eliminate broadleaf weeds. If your broadleaf weeds are not completely eliminated within 14 days of your second visit, we will gladly perform an additional weed control application at no extra cost. If you are not satisfied with the results we will cheerfully refund 110% of your remaining applications.
*This guarantee does not apply to weeds growing in other areas of your property outside of your lawn, or areas that are not being regularly mowed. This guarantee is not applicable to ground covers such as Creeping Charlie, Creeping Bellflower, or Yarrow. For advice on how to deal with these ground covers and non-broadleaf weeds, please contact our office and we would be happy to work with you do eliminate this problem. This guarantee is also void where proper cultural practices are not being followed or performed, or if the program is delayed by the customer.