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 AERATION Seven reasons why you should Aerate your lawn: - Creates Stronger Root Zone ... aeration allows the root system to spread out and breathe, eliminating a root-bound turf.
- Helps Insect Control ... by eliminating thatch and ventilating the root zone, aeration destroys natural homes for undesirable insects.
- Helps Fungus Control ... the air movement or ventilation retards fungus developments.
- More efficient use of fertilizer and other nutrients ... a more absorbent turf will respond to fertilizer quicker and longer than a root-bound turf.
- Compaction ... aeration loosens heavy soils, pathways, and other compacted areas
How It Works  Grass Cutting Heights and Care Bahia Grass ...Best mowing height is 2-3 inches; Use a frequent mowing schedule to keep the lawn looking their best and fertilize as needed. --- Goes dormant and turns brown/tannish color in winter after frost. May be over seeded with ryegrass for year round green color. The annual growing season is early May - late August. Watering: Bahia is somewhat drought resistant, but requires watering on a regular basis to get the lawn established especially in the seedling stage and also to promote better germination. Argentine requires more water than Pensacola. Irrigation systems may be required in drought prone areas and during dry seasons in the rainy areas. Bahiagrass will go dormant and turn brown during drought situations but survives long period of drought very well. It also responds quickly to rainfall after droughts, greening up fast.Diseases & Pests: Bahia has only a few disease problems, none of which are severe and can usually be managed through correct fertilization practices. Pests are minor with the exception of Mole Crickets.
Bermuda Grass...If your expectations are for a lush but manageable lawn, set your height for 3/4 to 1.5 inches. This will allow you to mow less frequently, once or twice per week. All grass benefits from being mowed in different directions. Safety should come first, of course, but unless you are mowing a steep grade your bermuda grass will look better if you change the direction you mow every few cycles. Longer lengths are possible but bermuda grass tends to thin the longer it gets. Additionally, only the tips of bermuda grass are green so if you take too much length off the grass at one time you can be left with a lawn that shows a lot of the sandy-brown stalk - not ideal for mid-summer. Reel mowers provide a better cut and look than rotary mowers on Bermuda grass. Bermuda grass isn't as vulnerable to thatch build up as some believe and can actually benefit from at least occasional mulching. Bermuda grass is actually a decent warm-season grass for drier climates. The best way to know for sure if your Bermuda grass needs watering is to let your bermuda grass tell you. When you begin to see the color change from deep green to light green to light grayish-blue, then it is time to let the water flow.
St. Augustine grass(also known as Charlestongrass in South Carolina) is often the most popular choice for lawns throughout southern United States. Especially in coastal regions where cold temperature extremes are moderated by oceanic climatic conditions. St. Augustinegrass is native to the Caribbean, Africa and Mediterranean regions, and best adapted to subtropical climates.Good for coastal regions, thrives in heat, does poorly in cool climates. Excellent to fair under drought conditions. Moderately good under heavy foot traffic. Somewhat shade tolerant. Can be used in moist, semi-fertile soils. At the moment, most common installation method is sodding or plugs; seeds are very difficult to obtain if not impossible. HIGHLIGHTS: Compared to finer textured grasses like the bermudas, St. Augustine has large flat stems and broad coarse leaves. It has an attractive blue-green color and forms a deep, fairly dense turf. It spreads by long above-ground runners or stolons. While it is aggressive, it is easily controlled around borders. It produces only a few viable seeds and is therefore commonly planted by sod, sprigs, or plugs. St. Augustinegrass is a big thatch producer, more so than other types of grass. It also requires plenty of moisture and is best suited to humid regions. Has good shade tolerance, except for Floratam.
- Watering: needs weekly watering for optimal appearance, but will survive drought conditions
- Mowing Height: 3.5" - 4" for normal St. Augustine cultivars
- Common Pests: grubs, chinch bugs, mole crickets, sodweb worms,
armyworms, and cutworms - Centipede grass known as the lazy mans grass, has probably the lowest maintenance of the warm season grasses. Its popularity stems from the tenacity to grow on poor, sandy soils to clay based ones. Needing little fertilization and not needing to be mown as much makes it a preferable for busy lifestyles. In normal average rainfall years it can do very well with just a little care. Once a year weed-n-feed program kills the few weeds that might emerge and feeds enough for the year. Or divide the requirements into seasonal fertilization schedules. The texture is said to be coarser than the so-called better grasses, but this may be due to the lack of moisture in a given season. Proper care in maintenance (mowing or watering) and this grass will compete against weeds on its own. Definitely not suited for higher traffic areas and slow to repair but I have found this grass to be a "take care of on the run grass" for busy lifestyles. Watering: In the starting stages the ground should be kept moist not soaked until established seedlings take root. Water four to eight (depending upon sandiness) inches deep at the time to establish a deeper root system because centipede is not as drought tolerant as some other grasses. Shallow watering only provides for the root system to establish just under the soil. Medium to low water usage depending upon the weather. In drought conditions water thoroughly as with all grasses.
- Mowing: Proper height should be between 1 1/2 to 2 inches depending on growth and the lawn you want to achieve.
Beneficial Nematodes For the average homeowner, organic gardener, or farmer, Beneficial Nematodes offer the greatest value when it comes to biological control due to the wide variety of pests they control and how easy it is to get great results. Chinch bugs, grubs, ants, fleas, cut worms and over 250 soil dwelling pests that are so difficult to control using other methods are just a tasty mid afternoon snack for Beneficial Nematodes. 90% of all insects spend as least part of their life cycle in the soil and fall prey, most before they enter their adult stage. Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic and live below the soil surface and like a moist environment. Looking like short non-segmented worms these voracious predators make their way through your lawn and garden looking for food. Nematodes do not harm worms, birds, plants or the environment, in fact they are part of the environment and are found the world over. When the Nematode comes in contact with a pest, they attack by entering through body openings or simply by boring though the body wall, once inside, the Nematode will release a bacteria that kills it's host within 48 hours. They will feed and reproduce before exiting in search of fresh prey. REMINDER: In order to keep Nematodes alive and active, you must maintain a regular watering schedule. Once every 7 to 8 days during Spring or periods of 85 degrees. Once every 5 to 6 days during Summer or periods above 85 degrees. Your lawn will do better with this schedule as well.
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