Mower Maintenance

Mowing grass is one of the most important things you can do to improve your landscape’s appearance and doing it correctly can even help it stay healthier. VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City has some tips for keeping your mower in optimal condition to keep it from damaging your grass. Storing and maintaining your mower properly can help it last longer and cut better throughout the summer months resulting in a more beautiful, healthy lawn.

The most obvious tip is to read and follow instructions in the mowers owner’s manual. Each machine operates a little differently and the manual will help ensure you keep your machine in the best condition. However, not everyone keeps their owner’s manual or some have bought a used machine that came without one. Following are some standard hints that work for most machines to help keep them in good condition.

Always run out or drain the gasoline tank in the fall. Use fresh gasoline each spring. Old gasoline often causes problems with the mower starting.

Cleaning the machine throughout the year can prevent clogging and caking. Spraying undercarriage with a hose or using a brush or scraper to clean out already stuck on grass can help the blades run smoother.

Check oil and filters. Oil that is dark or has debris should be replaced immediately. Remove the drain plug beneath the mower and drain into pan or bucket. Replace the plug and refill with the correct type of oil for your specific machine. Filters that are clogged should be replaced immediately. Otherwise, replace yearly to help the mower use gasoline more effectively.Mower blades

Spark plugs can also be replaced yearly. Simply unhook the wire and remove the plug with a socket wrench. When replacing the spark plug, be sure not to over tighten or the mower may not start.

One of the best tips to keep the mower cutting its best is to keep the blade sharp. Mowing over sticks, rocks and even just grass can wear on a blade causing it to rip the grass rather than cut it smoothly. This opens the lawn up to disease and pests. Keeping a sharp blade will also provide a more even appearance without damaged, yellowed tops on the blades of grass.mower

All of these things can be done yourself or by getting a professional tune-up. Most or all are part of a standard tune-up by a mower repair shop. A professional can also provide additional diagnostics for problems you may be having or hints for your specific machine to keep it running its best. Insuring that your mower is in peak condition will, in turn, insure that your lawn can be in peak condition.

Quality Lawn Care Utah

At VIRIDIS Lawn Care Utah we want to help you have a beautiful, lush, show quality lawn. Here are some handy tips and hints to help you have the best lawn in your neighborhood. Doing these things will help prevent weeds and disease; create greener, healthier grass; and even save you money in watering and fertilizing.

One of the most important ways to help improve your lawn quality and appearance is mowing properly. Mow height set around 3 inches is ideal for blocking weeds from the sunlight, shading grass roots and even looking uniform in color. Cutting too short can cause much of the crown and thatch to show, creating an illusion of dry or yellowing grass.  Mowing with a dull blade can also create a yellowing appearance as it tears the grass.  This can also stress the grass which makes it easy for weeds, pests or diseases to move in. Never cut more than 1/3 of the height off your grass and leave the clippings to self-fertilize the lawn. Mowing in different patterns and directions will encourage grass to grow straight rather than at a slant.

Feeding your lawn appropriately is also important. Over fertilizing can burn grass and cause it to look dry, discolored, and dull. Use a spreader or hire a professional to apply fertilizer to insure proper distribution and decrease chances of burning or stressing your lawn.  Applying fertilizer at the right time is also important. Spring fertilizing can help prevent crabgrass growth but it can also create fungus problems if followed by too much rain and applied too heavily.  Using organic fertilizers helps eliminate some of these problems. Manure and compost are good examples of organic fertilizers. It works more slowly than synthetic fertilizer but it improves the lawn over time with less possible stress if applied more heavily.

Repairs are often necessary to maintain that beautiful lawn. Areas brown or die. Reseeding those areas can help prevent weeds from finding a place to root. Check sprinkler rotations to make sure no areas are left under watered.

Weeds can also crop up among the grass. The best thing to do in this situation is remove weeds by the roots as soon as they appear. Herbicides are also effective against many types of weeds but can cause toxic runoff or harm to animals.

Having a show quality lawn can be more work initially but once the lawn is established, well fertilized with nutrients often made available, and growing thickly to help block weeds, the amount of maintenance required decreases drastically.  Call us today to let us help you get your lawn to where you want it to be.

Should you use Weed Whackers?

Weed eaters or weed whackers can vastly improve the neatness of your lawn. Mowers can’t always get into tight corners, near fences, or around trees and shrubs. Weed eaters can. Here, VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Utah will explain more about using weed eaters to give you a professionally groomed appearance on your landscape.

Weed eaters are best suited for smaller areas such as edges where lawns meet sidewalk or gravel; around poles, decks or trees; and in small or tight corners. They don’t offer a height guidance so using them to cut a large patch of lawn, rather than using a lawn mower, could create a choppy, uneven appearance.

Weed eaters can also be used to edge around sidewalks or flowerbeds by turning it sideways. Line it up with the edge needing trimmed before pulling the throttle. Lower the weed eater until it cuts the correct amount off the edge and move slowly down the line, keeping the edge in line with the weed eater.  Use caution and appropriate safety gear including safety glasses.

Don’t use weed eaters in rocks as the nylon string could snap and need to be replaced when it comes in contact with hard objects. Also, don’t weed eat before mowing. Achieving a uniform height would be much more difficult. Instead, mow first, then use the weed eater to match the height, starting higher than the mow height to insure you don’t accidentally cut the grass too low. For best results, hold the weed eater at about a thirty degree angle from your body.

When replacing the string, be sure to use the correct size and follow the instructions for your specific weed eater. Otherwise, you could end up with a very tangled mess or a damaged machine.

These small machines are generally easy to operate and can vastly improve the quality of your lawn’s appearance. Weed eating requires a little more work than simply mowing but can increase the professionalism of your landscape enough to be worth the extra effort.

 

Can’t Get Rid Of Bugs? Try These Pest Control Utah Strategies!

Do not live in slavery to the pests in your home anymore. No matter how big the problem or small the problem, you have to take action yourself. Whether you pay a pest control service in Utah or not, take action with these tricks today to help reduce the amount of pests in your home.

 

  1. Check the perimeter

Walk around your Utah house and yard and spot in areas that might become a potential problem area that may attract bugs and pests. That is the first step to pest control.

  1. Spot the holes

Spot any holes, cracks opening into your home that might pose as a door way for bugs or pests to invade your space.

  1. Fix the holes

You can easily fix these holes by going to any hardware store in Utah and picking up some silicone and simply filling the holes.

  1. Did you think to check your plumbing?

Checking your plumbing might sound like a weird thing to do if you are trying to rid yourself of those Utah pests and gain control for your home.  However just like you need water to survive, bugs and other kind of pest also depend on water to survive!  Leaks in your home provide that water resource that’s vital to their survival.

  1. Check Windows

Check to see if your windows or screens are cracked or ripped as insects can easily penetrate any inconsistencies in your infrastructure. If you see that a seal has been broken, make sure that you fix this or get it replaced immediately so that it does not become an issue in the future.

  1. Kill them before they can come in

One of the things that you can do to reduce the amount of pests in your home is to check the exterior of your home for colonies of ants or bugs. You can exterminate from the outside first, as this is generally where the problem will start from before it comes in your house.

  1. Proper ventilation

Keep in mind that pests are not fond of the same air you are. Your home might not have been designed for proper ventilation in crawl spaces and the attic. However, these spaces need sufficient ventilation so that the environments within them are not suitable to pests who might come in.

 

  1. Doors are the biggest problem

Make sure that your house is sealed at all times so that the bugs from the outside cannot get in. You can place a rubber barrier under your doormat, which is a common entryway of bugs from the outside. This will help to seal your house so that bugs cannot come in and disrupt you.

 

Pest control Utah

Now that you are equipped with some valuable information regarding pest control in Utah, you are ready to go to war. Start using the tips learned here then hire a professional like VIRIDIS to help with all your pest control problems in Utah.   Soon you will have your healthy, happy home back once again.

You should now be prepared to put a plan into action with the tips you have learned. Keep the advice in mind as you continue to learn more about what you can do. There is no reason to not be proactive when it comes to pests in your home when there are so many options.  Call Viridis Lawn today your pest control Utah experts.

Save Money and Time through Effective Pest Control for Salt Lake City

Have you ever had an ant infestation in your home? Maybe you found cockroaches in your cabinet. Whatever the case may be, you are probably willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of these pests and get your home back.  In the article VIRIDIS Lawns will provide advice to assist with problems of pest control in Salt Lake City areas.

If you are seeing a large number of bugs indoors, slowly circle the perimeter of your house. Try to find any small openings where bugs could get in. Look closely near your chimney and the siding.  Once you locate the opening, buy silicone caulk then simply fill in the area, with some silicone.   You can get it at any local hardware store.   You might come a crossed more than one hole, just fill each one individually.

A popular place for ants to hide is in your carpet.  There is a type of ants called carpet ants and they usually are attracted by damp wood. There might be a leak somewhere in your home.  If that is the case you may want to call a plumber and have your plumbing system entirely inspected. Once the leak is fixed, you can then focus on eradicating the carpenter ants with some borax or a similar product. If that doesn’t work then it’s time to call in the professional pest control salt lake city team at VIRIDIS Lawn are team is trained to take care of this type of infestation.

Ants are a very common pest in Salt Lake City Utah that often needs professional pest control.  There are a few things you can do to help with the ant problem.   Don’t leave any food or kitchen scrapes on your table or kitchen floor. Seal your garbage bags tightly and consider getting rid of your garbage on a regular basis.  Keep your floors swept and carpet vacuumed, making it challenging for the ants to find food.

Sometimes it not enough to fill in open holes and keeping the floor clean.  If ants decide to make your “home” their “home” you’re in trouble.  Ants are very difficult to get rid of on your own.

If you spot ants or other pests in your home, you need to contact VIRIDIS Lawn your pest Control for Salt Lake City immediately. You will not successfully eradicate the pest if you take action by yourself. The only way to get rid of ants is to have a professionally trained pest control expert in Salt Lake City to protect your home from these unwanted pests.

Pest Control in Salt Lake City won’t be easy but with the help of the VIRIDIS Team I am sure you will be pest free soon. Call us today!

Beware of these Grass Killing Insects

Few things can ruin a beautiful lawn and garden faster than bugs. Many seemingly harmless insects feed on the beautiful plants you care for. VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City wants to help you prevent destruction to your beautiful lawn from these harmful pests.

  •  Aphids

Aphids come in many varieties and colors ranging from green to red to brown and black. They are less than ½ inch long. They can cause stress to plants as well as perpetuate the growth of mold with excessive feedings.

  • Armyworms, Cutworms, and Earworms

These larvae stay hidden just below the soil or near the bases of plants and in the thatch of lawns. They are particularly active at night. Allowed to mature, they become moths.

  • Longhorned/Roundheaded Wood Boring Beetles

The larvae of these beetles can cause damage to stressed trees. They feed from underneath the bark to deeper within the tree. Once matured, they leave the tree, leaving large holes in the bark, to reproduce in a new tree.

  • Clearwing Moth Borers

These wasp looking moths can cause serious damage to fruit and ornamental plants but are often overlooked as pests. They prefer young or stressed trees.

  • Thrips

These tiny bugs can do much more damage than their size would imply. Wilting plants, scarring on fuits, yellow spots and dropping of leaves are all symptoms of infestation. They are difficult to control because they feed from within curled leaves or petals.

  • Hard Scales

These common pests are difficult to control because of the hard shell they secrete. Spring is the best time for treatment because the eggs have hatched but haven’t yet formed a shell.

  •  Flathead/Metallic Wood Boring Beetles (Buprestidae)

These beetles are similar to Longhorned beetles in that they lay eggs in bark which, when hatched, bore into the tree.

Prevention, of course, is the best treatment method. Good lawn and garden care can minimize or eliminate many pests, especially those who prefer stressed or damaged plants or trees. Once an infestation has begun, treatment is necessary to remove these pests in order to restore your plants to their healthiest, most beautiful state.

Lawn Pests in Utah

Lawns and gardens can take a beating. Foot traffic, insects, climate, and even some other critters can wreak havoc on once beautiful landscaping.  Many mammals can cause significant damage to plants as well as bring fleas and diseases to an area. A few of these mammals in the Salt Lake City area include deer, rabbits, gophers, skunks, mice, and raccoons.

Deer can cause some of the most significant damage to your landscaping because they not only feed on a variety of plants but also rub their antlers against tree trunks and trample vegetation.

Rabbits are exceptionally damaging to vegetables and grasses as well as shrubs and berry bushes. They also gnaw on smooth barked branches and plastic irrigation lines. They feed mostly at night, making it difficult to catch them but leaving a trail of destruction to find the next morning.

Ground squirrels or gophers inflict much the same damage as rabbits but also create mounds when burrowing underground. These mounds can not only make a beautiful lawn look terrible but can cause root damage and problems when mowing.

Skunks can cause a lot more problems than just their terrible scent! They will roll back sod or dig small indentations looking for grubs. They also will eat berries or even pet food. They will often make their home under porches or decks. These animals carry some pretty nasty diseases as well, including rabies.

Mice in all their varieties can be a nuisance. Because of their small size, they can get into and out practically anywhere. They eat and store a variety of food. They also cause destruction to other materials such as paper, clothing, and upholstery that they find desirable for building a nest. Gardening can become difficult with a strong mouse population because they feed on both seeds and grown plants including grass and even trees.

Raccoons often destroy buildings to acquire shingles, insulation, or boards for building their home. Like skunks, they will also nest beneath porches or decks. They typically eat foods from the garden just before harvest time but will also roll up sod to find insects. They can carry many diseases which can be spread to humans.

There are different ways to help prevent these animals from causing problems in your home. Insure garbage is placed in a container that closes securely. Place bird feeders where only birds can get to. Water sources can attract pests, especially during drought conditions. Be mindful of fountains, ponds, and even pet water. Certain fences can keep out many of these animals but not all. Repellents are also an option but can cause problems with pets and often have an undesirable odor. Insure you choose the appropriate repellent and follow any instructions.

VIRIDIS Lawn Care in Utah wants to insure that you have the very best landscaping you can have. Learning common pests and ways to control them can help you prevent much of the damage these animals can cause, leaving you with the beautiful lawn and garden you deserve.

Call VIRIDIS Lawns Today!

Fertilizing your lawn

Grasses need nourishment just as animals or humans do. It’s not enough to simply water your lawn; fertilizer is important to provide the nutrients grass needs to grow healthy and thick.  VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Utah wants to help you understand lawn fertilization so you have the healthiest, greenest lawn you can.

Fertilizing your lawn is important because it causes grass to grow thicker which can help reduce runoff, and increases grass’ drought tolerance and ability to combat weeds.

Lawns vary on how often they will need fertilized. Grass types and soil composition, as well as mowing, watering and other care practices can change the amount and frequency of fertilization needs.  Thick, green lawns are receiving enough nutrients from clippings, soil or previous fertilization and don’t require more.  Lawns with bare areas, excessive weeds and discolored areas would benefit from fertilization.

One fabulous source of fertilizer for a lawn is its own clippings. These clippings contain nutrients that the grass needs to grow and, if left on the lawn after mowing, will decompose, providing not only nutrients but also helping to shade and cool grass roots.  Soil testing can help determine the lacking nutrients and fertilizer can then be more customized to meet the needs of your particular lawn. Three types of nutrients are common for lawn fertilizers. The first, and one of the most important is nitrogen. Nitrogen promotes growth and dark green coloration.  Phosphorus is another important nutrient that promotes root growth and is especially useful for seeding. Potassium is the third common nutrient included in fertilizers.  It helps the grass use water more efficiently and helps it withstand stress better. Often phosphorus and potassium are present in the soil in high enough quantities that little or no application of them is necessary.

Early fall is the ideal time for fertilizing. Once the growth stops, when temperatures average below 50°F, fertilizer should be applied.  Don’t apply fertilizer if heavy rain is expected within 2 days as this can wash away the application. However, the lawn should be lightly watered (about ¼ inch of water) immediately following application to help the fertilizer reach the soil and roots.  If fertilized during the summer, without adequate irrigation, grass can stall and stress. Some lawns will require multiple applications however, and may need one during mid-summer.  Fertilizing in the winter is nearly impossible as frozen ground cannot absorb the nutrients. Doing this could even lead to runoff into water sources.

Some fertilizers can actually burn plants if used in excess.  Nitrogen fertilizers should have no more than 1 lb per 1,000 square feet. Hiring a professional such as VIRIDIS Lawn Care helps insure that fertilizers are applied in proper amounts and at the best times to give you the most beautiful lawn.

 

 

Seeding and overseeding

Lawn grasses grow old and lose some of their vigor and brightness. No matter how much fertilizer or water these lawns receive, they can continue to look lackluster. Sometimes, patches will die or brown. Often, the overall lawn will simply thin out and weeds will creep in.  Other lawns look great in the cool of spring and fall or in the heat of summer but fail to produce the same beauty during the other seasons.  VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City has an easy tip to help you repair both of these scenarios if they’re happening to you.

Reseeding or over seeding helps restore new life to an old and tired looking lawn.  It can also introduce new varieties of grass that thrive in different conditions than the current variety growing in your yard. This is only acceptable if over half of the lawn is still living. Beyond that, replanting the lawn is necessary.

Over seeding is simply spreading new grass seed over an existing lawn. Fall is the ideal time for reseeding so long as you spread the seed early enough that it germinates and begins growth before a killing frost. The soil is warm but the air is cool, perfect conditions for new grasses to grow. The seeds are also less prone to being choked out by weeds or already established grasses once the fall air cools.  If frost hits early, spring is the next best time for reseeding. Although the soil is usually cooler, it is a better time than midsummer when the heat makes it difficult for new seedlings to thrive.

 

Before seeding, mow your lawn lower and remove clippings to help the seeds reach the ground more easily and evenly.  Dethatching may also be necessary if it has built up. Aeration can also be helpful to reduce soil compaction and insure the seeds have place to grow. A soil amendment can also be used but be sure to not put more than ¼ inch or it could kill your grass. Soil testing can help determine any additions your soil needs to reach a neutral PH. Soon after seeding, fertilizer can be used to help speed germination.  Ground should be kept moist for 1-2 weeks or until the seeds have grown to 2 inches tall.  This will go against normal watering schedules of deeply and infrequently but only lasts until the seeds are established. Water just to keep the soil moist or you could rot the seeds.

 

This simple tip of over seeding, if done correctly, can add years of beauty and health to your old, tired lawn and help it maintain that beauty throughout all the warm months.

Lawn Diseases

We all want a lawn that looks cared for. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our lawns can become overrun with disease.  VIRIDIS Lawn Care of Salt Lake City wants to help you prevent, recognize and overcome any disease that is putting a damper on your beautiful lawn.

 

Lawn diseases need specific conditions to thrive.  Molds grow well if lawns are over fertilized in the fall. They also multiply where snow is shoveled into large piles during winter. It can cause dead or discolored patches.  Helping snow melt faster by applying ash or graphite and application of a fall fungicide will help prevent mold from taking hold.

Fungi are one of the most common lawn maladies. Mildew also falls within this category as it originates with a fungal infection of the grass. These diseases cause thin grass and dead circles. Sometimes mushrooms can even grow within the grass. Aeration in the early spring, watering deeply and less frequently and keeping mow height between 2.5 and 3 inches will help reduce fungal growth. Also, avoid heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer in the spring. Instead, spread the fertilizer out through a couple applications.  Fungicides can also be used if fungus has previously been a problem. One of the best ways to help prevent fungi from taking over, as well as insure that your lawn looks as good in the heat of summer as it does in the cool of spring and fall is to have more than one variety of grass seed planted.  Grass types vary on their ability to withstand diseases as well as heat or cold.

As always, avoid seriously stressing grass by over or under watering, mowing too short or scalping slopes, mowing with a dull blade that rips grass rather than cuts cleanly, and using extreme fertilizing methods. This will help insure that these common lawn diseases never have an opportunity to begin growth.  If they have already begun wreaking havoc on your beautiful landscaping, call us to help! You deserve a beautiful healthy lawn. VIRIDIS Lawn Care can help you get there!