How can a lawn supply and maintenance specialist of help to me?
World-wide, we are experiencing changes in our weather patterns, resulting in floods, droughts, colder winters and drier summers, all of which impact directly on both fauna and flora. In South Africa itself, we have recently had areas which have either been on the verge of drought conditions or been flooded out with severe and overwhelming rainstorms. For the average gardener, these conditions come with challenges when it comes to keeping their gardens and lawns healthy and attractive. No-one likes to see their lawns drying out and turning yellow, and sitting on the patio looking out at a bare patch which used to be a lush lawn can be heartbreaking. This is where we need the expertise of a lawn supply and maintenance specialist.
Why is lawn care so difficult?
Lawn care can be a somewhat difficult area to master. Although lawns are tough and very resilient, they still need to be well tended in order to look their best throughout the year. Like any other plant, grass faces attacks from various insects, disease, and weeds which will rapidly gain a hold and overtake the lawn. A healthy lawn is one which is more able to withstand insect attacks and weeds, but it still needs additional help in these areas. There are different types of grass seed available, and the type of lawn you have will dictate the level of care it requires. Mowing a lawn can also present its own difficulties as you need to know how high to set the mower’s blades to allow for minimum damage and maximum ongoing health of the lawn. Set them too low, and you risk cutting the grass too close to its roots, which could result in the grass dying, set them too high, and you will find yourself having to mow the lawn every week. Lawns need to be watered regularly, but not to the point where they are over-saturated. And, of course, don’t forget that your lawn needs fertilizers to keep it strong and healthy, as well as aeration of the soil to assist in the uptake of nutrients, aid moisture retention and give the roots more room to breathe. A lawn with areas which have died for one reason or another can be revived by aerating and re-seeding these bald patches to bring the lawn back into top condition.
Lawn care is not a one-step operation
It is clear that keeping your lawn in top condition is not a one-step simple operation. Just as with gardening generally, many factors have to be taken into consideration to keep the balance just right. Many people are simply too busy to work out the correct timing for watering, fertilizing, aerating and mowing the lawn, and carrying out these tasks can seem too daunting a proposition. This is why we call in lawn supply and maintenance specialists.
What do lawn supply and maintenance specialists do?
If you have just moved into a brand new house with nothing but rubble for a garden, you definitely need the expertise of a lawn supply and maintenance specialist to do the groundwork by leveling the area, preparing the soil and seeding or laying grass sod in the proposed lawn area. These are the specialists who know which type of grass is best suited to your particular garden. For instance, is it mainly shady because of tall trees or high walls or subject to many hours of burning sun during the day? Is the grass more decorative or is it going to be an extension of your living area where it is walked on, played on and generally subjected to daily foot-traffic? Once the grass is laid, leveled and established, there are the maintenance aspects which must be attended to regularly, such as cutting and trimming the lawn and edges, keeping it weed-free as far as possible, watering and fertilizing it correctly and aerating it periodically to allow for maximum healthy growth. How nice it is to be able to leave these aspects of lawn care to specialists who know what they are doing and carry out all the thinking and hard work for us! And how great it is not to have to clutter up our garages with lawnmowers and weed-trimmers which simply get in our way or remind us constantly that we should be working on the lawn rather than relaxing and thinking that the grass can simply look after itself? And what happens if your lawnmower breaks down in the middle of the job? Unless you can borrow one from a neighbour or friend, you are stuck until you can get it repaired, which might take some time.
How to find the right lawn supply and maintenance specialist for your needs
Check their online ratings and customer reviews
There are many specialist companies in this field, many of which advertise in house and gardening magazines and brochures, mostly with photographs of their work. The trouble is that many homeowners do not regularly buy these magazines, and so will pull out the Yellow Pages, check the classified ads in the newspapers or ask friends or colleagues for the names of these specialists. The more computer-comfortable person will use the internet as his source of information, and sites such as Uptasker are a great resource in this area. Although it lists suppliers and contractors on a national basis, Uptasker gives you the convenient facility of being able to search for specialists in your own geographical area, as well as providing online ratings and customer reviews where possible, and provides the facility of asking for quotes from various suppliers for comparison. Never ignore supplier ratings and reviews as they will put your mind at rest that you are using the right supplier for your particular needs.
