Use the right fertilizer for your grass.  There are many fertilizers on the market, but they are anything but one-size fits all.  Because your lawn may be comprised of any combination of literally hundreds of different types of grasses, you should never choose a lawn fertilizer until you know what, exactly, it is you are fertilizing.  The wrong fertilizer can actually do more harm than good by throwing off your soil’s pH, killing beneficial grass roots, and/or fostering the growth of certain types of weeds.  How do you know what your lawn is made of?  There are a lot of online resources that will give you a pretty good idea of the type(s) of grass you have growing in your yard, but your best bet is to ask a professional.

Consider natural/organic fertilizer options.  As previously mentioned, there is no shortage of lawn fertilizer options on the market to choose from.  However, you should keep in mind that many of those products are formulated with toxic chemicals that can pollute the environment, end up in your water supply, and even pose a threat to your family and pets.  Fortunately, there are some very effective organic fertilizer options that will keep your lawn green and healthy, while protecting your eco-friendly stance.  In addition to store-bought fertilizers that you can purchase at any home improvement store, there are a number of other natural alternatives.  Consider things like composting (which is relatively easy and inexpensive) and recycling yard waste (simply scattering grass clippings back onto the yard) to fertilize your lawn the green way.

Fertilize at the right times.  The time of year you fertilize your lawn is important.  If you live in a cold weather climate, then you should fertilize in the fall.  Otherwise, you should fertilize in the spring, before the rainy season hits.  Additionally, fertilize in the right weather.  Remember that fertilizer is aided by water, which helps is sink into the soil.  Try to fertilize before a heavy rain, or else risk burning your lawn.

There is a lot involved in caring for a lawn and keeping it thick and healthy.  In order to make the most of your grassy outdoor space, put your lawn care needs in the hands of competent, experienced, and trustworthy professionals like us, My Big Green Thumb.

Generally trees are separated into two categories: long lived and short lived. If you are just looking for some temporary shade for your garden, you should stick to a short lived tree. But if you plan on keeping it for years, go for a long lived tree.

If you decide on a short lived plant, you are probably looking for something with speedy growth. This means the root system will be particularly aggressive, so be sure not to place it near any septic tanks or other deep rooted plants. If the roots have plenty of area to grow, then they will shoot out extremely fast and your tree will take off in growth. Your placement should also be based on the tree’s relative position to the area you are wanting to shade. You should keep it to the western or southern sides for maximum shading.

Preparing your soil well for the shade trees can be the best way to enhance the plant growth speed. The bigger hole you dig for the root ball, the better. Also when you dig out the soil from the hole, you should work it over well before you replace it. This will allow the roots to penetrate through the soil better. If you mix in all your fertilizer and nutrients to the soil before you replace it, you will end up with a superior tree. Also try to use organic materials as mulch. Bark and any branches or twigs work well for this, and will encourage the quick growth.

When you buy your shade tree, it will usually come with the root ball balled up and in a burlap bag. It might also be grown in a container or simply with bare roots. If you get a tree in a burlap bag, you should plant it anywhere between fall and early spring. Trees grown in containers are ok to plant at almost any time of the year. If the tree just has bare roots, then the ideal planting time is anytime in winter and early spring. If you buy a tree that has been grown in a container, make sure that the roots are not constricted by the container. This will usually cause the roots to go in circles underground after you plant it. After you buy the tree and before you plant it, be sure to constantly add moisture to it.

The ideal planting process would include putting it in the ground at the proper depth, and replacing the soil without compressing it too much. Immediately after planting, you should give the tree its first watering before putting the layer of mulch on. You should always use organic mulch, and have a 2 or 3 inch layer of it at the base of your tree.

You should always use nitrogen fertilizer during the first segment of the tree’s life. Simply follow the instructions on the label in order to find out exactly how much to apply and when to apply it. Never apply too much fertilizer while the tree is young. You should usually wait until it has been established for about a year. The fertilizer that you do add should be sufficiently watered down.

If you are trying to grow a tree speedily, there are many more things that you need to consider. However, with proper planning you can create the perfect environment for the tree to spring right up and provide you with plenty of shade within months.

In recent years we’ve seen some of the biggest power tool companies, like Black & Decker, produce some of the nicest cordless lawn mowers on the market. Imagine our surprise, then, when a smaller, lesser-known company called WORX released one of the most impressive cordless mowers currently available – the WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower. This powerful, yet amazingly compact cordless lawn mower is quickly becoming one of the most popular sellers all over the country. So we decided to research this mower and have put our findings together for you in this WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower review.

Easy to Adjust

It seems that ease of use features were a big part of the design of the WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the easy height adjustment feature. This mower can cut grass from 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches in height. And adjusting the height of the wheels couldn’t be easier. One lever adjusts all 4 wheels at once. That means that you don’t have to adjust each wheel to get this mower to the desired height for your lawn. And with the 6 available cutting height levels, it’s easy to find the one that best suits your lawn.

No Maintenance

Another feature of the WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower that makes life easier is the fact that you really don’t have to do any ongoing maintenance to keep this mower in tip-top shape. Since there’s no gasoline, oil or spark plugs used on this lawn mower, keeping it maintained is really as simple as keeping it clean and keeping the removable 24 Volt battery charged up.

WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower Features & Details

• 24-Volt 17 Ah Removable Battery cuts over 1/3 of an acre per charge.
• The battery fully charges overnight, and can be charged indoors.
• Big 19 inch cutting path.
• You can choose from side discharge, bagging or mulch modes.
• Easy to adjust all the wheels with a singled lever.
• The mower is compact and the handle folds down completely for easy storage.

Customer Reviews of the WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

To close out this, we wanted to mention the online reviews and scores from actual customers. This cordless lawn mower has so far received 72 reviews, and has a customer satisfaction score of 4 out of 5 stars. A few customers mentioned that this lawn mower is a bit heavy for them, but at 80 pounds, this model weighs about the same, or even less, than other mowers in this class.

If you’ve had enough of filling up the gas tank on your lawn mower, and have been looking for an easy to use and adjust cordless mower, the WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower may be just the mower that you’ve been looking for.

Commercial lawn care contractors are not involved in any type of residential lawn care, with the exception of nursing homes or long-term care facilities. While you may see workers with a name on their truck mowing lawns, this does not necessarily mean that they are a commercial lawn care contractor.

Sometimes referred to as grounds keepers, which in my mind, brings up images of men in caps mowing golf courses on an angle to make the grass lie “just so”, commercial
lawn care is a large industry with more than 66,000 business registered in the United States alone.

Jobs or contracts are won by a bidding process. The commercial lawn care contractor takes into account how long and how often a job needs to be done when figuring the
bid. Someone looking to hire the contractor would want to ask about things like type of insurance, licenses, and reputation.

Commercial lawn care contractors often include lawn fertilization and weed control as a part of their services. This requires them to carry special licenses and to have their
workers specifically trained to handle and dispose of the chemicals they will use.

Specialized equipment is often used in the commercial lawn care industry. Large zero-turn, stand on or walk-behind mowers are used, as are tractors with mowing
attachments. Leaf blowers, weed eaters and similar machines looking somewhat like a jet-pack are frequently seen on the backs of workers. A lawn vacuum (think sucking
Zamboni, you know, the thing that makes the ice pretty for hockey games?) is used for grass or leaf pickup.

Safety is important in this industry. Any piece of equipment mishandled by a worker could bring about a serious accident. Operating large machinery, using chemicals toxic
to humans, or working with a hand held device meant for trimming requires vigilance. A reputable commercial lawn care contractor will provide more than adequate safety
training for their employees.

My Big Green Thumb currently serves residential customers only, but we will happily make a recommendation for a Commercial Lawn Care specialist if you contact us.

It seems like every time I decide to rake leaves, I completely forget the downside of the job as I vigorously attack the crispy sea of  gold, red and brown. The enthusiasm usually doesn’t last more than 10 minutes, when the back begins to complain, I have to go hunting for gloves because the first blister is starting to let me know it’s on the way, and I ALWAYS forget that my nose will be running for days afterward.

As I get older, I’ve gotten smarter (I hope) and sometimes that means letting someone else do the things I “think” I enjoy but end up regretting. I don’t know about you, I like exercise, however blisters and sneezing I can live without. Even using a blower (who can’t resist playing with a toy that creates hurricane force winds?) it gets kind of annoying for me, I guess I’m just getting soft but I don’t especially enjoy the ringing in my ears after using that loud thing.

The best solution I’ve found is to hire some enthusiastic youngster to do the dirty work for me, then I can jump in the pile and let them clean it up again! Best of all, it gives me the time to go do the things that I really like doing, like working in the woodshop.

- Alvin Zaleski
National Woodworking

Did you know that there are many advantages to a well kept yard?

Nothing says “Welcome to our home” like a well kept yard.

Have you ever visited a strangers home that looked immaculate as you walked to the front door? The paver block walkway was straight, clean and tidy. The shrub border was groomed perfectly, like a fresh military haircut. You might have stopped to take in the fragrance of lilacs or roses. You were put at ease, weren’t you?

You just know that if someone cares that well for their yard, they are going to treat you well.

A well kept yard increases the value of your home.

In real estate they call the first impression of a home “Curb Appeal”, and your home either has it or it doesn’t. Good curb appeal comes from making the front of your home look pretty… and keeping it in order. A fresh cut lawn, landscaping lights, trimmed hedges all add considerably to the initial impression of your home.

Some people think they can just tidy up the yard when they are ready to sell their home, but weed-filled lawns and neglected trees and shrubs can’t be fixed that fast. The neglect will show, and your potential buyers will probably wonder what neglect lurks in the rest of your house.

A well kept yard actually require less work.

It may seem like a big investment to keep your yard in tip-top shape, but really, doing a little to keep it nice more often, takes far less time and money than trying to rebuild a lawn that has gotten out of hand. Your soil will be healthier, the lawn looks nicer and it feels better on the feet, and the trees are more likely to grow strong and disease free.

Ever tried to clean up a yard where the grass has grown a foot high? Most mowers can’ t handle it very well, you often have to cut twice, and then you have to remove the clippings or they will clump up and cause spotting as they rot. A fresh mow every few inches is quick and easy, and the clippings can go right back into the ground providing necessary nutrients for your lawn.

- Do Something Nice For Your Lawn -

« Never cut the grass too short~trimming the lawn too closely results in a dead, brown looking lawn. Be sure your mower deck and blade are set high enough to trim, not destroy

« Weed your flower beds regularly~removing weeds un-clutters the flower beds and gives you a more beautiful lawn

« Water during the dry months~grass will not grow without water

« “Dead-head” your flowering plants~your lawn will be more beautiful if you remember that plants such as petunias need the old blossoms pinched off in order for new ones to bloom

« Fertilize properly and at the right time~fertilizing brings a much thicker and more beautiful lawn

« Check for pests such as moles~moles will kill your grass by disturbing the root system. Moles tunnels do not not cause people to say, “that lawn is more beautiful than mine!”

« Add a water feature~waterfalls, fountains and small ponds bring life to your lawn

« Install solar lighting~solar lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes and will make your lawn more beautiful after dark

« Create walkways~creating walkways or paths through your lawn and garden areas are a  beautiful way to enhance your lawn

« Keep clutter off your lawn~put lawn tools, bicycles and garbage bins out of sight

« Mulch around your trees and flower beds~this not only makes your lawn more beautiful, it helps to hold moisture around the roots of the plants

« Edge lawns and flower beds twice a year~this makes for a neat and tidy look

« Plant a flowering shrub~shrubs such as a dwarf lilac not only make your lawn more beautiful and bring color, the scent on a spring night is wonderful!

What tips can you think of to create a more beautiful lawn? Be sure to leave us a comment!

          ~My Big Green Thumb is here to help you have a more beautiful lawn!~