Recently, one of our clients at Mountain High Tree, Lawn & Landscape contacted us, convinced that his dog’s habit of urinating on his lawn had destroyed his front yard in Wolhurst, Littleton. There were spots littering a lawn that had once been a shimmering field of green.
But when we at Mountain High Tree & Lawn went to inspect this client’s lawn free of charge to come up with a plan, we discovered that his dog wasn’t to blame at all (bone for Fido!). Instead, a fungus we were all too familiar with was the culprit.
Given we specialize in lawn disease control – in addition to lawn fertilizer, lawn aeration and insect and mite control – we knew we could get our client’s lawn looking fantastic again.
For those of you in Littleton interested in our services, or simply interested in learning more about lawn care, we’ve compiled a list of our products, as well as some general tips to make sure you curb you lawn’s decline before it becomes a wasteland. We hope you find it helpful.
Tips for a Healthy Lawn in Littleton
- Mulching – or keeping your lawn bag off while you mow – is a vital part of lawn care. But did you know? You should ideally mulch every third or fourth cut and not every time.
- Treat your mower like one of your own. You wouldn’t leave little Billy all muddy after he had rolled around in the grass, so don’t leave the bottom of your mower all dirty after you mow. Fungus and disease is bad for your lawn…and Billy.
- Keep those lawn mower blades sharp! Sharpen them at least twice a season.
- Unless we are completely set on living on Mars soon, we may want to be better about fostering a sustainable Earth. One way you can help? Throw your grass clippings in the compost!
Littleton Lawn Fertilization
First thing’s first: No matter which lawn fertilizer you choose, know that our first step will always be to apply a pre-emergent to help control that nasty crabgrass.
As far as our types of fertilizer, we have plenty of options to choose from, depending on your preferences.
First of all, our Conventional fertilizer is always a popular choice because it’s specially blended for Littleton’s particular soils and conditions.
We also have the “Organic-Nature’s Way” option for the eco-conscious. This environmentally sustainable fertilizer has a low-carbon footprint, and we can apply it with or without weed control, depending on your sensitivity to herbicides.
Speaking of weed control, our Spot-Spray method is popular for several reasons. When we spot-spray, we spray directly on each specific weed, instead of spraying the general area, making for a concentrated dosage. Second, because we focus on just the problem areas, your surrounding shrubs, flowers and trees that don’t need – or don’t what – to be sprayed tend to be quite happy and vibrant.
Last but not least, another popular option is our Extended-Release, or slow-release, Lawn Fertilizer. This releases gradually over the course of a season so your grass a) grows at a natural pace and b) is under treatment every step of the way.
Lawn Disease Control in Littleton
Different Types of Fungi:
Dollar Spot – And herein lies our particular client’s problem. He thought he was looking at dog urination spots, but the Dollar Spot fungus had actually taken over. The Dollar Spot fungus is the size of a silver dollar and it looks similar to a dog urination spot, but it differs in that it doesn’t have a dark green ring around it. “Spot” isn’t to blame – Dollar Spot is.
Aschochyta (ASK-KO-KY-TA) – Aschochyta may sound funny, but this fungus means business. If just the tips of your grass blades are browning, you may have Aschochyta. You may also notice that the fungus loves to embed itself within your lawn mower tracks. For the short term, mow the damaged section of your lawn last to prevent it from spreading across your property. In the long term, you may want to look at some of our products at Mountain High Tree & Lawn.
Leaf Spot – Leaf Spot’s trademark is leaving your lawn a purple and brown color. It can also eventually turn into Melting Out and take over your whole property. Clients tend to turn purple after seeing the effects of this fungus.
Necrotic Ring Spot (Also Known As NRS) – No, Necrotic Ring Spot is not a death metal band. In fact, it is a fungus. This fungus can shred in another way, though…as in, shred through your lawn. If you see rings of dead grass continue to expand across your lawn, give us a call at Mountain High Tree & Lawn to take care of it.
Fairy Ring Fungus – Fairy Ring Fungus creates a large circle on your lawn, sometimes with mushrooms as part of the package deal. Make sure to aerate and fertilize your lawn properly to keep this fungus at bay.
Revive your Lawn in Littleton
If you find that your soils have become rock-hard due to the dry conditions in Littleton, Revive them!
Our Revive product helps loosen up hard soils, allows for better water permeation and makes sure roots get all the nourishment they need.
Revive is best when used during the hot summer months and after a bruising, stormy winter.
Lawn Insect and Mite Control in Littleton
So, Randy your favorite neighbor keeps on gloating about how much greener his grass is.
You’ve heard his quip, “It’s always greener on the other side!” about 100 times now, and you’re sick of it. But no matter how much you water, your grass isn’t getting as green as Randy’s glimmering plot.
Is this “The Twilight Zone?” No, you may just have bugs, actually.
Bugs are a constant problem in the Southern and Western exposures of your lawn, where it can be warmer during the winter months. To combat them, make sure you are closely monitoring the areas of your yard next to walls, where bugs find homes. Also, make sure you water even during the wet winter – it pesters bugs enough for them to scamper away.
Here are some insects to keep an eye out for during the summer in Littleton, for your reference:
- White Grubs
- Ataenius Beetle
- Japanese Beetle Grubs (specifically found in Littleton, lucky you)
- Sod Webworm (the small, tan moths that fly back and forth into your grass as you mow sometimes)
- Bill Bug (their trademark is a sawdust-like residue they leave behind; you’ll also them crawling along sidewalks)
- Chinch Bug
For a look at the various bugs that pop up all over Colorado, check out our list at https://mounthightree.wpengine.com/plant-health-care/insect-disease-pest-control/.
Littleton Lawn Aeration Service
It’s important to oxygenate your lawn, as well as break up hard clay and allow for better water permeation if you want your grass to grow at the proper pace.
If your grass seems to be growing at a stunted pace, lawn aeration may be your best bet.
Other Services in Littleton
Rock, Bed and Border Weed Control – Weeds are always looking for ways to multiply. They can even sprout up from mulch dust. Check out our Rock, Bed and Border Weed Control product to get rid of those annoying weeds.
Native Grass Weed Control – Many home owners prefer to keep the native grasses on their property, but this does create an environment that can foster more weed growth. Mountain High Tree & Lawn can help.
Perimeter Pest Control and Bug Barriers – From spiders to ants to earwigs and pillbugs, there are a variety of critters that multiply in Littleton’s conditions. Get rid of them with the help of Mountain High Tree & Lawn.
Vole Control – Voles can create some pretty impressive channels. Unfortunately, these tunnel systems seem to always be under your lawn and around your beautiful trees. At some point, something has to be done or they will destroy your lawn.
If you need help with your lawn in Littleton, get in touch with our lawn care experts at Mountain High Tree & Lawn for a free initial inspection.