Virginia Green Lawn Care Blog

November Lawn of the Month Winner Announced

2011-12-01T09:29:00.002-05:00

The voting for the lawn of the month title was very difficult this month as we had many deserving entries. We are pleased to announce the November Lawn of the Month title goes to the Carmack property of Richmond. The Carmacks began service with Virginia Green on our Estate Lawn Care program this spring, and the results certainly show in their beautiful lawn.

As the winning property the Carmacks will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future lawn care service and Christian their technician will receive a gift card for his efforts. Often times during the winter months we receive fewer entries for the lawn of the month title. Certainly we hope that this will not be the case this year and we would love to see photos of your properties even as the temperatures dip. You may send an email entry to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com with a current digital photo attached and we will enter your property in the voting. Keep those beautiful entries coming.

SOAKING SEPTEMBER WEATHER CREATES ABUNDANCE OF WEEDS

2011-11-08T13:13:00.000-05:00

We sure had some crazy weather in our area this fall with a hurricane, an earthquake, a tropical storm, and plenty of rain. While all of the rain was terrific for the health and appearance of the lawns in our area, the residual affect is an abundance of weeds that are now appearing in lawns. Virginia Green is aware of this and when we treat our lawns for the final application of 2011 we will be applying a liquid weed control application to lawns, along with fertilization.

LAWN OF THE MONTH PROPERTY ANNOUNCED!

2011-11-03T12:59:00.001-04:00

The winning property for the October Lawn of the month award is the Glasco family of Manakin-Sabot. The Glascos began service with Virginia Green in January of this year on our Estate Lawn Care program, and in September Virginia Green aerated and overseeded their lawn and it is looking fantastic. The Glasco family will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future service with Virginia Green, and their technician John (who nominated the lawn) will also receive a gift card for his efforts.

Virginia Green is always excited to receive nominations with photos of the beautiful lawns that we are privileged to service. If you feel that your property is deserving of the title “Lawn of the Month”, please forward a current digital photo to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com and we will enter you in the current month’s voting.

WATERING IS ESSENTIAL FOR NEWLY SEEDED LAWNS

2011-10-20T14:05:00.003-04:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care is entering our last few weeks of Aerating and Overseeding for the 2011 season. This Fall has been a nice one with lots of rainfall, with more expected this week. If you have aerated and seeded within the last month you need to continue to water your new seedlings so that they don't dry out. The three weeks following aeration and seeding are the most critical in determining the success of your seeding job. Remember also that we do expect to see germination of winter weeds along with the new seed. This is expected and we will be out to treat those weeds with the last treatment of the year.

SEPTEMBER LAWN OF THE MONTH WINNER ANNOUNCED

2011-10-04T09:08:00.000-04:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care is proud to have another self-nominated lawn of the month winner, and as always the competition was fierce. The Wood family of Glen Allen began service with Virginia Green in the fall of 2004 with our Premium Lawn care and Aeration and Overseeding. After their second season with us they switched to our Estate Lawn care program, which they remain on to date. Mr. Wood commented in his nomination email that he is very pleased with the service and professionalism of all personnel of the company, and that the main reasons that his yard looks so nice are his technician Nelson, and the fact that he always uses Virginia Green grass seed. He even said that after cleaning up the yard after Hurricane Irene a neighbor commented that he wanted to come over and putt around the "green" of the Wood’s back yard. High praise indeed!

As the winning property, the Wood family will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future service with Virginia Green, and their technician Nelson will receive a gift card for his efforts. Please keep those nominations coming in, we love to see the beautiful photos of the Virginia Green Lawns. Attach a current digital photo to an email to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com and we will enter you in the current month’s competition.

RECENT WEATHER ISSUES HAVE AFFECTED AERATION AND OVERSEEDING SCHEDULES

2011-09-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

My goodness what a wild couple of weeks we have had in our area lately with earthquakes, hurricanes, and tropical storms. Even though we lost a couple of days due to the extensive rain that we had, our technicians have been working hard to keep on schedule, working last Saturday, and this coming Saturday to make up for lost time. For customers that have signed up to have their lawns aerated and overseeded with Virginia Green, you will receive notification from us the week prior to the scheduled service, to allow time to prepare the lawn. Instructions for both the preparation and after-care of the lawn can be found on our website under the Lawn Care Services section for Aeration and Overseeding.
There are still some slots available in our schedule for October if you have not yet signed up for aeration and overseeding at your property. Please contact our office today for pricing for your lawn, as these spaces will fill up quickly.

AUGUST LAWN OF THE MONTH WINNER ANNOUNCED

2011-09-02T11:27:00.000-04:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care is pleased to announce The Whitley family of Mechanicsville as our August Lawn of the Month winning property. The Whitleys began service with Virginia Green in the spring of 2010 on our Estate Lawn Care program and their lawn looks terrific. In their nomination email they stated “Mark takes care of our lawn. As you can see, he does a great job and we do our part by watering it. Everybody on the street admires it and it has even inspired others to use your service.” We certainly like to hear such praise for our technicians, and our service.

As the winning property, the Whitley family will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future service, and Mark their technician will receive a gift card for his efforts. We love to receive nominations from customers with current photos of their property. If you feel that your lawn is deserving, and you would like to send a photo, please email us atproperty@virginiagreenlawncare.com.

PREPAYMENT DISCOUNT FOR AERATION AND OVERSEEDING ENDS THIS FRIDAY

2011-08-17T16:55:00.000-04:00

Fall Aeration and Overseeding season is just around the corner and Virginia Green is gearing up for a very busy season. The offer to prepay early for this service with a 7% discount is ending this Friday August 19. If you would like to save that extra money please make sure to put a check in the mail this week, or call our office with your credit card information.

The Virginia Green Aeration and Overseeding program is very extensive, and includes several key steps to ensure a thick, healthy lawn as a result. These steps include:

1. Communication with the customer prior to service for preparation of the lawn

2. Double core aeration of the lawn (at least two passes over the lawn with the aerator)

3. Application of 6 pounds of seed per thousand square feet

4. Use of Virginia Green special blend 100% weed-free seed

5. 5 lb. bag of seed provided to the customer for their later use

6. Extensive after-care instructions provided to customer to help ensure success

7. New customer no-charge follow-up visit to inspect results

With these steps, along with proper watering, you will find excellent results from this program. If you haven’t already done so, please call our office today to reserve a spot in our schedule.

JULY LAWN OF THE MONTH WINNER ANNOUNCED

2011-08-03T15:30:00.000-04:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care is pleased to announce the Scholtz family of Midlothian as the July winners of the Lawn of the Month award. This self-nominated winner began service with Virginia Green Lawn Care in the spring of 2010, on our Estate Lawn Care program, and the lawn looks terrific. The note that came along with the submission stated “My lawn is the envy of all the neighbors. Keep up the great work! Also, it’s really nice to work with David.”

As the winning property the Scholtz family will receive a $50.00 credit off of a future service with Virginia Green, and their technician David will also receive a gift card for his efforts. We thank the Scholtzs for their submission and we are always pleased to receive photos of our beautiful lawns. If you feel that your lawn is deserving of the title Virginia Green Lawn of the Month please attach a current digital photo of the property to an email addressed to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com. Keep those submissions coming!

November Lawn of the Month

2010-12-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

It is with great pleasure that we announce the DuBois family of Chester as our November 2010 Lawn of the Month winner. As the DuBois family mentioned in their nomination, “three years of Virginia Green’s Estate Lawn Care Package has taken our yard from mostly weeds to lush and gorgeous” and that is very apparent from their photo. They also subscribe to our Tree and Shrub program to provide a beautiful frame to their award winning property. As the November winners they will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future service with Virginia Green, and their technician with also receive a gift card for his efforts.

Thank you to the DuBois family, and to the other families that sent in their gorgeous photo nominations. As always it was a difficult decision to pick a winning property as they all looked beautiful. If you would like to nominate your property, please send in a current high resolution photo in Jpeg format attached to an email. You may address your email to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com to be entered into the voting for next month. We look forward to viewing your submissions.

Remove New Invasive Vines From Your Lawn

2010-11-30T16:35:00.000-05:00

Swallow-wort, also called "dog strangling vines," is no ordinary weed--it is quickly becoming an aggressive invader in landscapes throughout the Northeast, the Great Lakes region, and Canada. A twining vine in the milkweed family that can grow up to 7 feet tall, this nuisance is spreading rapidly in forests and open fields of undisturbed soil.

There are two varieties: The pale swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum), which comes from the Ukraine; and the black swallow-wort (V. nigrum) that originated from southwestern Europe. In their natural environments, both varieties are kept in check by native natural enemies, particularly insects and diseases. The vines are unique in that they contain strong and unusual poisons that limit natural enemies and keep deer and cattle from feeding on them.

How to Control Swallow-Wort

Ensure early detection and total weed removal--for sample photos, visit Invasive.org.
Do not remove in the fall when seeds could be dispersed.
Thoroughly clean any mowers that moved through patches of swallow-wort in the fall.
If there are pod-bearing plants on your property, remove them carefully (without dispersing the seeds) and destroy them by either bagging and taking to a landfill, or burning.
Plow and plant an annual crop until the seed soil bank is depleted, which can take as long as five years.
Mowing does not get rid of swallow-wort but it can be used to prevent the plant from going to seed.
If digging up the plants, the complete root crown must be completely removed before the seeds ripen.
Weed removal is difficult: Swallow-wort's root system (massive, running deep and wide) must be manually pulled or dug out. Buds on the root crown easily re-sprout after mowing.
For very large infestations, herbicides (such as Garlon 4 [triclopyr ester] or Roundup Pro [glyphosate]) have been effective. Spraying must be done only after flowering has begun, not before.

Source: Weed Removal: The Difficulty of New Invasive Vines

A Short Guide to Cost Effective Lawn Care

2010-11-23T16:42:00.000-05:00

Lawn maintenance and repairs cost homeowners about 40 billion dollars annually according to the Environmental Protection Agency's home and garden survey. In a country where the lawn is seen as a status symbol, being cost effective with lawn care can do a lot to make your home more beautiful as well as your wallet less empty. For the most part, we fuss over our lawns way too much. The number one way to be more cost effective is generally to back off a bit with not only worrying, but watering, mowing, fertilizing and the like.

Timing

The best time to fuss over your lawn is in the fall. During the fall months, rains will return and the lawn can rest a bit from the summer sun. By doing most all lawn treatments during this time, the lawn can get a jump start for a healthy spring season. The summer is also a time when the lawn receives the most use and abuse, so fall care has the largest effect and the longest time to be effective.

Watering

Over watering can not only cost your pocketbook a very large hit, but can also hurt both the lawn and the environment. Turf grasses need only 1 inch of water a week to maintain active growth and say lushly green. Added water only depletes the soils and fertilizers which have been given to help the grass thrive. In this way, the extra water really hinders growth. Not only that, those chemical fertilizers are being washed out of the lawn and into the storm water downstream as pollutants. Lastly, chlorine has been added to most all municipal water and can really damage the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi in the soils. Minimal watering may seem counter intuitive, but is often best.

Fertilizer

If possible, leave the clippings to fix nitrogen to the soils. The clippings will return half the nitrogen back which the grass needs. Not only does that mean less synthetic fertilizer is needed, but it also means less money for the homeowner. Grass should only be fertilized once a year if the clippings are used. For best results, use a nitrogen fertilizer and only apply as directed. More is definitely not better in this instance. Unless you specifically know there is a phosphorous deletion in your soils, you should never add phosphorous. Most all soils have abundant amounts and too much can harm the lawn.

Mowing

Don't buzz cut your lawn. Raise the mower blade to be 2 inches or higher. The higher the grass, the larger the photosynthetic ability. Since the green leafy part of the grass is what feeds the roots of the plant, buzzing the grass down doesn't allow much left for food. This directly hinders the grass health. Also, the intensity of the sun can then shine directly onto the soils. Without the buffer of slightly longer grass the sun and water can be too harsh.

Seeding

For areas which have become overly damaged, fall seeding by hand scatter is best. Seed can be purchased in small quantities at most home and garden stores.

Source: Being Cost Effective with Your Lawn Maintenance and Care

5 Steps to an Ideal Lawn

2010-11-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

5 steps to a lush, almost perfect lawn

While there is no magic pill to achieving a better lawn there are some basic steps you can follow that will go a long way in giving you a lush, healthy lawn you'll be proud to walk over. Here then are the 5 basic steps to help anyone achieve a beautiful lawn.

Get the mowing height right for the right time of year.
There's a lot more to mowing than just cutting the grass every Saturday. One of the most fundamental steps to a perfect lawn is getting the mowing height right for your type of lawn and for a particular season.

Most grasses can survive with a length of 2" - 3". This applies for spring and early fall. In the summer, if possible, set it a little higher*. Never go below the minimum recommended height except for the last mowing of the season which should be around 1.5" for most turf grasses. There are exceptions to this, but if you have a lawn that requires that exception, you already should know your mowing height.

Mowing height is important because the length of that grass blade is the part that absorbs sunshine which the grass blade then miraculously converts into food! Imagine if you were a blade of grass and got hungry, all you had to do was stand outside and soak up some rays!
There are many that think fertilizer is lawn food, but that's not true. Plants actually make their own food using sunlight. it needs to grow and develop into a healthy plant.

In fact, fertilizer isn't even absorbed by the plant as it's put down on the soil. In laymen's terms, the fertilizer that gets put down on the lawn must first go through the digestive juices of a lot of tiny microbes that live in the soil. Only then is it in a form that can be absorbed and used by the plant, not as a food, but as building blocks to build more cells and carry on the process of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Never remove more than 1/3 at any one mowing. This may mean you'll have to mow more often during prime growing times (usually spring and early fall).

Leave the clippings on the lawn after you mow. This not only saves time and energy, but the clippings decompose and add vital nutrients back into the soil. Grass cycling recycles plant nutrients back into the soil. Clippings contain the same beneficial nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients as that expensive bag of fertilizer. In fact, clippings can provide up to one-third of the annual feeding requirement for your lawn.
Use a sharp blade.
The type of mower doesn't matter, but the blade's condition does. A dull blade tears at the grass. Take a close look at a grass blade a few days after mowing. If the blade is dull you'll notice a jagged brown line across the tip of the cut grass. This is a good indication that your blade needs sharpening. Professional mowers sharpen their blades about every 8 hours of use. For most homeowners, twice a year is recommended.

The jagged edges caused by a dull mower blade make it more difficult for the grass to fight off pests and disease.
Regulate the water intake
Over watering your lawn causes more damage than a lack of water. Most turf grasses can handle dry spells, but not flooding. Most grasses require 1" - 1.5" of water per week. This is enough water to moisten the soil to 4" - 6" below the surface for clay soils and 8 - 10" for sandy soils.

Don't guess at how much water your lawn is getting. For measuring Mother Nature's contribution, invest in a rain gauge. If at the end of the week she's contributed enough, hold off adding more. If she comes up short, you'll want to add some supplemental watering. Again, measure how much water your sprinkler is putting down.

You'll have to follow local regulations when there are watering bans, but just remember that less water is acceptable and grass is a very resilient plant. When the rains do return your lawn will come back with a little encouragement on your part.
Give your lawn a regular, balanced diet-- just don't over-do it!
Don't over-fertilize your lawn with too much of a good thing. 4 balanced fertilizer applications a year is plenty: spring, summer, early fall and after the first frost for cool season grasses. If you're in drought conditions, skip the summer application. Never skip the fall application. It’s important to use lawn products by following label instructions. Get the best results by following the directions. Over application will not improve performance. As mentioned above, fertilizers are processed through their interaction with tiny microbes before they can be used. Over-applying fertilizers can create unfavorable conditions for those microbes, even killing them. When that happens, the soil becomes sterile and the grass won't grow.

How do you know if you're over applying fertilizers? Get a soil test first. Soil tests should be required before applying anything to your soil.
Prevention is the best medicine for a healthy lawn
Preventing problems is better than having to correct them. Consistent maintenance is the key. Repair bare spots as needed. Spot treat for weeds with the right herbicide following label directions. Use pre-emergent herbicides for most grassy-type weeds like crabgrass.

Soils can become compacted in high-traffic areas or in areas that have mostly clay soils. Have your lawn aerated once a year, preferably in the fall when soil temperature is around 60 degrees.

That's it. Pretty simple actually and easy to follow.
Source: 5 Steps to a Perfect Lawn

Get in the Spirit of Winter Sowing

2010-11-17T15:04:00.001-05:00

How to Winter Sow

Several years ago, Trudi Davidoff, a Long Island housewife, began thinking about how plants reseed: seeds fall in late Summer or in Fall, endure Winter without any human assistance, and reemerge the following Spring or Summer. She began experimenting with giving certain seeds a little help, and before long, winter sowing caught on fire: first on the GardenWeb: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/wtrsow/ and later also on the Winter Sown Organization site: http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/index.html. Trudi didn't invent the concept of sowing in the Winter for flowers the following Spring, but she created a system and organization that's cheap and simple. And it works. This will be my 5th year wintersowing; I've never successfully grown plants from seed any other way.

When I bake, I like to make sure I have all the ingredients first. Here are what you'll need to get started with winter sowing:

Containers

Markers

Box cutter

Ice pick or soldering iron

Duct tape

Clear packing tape

Seeds

Saran wrap

Potting soil

Notebook

Milk jugs, ½ gallon or gallon size, soda pop bottles, margarine tubs, the deep meat trays used by Wal-Mart, and the Styrofoam boxes sometimes used for shipping meat from Omaha Steaks (a generous Christmas gift we received one year from hubby's sons) are some of the containers I like using. Last year I picked up some 99¢ plastic boxes from Wal-Mart and used them, too. Soak the containers in a 1:10 Clorox solution and allow to air dry.

I discovered that Sharpies don't last outdoors as well as Deco Art paint pens, which I get from Michaels. Mark one line 4" from the bottom of the container and another line 3" from the bottom.

After warming the box cutter's blade, slice along the 4"-from-the-bottom line, but don't cut the container in two; instead, leave untouched about 2" to create a kind of hinge.

Using a soldering iron or ice pick (or whatever you prefer), poke drainage holes in the bottom of the container. For milk jugs, I poke 5 holes. Not as large as the holes on plastic plant pots, I'd guess the holes I make are about the size a pencil point might make, about ⅛” . If you’re using plastic containers with lids, solder some holes in the lid, too.

Write the name of the seeds you're about to sow on the duct tape and place the duct tape label on the bottom half of the container, a few inches beneath the severed part. Some people prefer using a numbering system, such as 3J -- rather than using the plant's name.

I fill a large, very cheap, mixing bowl with potting soil (I had a bad experience with Miracle-Gro potting soil so I use Fafard; be sure not to use seed starting mix) and then I wet the soil completely. Fill the container up to the 3" line and (finally!) sprinkle the seeds. Tamp lightly to ensure there is good soil-to-seed contact, close the top to the bottom of the container, and seal with clear packing tape, and the containers are ready for the outdoors. Choose a full sun location where runoff from the roof won't drown the seeds. If the location becomes windy or is likely to be nudged by curious animals, you'll want to prop your containers so they don't fall over.

Sometimes, as I'm placing my finished containers on the tray I use to carry the containers outdoors condensation inside the containers begins, but usually the condensation forms soon after the containers are put outdoors. It is critical that you see condensation inside the containers because that means there's sufficient moisture for the seeds. Usually, containers won't need supplemental water until the temperatures begin to warm. When condensation stops showing, tilt the container on the side very gently and let water trickle slowly down, being careful not to dislodge the seeds or place the containers on a shallow tray filled with water and let the containers soak up the water. Even in my Southeastern Zone 8 garden, condensation forms best when the containers are placed in full sun, although I do move the slow-to-germinate containers to a shadier spot when temperatures warm up.

Okay, I hear a question: why use clear tape on the containers? No matter how nasty Winter weather becomes, the moment you see signs of germination, you’ll be doing the happy dance. I hear another question: how many seeds per container? No doubt you'll do some experimenting and fine-tuning of your own way of winter sowing, but with tiny seeds like Shirley poppies, I probably use a whole packet per gallon-size jug. Larger seeds, like those of Blackberry lilies, I space more generously in the container -- maybe 16 per container.

There’s no need to pot seedlings up to larger pots: the seedlings can be planted directly in the ground.Trudi calls it the "hunk o'seedlings" method: grab a piece and plant. No pricking out and no acclimating the seedlings to the outdoors since they've been growing outdoors all winter.Of course, for larger seedlings, you'll be able to break off individual seedlings, but the hunk-o' works. Although I felt like a meanie doing it, last year I planted out Clarkia seedlings the last of January, and they thrived.Winter sown seedlings are very sturdy little guys!

Why is Saran wrap on the list? If you use margarine containers, for instance, you'll want to cover them with Saran wrap, but be sure to poke a few holes on the top. It may be necessary to place hoops made from hangers to create a structure for the Saran wrap so that it doesn’t touch the tops of the seedlings.

Using a notebook will help you know which seeds you've winter sowed and when. I also like to note when I see germination, when I've planted the seedlings, and when flowers first appear. But of course all that is optional.

Okay, which seeds can you winter sow? Hardy annuals, perennials, biennials, shrubs, and trees. If an annual reseeds in your area, then it's hardy for you. Trudi's list of hardy annuals in the FAQ's http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/wtrsow/ is so helpful I kept a printed copy handy for reference when I began winter sowing.

Source: Wintersown

OCTOBER LAWN OF THE MONTH

2010-11-09T17:03:00.001-05:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care is pleased to announce the Cartwright family of Richmond as the winners of the October Lawn of the Month. The Cartwright property was self- nominated and as they pointed out, with this win, they are the third Cartwright household to win this honor this year. Way to go Cartwright families, keep up the good work! The Cartwrights have been members of the Virginia Green family since 2007 when they began on our Premium Lawn Care program. The following summer they upgraded to our Estate Lawn Care program which they remain on today. Their healthy, lush lawn is looking beautiful and very green. The Cartwrights will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future service with Virginia Green and Matt their technician will receive a gift card for his efforts.

As we always point out, we love to receive nominations from homeowners for the lawn of the month program. All you have to do is send us an email to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com and attach a current photo of your lawn in Jpeg format. Your lawn will then be entered into the voting for that month’s winner. Good luck and may the best looking lawn win.

Why do I have holes in my lawn?

2010-11-02T11:26:00.000-04:00

Q: Yesterday while repairing grub damage to my lawn, I noticed a large number of holes in areas not affected by grubs. The holes are about 1 inch deep and 1 inch wide. It looks like the lawn had been aerated, but there was no loose soil evident. What do you think is causing this? I didn't treat for grubs this year. Next year, what is the best time to apply a grub preventer? Do I need to use it every year?

A: The holes sound like the work of birds mining for grubs. Grubs are a nutritious bird lunch, and this digging is helping you hold down next year's problem already.

Once grubs polish off a section of lawn, they move into live turf and feed on those roots until knocking off for winter deeper in the soil. The fact that you're seeing holes tells me grubs are still at work in what appears to be unaffected lawn -- for now. Given enough time, those sections would brown out, too.

   Grub feeding will be winding down shortly, so I wouldn't bother putting down any kind of insecticide now.

   The bird holes will fill in next spring. However, openings like that are also weed invitations, so you can either scatter some grass seed now to "re-grass" the holes (beating weeds to the punch) or worry about killing weeds next spring, if necessary. Either way, the birds are doing more good than harm.

   Skunks also love to go grub-hunting, but they tear up a lawn far more by digging and scratching their way to lunch than birds do with their more surgical, beaky grub excisions.

   I don't use grub treatments at all. Like most bug problems, damage runs in cycles. You might get bad damage one year, then virtually nothing in another year. In my opinion, it's wasteful and unnecessarily polluting to apply insecticides "just in case" every year.

   When grubs kill off sections of my lawn, I invest the time, effort and money on reseeding instead. In grub off years, I get off the hook altogether. In bad years, even a 25-pound bag of quality grass seed isn't much more expensive than treating the whole lawn with a grub preventer. I don't mind the work either. I look at it as good exercise in the fresh air.

   That said, grub preventers do what they're advertised to do. The key is getting them down and watered in before the new "crop" of grubs hatches. Early summer is the time to get the preventer down -- June or July is ideal.

Source: Holes in the Lawn

Has this been a problem for you every spring?

2010-10-31T01:10:00.001-04:00

It is called Poa annua, and Virginia Green Lawn Care offers a supplemental treatment for this annual grassy weed. Due its life cycle, treatment needs to take place in late November or early December. If Poa annua has been a problem for you in the past and you would like to schedule this treatment, or have any questions about this service, please contact our office at (804) 285-6200 or (757) 258-1788 and we will be happy to assist you.

Winterizing Your Irrigation System!

2010-10-31T01:02:00.001-04:00

It is hard to imagine that cold weather is coming with the weather that we are having in our area this week, however we all know that it will come. For those Virginia Green customers that have an irrigation system, we suggest that you contact your irrigation company now to set an appointment to winterize your system. We do suggest that you schedule this appointment for late November, around Thanksgiving time. This will allow you to have your system available for any warm days to water in the absence of rainfall.

Weed Control Treatments This Fall

2010-10-31T01:01:00.000-04:00

After the exceedingly hot, dry summer that we had in our area, many of our Virginia Green customers chose to take the opportunity this fall to rejuvenate their lawns with Aeration and Seeding. With the aeration of the lawn, and breaking that weed control barrier, we do expect to see weeds appear in the lawn along with the new grass. Our current application is strictly a granular fertilization, with no weed control that would harm the growth of the new seed. The final application of the year however, will include weed control, along with a fertilizer, to ready the lawn for the upcoming winter season.

The weather has changed and the leaves are falling!

2010-10-19T15:23:00.000-04:00

Fall is upon us, the nights have gotten cooler, and everywhere you look the leaves are falling.

For the health of your lawn we do suggest trying to get the leaves up off of the lawn at least once a week. If you have put down seed this fall and have new seedlings, we suggest that you use a blower to remove the leaves, rather than raking them. We suggest holding the blower fairly low to the ground and blowing the leaves off horizontally, rather than pointing the blower down directly at the new seedlings. This method will cause the least stress on the new grass and give it the best chance to come in healthy and strong.

SEPTEMBER LAWN OF THE MONTH WINNER

2010-10-19T15:17:00.000-04:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care was so pleased when the Cline family nominated their lawn and sent us photos showing how beautiful the property is looking. We are happy to announce that they are the September winners for the Lawn of the Month program. The Clines joined the Virginia Green family back in the fall of 2007 with Aeration and Overseeding, and service on our Estate Lawn Care program. We are pleased to give them a $50.00 credit toward their lawn care services, and in addition, their technician Lance will also receive a gift card.

Please keep the submissions coming for our Lawn of the Month program. We love to see photos of the lawns and how nice they are looking. If you would like to submit your property, please email to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com and attach a current photo of the property in JPEG format. Please include your name and address in the email, and we will notify you if your property is chosen.

Fall Seeding of Tall Fescue

2010-09-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

Grady Miller, Professor and Extension Specialist

Fall is the best time for renovation and seeding of cool-season lawns. In a normal year, we expect an increased chance for rainfall and cooler temperatures within the first few weeks in September. This makes an ideal time for fall renovation. With the long duration of hot and dry weather this summer, this is a year that many cool-season lawns will need renovation to get them back in shape before Thanksgiving.

Optimum air temperatures for tall fescue germination are 68 to 77°F and soil temperatures greater than 60°F. If tall fescue is seeded in less than ideal conditions (too cool or no soil moisture),the results may be a thin turf stand going into the winter. So, it may be better to seed a little early than waiting and seeding too late.

Read Full Article: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Alerts.aspx#005122

See What Our Customers Have to Say About Us!

2010-09-23T12:47:00.014-04:00

VIRGINIA GREEN LAWN CARE'S
SATISFIED CUSTOMER COMMENTS!

“Good job. Keep it up. Thanks.”
D Hayes, Richmond VA

“Our lawn looks gorgeous. Thank you.”
V Ramirez, Chesterfield VA

“Thanks! Looks wonderful.”
R Kempton, Richmond VA

“Our lawn has never looked better! Thank you.”
T Harting, Richmond VA

“Chris S. and his helper did a great job for us. Thank you!”
C Hoffert, Chester VA

“We are so pleased!! Your company is great. We had the lawn aerated and from beginning to end it was done professionally with expertise. The men worked very hard. The clean up was wonderful. You are the best!!”
A Berdoulay, Toano VA

“Lawn looks great!”
R Vacca, Midlothian VA

“You are a life saver- I just could not keep up with the yard anymore!”
S Miller, Williamsburg VA

“Enjoyed talking with Jon. Looking forward to working with him with future apps. and getting my yard looking pretty!”
K Wallace, Williamsburg VA

“Eric is so polite and such a good worker.”
D Mizell, Mechanicsville VA

“Am very pleased with our lawn. Even though it has been a hot summer, our lawn is coming out very well.”
S Talley, Mechanicsville VA

"Every employee I have had contact with in your business has been exceptionally helpful and gracious. I appreciate their attitudes and service."
L D’Agostino, Chester VA

Emailed from R. Helms, Richmond in July 2010:
“Thank you. I just had the opportunity to meet with Jesse, who has been taking care of our lawn this year. With all the trouble that I, my wife, and our dog give him, he has still been an absolute pleasure to work with. Today he took the time to walk me around my yard and offer advice. With a very friendly and knowledgeable personality, he represents your company well. Please let me know if he changes routes and I will start looking for a house in that area. My yard looks better than it has ever looked.”

“Thank you! Looking good.” F Graves, Colonial Heights VA

“John D was very informative and answered all my questions. A real asset.” A Berdoulay, Toano VA

“Very good service, so very nice.” D Mizell, Mechanicsville VA

“Jesse, Great Job.” D Budnick, Richmond VA

“Even on the hottest days John D has the best attitude!” R Suttle, Williamsburg VA

“Lawn looks great.” R Bogatie, Chesterfield

“Great employees.” W Shumadine, Richmond

“We can always depend upon Lance to do an outstanding job. Thanks!” C Hoffert, Chester

“Yard looks great! Lots of compliments. Thank you.” R Lowe, Midlothian

“Thank you, grass is looking better.” W Gray, Chesterfield

“We are impressed with Marvin.” B Abbitt, Richmond

“Thanks so much, the yard looks so much better!” B Wood, Manakin-Sabot

"Matt is a very pleasant young man. He is taking good care of our lawn. It looks great!"
L Hawkins, Mechanicsville VA

"Marvin is a wonderful representative of your company."
W Shumadine, Richmond VA

"Thank you! My grass looks great!"
E Beverly, Moseley VA

"Our lawn looks so much better already."
R Spearman, Williamsburg

"Weeds are drooping already."
O Carr, Lanexa

"Matthew was extremely nice and knowledgeable!!"
K Kessinger, Chester

"My lawn looks better than it ever has. Jon Davidson has provided expert care and excellent service. The lawn has improved dramatically since we started 3 years ago. Thanks"
R Steele, Williamsburg

"My lawn is looking much better since you guys started!"
T Lee, Richmond

"Grass looks very healthy. Thank you!"
A M Williams, Henrico

"You continue to do an excellent job! Thanks."
J Langley, Hopewell

"Thanks for a great job."
M Sickinger, Mechanicsville

"You’re doing a good job. Thank you."
N Hawthorne, Richmond

"Thank you, our lawn looks great this year!"
S. Ruddy, Midlothian VA

"Lawn looks beautiful!"
C. Beattie, Richmond VA

"Lawn is looking great! Thank you."
L. De-Wet, Richmond VA

"Chris A. did a great job- especially avoiding my flower beds."
J. Ashworth, Chesterfield VA

"Mike K very helpful-professional."
D. Budnick, Richmond VA

“Thank you for your good service. Your cooperation and responsiveness has been most welcome. My grass looks the best it has ever looked! With appreciation to Gil and staff.” C Parkinson, Richmond VA

“We really appreciate Jesse Johnson’s customer service and expertise.” S Fetrow, Manakin-Sabot VA

“I have spoken to Chris S. several times and I wanted to say he is very professional and a pleasure to work with. Thank you for your wonderful service.” R Kirk, Mechanicsville VA

“Mike K. Great Job.” D Budnick, Richmond VA

“I have been very pleased with the service. Thank you. Happy Holidays to all!” C Durrette, Midlothian VA

“Great job.” J Atkins, Mechanicsville VA

“Yard looks good!” N Hudson, Richmond VA

“Jon D called several days ahead to let me know when he would be coming. Due to all of the rain we had not been able to mulch the leaves. He was so nice when I asked to reschedule. Let him know how much his kindness was appreciated.” S Sears, Highland Springs VA

“My lawn looks great!” W Floyd, Richmond VA

“My yard is pleasing so far!” N Callahan, Richmond VA

“Very pleased with your work!”
J. Langley, Hopewell VA

“Thanks! Looks Wonderful!”
R. Kempton, Richmond VA

“Thank you. We look forward to a very successful partnership and enjoying our beautiful yard.”
B. Salisbury, Yorktown VA

“David does a terrific job! Great customer service-courteous, tries to get in touch with me a couple of days ahead of time because of my animals.”
M. Ragland, Powhatan VA

“Nice guys!”
B Schutzbach, Glen Allen VA

“Just a quick note-Kudos to Brian. He’s professional, friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable. I appreciate him taking the time to answer a couple of questions I had. He’s a great member of your team.”
J. Nystrom, Richmond VA

“Thank you to my service guy (Chris) who always does a great job!! His follow through- call ahead- is always appreciated!! Thanks for the great service!!
M. Myrick, Chesterfield VA

“Great Service! Great Results! Thanks”
R. Foskey, Williamsburg VA

“Thank U. We look forward to having a beautiful yard.”
F. Graves, Colonial Heights VA

“Appreciate you keeping the rates stable this year. I’m sure that’s a big help to many of your customers. The yard is looking good so far. Jon D does a good job for you.”
R Steele Williamsburg, VA.

“Thanks-looking forward to a nicer lawn!”
J Helm Mechanicsville, VA

"Our yard-front & back- looks gorgeous! Thanks so much!"
R. Kempton, Richmond VA

"Lance does a great job! Thank you."
C. Hoffert, Chester VA

"Check my lawn out for your lawn of the month award. It will do a great justice to your exceptional service!"
L. Cartwright, Richmond VA

"Thank You! I love our lawn."
E. Beverly, Moseley VA

"Yard looks great!"
B. Horrigan, Midlothian VA

"Lawn looks great!"
R. Vacca, Midlothian VA

"Looks great. Please do as many treatments as make sense by early June."
K. Reichert, Midlothian VA

"My yard looks amazing! I´ve struggled with it for 15 yrs. Other yard service companies did no good."
C Hedrick, Richmond VA

"Brian was very helpful and informative."
S Goddard, Midlothian VA

"All looks good!"
G Wood, Williamsburg VA

"I agree-lawn does look great. Thanks to y´all."
T Ferrell, Richmond VA

"Looks a lot better already."
R Crusen, Mechanicsville VA

"Brian is extremely nice and polite young man. He´s a keeper."
B O´Baugh, Richmond VA

"Looks great. Please do as many treatments as make sense by early June."
K. Reichert, Midlothian VA

"Thanks-grass is green & sure is growing. Looks good."
R Pierce, Henrico VA

"Thank you for helping to keep my lawn gorgeous and green. Lance does a great job."
T Rezentes, Chester VA

"Very, very, very good."
P Onofrio, Richmond VA

"Thank you! Great Service!"
R Moxley, Manakin Sabot VA

"Lawn looks fabulous."
B Tudor, Richmond VA

"The yard looks good-very green!"
C Jones, Richmond VA

"Thanks Nelson and others!"
C Dahl, Glen Allen VA

"Looking Good! Thank You!"
F Graves, Colonial Heights VA

"I agree Brian, lawn looks great! What a beautiful difference. Thanks you guys!"
Sue Perkinson, Richmond VA

"Thank you for helping to keep my lawn gorgeous and green. Lance does a great job."
T Rezentes, Chester VA

"We love our green yard! Thank you!!"
C Mohler, Midlothian VA

"Looks Wonderful! Thanks so much!"
R Kempton, Richmond VA

"Lawn looks great!"
LJ Swain, Richmond VA

"Thank you for the good service!"
S Lyda, Powhatan VA

"Thanks for the great service, everyday I see more VA Green signs pop up in the neighborhood. I’d like to think it’s due to how good my lawn looks!!!!"
E Ribeiro, Midlothian VA

"Looks wonderful! Thanks so much!!"
R Kempton, Richmond VA

"Very pleased with service and info we receive - very polite"
J Nunnally, Highland Springs VA

"Too soon to see results. Technician, David is very helpful and most courteous. I am looking forward to a better lawn."
L Weitzel, Richmond VA

"John does a great job. Our lawn looks great too!"
L Ventrella, Richmond VA

"Lance does great work! Thanks."
C Hoffert, Chester VA

"Thanks! The yard looks great!"
C Mohler, Midlothian VA

"Very good."
N Triplett, Colonial Heights VA

"Very pleased with lawn so far."
A M Williams, Henrico VA

"The grass is looking great!" P Finnerty, Midlothian VA

"Thanks Chris S, Alfredo, and Jose for an outstanding job. We really appreciate your attention to detail and hard work!" C Hoffert, Chester VA

"Great job. Outstanding young man." G Yip, Chesterfield VA

"Great Job. Thanks!" B Lee, Midlothian VA

"Very pleased with lawn." A M Williams, Richmond VA

"We are so pleased with the condition of our lawn. What a difference from last year! Thank you!" C Beattie, Richmond VA

"Thank you so much for the (referral) discount! I hope Mr. Travis will be as happy and pleased with your service as I am!" E Miller, Midlothian VA

"Thanks! Our yard looks great!" C Mohler, Midlothian VA

"The yard looks great!" N Hudson, Richmond VA

"Looking forward to wonderful results. Jon was so encouraging." M Ashley, Williamsburg VA

"Very pleased with our lawn. Am so glad we called Virginia Green. Have gotten quite a few compliments on it. Thanks so much!!" S. Talley, Mechanicsville VA

"Chris does an outstanding job." C. Hargrave, Richmond VA

"Thank you, very pleased. Looking forward to a better looking lawn." C. Reavis, Richmond VA

"Very good, and a very nice young man. Thank you." N. Triplett, Colonial Heights, VA

"Great job! Hopefully I will have some grass finally." H. Szurovecz, Richmond VA

"Our yard looks great! Thank you." P. Finnerty, Midlothian VA

"David is a great customer service technician. Professional, polite and does a great job on our two houses in Midlothian." D Shapiro, Midlothian VA

"Thanks to Jon our lawn is looking much, much better!" J McDaniel, Williamsburg VA

"Wonderful service!" H Sutherland, Richmond VA

"Great service and lawn is real nice." R McDonough, Williamsburg VA

"Yard is looking good right now!" R Steele, Williamsburg VA

"Thanks for a great lawn!" B Fish, Richmond VA

"Yard looks great!" M Faucette, Midlothian VA

"Thank you. Jon’s doing a great job keeping our lawn looking beautiful!" M A Miller, Williamsburg VA

"Just began your service in September and the lawn already looks 100% better." S Rea, Glen Allen VA

Virginia Green receives a lot of feedback from our customers in many forms, over the phone, in writing along with payments, and in email form. We review all of the feedback, respond when needed, and pass positive praise along to the technicians. Virginia Green is very thankful for this correspondence and we realize that without you, our customers, we would not be here. Thank you for your continued support.

This email was sent to us recently from a long standing customer who began service with Virginia Green Lawn Care in 2004:
“Just wanted to drop a line and say "Thanks" for another excellent year of service and results. My lawn is looking great, nice and green. Looking forward in continuing the service in 2010 and will continue to highly recommend Virginia Green to neighbors and friends. If I could only get rid of a stubborn mole, I would be set. I tried the poison peanut pellets but had no luck. Take care and All the Best.”

AUGUST LAWN OF THE MONTH WINNER

2010-09-23T12:04:00.002-04:00

Virginia Green Lawn Care is happy to announce the Williams family of Richmond as the August winners of our lawn of the month program. The Williams family began service with Virginia Green in 2007 and they currently subscribe to our Warm Season Lawn program. The Williams will receive a $50.00 credit toward a future service with Virginia Green, and their technician Brad will also receive a gift card for his efforts on this lawn.

If you feel that your lawn should be nominated for the lawn of the month, please submit a current photo of the property attached to an email in JPEG format, and send the email to property@virginiagreenlawncare.com. We will enter your property in the judging for that month with any other submissions. If your property is chosen we will inform you by phone or email.

Our seed has arrived from Oregon!

2010-08-23T10:29:00.000-04:00

Our seed has arrived from Oregon and we are ready to start on August 24th and will continue through the end of October. Letters have been sent offering an early order price discount.