Nutgrass (nutsedge) is a persistent weed. Not to cause confusion, but in our region, most refer to it as nutgrass but it IS a sedge. 

Nutgrass is so persistent it can be recommended for ground cover. For some, as a lawn replacement! Who wants their lawn replaced by a weed?

What’s the difference between grasses and sedges?

Remember this phrase,  “sedges have edges.” Sedge feels triangular instead of round and smooth. It has a center “crease” or fold that makes it have a “v” shape.

How it spreads:

The way nutgrass reproduces is through underground tubers (also called “nutlets”).  These extensive root systems can reach up to four feet deep. 

Don’t pull up nutgrass, it only causes spreading.

When does it spread?

Nutgrass outbreaks usually occur during and after really wet springs, especially in lawns with poor drainage. 

Later in the summer when drought conditions exist, the persistent nutgrass or nutsedge continues to thrive. 

By summer, the roots are so deep and established that they can survive almost anything. 

It’s not going away without work. 

Nutgrass survives because it beats out your grass for water and nutrients. While underground, nutlets can survive for up to 10 years before emerging again. 

Buried at depths up to four feet, they are protected from cold weather and common treatments for killing nutgrass.

How bad can it be?

A study conducted by the Mississippi State Extension service measured the effects of nutsedge or nutgrass on a sweet potato crop. If just a little nutgrass has devastating effects on a crop, imagine what it does when it takes over your lawn! 

We can help

If DIY weed control is not for you, call Lawn and Pest Solutions to fight nutsedge and any other weeds that are taking over your lawn. 

Our licensed technicians can evaluate your lawn and use the correct treatments to treat current outbreaks of weeds and prevent them from ever taking root. 

 Our Lawn and Pest Solutions licensed lawn techs serve Memphis, Tennessee, and all over North Mississippi. Contact us, and let us start helping you today!

If you suspect your lawn has a fungus, treatment shouldn’t be a question. A fungus can destroy your beautiful lawn!

All healthy lawns contain millions of fungi spores at all times. Though most fungi will never cause problems, we never know when one will to decide to show off. 

A fungus can be easily treated by our trained lawn technicians. You just need to watch for it and call us as soon as you see the signs. 

Watch for these signs:

These are the types of fungus that grow in our area. Look for the type of grass growing in your lawn to see what is most common.

• Dollar Spot/Bermuda grass: this fungus causes spots of brown or straw-colored that start as small as a grapefruit. Beware, they can grow to take over your whole yard.
• Rust/Zoysia grass: To check for rust fungus, take a white tissue and rub a few grass blades. If an orange color comes off on the tissue, you have a rust problem.
• Gray Leaf Spot/St. Augustine grass: This fungus leaves large gray spots on your grass blades that grow larger as the infestation gets worse.

Fungus causes:

• Fungi can become a problem when we have had too much rain.
• Fungi can become a problem when we haven’t had enough rain.
• Fungi can appear when we mow our lawns too low.
• Fungi can appear when we have a dull mower blade.

PRO TIP: if you have a really large lawn you should sharpen your mower blades a second time mid season!

We can treat your lawn fungus.

If you suspect you have lawn fungus, call us. A licensed lawn technician will investigate your issue and determine the best plan of treatment. A fungicide will be applied to your lawn and have the fungus problem under control in no time.

As with any lawn health issues, when you are working with professionals like Lawn and Pest Solutions, we are only a phone call away.  Let us know now before more damage occurs. Your lawn is your investment and we want to help you not only maintain it, but allow it to thrive.  

We serve the areas of Memphis, Tennessee, and North Mississippi. If you need more references, feel free to read our Google reviews.

What is better for a lawn, bagging or mulching after mowing? The options depend on your level of commitment! How much time you have to invest in your lawn determines the choice.

In order to have a weed free, beautiful, dark green lawn, consider these three things:

1. Mowing

Proper mowing can make all the difference in the look of a lawn and set it apart from the rest. During this time of year (from May through August) you need to mow at least once a week. 

Because grass is growing at a super fast rate right now, there can be times you need to mow every five days! Mow with the blade set at the correct height for maximum effectiveness (click on previous blog for info on blade height.)

2. Bag or mulch?

Bagging

If you can’t commit to mowing at least once a week, bag it! Piled up clippings left on a lawn all summer during this rapid growing season, will cause a weed problem in the form of thatch.

“Bagging your clippings” doesn’t mean putting them in big piles of garbage at the curb. The most responsible way of disposing of clippings is to return them to compost. 

Mulching

Mulching grass clippings means returning the them to the lawn. These mulched clippings provide great benefits to your lawn. The mulched clippings help retain moisture and nutrients. This decision means that you have committed to the frequent mowing program!

3. Weed control

Weed control is important and the third element of the “bagging or mulching” question. To have that beautiful, dark green lawn you must have a healthy lawn. Weed free lawns will continue to prosper. 

Takeaways:

• Mulching is good for your lawn
• You need a good machine
•  Set the right blade height on your mower
• Mow every 5-7 days
• Bagging is not bad for your lawn if you can’t commit to mowing frequently
• Weed control is essential 

If you still can’t decide between bagging or mulching, you can always ask our lawn techs at Lawn and Pest Solutions for help. We help people from the Memphis, Tennessee area and all over North Mississippi with weed control. Our licensed professionals can help you nurture your lawn into the one you have been dreaming of. Contact our office here for more info today!

Is lawn aeration just an “extra” step like a wash, rinse, repeat? What is the purpose of aerating if you are already watering, mowing, and “feeding” your lawn?

Improve the health of your lawn 

If you are wondering, aeration is when holes are poked in your lawn to allow for “the good stuff” like water, nutrients and fertilizer to get down into the roots. 

Why it is needed:

• To break through thatch.
• Thatch is the layer of dead grass that compacts on your lawn over time. 
• Thatch robs your grass of necessary rain and nutrients. 
• Thatch is a thick covering that prevents the “good stuff” from getting through to the roots. 

What are your options?

People have been known to use anything from pitchforks to baseball cleats to aerate their lawns. However, those DIY techniques require a LOT of time on energy and they aren’t very effective.

Lawn aeration is an option you can add to your Lawn360 program at Lawn and Pest Solutions. You will see a noticeable improvement in your lawn over time if you add this annual service to our Lawn 360 program. 

Lawn fertilization, weed control, and aeration will make your lawn the best on the block! Contact us here to get a quote on our lawn services. We can make the Lawn and Pest Difference in your lawn today! Our trained lawn techs serve the North Mississippi and the Memphis, Tennessee areas. Look for their official Lawn and Pest vehicles and uniforms all over neighborhoods in this region.

Whether it’s a late spring freeze or a late summer drought, there is always something “out to get” our landscape! Being proactive in the treatment of shrubs and all of our plants is important. 

Proactively treating your shrubs will help them to get strong and stay healthy. This is important with the adverse weather conditions of our Memphis, TN/North Mississippi region.

Protecting your investment

By proactively treating your shrubs with our Plant Health Care program, you will protect your investment. Watch a few #askpaul videos to clear up most of your questions and concerns.  What to expect to get from our Plant Health Care program:

• 6 visits per year from a licensed lawn technician with advanced knowledge of plant health care. 
• At each visit your plants will be fertilized.
• At each visit your plants will be monitored for insects, diseases and will be treated for what is found.
• At each visit you will receive a feedback form from the technician which tells you what he observed, what he did and what you need to know to keep up the treatment process.

This program allows a professional to examine your plants and determine what is best for them. You also get a pro who is treating and nurturing your plants to get the most out of your investment.

Are you replacing shrubs from year to year?

The money you spend on a plant health care program will eventually save you from replacing diseased or dying/dead shrubbery. An expert eye can detect a problem in your plants before it spreads to others. 

A healthy lawn and plant landscape will be strong enough to endure April freezes and August droughts. 

Let Lawn and Pest Solutions proactively treat your shrubs and lawn. Contact our office to learn more about our plant health care program. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee areas. 

Use this checklist to prepare your mower for summer:

• Lubricate all moving parts!
• How is the fuel filter? Fuel filters can’t be cleaned because they can easily be damaged, so just buy a new one.
• Get a new spark plug! These are inexpensive, no need to clean or reuse old ones.
• Replace the belt or battery if needed.
• Check your fuel! If you have left fuel in your mower for more than 30 days, go ahead and drain it and fill it with fresh fuel. 

#AskPaul 

While Lawn and Pest Solutions is not in the business of mowing lawns, we want to help you have the healthiest lawn. Having the proper equipment is very important to achieving a beautiful lawn. Getting your lawn mower ready for summer is an important step you can take at home. 

If you need more help with getting a beautiful lawn, we have a staff of professional lawn technicians. Lawn and Pest Solutions can help you, just contact us today. We serve the Memphis, Tennessee, and North Mississippi regions.

Reseeding Bermuda grass in your lawn is something to consider. Do you need it? Is it time? 

When is the best time to reseed Bermuda grass?

The best time to reseed Bermuda grass is in the spring, but established Bermuda grass lawns rarely need to be reseeded. 

Bermuda grass is the most popular choice for lawns in our Southern region. It loves full sun, thrives in our heat and is very tolerant to drought and traffic. However, Bermuda grass does have nutritional requirements and some might say “high maintenance”. If your Bermuda grass looking a little thin, reseeding might be an option.

Thin Bermuda grass?

Bermuda grass goes dormant over the winter, and as always dormant doesn’t mean dead. Dormant Bermuda grass may be brown, but it is just resting. As the temperature warms, Bermuda grass breaks dormancy and it starts producing a lot of new growth. 

How can I keep my Bermuda grass strong?

There are several things you can do as a homeowner to help your Bermuda grass get strong. 

• Aeration early in the growing season relieves the stress of compacted soil.
• Warm temperatures and a good fertility program make all the difference for Bermuda grass.

What makes a Bermuda lawn healthy?

A healthy lawn can fight off weeds, drought and disease better than a weak lawn. Here are some suggestions:

• Mow at a lower height 
• Water after mowing
• Fertilize
• Aerate
• Get rid of weeds

Get rid of weeds

Comparing a healthy lawn to a healthy body makes this easy to understand. A healthy lawn is strong, free of weeds, and gets plenty of air and water and nutrients. 

When that healthy lawn is attacked by disease, weeds, drought or insects it has a much better chance of surviving and thriving. Just like healthy bodies! 

Our Lawn 360 program puts a plan into place for your lawn to receive the proper nutrients at the correct time.

We can help.

We can help you determine if reseeding your Bermuda lawn is necessary. We provide services to fertilize, aerate, and treatments to keep weeds from emerging or returning. We can help you get your lawn into the best shape ever! 

Our Lawn and Pest Solutions Technicians serve the Memphis, Tennessee and North Mississippi areas. You can message our office 24 hours a day just by visiting our website. 

Our techs are friendly, trustworthy and dependable. Read our Google reviews to see how pleased our customers are with our services.

What is a plant health care program? A plant health care program puts an expert in your yard who can detect problems before they spread. 

A professional will examine your plants and determine what is best for them. A plant health care program will then treat and nurture your plants to get the most out of your investment.

Protecting your landscape is protecting your investment

Having a beautiful lawn requires an investment, of time, work, and money. The money you spend on a plant health care program will eventually save you from replacing diseased or dying/dead plants. 

Why spend so much on shrubs, flowering trees, and plants for your yard, and then drop the ball? That is like building a pool and never putting in chemicals or cleaning it out!

What to expect:

• At Lawn and Pest Solutions, our plant health care program includes six visits per year. 
• A licensed lawn technician with advanced knowledge of plant health care will plan and oversee your program.
• At each visit your plants will be fertilized.
• At each visit, your plants will be monitored for insects, and diseases and will be treated for what is found.
• At each visit, you will receive a written report from the technician. This report tells you what he observed, what he did to treat your plants, and what you need to know to keep up the treatment process.
• Based on your report, your plants will get a fertilizer with micro nutrients and soil beneficial, insect and disease control targeted specifically to your plants and their health at that specific time. 

How is this program different from others? 

Most programs include a pre-mixed spray that is applied to all of the plants, no matter what they need at that time. 

Why replace plants from year to year because they are unhealthy?

 A healthy lawn and plant landscape will be strong enough to endure April freezes and August droughts. Let Lawn and Pest Solutions take care of your plants and lawn.

Contact our office to learn more about our plant health care program. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee areas.