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. 

Due to our warm winter, “summer weeds” are already starting to appear. You may have noticed many plants already budding out ahead of their normal schedule. 

Right now, dormant weed seeds in your lawn are waiting to grow. Thanks to the ways weeds have evolved, they will germinate and start growing before your grass!

Crabgrass

In Mississippi and Tennessee, crabgrass is our number one summer weed, typically germinating (right now) in mid-March. That is why it’s important to consider an application of pre-emergent now.

Pre-emergent

Pre-emergents don’t kill established plants or weeds, they prevent summer weeds from growing. Pre-emergents form the backbone of most weed control systems, but they are not the “end all be all” solution. Our Lawn360 Program at Lawn and Pest Solutions takes care of pre-emerge, post-emerge, lawn fertilization, spot-treating, and more.

Timing is everything

If you are applying a quality, professional grade pre-emergent, there is a window of opportunity. Now is to the time to apply the products to achieve the desired results.

Now is also the time to apply treatment to rid your lawn of existing “summer weeds.” Look for dandelions, onions, goosegrass, dove weed, and dallisgrass to pop up and handle them swiftly!

DIY?

Controlling weeds is a matter of timing and applying the right amount of the right treatment. Many DIY’s end up costing more money and causing more frustration. 

Your lawn and landscape is a large investment. Don’t risk damaging what you have already put so much into. 

Summer weed control is a job you can hand over to the professionals at Lawn and Pest Solutions. Give us a call at our office and we can take care of your lawn, weeds, and all. 

Our lawn technicians cover the Memphis, TN, and North Mississippi areas. You will enjoy getting to experience the Lawn and Pest Difference.

If you want to learn more about other lawn or pest control services, issues or FAQ, check out our #askpaul playlist on YouTube. 

Organic lawn care is a great concept that is often hard to achieve and sometimes unrealistic. Like most things that we try to control in our environment, a more realistic option is achieving a balance.

Risk management

Whether driving a car, lighting a gas stove, or spraying disinfectant on our kitchen counter tops, there is always a risk present. The balancing of safe, organic, natural and cost-effective lawn care is important, now more than ever.

Lawn and Pest Solutions strives to provide the best results with the lowest risk and impact to our environment.  We live where you live and care about our environmental future.  

We feel we strike a very good balance between effective weed control and caring for our environment. Organic lawn care is a great concept, but it does present challenges for our area. 

Because we have such a long growing season, it is hard to provide reliable results. A longer growing season for your lawn and plants also means a longer growing season for weeds!

Our products and treatments

Our products and treatments

There are currently no organic pre-emergents available. Any products we apply have gone through rigorous testing and are approved by the EPA for application on home lawns.  

We currently use a product that is derived from a plant and could almost be considered organic (however, it is not recognized as such).

The Lawn and Pest Difference

We love the idea of organic lawn care as much as anyone.  We care as much about the environment and strive to use the least amount of harmful ingredients. 

At Lawn and Pest Solutions, it is our goal to provide you with a weed free lawn with the least amount of risk to our environment. Our licensed lawn technicians are always ready to discuss with you the options for the most current, environmentally friendly and effective way to treat your lawn. 

Contact our office here and get the ball rolling on your beautiful lawn!

Scalping has several rather negative connotations, but the art of scalping your lawn is entirely different!

Scalping doesn’t sound positive…

Scalping your lawn just means that at the end of winter, you lower the blade on your mower and give your grass a really good cut. It won’t look pretty, but it serves a great purpose. 

Just think of it like good skin care. You are “exfoliating” all of the tough, dead “skin” that has built up over the cold winter. 

Scalping is preparing your lawn for the spring sun and new growth that is lurking just under the soil. In technology terms, it’s a reboot for your lawn.

What happens when you scalp?

When you mow down low, just one inch from the ground, you are removing the accumulation of winter that can cause thatch. Once you have mowed down to the stalk more light can get to your grass. More light on your grass means warmer soil. 

All of this adds up to stronger grass that turns green earlier. Your healthy lawn is just waiting underneath!

Is now the time?

Almost! If you scalp too early, your tender grass stems will be exposed to extreme cold. The best time for scalping in our region is middle to late February. 

Scalp after the last big freeze. If you wait until your grass has already started growing, scalping will only cause your grass stress. Stressed out grass means slower growing grass.

What kinds of grasses can be scalped?

Scalping works best on warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia. Never scalp Centipede, St. Augustine, or cool-season grasses like fescue.

Quick tips for scalping your lawn:

• Sharpen the blades on your lawnmower. Dull blades damage grass and expose it to diseases.
• Wait until your lawn is pretty dry, mud covered grass stems don’t get enough sunlight.
• Bag up your clippings from scalping! Debris left on your lawn is basically an “undoing” of the scalping.

Your lawn is a large part of your home investment. We can help you keep that part of your investment looking its’ best. You can easily spot our uniformed employees in their white Lawn and Pest Solutions trucks. Contact us here to get a quote on your lawn, you can text, email or call us just by clicking this link. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis,Tennessee areas.

Organic lawn care is a great concept. Achieving this is often hard and sometimes unrealistic. A more realistic option is to gain balance for what we can control in our environment.

At Lawn and Pest Solutions, we love the idea of organic lawn care as much as anyone! We care about the environment and strive to use the least amount of harmful ingredients. 

Risks in lawn care choices

Whether lighting a gas stove or spraying disinfectant on kitchen counter tops, there is always a risk present. We are constantly balancing decisions regarding safety, organic, natural, cost-effective, and more. LPS strives to provide the best results with the lowest risk and impact to our environment. 

We live where you live

We care about OUR environmental future. At Lawn and Pest, we feel we strike a very good balance between effective weed control and caring for our environment. 

Challenges with organic lawn care 

In our region, we have a long growing season. This extended season makes it difficult to provide reliable results. Why? A longer growing season for your lawn and plants also means a longer growing season for weeds!

Organic pre-emergent products… are they available? 

A good pre-emergent in the fall and spring is the cornerstone of any effective lawn care program.  When you prevent most of the weeds, minimal herbicide applications are required later. 

There are currently no organic pre-emergents available. However, any products we apply at LPS have gone through rigorous testing and are approved by the EPA for application on home lawns.  

For example, we currently use a product that is derived from a plant. This product could almost be considered organic, however, it is not recognized as such.

The LPS Difference

Our licensed lawn technicians are always ready to discuss with you the options for the most current, environmentally friendly and effective way to treat your lawn. Contact our office here and get the ball rolling on your beautiful lawn!

Mulch is never a bad idea, but when should you consider remulching? Whether it’s the first time or the fifth time,  adding mulch allows air, water, and nutrients to get to roots. 

Mulch protects the plants and is an added bonus to landscapes. While it protects your plants and gardens, mulch makes everything look a little nicer. 

Check out one of our previous blogs, like this one about mulching versus bagging.

When to remulch

If you mulch too early, your mulch might keep the soil colder or frozen longer. Try waiting until the last freeze is over to allow the soil to warm up. 

Removing old mulch

Here’s some good news. You don’t have to remove the old mulch! Experts say we should leave last years’ mulch and allow it to break down into the soil.

Your landscape is an investment that we are here to help you protect. Lawn and Pest is part of the protection you can add to your lawn and landscape. 

Contact our office here and we can send a licensed lawn technician to you ASAP. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee area homes and businesses. We would be glad to add you to our Lawn360 program at Lawn and Pest Solutions.

With less than three weeks until Christmas, the last thing on your mind is how to prep your lawn for spring! However, the most effective lawn care is year round. Don’t let all of the hard work of spring and summer go to waste. 

With winter arriving, there are things you should do to prep your lawn for spring. This work will ensure a healthy lawn once spring arrives. 

To do list for spring lawn prep:

Remove heavy limbs from your lawn.

Heavy piles of anything cause compacted lawns, patchiness and dead grass. These piles also make great hiding places for rodents and pests waiting to get into your home.

Remove the last of the leaves.

Don’t just rake the leaves, remove the leaves. Piles of anything are not healthy for any lawn.

Aerate!

Aerate before the ground becomes frozen. Breaking through “thatch” is what allows air, water and nutrients to get down into the roots of your lawn. Whether using plugs or spikes to poke down through thatch, this process increases airflow and helps with drainage.

Water the lawn

Cold air and wind can dehydrate your grass. Give your lawn a deep watering if it needs it, but don’t water when the temperature is below 40 degrees.

Get rid of weeds.

Don’t let weeds take over just because your lawn doesn’t look pretty. Brown lawns aren’t dead, they are dormant. Dormant lawns are asleep. Now is the time to apply pre-emergent weed killer.

Mow the grass, one more time.

As long as the grass is dry, mow it one last time. Make this last cut a little shorter than summer cuts. This helps to keep rodents away, especially voles.

If you have any energy left…

Winter is a great time for mower repair. Clean, repair, replace parts, and sharpen blades.

This spring, you will be glad you prepped your lawn.

Lawn care is a year-round job. Even in the winter, you are prepping for spring. A little bit of work and prep year-round will result in a healthier lawn come spring. 

Our year-round Lawn360 program provides aerating and pre-emergent treatments for your lawn. Contact Lawn and Pest Solutions for licensed lawn technicians who know exactly how to help your lawn. 

What should do I do with the fall leaves in my lawn? It’s wet, it’s cold, and the leaves are piled up everywhere. You already know the answer. You have options…

1. Mulching

Mowing your lawn with a mulching mower is a great way to get the most benefit from the leaves. Fall leaves are a great source of organic matter for your lawn. 

Ideally, you should mulch your leaves on a regular basis throughout the fall. A mulching mower chops up leaves that give your lawn air, water and nutrients over the winter and spring months. 

If you have been mulching your fall leaves, your lawn will thank you properly this spring.

2. Raking

This option isn’t going to be easy. If your leaves are wet, you need to rake them up. If you don’t, the wet leaves will smother the grass blades underneath. 

A covering of wet leaves keeps the sun from warming up your lawn this spring. The longer your lawn stays cold, the longer it takes to wake up (and to turn green).

You can tell a lawn is dormant when it turns brown. During this cold winter time, it is conserving water and nutrients. This just means your lawn has gone to sleep. It isn’t dead, it’s dormant.

3. Bed coverage

You can use some of your fall leaves for flower bed coverage. A thin layer of leaf coverage is good for your flower bed. Leaves can act as a natural mulch and can protect your flower beds from weeds. Just be careful that the leaves don’t get too thick.

The time is now

When you are searching for answers about lawn care and services, know that we at Lawn and Pest Solutions are always here for you. You can always Ask Paul! We service the Memphis, TN, and North Mississippi areas with lawn care weed control services for homes and businesses. Our licensed technicians are available to consult with you about how we can best serve you.