Nutgrass or nutsedge is a persistent weed. Oddly enough, nutsedge has many health benefits for your body. Just keep it out of your lawn. 

What’s the difference?

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.

Nutgrass is so persistent it can be recommended for ground cover. Also, to our horror…lawn replacement! Who wants their lawn replaced by a weed?

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. 

Will it go away?

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 like that, they are protected from cold weather and common treatments for killing nutgrass.

How bad is it?

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! 

If DIY weed control is not for you, call Lawn and Pest Solutions to fight nutgrass, 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!

What is better for my lawn, bagging or mulching after I mow? There are options depending on your level of commitment! This isn’t a tough problem, it just depends on how much time you have to invest in your lawn.

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

Mowing

Proper mowing can make all the difference in the look of your 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 your lawn with your blade set at the correct height for maximum effectiveness (click on previous blog for info on blade height.)

Bag or mulch, which is better?

If you can’t commit to mowing at least once a week, bag it! Piled up clippings left on your 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 grass clippings means returning your clippings to the lawn. These mulched clippings provide great benefits to your lawn. The mulched clippings help retain moisture and nutrients. Deciding to mulch your clippings means that you have committed to the frequent mowing program!

Weed control

Finally, 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. 

The takeaways:

Mulching is good for your lawn, but you need a good machine, set to the right blade height and you need to be mowing every 5-7 days. 

Bagging is not bad for your lawn, especially if you can’t commit to mowing frequently. 

Weed control is essential, you can’t allow thatch or any other weeds to overgrow your healthy lawn.

Just #askpaul

If you still can’t decide between bagging or mulching, you can always ask our licensed 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!

Fire ants are hard working and organized, so fighting fire ants is not an easy job. They create amazing and expansive tunnels underground for escaping those who dare to disturb the mound. 

The danger of fire ants

Fire ant stings hurt a little when you just have one, though it is more common to be stung multiple times by multiple fire ants. The blisters that develop afterwards are allergic reactions, though some people develop more severe reactions. The areas immediately surrounding the sting may swell, burn, or itch. These stings and/or allergic reactions to the stings can be very dangerous to our children and our pets, especially if they are allergic. 

Fighting fire ants is not that complicated when working with professionals like Lawn and Pest Solutions. While there are plenty of DIY fire ant “solutions” you can try, most people are just chasing them around underneath your lawn.

How to fight fire ants

The best way to fight fire ants is with a bait system. A bait system does not disturb the mounds. Disturbing fire ant mounds is not the best plan of attack. When the mound is disturbed, fire ants get angry.

Bait systems for fire ants

 With a fire ant bait system, the fire ants get the bait and return to their underground system of tunnels. They then “share” the bait with the army below your lawn.Lawn & Pest Solutions has the technology and expertise to provide season-long fire ant control treatment for houses. 

The Lawn and Pest Solutions plan

Our treatments target the queen, not just the mound. Our plan is efficient and effective. In just two strategically timed bait applications, we typically wipe out 95% of your fire ants. 

We will visit two more times per year just to assess the effectiveness or apply more bait (if needed) at no extra charge. 

Give us a call or click here and we will send out a licensed technician to address your issues! We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee areas with lawn and pest services. 

Whether you are competing for the Little League World Series or the high school rivalry game, the “look” of your sports field is more important than ever. Sports field aeration is a major contributor to a beautiful field of play.

While winning the game will always be the icing on the cake, there are so many other “boxes” to “check” when competing.  Consider these major factors that appeal to players, alumni, coaches, fans, parents and even recruits!

Stadium 

Uniforms

Sound system

Media guide

Hype videos

Social media presence

Locker rooms

Sports field management is a key element in all outdoor arenas. While some may roll their eyes over the “importance” of these elements, can you think of the schools that don’t “check” these boxes?

Schools want to look good in, around, and on the field.  One of the most important elements on a playing field is the quality of the turf. In order to look good, the turf needs to “be good.”

We aren’t “back in the day” anymore…

In the past, management of many school sports fields has been the responsibility of coaches and a few maintenance guys. In our rural area of the South, it isn’t uncommon to see high school principals mow the football field in August. 

Parents, booster clubs, even players have put in hours keeping the field cut. Today, the health and beauty of the sports field has reached new levels of expectations. 

Sports field management means more than just mowing.The field of play should be healthy, thriving and safe! 

A safe field:

Is not too wet 

Is not too dry 

Has the correct density so as not to cause injuries to players 

A lush and thriving field can be used quickly after rain. No coach or team desires to forfeit or reschedule games because of a waterlogged field! 

Aeration, Verticut and Topdressing

The three key elements to reviving or building a safe and healthy field of play include:

Aeration

Aeration perforates the soil to allow water, air and nutrients in.

Verticutting 

Verticutting allows turf to breathe easy, absorb nutrients and soak in moisture.

Top dressing 

Top dressing applies sand or a soil mixture after aeration.

These three steps conducted by our licensed technicians at Lawn and Pest Solutions can give you a winning field . Contact us here at Lawn and Pest Solutions. We serve areas from the Memphis, Tennessee and North Mississippi areas. Our expanding sports field management services could be just what your team needs for a winning season. 

Organic lawn care is a great concept. Organic anything is a great concept, but it is often hard to achieve and sometimes unrealistic. Achieving a balance is a more realistic option for the things we can control in our environment.

Whether driving a car, lighting a gas stove, or spraying disinfectant on our kitchen counter tops, there is always a risk present. Balancing between safety, organic, natural, cost-effective, and more is a part of our daily lives, now more than ever.

We live where you live

LPS 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 with 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, pre-emergent

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).

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. 

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!