Call any Ottawa landscaping company and ask them what the number one question they receive is. Nine times out of ten the question is either how to I get rid of weeds in my lawn, or how do I prevent weeds in my lawn? One would think it would be a simple answer, however in order to get an accurate answer one must visually inspect the problem. Prevention is rather easy; ridding your lawn of weeds may not be an easy do it yourself task.

A lawn full of weeds can be painful to look at, however if you don’t take care of the problem it can quickly get out of control. Most people head out to the lawn and garden store and purchase some weed killing spray, walk around the lawn and hope it works. The problem here is rarely does it solve the problem. Some products that are sold are intended for prevention rather than elimination of weeds. If you don’t know the difference you can be wasting a lot of time and money. Keep in mind when you are consulting with an Ottawa landscape company you might also consider looking at landscape design which can add flair to your property.

If you are reading this article perhaps you are seeking some lawn care knowledge, or lawn care tips. Depending on the extent of your problem it may be best to contact a professional. Give a landscape contractor in Ottawa a call and they can provide you with a free evaluation and knowledge insight into your problem.

Weed prevention lawn care is a lot of work. If the extent of the damage to your lawn is severe be aware it can take a few seasons to get everything back to normal. This is why it is important to call an Ottawa landscaper, it may very well be that your lawn is beyond repair and you may want to consider other options such as installing a new lawn. It is important that you contact a qualified and experienced landscaper. There are a number of fly by night companies out there that are just looking to scam homeowners. Stick to a reputable company, and always get a couple of different opinions as well as references. Your home is a big investment you want your property to look good and this begins with a nice lawn and exquisite landscaping.

This is the time of year to get started. With a bit of hard work in the spring, a lawn will look amazing by summer. It will also help prepare the lawn for the following winter by encouraging it to produce a strong, deep root system.

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Now that the snow is melting in the Ottawa region it is time to start thinking about your lawn. If you’re like most homes in the Ottawa area, hit with drought and a very hot summer you may need a new lawn or at the very least some professional assistance.

One common lawn issue that many landscape contractors in Ottawa and many other cities are contacted about every year is grub damage. Home owners lawns have been either partially or entirely affected by grubs and animals in search of food destroying lawns. Grubs can cause some serious damage to your lawn, and gardens. They are also known as white grubs or scarab beetles. Grubs prefer to reside near the surface and thrive on the roots of grass and various plants. As grub feeding continues, areas of grass (sod) throughout the yard begin to wilt and turn brown. In areas where their numbers exceed five to 10 per one-tenth of a square metre (1 sq. ft.), dead patches of turf will result.

Unfortunately ridding your lawn of grubs is not an easy task and likely best left to the professionals. Soaking your lawn with nematodes is one of few remaining solutions to defeating grubs. Spraying nematodes is most effective in the early fall season as the grubs are smaller and closer to the earth.

Aside from killing them off with nematodes to prevent further damage you’ll likely need to repair the existing damage by topdressing and seeding, or resodding your lawn depending on how bad the damage is. Also keep your lawn moist as grubs tend to dwell in more dry areas or lawns.

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The rough northern winter takes its toll on our lawns and gardens. Landscapers in Ottawa are readying themselves for the busy spring time. From small yard landscaping ideas, to full bore lawn and garden creation there is no shortage of landscapers in Ottawa, however qualify very very carefully. It is important that you are aware that not all landscapers in Ottawa Ontario or other parts of the province are the same. We’ll discuss the warning signs for those in another article. For this one we are going to focus on spring lawn care in Ottawa.

As the snow melts off our tired lawns we’ll need to complete some spring maintenance. Now is the time to get the jump on your lawn work to ensure a healthy and luscious lawn all season long. Looking out your window the work seems like a daunting task, one many choose to ignore, or just don’t have time for. Depending on what you want your lawn to look like, it is important that you take care of your landscaping early on. Hiring a landscape contractor in Ottawa may be your best option.

Spring lawn care includes raking, doing repairs to areas that hold a lot of snow or ice, fertilizing, and appropriate seeding if required. There is a lot more involved than raking and throwing some seed around more so if your lawn has acquired serious damage the fall prior or from winter damage.

Fall lawn care is just as important as spring lawn care. For those that ignore the lawn care required in the fall may have more work to do come springtime. The long winter that we have here in Ottawa can do a ton of damage to our lawns and garden. Both the cold weather and snow causes our lawns to enter a comatose state. The frost level effects not only the grass roots and growth but coupled with the snow and ice can cause serious drainage issues depending on where you live. First and foremost it is important that your property drains well. You don’t want low lying areas that hold water as this will cause trenching and damage to these areas. Once your lawn has aired out and all of the snow and ice is gone it is important to get the rakes out. Avoid raking your lawn if it is still wet as this can damage your grass. Clean up any fallen branches, leaves, garbage etc.

Depending on the size of your lawn you may want to contact a professional landscape company in Ottawa. For a job that is going to take you 6-8 hours the professionals can come in and have it done for you in a couple of hours. You can also pick their brain for advice, and other landscaping ideas for your property.

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Following these tips for laying sod will help you to get results. The last thing you want is to end up not being happy with the outcome. Proper care of the soil under the sod is important so that it will work out to your advantage. Add some lime to the soil to reduce the acidity (if needed) and fertilizer to give the soil enough nutrients. Make sure you also wet the soil before you place the sod on top of it.

One of the best tips for laying sod is to do your homework before you buy it. Make sure where you get it from is offering the very best products available. That quality will influence the results you get so don’t just get it from any location and hope for the best.
How much to lay sod is also a common question. Perhaps you don’t have the time to do it or you aren’t physically able to do so. You may worry about the outcome and decide paying an expert to do the job is a better option. Hiring a professional will vary in cost depending on location and their expertise. The size of your yard, if they will prepare the soil, and other factors will all play a role in the cost.

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Ask for free estimates before you hire anyone. How much to lay sod for you should be included in that estimate. It should be broken down too so that you can see the itemized cost of each aspect of the work they will do.

One of the tips for laying sod when you hire someone to do it is to get everything in writing. In addition to the cost, you want to find out when the work will be started, when it will be completed, and any warranty. You can also get some great advice from the sod suppliers too. They’re generally very open and willing to answer any questions regarding sod quantity, extra for waste and the varying types of sod and suitability for your home.

Are you interested in how to install sod properly? It does take time, and there is lots of physical work involved. Depending on the size of your yard the most efficient way of sodding your yard will be to have an absolute minimum of 2 people completing the project. As many as 4-8 people could be required. You want to have the right information for how to lay sod too so that the hard work and the financial investment aren’t a loss.

Removing any previous grass on your lawn and getting the soil ready is important when it comes to how to lay sod properly. If you just put the sod on top of bad soil then you won’t gain results that are favorable. Take the time to have your soil sampled so that you can see if it needs more nutrients or if you need to remove some of the acidity. Take all the time you need to get this ready, even if it means bringing the new top soil up 3-6” before you put the sod in place.

Good quality sod is important. Make sure to evaluate the sod suppliers, growers and the varying types of grass before purchasing a couple skids of sod. Find a company with a good reputation and fair pricing. Have them deliver it the day that you are going to install the sod. It may even be best to complete all the preparation in advance, (as you may accurately account for the amount of time for preparation) and call the supplier once you are absolutely ready to install the sod.

How to sod a yard also includes proper care for it once it is all done. Don’t let anyone walk on it or pets roam on it for a couple of weeks. When you go out to water, try not to stand in one place too long as if its moist you will sink. The watering should be done daily for the first three weeks to keep the ground very wet. The sod doesn’t have much to offer in regards to roots, so you need to water in order for it to take well.

There are videos online that you can watch for a visual aspect of how to sod a yard. As you see the entire process from start to finish, you can decide if it is something you can take on to do yourself or not. Make sure you read through tips on how to lay sod so that you can avoid common mistakes too.

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To help ensure you get terrific results, you need to avoid these common mistakes when laying sod in spring. If you don’t have a sod cutter, you are best to Rent one from either Home Depot or a local hardware store which rents out small machines and equipment to contractor and home owners. Your back will not be thanking you should you chose to forego the sod cutter and use only a spade to remove the old existing grass.

Before you go about laying sod in spring though, think about the quality of your top soil. It doesn’t make sense to put the sod down without leveling it and without offering it additional nutrients. Once it is leveled, add some fertilizer to help the sod do well. It is recommended that you add some soil nutrients (seasonal fertilizer) to the soil which will help the grass root faster and maintain a healthy root system. If you need to completely replace the top soil, you should add 3-6 inches before you put down the sod.

When it comes to laying sod in spring, you need to make sure you are ready to use it. Don’t have it delivered and then just sitting around for several days. Try to have it delivered the morning you plan to install it. When it is fresh, the sod will have a better chance of growing successfully. Those that deliver sod realize this, and they should be willing to accommodate your need for a specific delivery date.

Once the sod is in place, you still have some work to do. A lack of water after it is put down is a very common mistake you need to avoid. Since 2/3 of the roots are cut when the sod is laid, more water is necessary than people realize. For the first three weeks, you need to make sure the sod and the soil under it gets enough water to remain damp. If you have a sprinkler system, check to make sure no areas are being missed. It is also a good idea to get the soil damp before you place the sod on top of it.

Before you go about laying sod in spring though, think about the quality of your top soil. It doesn’t make sense to put the sod down without leveling it and without offering it additional nutrients. Once it is leveled, add some fertilizer to help the sod do well. It is recommended that you add some soil nutrients (seasonal fertilizer) to the soil which will help the grass root faster and maintain a healthy root system. If you need to completely replace the top soil, you should add 3-6 inches before you put down the sod.

When it comes to laying sod in spring, you need to make sure you are ready to use it. Don’t have it delivered and then just sitting around for several days. Try to have it delivered the morning you plan to install it. When it is fresh, the sod will have a better chance of growing successfully. Those that deliver sod realize this, and they should be willing to accommodate your need for a specific delivery date.

Once the sod is in place, you still have some work to do. A lack of water after it is put down is a very common mistake you need to avoid. Since 2/3 of the roots are cut when the sod is laid, more water is necessary than people realize. For the first three weeks, you need to make sure the sod and the soil under it gets enough water to remain damp. If you have a sprinkler system, check to make sure no areas are being missed. It is also a good idea to get the soil damp before you place the sod on top of it.

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