It is in our nature to be drawn to lush green lands. Even ancient man instinctively knew that green, lush areas were fertile, and man could flourish there. If the land could sustain abundant plant life, it could provide fruits, vegetables, honey, wild game and shelter. If you have noticed, lush green regions have plenty of water.
We are still drawn to lush green lands, associating them with good health, abundance, and comfort. They are inviting, welcoming, making you want to slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Curb appeal translates to better living. Trees, plants, shrubs, ground cover, and most of all turf are biological filters around your home. Trees help break strong winds, intercept driving rains, and filter the air. Shrubs do the same on a smaller scale, being shorter versions of the tree. Turf, or your grass is the supreme filter around your home. It enzymatically digests (often called composting) dust, pollution, animal waste, pollen, and minerals into plant food soaked up by the roots of all plants. A recent study by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection revealed that whatever lands on a lawn, stays on the lawn and is composted, recycled and reused by all plants. All that remains is water and carbon dioxide.
Lawn Care
Curb appeal is a call to your primitive sense of survival and is good for all of us, especially the environment.
If you are in need of curb appeal at your home, call Safari Pest Control, LLC & Lawn Care at 813-703-4673. It's a jungle out
A St Augustine Lawn Looks Great and Thrives at 5" Mowing Height
Your mower is killing your lawn because you mow too low. A St Augustine lawn, to be sustainable (to survive, to be hardy, to thrive), must have a minimum canopy height of 4" to 5".
HOW MOWING TOO LOW HAPPENS
It's all about the look. A freshly mowed lawn looks good because it is level. To make a lawn level, all the grass must be the same height which forces you to mow the lawn at or below the shortest grass in the lawn. At that setting the entire lawn will be short but level. The shortest grass is the weakest, thinnest part of the lawn - so mowing as low as the shortest grass dooms the rest of the lawn to the same fate. In the short term (after mowing), the lawn is level and looks great. In the long term, a short level St Augustine lawn will be a weak, thin lawn.
WHY IT HAPPENS
St Augustine lawns do not grow uniform. Some areas are wet, some dry, some shady, some sunny - causing the lawn to grow at different rates. This uneven growth makes for an uneven lawn. The cure is to level it with a mower - just mow the lawn as short as the shortest grass.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
Although the lawn will grow at different rates, all the lawn will grow to a height of 4" to 5" - eventually. Once the shortest grass reaches 4" to 5", mowing at that height - 4" to 5" - will create a smooth level lawn that looks great and is sustainable.
Lawn Care
Weeds are a recurring problem. There is no permanent solution. We treat the weeds when we are there and see them. We are like a maid service when it comes to weeds. The lawn gets dirty, we clean it up, rinse and repeat to infinity. However, the more we clean it up, the cleaner it stays between applications. We recommend bimonthly treatments; 6 times per year.
A Healthy Lawn is Good for You and Good for the Environment
Early Spring fertilization promotes spring green up, helps lawn recover from winter stress, treat for weed & crab grass control Feb / Mar
Spring fertilization improves lawns color & density, treat for weeds & crab grass as necessary Apr / May
Summer fertilize to reduce stress, weed, grub & insect control as needed Jun / Jul
Early Fall slow release fertilizer to maintain color w/o pushing growth, treat weeds & scout for insects as needed Aug / Sept
Late Fall late season weed control w/fertilizer to strengthen roots Oct / Nov
Winter fertilizer rate that will promote root growth & food storage important for winter survival of lawn Dec / Jan
Service Summary:
If you want to ensure that your lawn can withstand threats from lawn-damaging weeds and insects, contact us. Our crew has years of experience, so you can trust that we'll keep your yard thriving all year. We offer all of the lawn care services that you could possibly need, such as: