New European Chafer Beetles Infesting Seattle Area Lawns After years of changing and challenging weather we have an unwelcome guest in the Seattle area. The European Chafer Beetle travelled via airplane from Vancouver, BC and the first major infestation was reported in Burien. Within the last few years their residence has expanded from the [...]
"Grass-cycling" or mulching your lawn with grass cuttings is very important to sustainable lawn maintenance. When mulching you are reintroducing nutrients back into the grass and not contributing to landfills. Keep in mind that you have to cut your lawn more often in order for this to work. Many people believe that mulching a [...]
Preparing the Landscape for Summer Stress A healthy grass plant is better able to resist the stress of summer heat, drought and weed invasion. Feed the lawn before the heat of summer with a slow-release fertilizer to strengthen the lawn and deepen the root system. This makes it more competitive and vigorous [...]
As you know, the weather keeps changing in the greater Seattle area. We hit 90 degrees very early this spring. The weather has been getting hotter earlier and staying hotter later in the fall. If you are going to let your lawn go dormant this summer, you need to water 3-4 times a month [...]
Mossy lawns are a result of native mosses growing into areas where the lawn is weak. Lawn moss can increase rapidly under the right conditions. They are tolerant of extremely low mowing, so regular clipping of the grass will not remove them. It would seem that moss would be easy to control but due to [...]
As many have noticed, 2015 brought a record early spring. March in Seattle is typically cold and wet. This year, warm spring air and blooming flowers came in the middle of February - a month early! I have lived here all my life and have never seen such an early spring. June was the [...]
If you plan on living in your house for over 3 years it is a good idea to consider soil testing. It is very dugong ssss inexpensive and the benefits outweigh the cost. A soil test will tell you exactly what your soil quality is and what can be done to improve it. If [...]
In the past few years, I have noticed increased mole activity in my residential client's lawns and receive requests for advice repeatedly. I hope you find this information useful. ABOUT MOLES: Moles, for the most part, are quite harmless. However, their tunnels can tear up your lawn when there are enough of them. There [...]
Renovating Your Lawn’s Existing Soil Many of my clients ask me how to improve their poor, tired soil. I suggest aerating your lawn and adding a fine compost product or fertimulch. After aeration, the compost material will be raked into the aeration holes. When the compost breaks down, it will help to actually change [...]
The kid's pool on your lawn in the summer, the well-worn walkway or the pile of leaves that sat too long in the fall all take a toll that will eventually disturb the natural beauty of your lawn. Extreme weather conditions can reek havoc on your lawn. Sometimes after an extremely harsh hot or cold [...]
