Unleash the Power of The Press

lawn care

Bite back and reduce the buzz. Lawn Doctor announces New Mosquito Control Program.

Watering photo 05 29 15

You are just about to doze off in the hammock and then suddenly that annoying buzz of a mosquito invasion swoops in.  This year the Zika Virus and West Nile Virus bring an added concern.  Now you have a viable option. Lawn Doctor has launched a comprehensive mosquito control program called Yard Armour.  This program addresses both control and prevention of mosquitoes.

Existing mosquito infestations must be tackled head on. Many pest control companies use chemical treatments which are effective on mosquitoes but also expose your family and pets to those chemicals.  Lawn Doctor’s Yard Armour uses a highly effective organic treatment made from natural ingredients which pose no risk to your family and pets.  This patented formula contains natural insect repellents such as cedar oil and peppermint oil which are not only very effective but leave your property with a lovely, fresh scent.

What can you do to reduce these puny pests?

First off, remove any stagnant water such as that found in birdbaths, tires, and trash barrels. Water in dog bowls and bird baths should be changed regularly to avoid ripe breeding climates for mosquitoes.  Cleaning out rain gutters regularly is also important.  Lastly, keep your lawn and shrubs on a regular maintenance schedule.

To a mosquito, overgrown grass and shrubbery can look like a nice place to raise a family.

Lawn Doctor is focused on working in harmony with the science of nature. Every service is designed to boost natural growth. This goes beyond the use of simple, green products. The company’s proprietary technology allows its lawn professionals to precisely measure and apply the optimum blend of nutrients and control products- doing the right thing for your lawn and for the environment.

A healthy landscape is not only beautiful but also provides many environmental benefits such as filtering air and water, creating fresh oxygen, reducing pollutants, and moderating temperatures.  Lawn Doctor of Boston, the South Shore, and Cape Cod is a local, family owned and operated business serving over 7,000 homeowners in the Greater Boston region.  Main offices are located in Hanover, MA.

For more information about Lawn Doctor, visit www.LawnDoctor.com or call 800-831-1319.

Bite back and reduce the buzz. Lawn Doctor announces New Mosquito Control Program.Read More

Don’t Scuttle Away From Crab Grass.

Crabgrass Photo 08 26 15

From Boston to Cape Cod we love both the crab and grass—but put the two words put together and it is another story.  Unsightly in appearance and detrimental to the health of a lawn, crabgrass is the bane of many a lawn lover’s summer. Keep crab as a menu option and keep crabgrass off your lawn with the tips below.

 

Visually check your lawn for crabgrass that has already established as well as problem areas where it may sprout.  Scan your turf for soil that has become compacted. This usually develops where stationary equipment like wheel barrows or BBQ grills are kept as well as commonly used foot paths.  Compacted soil reduces the availability of water for desirable grass allowing heartier plants like crabgrass to grow and spread throughout your lawn.

 

Hand weeding is a biologically friendly and effective tactic for eradicating early infestations of crabgrass.  Horticulturist Mike McDonald of Lawn Doctor of Boston, Cape Cod and the South Shore suggests that “Hand weeding after a rainstorm or a watering regiment is a great time to get your hands dirty.” He goes on to explain that, “The moisture in the soil allows roots of problem plants to come free more easily and completely.”

 

Lawns with more crabgrass infestation may be more efficiently managed with the use of herbicidal products. Make sure to carefully read the instructions on such products.  Some herbicides are designed only for direct contact with problem plants, as they indiscriminately kill vegetation. McDonald cautions that, “As a general rule, herbicide shouldn’t be applied before a rain or watering. If applied incorrectly, these products may also negatively impact ground water.”

 

The best defense against crabgrass is preemptive planning. The same techniques that will make your lawn strong and lush also limits opportunities for problem plants like crabgrass to cultivate.  Simply keeping grass long and strong and maintaining soil that promotes irrigation can make sure you won’t feel crabby this time next summer.

 

As the tips above are general, an expert in lawn care is always the best option for assessing for a lawn’s needs.

 

Lawn Doctor is focused on working in harmony with the science of nature. Every service is designed to boost natural growth. This goes beyond the use of simple, green products. The company’s proprietary technology allows its lawn professionals to precisely measure and apply the optimum blend of nutrients and weed control – doing the right thing for your lawn and the environment.

 

A healthy lawn creates oxygen, removes dust and dirt, and filters water passing through its roots leaving pollutants behind and many more benefits. Lawn Doctor of Boston, the South Shore, and Cape Cod is a local, family owned and operated business serving over 6,000 homeowners in the Greater Boston region.  Main offices are located in Hanover, MA.

 

For more information about Lawn Doctor, visit www.LawnDoctor.com or call 800-831-1319.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Scuttle Away From Crab Grass.Read More

Reviving your lawn in the aftermath of an historic winter

Ahhh!  What is left of my lawn?  As spring rain and sun wash away 2015’s record setting snow accumulations, homeowners are reminded that they have a lawn underneath.  The initial excitement of this discovery is short-lived.  Many lawn enthusiasts are overcome with anxiety surrounding the health of their home’s greenest asset.

Fear not.  Mike McDonald, Horticulturalist at Lawn Doctor of Greater Boston explains “consistent snow cover is less detrimental to your lawn constant freezing and thawing. In fact, damage from wind and cold is reduced by this seasonal blanket.”

While that is good news, additional steps should be taken to get your lawn into mid-season form notes McDonald. Once the snow has melted and your lawn is dry try gently raking it. When puzzled neighbors remind you what season it is, you can inform them that raking the lawn at the beginning of spring will stimulate the dormant grass blades and allow for air, sunlight, and nutrient flow. It is also important to remove any dead or decaying debris from your lawn which can inhibit recovery and new growth.

While raking you may notice you have certain ‘problem areas.’  The heavy masses of snow are likely to have caused “Snow Mold”.  These are parts of your lawn that may be dead or experiencing mold problems.  McDonald clarifies, “We will probably see the most Snow Mold that we’ve ever seen.”  However, don’t assume grass is dead if it looks a bit mangy after this tough season.”

Grass does not change color when it dies. Brown grass is simply hibernating.  The ugly appearance does not represent the overall plant and root health.

To check the vitality of any patch of grass simply tug on it. If it stays firm in the ground, it is alive and has a healthy root system.  If it comes out of the ground easily, you may want to reseed that area.

Raking your lawn will also help ward away pinkish fungus.  After raking the fungus, the sun will take care of the rest.

Sweeten your soil. Nitrogen and Calcitic Lime are your lawn’s meat and potatoes. Applying nitrogen to your lawn is essential to recovery after a long winter. Mike McDonald recommends 4-5 pounds of a high-Nitrogen fertilizer per 1000 square foot.  This simple step will increase the resilience of your lawn, making it less susceptible to disease and drought. Calcitic Lime adjusts the PH of the soil which makes the soil more absorbent of essential nutrients and increases the microbial activity of the soil.

No need to panic, a bit of attention and effort and your lawn will become the showcase and playground it has been in previous summers.

Lawn Doctor is focused on working in harmony with the science of nature. Every service is designed to boost natural growth. This goes beyond the use of simple, green products. The company’s proprietary technology allows its lawn professionals to precisely measure and apply the optimum blend of nutrients and weed control – doing the right thing for your lawn and the environment.

A healthy lawn creates oxygen, removes dust and dirt, and filters water passing through its roots leaving pollutants behind and many more benefits. Lawn Doctor of Boston, the South Shore, and Cape Cod is a local, family owned and operated business serving over 6,000 homeowners in the Greater Boston region.  Main offices are located in Hanover, MA.

For more information about Lawn Doctor, visit www.LawnDoctor.com or call 800-831-1319.

Tractor photo

Reviving your lawn in the aftermath of an historic winterRead More

Speakers added to Boston Business Boot Camp, a conference specifically designed for green industry professionals.

Keith Upham
Keith Upham, founder of Boston Business Boot Camp

First annual conference to take place at Westin Hotel in Waltham, Massachusetts, March 1-3.

WESTON, MA…

The Boston Business Boot Camp, a three-day conference designed specifically to help green professionals grow their respective businesses, recently added Carissa St. Laurent of Constant Contact and Jeffrey Scott of Jeffrey Scott, Inc. to its roster of speakers.

St. Laurent’s segment, entitled “Growing your Business Using Email & Social Marketing” will focus on how business owners can utilize the Internet and social media to grow their business. Scott will speak on two topics, entitled “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Green Industry CEO’s” and “Growing Your Landscape Business by Referral”.

“We have some incredibly talented people in the green profession that can literally turn a backyard into a work of art. When it comes to turning leads into customers, branding or marketing their business, let’s just say they’re green in another way,” said Keith Upham, founder of Boston Business Boot Camp and owner of The Upham Landscape Company. “We designed the Boston Business Boot Camp help those folks raise their business acumen to the level of their skill as green professionals. Having speakers the caliber of Carissa and Jeffrey only sweetens the pot.”

Other speakers appearing at the March 1-3 conference to be held at the Westin Hotel in Waltham, Massachusetts, include: Michael Gannon, Esq.; Bonnie Kirchner of Sea Change Financial Education; Frank Crandall of Crandall Consulting and Keith Upham. The range of topics covered will include sales, marketing, financial planning, HR, time management, and more.

“It’s ironic that we refer to this as a boot camp, because we’re not focusing on any activity that requires boots. It’s all about running your green industry business better,” said Upham. “Beyond speakers with a variety of different specialties—sales, marketing, financial planning, HR, time management—we have an abundance of networking opportunities with fellow green business owners.”

The Boston Business Boot Camp anticipates up to 200 attendees from a variety of green industry disciplines, including landscapers, lawn care pros, tree service specialists, pest control business owners, masons, fence companies, nursery/greenhouses, outdoor lighting, and pool installers. The cost to attend is $995 per person. Companies signing up three or more attendees will receive a five percent discount. Companies signing up five or more may deduct 10 percent from the total.

“This is a $15 billion a year industry that’s been growing at 12-15% annually,” Upham says. “We (business owners) need every bit of business education there is available to help us manage our businesses better and be more competitive with the large franchises. As a whole, we’re great at landscaping, but our business skills need constant sharpening.”

In addition, a variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Those include the Platinum Sponsorship ($15,000), Silver and Silver Lanyard ($3000) and Bronze ($750).

Interested attendees and sponsors may contact Keith Upham directly at 617-839-1451 or visit http://www.bostonbusinessbootcamp.com for more information.

Speakers added to Boston Business Boot Camp, a conference specifically designed for green industry professionals.Read More