Blog | Running Roots

Summer Grub Control

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on June 12, 2020

There are a couple signs you can look for that will indicate a grub problem: An influx of beetles in the early summer, and dead patches of grass in the late summer. If you’ve noticed these two things, chances are you have a grub problem — even if you haven’t seen the grubs themselves.

Grubs are the larvae of various types of beetles. They’re white and tend to be curved into a C shape. Their food is organic matter in your soil, which includes your grass roots.

If you think you may have a grub problem, there are several ways to know for sure. Pull back about a square foot of green turf in several different places in your lawn. If you find several grubs in each place, it’s probably time to take action.

Controlling Lawn Grubs

Grubs hatch in late summer, after their beetle parents have spent the early part of the season feeding on plants in your yard. So the key to controlling grubs effectively is to kill them before they hatch. After that point, they’re going to eat continuously until the fall, when they’ll burrow deeper into your lawn in order to survive the winter.

Before they can hatch and start damaging your lawn, put down some preventative grub killer. One application can typically prevent grubs for several months. This is especially important if you’ve had problems with grubs in the past, and it should be done in the spring or early summer.

Interestingly, a well-maintained lawn goes a long way in preventing a grub issue from getting out of hand. If your lawn is dry and underfed, it will show damage much more than a watered and well-fed lawn. And it won’t take as many grubs per square foot to do obvious damage, either.

Weed Control and Fertilization for a Grub-Resistant Lawn

Part of maintaining your lawn well is to control weeds and fertilize your grass. These are two key elements of a solid lawn care routine that can make a huge difference in how your lawn looks and how you use it.

If you’re looking for a reliable lawn care company that can take care of your weeds and give your lawn the food it needs to be healthy and resistant to grubs, reach out to us today and get a free quote — we’d love to work for you!

Maintaining Your Yard Well This Summer

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on May 18, 2020

Early Summer Lawn Maintenance

In the first few weeks of summer (before the heat gets downright unbearable during the day), you want to focus on fertilization. This gives your lawn the nutrients it needs to look great and stay healthy through heat and possible droughts.

You also want to mow a little higher than you did when you started this Spring, which allows your grass to develop deeper roots and reach water sources underground, as well as keep the soil temperature cooler by providing additional shade.

This is also the time to let your grass clippings stay on your lawn. You may be tempted to bag them up, but they’ll break down over time and provide additional nutrients for your lawn.

Mid-Summer Lawn Maintenance

Now is the time to ramp up your watering habits. You want your water to reach a depth of 4-6 inches below the surface, so it’s a good idea to check how deeply your water is penetrating the soil by using a screwdriver or a small trowel.

Fertilization is also a must during this time. Feeding your lawn every 6-8 weeks is a good standard. Keep an eye on weeds, too, and treat your lawn for weed control consistently.

Late Summer Lawn Maintenance

Time to sharpen those mower blades! Dull blades can rip grass instead of cutting it cleanly, which leaves a jagged edge that loses moisture faster than a clean cut.

Water your lawn in the mornings, ideally between 6:00 and 10:00, so that your yard loses less moisture to evaporation as the day heats up.

You still want to keep an eye on weeds; regular weed control is a good idea year-round, but you’ll really see the fruit of that in the summer, when weeds typically pop up in a significant way.

Want a Great Lawn This Summer? Call Running Roots!

Proper weed control is the foundation for any beautiful lawn. No matter how often you cut, you probably won’t be able to keep up with weeds in your yard — and any weeds you have will undermine your maintenance efforts until you get them handled.

Running Roots can provide the year-round weed control you need to get the beautiful yard you want. Get a free quote today on weed control for your yard.

Soil Temperature and Grass: What You Need to Know About Dormancy

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on April 16, 2020

Lawn Care

Soil Temperature and Grass: What You Need to Know About Dormancy

As spring hits its stride, the air around your lawn as well as your lawn’s topsoil both become warmer. This double warming effect prompts germination, especially for grass seed.

The grass in your yard is one of two types: warm season or cool season. Depending on the climate your grass prefers, the ground temperature will have a significant impact on both seeds and established grass. Cool season grasses won’t grow if the soil temperature rises to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, while warm season grasses won’t grow until the soil temperature reaches at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a lawn that stays healthy and growing, you need to pay attention to your ground temperature. For example, if you live here in Alabama, you probably don’t want to put down cool season grass in your yard because the minute the weather gets hot (and you know it will), your grass will go dormant. That means your yard will be brown while your neighbors’ are green and lush.

Dormancy

When grasses go into a state of dormancy, it’s kind of like a bear hibernating for the winter. There’s not enough moisture for the grass, so it copes by going dormant until things start to warm up again. Here in the South, this usually starts around mid-October and ends sometime in March.

For your grass to start growing again, the soil temperature needs to reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit and stay between about 60 degrees and 85 degrees from night to day. Once temperatures soar beyond 85 degrees and stay there consistently, your grass may go dormant again — especially if it’s not raining enough. If this happens, you need to water your grass regularly to make sure it doesn’t die from the heat.

Lawn Care During Dormant Months

You may wonder if you really need lawn care during dormant months. The answer is yes! This is a great time to fertilize your lawn and strengthen your yard’s root system, which will result in a better looking lawn come spring. You can also get regular weed control, which kills winter weeds and sets you up for success in the warmer months when your lawn comes out of dormancy.

Running Roots can handle your weed control while your grass is dormant, and we can also take care of your weed control needs during the warmer months when everything is growing again. As an added bonus, we’re also available for mosquito control applications, too!

Ready to hear more? Get a free quote today and turn your lawn into the beautiful, comfortable space you’ve always wanted it to be.

How Does Professional Mosquito Control Work?

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on March 25, 2020

Mosquito Control

If you’re looking to get the biggest impact possible when it comes to mosquito control, there’s no doubt about it — you need to call in a professional. Sure, there are steps you can take to make your yard less desirable to mosquitoes, but without the knowledge and resources of a professional, you can only get so far. Keep reading to find out what you can expect from a professional mosquito control company like Running Roots.

#1: Inspection

We really can’t treat your yard properly until we’ve analyzed the problem, so that’s the first step in the process. We know where mosquitoes like to hide and breed, so we’ll examine your property thoroughly and identify trouble areas so we’ll know where to focus. If you have areas where water is collecting and standing, we will tell you where they are and help you think through ways to rework those areas so that mosquitoes aren’t attracted to the standing water.

#2: Mist Treatment

After we’ve identified the areas mosquitoes are most likely to be, we’ll apply a low-grade insecticide mist to those parts of your property. We’ll also mist other areas like flower beds, plants, tree canopies, shaded locations, and windows and rooflines that are within reach. While this mist will be fatal to mosquitoes, it will not harm your children or pets, so you can rest easy.

Mosquito season is typically from April to September, and we’ll come out to your yard once per month for a fresh application. You’ll be amazed at the results — but it’s important to act now, before female mosquitoes have a chance to lay eggs (usually more than 100 of them) in the shady, wet parts of your yard.

#3: Enjoy Your Yard!

When you commit to regular mosquito control treatments, you’re treating yourself to a yard that you and your family can enjoy all season long. And the really cool part is that the effects aren’t restricted to your property. You may find that your entire neighborhood sees less mosquitoes because you took a step toward controlling them in a truly effective way. When your neighbors do the same, the results are compounded and you will enjoy being outside all summer long!

Sign Up Now for Mosquito Control

Mosquito season is almost upon us, so now is the time to take control of the situation. Get a free quote today on mosquito control for your property, and start getting rid of those suckers for good!

Four Tips for Mosquito Management

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on February 22, 2020

Mosquito Control

Nothing takes the thrill out of a nice summer evening like mosquitoes. One minute, your family is enjoying a relaxing barbecue in the backyard; the next, you’re swatting your arms and legs like crazy, and probably ending up with an unwanted collection of red, itchy bites. And then there are your pets—mosquitoes carry the parasite that causes heartworms, so the issue affects your furbabies, too.

The best way to control mosquitoes is by signing up for mosquito management with Running Roots, but you can also take steps to reduce the problem on your own. Keep reading for mosquito management tips.

#1: Avoid Letting Water Stand

Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, so not only do you have the original mosquitos to worry about, you also have their soon-to-hatch eggs. If you have natural depressions on your property that tend to collect water, fill them in with dirt or sand to discourage water from collecting. Don’t leave baby pools or buckets out for long periods of time—rainwater will collect in them and attract mosquitoes.

#2: Trim Shrubs Around Your Home

Uncontrolled foliage is attractive to mosquitoes, so keep the bushes around your house trimmed and contained. The more places you have for mosquitoes to inhabit, the more likely they are to move in, so keep your landscaping neat and clean.

#3: Don’t Let Debris Pile Up

Whenever you’re cleaning out leaves, fallen limbs, or other landscape debris, don’t leave it piled up in your yard. This provides an ideal place for mosquitoes to gather, and once they’re there, you’ll have to deal with them every time you go outside. Instead, take your debris to the dump as soon as possible in order to keep your yard as mosquito-free as possible.

#4: Keep Weeds Under Control

As you’ve probably gathered by now, a neat yard is less attractive to mosquitoes than a weedy, cluttered yard. Year-round weed control is a great way to discourage mosquitoes from making their home on your property, and when the mosquitoes pack up and move out, life gets better for everybody!

Get Mosquito Management with Running Roots

Here at Running Roots, our first priority is the wellbeing of you, your family, and your pets. We were already passionate about offering high-quality weed control, so it’s only natural that we would offer mosquito management, too! Get a free quote today and start living outdoors again.

How to Get a Great Lawn This Year

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on January 14, 2020

Weed Control

We all want a beautiful lawn, right? And if you’re like many people, you’ve taken the opportunity of a new year to make some changes about how you care for your lawn. That’s great! But in order to find success with your lawn in 2020, you need to have a plan—and that’s where we come in. Keep reading for some practical tips to get a great lawn this year.

#1: Aeration

Late spring and early fall are the best times to aerate your lawn, so if you missed doing this in the fall, don’t worry—you’re just a couple months away from your next chance. Aerating your lawn is one of the best ways to make sure it’s healthy all year. This process allows air and water to reach the roots of your grass by making small channels in the yard. Giving nutrients a direct path to your lawn’s roots means better looking grass all year long.

#2: Dethatching

Also known as raking the lawn, dethatching keeps your lawn looking great by fighting moss growth. Just grab a rake and run it through your entire yard to remove debris or dead organic matter that sits on top of the grass and covers the soil. When this debris isn’t removed, your soil can’t bring in the nutrients it needs to give your grass, and so your entire lawn suffers.

#3: Water

This one gets a little tricky if the area you’re living in is under a drought warning (like where we live in Alabama almost every summer), but the whole point is just to do the best you can to keep your grass hydrated. If your lawn is already pretty healthy and you’re getting a good amount of rain, then you probably won’t have to worry about watering it too much. But if you do need to supplement, try watering in the morning and in the evening so that your lawn can fully absorb the water.

#4: Weed Control

You can do all of the things above and get a pretty nice looking yard, but if you want to take it up to the next level (and save yourself some back-breaking work), you need to set up a weed control routine. This should be done year-round (yep, weeds grow in the winter) and should be done by a professional who knows how to handle the chemicals they’re using. You can always grab some weed killer at your local home improvement store, but they won’t be as effective as the stuff a professional uses, and you won’t see optimal results. The best investment is routine monthly weed control done by a local company like Running Roots: You’ll see incredible results all year long, you won’t have to deal with housing the chemicals on your property, and you’ll get more bang for your buck than buying off-the-shelf weed killer from a store.

Ready to Get a Great Lawn in 2020? Contact Running Roots!

At Running Roots Lawn Care, we make it easy to get a free quote on year-round weed control for your lawn. Just fill out this quick form and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible!

3 Reasons You Still Have Weeds in Your Yard—and How to Fix It

Posted by

Garrick McCarty on November 23, 2019

Weed Control

3 Reasons You Still Have Weeds in Your Yard—and How to Fix It

Nobody likes a weedy yard. Weeds can ruin your lawn care efforts faster than just about anything else, and their appearance isn’t just limited to the warmer months. Cool season weeds pop up in the fall and winter, too, making your yard look unkempt and neglected.

You may have tried to kill these weeds on your own. You might have even called in the professionals. But no matter what you do, the problem remains: You still have weeds.

Let’s take a look at three reasons you’re still fighting this battle, and what you can do about it from here on out.

#1: Inferior Weed Control Products

Many people think weed killer is weed killer, but this isn’t really true. If you’re going to kill a certain type of weed, you need a certain type of weed killer—it’s not a one-size-fits-all operation.

Most homeowners are using a granular product on their lawn, which is not only less effective than what a professional would use, it’s also set up for failure because of the specific circumstances you need for success. Your lawn has to be wet when you put the weed killer out, and then it has to not rain for 24 hours afterwards in order for the weed killer to work. If one of those requirements is off-kilter, then you’ve wasted your time and money.

#2: Poor Timing

All those weeds in your yard germinate at various times throughout the year, so one application of weed killer just isn’t going to cut it. If you really want to kiss your weeds goodbye, you’ve got to commit to a year-round weed control regimen that targets the right weeds at the right time for maximum effect.

While some weeds die off after one application, many varieties need to be hit multiple times before they are effectively killed. Proper weed control means switching up products throughout the year and targeting weeds during their unique growth phase. Doing it any other way is likely to result in failure.

#3: A Non-Comprehensive Approach

If all you’re doing for your lawn is using the same lackluster weed control products over and over, then you are not going to see success anytime soon (or ever). You may kill some weeds here and there, but you’re just treating the symptoms of the problem—you’re not treating the problem itself.

Getting rid of weeds for good means taking a holistic approach to your lawn care strategy. Aeration, regular watering, and a year-round weed control routine are all essential parts to getting the lawn you want.

Ready to Take Control of Your Lawn?

Here at Running Roots Lawn Care in Chelsea, Alabama, we have the right products and the right expertise to tackle even the toughest of weeds. Get a free quote today on a weed control program for your yard.