Monthly News Letter

We at TruGreen would like to thank all of our amazing customers for a great 2011 and we are looking to servicing  your property in 2012!

United Way Day of Caring

TruGreen participated in United Way’s day of caring. United Way had us volunteer at the Community Health Center at General Beetle Elementary School which also doubles for the new public library in the evening. The school had us pulling weeds in a garden area in front of the school and planting some trees in the back of the school which we feel was a good fit for TruGreen. It was a little different having to get down on our hands and knees to pull weeds since we are use to the easy way of spraying them. All and all we had fun getting away from work to help out the school and community, and we are excited to get out and volunteer next year!

Swarm Days Parade

The Students in Free Entreprise (SIFE) which is a entrepreneurial group at Black Hills State University (BHSU) asked TruGreen if we would provide a truck and a trailer for the Swarm Days Parade. Swarms Days is BHSU’s homecoming and parade, this year it landed on Saturday September 10th and there was a great turnout and beautiful weather.

 

Benefits of an Aeration

Aeration is a beneficial practice toward achieving a beautiful lawn, but most people don’t realize it or understand the process.  Make it a part of your regular lawn care practice and your lawn will thank you for letting it breathe again.

Aeration will:

  • Loosen the soil encouraging root growth
  • Removal of cores increases penetration of water, air, and nutrients into soil and reduces runoff.
  • Enhances oxygen levels in the soil, stimulating root growth and enhancing the activity of thatch-decomposing organisms.
  • Over seeding can follow core aeration if there is a need to seed an existing lawn.

Your Lawn Technician will advise you of the need for core aeration.  Due to the amount of clay in our soil – your lawn is a candidate for core aeration.

The Many Benefits of a Healthy Lawn

There’s something to be said for a well-manicured lawn.  It extends an invitation to you as you look out the window, asking you to come out and sit down in your outside living room.

 The benefits, though, of a green, healthy lawn are much more than just the aesthetics.  Did you know that your lawn actually has a natural cooling effect because of a process called evapotranspiration?  That’s right – an area of turf grass has a maximum surface temperature of about 80 degrees where as artificial sports turf, bare soil, pavement and the like can reach above 100 degrees.  Turf grass also can help reduce the demands on your air conditioning unit in the summer.

There are many other benefits of a healthy lawn:

  • A nice thick lawn will help reduce soil erosion because the root system helps hold the soil in place.
  • Surface water flow, commonly described as run-off, decreases when there is a healthy lawn present.  This results in less flooding and more infiltration back into the groundwater.
  • A vibrant lawn helps purify water entering the groundwater supply.  The root mass and soil microbes act as natural filters that trap and breakdown common pollutants in our environment.
  • Grasses, like trees, produce oxygen; therefore a healthy lawn is a great source of oxygen production.  In fact, a 2,500 square foot lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.
  • Grass plantings also are one of the most efficient means of sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide.  This is because of the rich, fibrous root system of grass plants and the soil bacteria that builds up in what is called the turf’s rhizosphere.
  • Healthy lawns can help decrease noise levels by absorbing the energy the noises produce.
  • Urban air pollutants are also absorbed by lawns.  It’s estimated that lawns seize 12 million tons of dust and dirt from the air each year.
  • Keep your lawn clippings on your yard.  There are many nutrients in the clippings, and they also return organic matter to the soil, which helps improve soil health.
  • According to Money magazine, landscaping improvements have a 100 percent, and sometimes up to 200 percent, return on their investment.
  • In a survey of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers, 95 percent of respondents said landscaping increases the value of a home.

Refer a Friend

 Take this opportunity to call our office and recommend our services to a friend or your neighbor!  You will Each receive $10 off your next lawn treatment.  Give us their name, address, and phone number and we will contact them regarding our services.*

*Some restrictions may apply

 

Mowing

There are basically two common mowing errors:  #1 – the lawn isn’t mowed enough, #2 – the grass is cut too short.  When mowed properly, a lawn will grow thicker and have greater root growth which helps fight weeds, insects, diseases, and stress (such as drought injury).

When to cut your grass:  Let the growth rate of your grass be your primary guide to how often you mow your lawn.  The secret is to cut off no more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing.  If for some reason your grass has grown too high, reset your mower to the highest cutting level, then after three or four days, cut your grass back to its normal height. 

Other factors you need to be aware of:

Sharp blades – A dull blade will shred the grass blades causing it to have an off color appearance and adds stress to the lawn.  Most blades require sharpening several times a season; also, new blades are not sharp enough to cut adequately.  When purchasing a new blade, have it sharpened before use.

Damaged grass – Lawns recovering from drought, insect damage, and disease will do better if you raise the mower height a notch or two until the grass has fully recovered. 

Clippings– TruGreen recommends using a mulching blade or mulching mower.  By mulching the clippings and allowing them to remain on the lawn, returns nutrients back into the lawn.  Clippings do not add to thatch buildup.

Wet or wilted grass – Cutting wet grass can cause clippings to clump together and smother your lawn, causing brown areas and potential for disease.  Cutting wilted grass, especially during the hot part of the day, can also cause severe damage to your lawn.  Mow in the cooler part of the day to avoid adding additional stress to the lawn.

The Purpose of this Newsletter

The purpose of this newsletter is to inform and educate our customers with helpful hints and ideas to give you the best lawn possible.  We looked at the training we put all of our employees through and thought this would be a great opportunity to do the same for our customers.  We will also inform you when it is time to look for different things on your lawn – for instance, disease and/or insects.  This is not to replace the customer service aspect of our business, (Please, if you have any questions at any time regarding your lawn, be sure to call us!) -this is in addition to any notes the technician may leave for you.  One example of a topic would be Mowing Practices:  What a dull blade will do to your lawn.  Also, watering and seasonal information – depending on the weather we may be having during a specific time of the year. 

 We will use this forum as a reminder also.  You will see boxes of scheduling information throughout the season, with explanations – i.e., why we don’t offer aeration during the heat of the summer, etc.

We will have a number of articles in each newsletter which will be pertinent to the time of year.  We will include information from our technicians – what they are seeing on the lawns.  As is in this issue, we have included an article on our payment options, again, to inform our customers.  We will also include feedback from our customers as to what they are noticing on their lawns.  We live in an area of the country where we cannot count on the weather to help us a whole lot.  Last year was an exception to the rule, and the last three weeks have been crazy, but we want to prepare you for any upcoming weather issues – from drought information to too much moisture.

 Be sure to give me feedback on the newsletter.  I can be reached at Kevin@trugreenrc.com.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Cook’s Corner

Kevin’s Carrot Cake

2 -cups sugar                                                                Frosting (Homemade is best)

4 -eggs                                                                         In Food Processor combine:

2 -teaspoons vanilla                                                      1 -stick of butter

2 -cups flour                                                                 1 -8 oz container cream cheese

2 -teaspoons baking soda                                             1 -teaspoon vanilla

2 -teaspoons cinnamon                                     3- 3 ½ -cups powdered sugar

3 -medium containers Baby Food Carrots                     1 -cup walnuts or pecans (optional- If using

1 -cup shredded carrots (optional)                                nuts add last as not to process too fine)

1 -cup walnut or pecan (optional)

Mix ingredients well.  Place in 9 X 13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour.  Check with toothpick.  Let cool, then frost.