Lawn Care Services

Types of Landscape Mulch Installation Springfield MO

Root Ball Myths

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Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor,
Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University

The Myth of Collapsing Root Balls
“Balled and burlapped root balls must be left intact during transplanting”

The Myth

While shopping for trees at my favorite nursery, we recently overheard another customer ask a staff person about installing her newly purchased B&B tree. “When I plant my tree I should take off the burlap and twine, right?” she asked. “Oh no,” exclaimed the staffer. “You don’t want to disturb the root ball. Just peel the burlap back from the trunk and leave the rest intact. Otherwise, the root ball will collapse and the tree will die.”

At first glance, this appears to be reasonable advice. Balled and burlapped, or B&B trees, are much heavier than containerized plants and one can visualize the root ball collapsing and crushing the root system. The weight of the root ball also helps stabilize the tree and prevent tilting or falling. Finally, the root ball soil contains beneficial microbes and other soil organisms that can help ease transplant shock to the root system. With these benefits in mind, why would you consider doing anything differently?

The Reality

Many nurseries will not guarantee their plant materials if the customer disturbs the root ball, so customers are loathe to do anything that might negate this policy. This is unfortunate, as disturbing the root ball is exactly what you want to do to maximize survival of your newly transplanted tree.

A previous column discussed how to transplant containerized plant materials properly, and some of the same issues apply to B&B trees as well. The most important reason to disturb the root ball of a balled and burlapped tree is to inspect the root system. The circling, girdling, kinked, and hooked root systems often found in containerized plants occur frequently with B&B materials, too. Nearly every B&B tree I have purchased and installed, either in my own landscape or as part of a project, has had serious root defects. By removing the heavy clay one can find and correct many of these defects. Without corrective pruning these defects will significantly lower the life span of your tree. Remember, root pruning stimulates the growth and development of new roots that will enhance tree establishment in the landscape.

A second reason to break up the root ball is to remove the clay soil that makes the tree so heavy in the first place. Most B&B trees are grown in a soil with clay characteristics so that when the tree is dug the root ball it will hold its shape: sandy soil will simply fall away from the roots. The clay soil not only maintains its shape but also retains water, so that B&B materials are usually more stable in terms of optimal water conditions during the time they are out of the ground. When the tree is planted into the landscape, however, the clay character of the soil is often different than that of the surrounding native soil. Differences between soil textures will impede water movement and therefore inhibit root establishment.

A final reason to remove the bagging materials and root ball soil is that many of the B&B specimens at the nursery have been burlapped too high during field digging and bagging. Burlap and soil that covers the trunk above the root crown will lead to trunk disease and death. In every nursery I’ve visited I have found more than one tree trunk literally rotting in the bag. Before purchasing any B&B stock you should ensure that a healthy trunk lives beneath the burlap.

 The best practice for transplanting B&B trees is relatively straight-forward. (The rationale for many of the practices listed below are detailed in previous B&B columns):
1) Remove all wire baskets, twine, and burlap from the root ball. Working on top of a tarp will allow you to transport the root ball remnants elsewhere.
2) Remove all clay from the root ball. This can be done most easily by using a water bath or a hose. Use your fingers to work out clumps of clay from between the roots.
3) Look for and prune out defects in your freshly denuded roots. Be sure to keep the roots moist during this procedure and work in the shade if possible.
4) Dig the planting hole to be only as deep as the root system and at least twice as wide. The hole will resemble a shallow bowl.
5) Form a soil mound in the center of the hole to support the root crown of the tree, and arrange the roots radially.
6) Backfill with native soil; do not use any type of soil amendment.
7) Water in well, preferably using the water from step 2 which will contain nutrients and microbes. Do not step on the root zone, but gently firm using your hands. Add an appropriate fertilizer (i.e. primarily nitrogen and little or no phosphorus)
8) Mulch the entire planting region with at least 4” of organic mulch, keeping a buffer between the trunk and the mulch to prevent disease.
9) Stake your tree low and loose with 3 stakes for no longer than one year after planting.
10) Keep your tree well watered during the first year of establishment. You may have removed a good portion of the root system and its ability to take up water and nutrients will be temporarily impaired. Do not succumb to the temptation to crown prune or add expensive, but pointless, transplant supplements.
This method is radically different from historically accepted practices. Yet recent and ongoing research demonstrates that bare-rooting B&B trees leads to substantial increases in tree establishment and survival. Investing the time to prepare and install trees properly will pay future dividends of reduced maintenance and mortality for the lifetime of your landscape.
The Bottom Line
    • Balled and burlapped plant materials usually contain soil significantly different than that of the transplant site.
    • Differences in soil texture will impede both water movement and root establishment.
    • Root defects can only be found and corrected if root ball soil is removed.
    • Proper root preparation combined with best practices for installation will greatly improve tree establishment and survival in any landscape.

For more information, please visit Dr. Chalker-Scott’s web page at http://www.theinformedgardener.com

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Additional Tree Disease Resources (2015) - Tree Service Company Springfield MO

Buying a Tree Handout

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The 2 Most Important Considerations When Buying a Tree

1.)The Goal or Purpose of the Tree

What do you want out of your new tree? Is the tree’s purpose to provide shade or privacy? Is the tree just ornamental and for aesthetics? Are we trying to attract wildlife with the tree?

Different trees are used for shade versus privacy. Shade trees tend to be tall. Often times shade trees are deciduous as well. Oaks, Maples, Ash, and Poplar are all common types of shade trees. Privacy trees are typically evergreen. Privacy trees are often conifers as well. However, not all evergreens are conifers though. So sometimes a non-coniferous tree such as a holly or magnolia tree can be used for privacy due to their evergreen qualities.

Ornamental and Specimen trees are used strictly to enhance the look and diversity of a landscape. These can consist of many types of trees because they are not intended to cover a specific area for privacy or grow a certain height for shade. Often certain specimen trees can be planted to coincide with various wildlife. For example, a customer who enjoys watching the squirrels run around the yard would probably want to plant an oak, hickory, or walnut tree so that the nuts can attract more squirrels.

2.)Long-Term Maintenance of the Tree

How much trimming does each variety of tree require? Does the tree shed twigs or bark? What kind of fruit/nut/seed does the tree produce? What are the potential pest and disease problems with the tree?

It is going to take a significant amount of knowledge about various trees to answer these questions. We recommend that our customers consider the goal or purpose of their tree. Our goal is to help to educate customers on any long-term maintenance considerations so that they can make a quality decision on what trees they want to install. We typically address these considerations during one of our free estimate and consultation meetings. If you are in Springfield, Nixa, or Ozark, Missouri, just give us a call at (417) 837-1578. We can set everything up to guide you through the tree selection process.

If you are out of our area, we recommend you find a local ISA Certified Arborist. Go towww.isa-arbor.com and use the “Find an Arborist” tool to locate an Arborist in your area

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Adding a tree into your Landscape

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3 Considerations When Adding a Tree to Your Landscape

1.)How Trees Are Measured and Sold

Trees are typically measured for sale using 3 different methods: “Pot/Container size” (in gallons), “Height” (in feet; or in inches for small trees), and “Caliber” (in inches). Caliber is the diameter of the tree trunk, measured at about 6 inches off the ground. Sometimes trees are also measured using the Diameter at Breast Height (also known as “DBH”), but typically DBH is used for tree analysis purposes.

Trees are often sold in ball and burlap form or “B&B”. B&B trees can be measured using height or caliper. Trees are also sold in containers or pots which can be “container-grown” or “containerized.” Usually trees in containers are measured by the number of gallons their potholds. However, it is also perfectly normal for tree farms or nurseries to measure their trees in containers using caliper or height.

The industry standard for most trees would be 6 feet tall, 1-1.5” caliber, or a 15-gallon container. Rarely is anything easy to compare when dealing with plants. Actual sizes, heights, and caliberscan significantly vary based on species, grower, supply/demand, recent weather events, and many more factors.

2.)The Best Time to Plant Trees in Missouri

The best time to plant trees in Missouri is usually October through March. That said, most trees in our area can be planted all year long. Summer planting can create more difficulty establishing the roots of the tree, but proper watering is all it takes to keep trees alive.

3.)Placement & Space Requirements

Some trees grow different heights and widths based on the region in which they are located. It is important to know the mature size of your trees. Certain trees should not be planted nearoverhead power lines, concrete driveways/sidewalks, or the house’s foundation. On the other hand, some trees are small enough to grow under power lines, near concrete, and next to a house.

Locating trees in a spot with adequate space relative to their growth habit is essential to long-term health and wellness. Too much competition can prevent a tree from acquiring appropriate amounts of nutrients, water, and oxygen due to restricted areas for root growth and nutrientuptake. This lack of space leads to extra stress on the plant. Plant stressors can facilitate insect infestation and disease development. Adequate space and airflow make a significant difference in the quality of life for a tree.

Putting plants too close together also limits airflow. The lack of air movement prevents foliage and roots from drying out, which increases the plants susceptibility to fungal diseases

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When Should you Aerate and Overseed - Lawn Aeration Springfield MO

When Should you Aerate and Overseed? – Lawn Aeration Springfield MO

In Springfield, Missouri, lawn aeration and over-seeding are important to maintaining a healthy and beautiful lawn. Grass can get old and worn down. Overseeding is a fast and convenient way to make your lawn lush and green again without starting over. Overseeding is spreading grass seeds over an existing lawn.

Lawn aeration keeps your grass beautiful by improving soil structure and combating soil compaction. Healthy soil has both macropores and micropores which provide space for plants to absorb nutrients and oxygen. Overly-compacted soil no longer has the porous space required for healthy grass growth. Although aeration and over-seeding are important, it may be confusing as to when would be the best time to perform these activities.

Best Time to Aerate and Overseed is in the Fall

We recommend that you aerate and overseed at least once a year to maintain a beautiful lawn. Lawn Aeration and overseeding in Springfield, Missouri is best done during fall when the weather is cooler. There will be plenty of sunlight because trees will start to shed their leaves. Additionally, diseases that attack seedlings are less active.

Second Aeration and Overseeding in the Spring

If your lawn needs more attention and is highly compacted, overseeding and aerating twice a year could provide an even thicker and healthier lawn. Spring would be the next best time to aerate and overseed your lawn again. However, be sure to mow your lawn a few times before aerating in the spring. This will allow the lawn to grow quickly enough to recover and utilize increased pore space that results from aeration.

When in doubt, be sure to hire a professional to determine what the best plan is for aerating and overseeding your lawn. It is critical to follow specific instructions on watering, equipment, seed mixtures and blends. At Gabris Landscaping, we offer services for both aeration and overseeding. Give us a call to maintain a healthy and beautiful lawn.

 

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Time-Saving Lawn Care Ideas - Lawn Care Company Springfield MO

Time-Saving Lawn Care Ideas – Lawn Care Company Springfield MO

With our busy lives, it’s often hard to find time for proper lawn care. However, there are several things that you and one of the best lawn care companies in Springfield Missouri, Gabris Landscaping, can do to save you more time while maintaining a healthy lawn.

Mow More Frequently

Although it sounds counterintuitive, mowing more often can save you time so long as you’re only removing 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Grass clippings that are too long can lead to more time raking and toting bags to the curb. Cleaning up is time-consuming. Although you’ll spend more time mowing, you’ll save much more time cleaning up.

Spray Weeds

Instead of pulling weeds, spray weeds instead. Spraying weeds will save time because it will control the whole plant. In contrast, pulling weeds may allow it to re-grow later. Weed control materials can help manage broadleaf weeds, crabgrass, and nutsedge. When in doubt, give our expert lawn care company, Gabris Landscaping, a call. We offer a lawn care application service. It is important to know the types of weeds that exist and which treatments are best.

Use a Lawn Care Company to Seed Your Lawn

Although you could seed your lawn yourself, professional lawn care companies will have the equipment that can perform this task in much less time. Without a lawn care company, you would have to borrow a truck and trailer, pick up seed at the store, unload the machine, run it for hours, and wash the machine off.

Use Preventative Lawn Care Applications

There are some lawn care applications you should never go without applying each year. It is far better to prevent pests and diseases than to treat them later when they become a problem. It is crucial to make sure all treatments for lawns, shrubs, or trees are applied in a manner consistent with Federal, State, and local laws.

Use Timers for Irrigation

The first couple months after seeding is the most important. Be sure to regularly water your lawn. Neglecting this task could lead to wasted money and time. To avoid forgetfulness, buy timers and set up irrigation for your lawn to water certain areas at certain times. You can also save time dragging hoses and sprinklers around several times a day by installing an irrigation system. An irrigation system can be installed by lawn care companies.

To save the most time, give our experienced and professional lawn care company a call. We can take care of your lawn while saving you valuable time.

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Preventing Lawn Fungus and Reducing Lawn Applications Springfield MO

Preventing Lawn Fungus and Reducing Lawn Applications Springfield MO

Preventing Lawn Fungus and Reducing Lawn Applications

Lawn fungus can spread rapidly and be very damaging to your lawn. It can spread to areas that are weak, dying, and unhealthy. Lawn applications such as fungicide can treat fungus by preventing its growth and spread. However, fungicides are chemicals that have many environmental and health disadvantages. Fungicides can drain off your lawn and contaminate nearby lakes and rivers. The chemicals in fungicides are detrimental to aquatic life. Additionally, fungicide can be harmful to humans and cause irritation to skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract. However, this lawn application can be reduced by following some best practices to prevent and control fungus.

Maintain soil at proper pH level.

Most lawn grasses prefer slightly acidic soil near 6.0 to 7.0 pH, where essential nutrients stay readily available. Regular soil testing and appropriate soil amendments help keep your grass healthy and strong.

Follow good mowing practices.

Mowing low creates the grass conditions that disease organisms love. Weakened and wounded grass provide the perfect conditions for fungus. After the disease gets started, you can even spread it around via the mower blades because the disease rides on the blades. Instead, mow the grass at heights recommended for your grass type. Keep your mower blades sharp, and mow according to grass growth. Remove only one-third of the blade height in a single mowing. Collect and dispose of lawn clippings if you suspect fungal disease. Don’t compost; some diseases spread through clippings, infecting compost.

Use Fertilization

Under-fertilizing leaves grass undernourished, and overfertilizing promotes weak, rushed growth; both mistakes set up lawns for disease. Fertilize with premium products that release essential nutrients at the right levels.

When Lawn Application May Be Necessary

Although these preventative tips can be effective, infections may still occur. After all other efforts have failed, you can contact a professional such as Gabris Landscaping for lawn applications of fungicide. It is important to hire an expert with experience and knowledge on how to handle chemicals.

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Avoiding Brown Spots In Your Yard - Lawn Care Services Springfield MO

Avoiding Brown Spots In Your Yard – Lawn Care Services Springfield MO

Brown spots on your lawn can be a frustrating experience. Even when you think you’ve done everything to ensure a lush, green lawn, suddenly a brown spot appears.

There are many possible reasons why you may be seeing brown spots on your lawn. Let’s review a few potential causes and the best remedies to keep your lawn looking bright and green.

Human and Animal Damage

It’s very easy for both humans and pets to cause damage to the lawn. Some common causes include:

Animal Urine – Dogs are the most likely culprits, but large birds, cats, and other animals can cause urine stains as well. You can figure out if your brown spots are caused by animals by checking to see if the spots are yellow with bright green around the edge, indicating diluted nitrogen found in the urine, which acts as a fertilizer.

To avoid these issues, try to make sure your pet is well-hydrated can make their urine less toxic, and you can also train your animals to do their business in a different area of the yard.

Dull Mower Blades – Dull blades tear your grass and cause damage as they pull the blades away from the root system.

To avoid this problem, sharpen your mower blades in the fall and spring, and check them after mowing to make sure the mower is cutting your grass evenly.

Chemicals – Gasoline, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides can cause dead spots if spilled.

To avoid this problem, make sure you always pour any chemicals, fuels and sprays on your driveway or on a patio stone, not on your lawn, and always carefully follow the directions.

Poor Growing Conditions

In some cases, the conditions in your yard may be unfavorable for grass to grow. Some of these issues can include:

Poor SoilSoil quality can vary between different areas in your lawn, and patches of poor soil can cause brown patches.

To avoid this problem, take a screwdriver and push it into the soil. If it goes in easily, your soil is likely compacted and needs to be aerated.

Erosion – Water tends to run off in slopes, often taking grass seeds and young shoots with it.

To avoid this problem, aerate your lawn to increase water absorption. If you’re dealing with a steep slope, consider building terraces or planting ground cover.

Roots – Large trees or shrubs nearby can be a drain on resources for grass, causing the surrounding area to look patchy.

To avoid this problem, consider mulching or naturalizing areas under trees and shrubs instead of trying to get grass to grow in an area will you’ll always have an issue.

Drought – A healthy lawn requires an inch of water a week, which can come from rainfall or irrigation. A dry spot can become compounded by drought damage.

To avoid this problem, make sure your lawn is watered evenly.

Lawn Diseases and Pests

If none of the previous suggestions above have worked, then it might be time to move on to more serious measures against pests and disease.

Thatch – Thatch is a buildup of decaying grass which chokes out healthy grass.

To avoid this problem, remove the thatch by raking your lawn if it’s more than ½” thick.

Grubs – Grubs are common late-season problem, and can be identified when your sod pulls back from the ground like a carpet.

To avoid this problem, check for fat, white, curved worms beneath your sod. Contact us for pest control applications to eliminate the grubs from your yard.

Fungal Diseases – Fungal diseases can become common during the midsummer months, when the temperature is hot and humid.

To avoid this problem, aerate your lawn and make sure your grass gets as much sunlight as possible. If it persists, contact our lawn care services to help get this under control.

If you need help identifying the causes of brown spots in your yard or solutions on how to fix them, contact the lawn care services team at Gabris Landscaping.

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Warmer Weather Requires Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

Warmer Weather Requires Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

When the weather starts to warm up, the insects and pests come out of hibernation and start attacking your lawn and landscaping. The most common lawn pests we deal with are chinch bugs, grubs and sod webworms.

Don’t lose the battle over chinch bugs. Chinch bugs can attack your lawn quickly as weather warms and adults move into open areas where females lay eggs. These eggs hatch, and begin feeding on grass plants while releasing plant damaging toxins. Damaged areas first appear as yellowish to brownish patches which enlarge as the insects spread. Gabris Landscaping’s yard pest control reduces the number of these pests on your property and minimizes the risk of infestation.

Grubs are the larval stage of several beetles. During their life cycle, they exist approximately two inches below the lawn’s surface, continuously feeding on the root system. Proactively treat your lawn for grubs with our yard pest control. Grub damage is most likely to occur in the late summer and early fall months. However, grubs can also be present and cause damage in the late spring. Grub activity will encourage damage due to scavenging animals including skunks and birds, both of which will search for grubs to feed on. Damage may not be apparent until it is too late, requiring costly repair.

The Sod Webworm is the caterpillar state of a common lawn moth. The night flying moths drop eggs from which the caterpillars hatch in the lawn and begin to feed on grass plans almost immediately. Damaged areas have yellow patches of turf that may eventually turn brown and die. Webworms are only active at night, chewing grass leaves, often severing the entire plant at the crown. During the day they retreat to silk lined tunnels in the thatch or soil. Birds flocking to your lawn to feed may indicate Sod Webworm activity. Control of Sod Webworms is included in your Lawn Doctor Maintainer Care program.

Gabris Landscaping can provide the best yard pest control treatment to help prevent damage to your lawn before it occurs. A properly cared for landscape adds both beauty and value to your home while it provides natural support for the environment. We can help you create and maintain the quality landscape you deserve to have surrounding your home.

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Customized Lawn Care - Lawn Mowing Service Springfield MO

Customized Lawn Care – Lawn Mowing Service Springfield MO

When it comes to taking care of your yard, we don’t take a “one size fits all” type of approach. Every yard is different depending on the type of grass, the amount of sun, the type of soil, how it drains, etc. Our professional lawn care services include customized fertilization and mowing programs. We know that everyone wants a green lawn, so we make sure to utilize the proper balance of seed, feed, weed control, proper mowing techniques and the right season for each application.

Our Full Service Custom Lawn Care Checklist

Gabris Landscaping provides customized, complete annual lawn care and maintenance programs because most lawns are different and have different needs. Although the components and processes are different for each lawn, this complete full service program includes custom fertilization, aeration, over-seeding, weed, fungus,and insect control, mowing, trimming and pruning.

As part of these services, our professional staff mows your entire yard, does the line trimming around all trees, posts, and fencing, uses a blade edger to create sharp lines along sidewalks, patios and driveways, and completes the job with a final blowing and cleanup.

Our blend of slow and quick release fertilizer to jump start your lawn for a quick and sustained green up, post-emergent weed control to kill any winter weeds, and a pre-emergent weed control to help prevent crabgrass and other grassy, small seeded broad leaf weeds will make sure your lawn is the envy of the neighborhood all year long.

We welcome the opportunity to provide our full maintenance Gabris Landscaping lawn care service. However, if you simply need a professional lawn mowing service, we are happy to help. This standard service includes mowing the yard, line trimming around all trees, posts, fencing, etc., edging sidewalks, patios and driveways, and of course, we always clean up.

Lawn striping is where we create a pattern in the grass during the mowing process. Visual results may vary based upon health of grass, length of grass, type of grass, available sunlight and seasonal conditions. As we mow, the weight of the roller bends the grass down in the direction we mow.

Our lawn mowing experts create the best design for the lawn size and shape. Our lawn striping system will not hurt your grass. It simply gently bends the grass blades in the direction we are mowing. It does not fold or break the blades of grass. It is important to rotate the mowing patterns and angles each time we mow.

Whether you only need lawn mowing and trimming, our lawn fertilization program, or our complete customized lawn maintenance services, we can create the right lawn care solution for your yard.

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Healthy Soil For Healthy Yards - Lawn Service Springfield MO

Healthy Soil For Healthy Yards – Lawn Service Springfield MO

The relationship between soil and plant is one of our top concerns as the quality of your soil directly determines the development and growth of every species of plant. Proper knowledge about soil is imperative for the ideal management of your yard and landscaping.

Plants are sensitive to soil conditions. Their growth and development directly depends upon the texture and quality of your soil. Hence, to get desired results for your yard, we need to know the quality of the soil in your yard before anything else. This will help us select specific types of plants best suited for the soil of your yard.

What Is Soil Exactly?

The top part of the ground directly beneath the surface is what we refer to as soil. It consists of three main mineral particles: sand, silt and clay. Of all these, clay is generally found in greater proportion followed by silt and sand. The mixture of these three mineral particles determines the texture of your soil. If all of these three mineral particles are found in equal proportion then it is regarded as the best quality of soil. This type of soil is called loam.

Soil also consists of other various things like water, micro nutrients in the form of organic matter, air, minerals and microorganisms. Soil affects plant roots and serves as the nutrient storehouse which will help in the growth of plants.

The Benefits of Soil Testing

Soil testing is an essential part of your lawn service because the growth and development of your plants directly depends on the quality of your soil. It is the preliminary task of landscape design as it helps us determine which species of plants to choose for your yard. If landscaping is being planted for the first time, then soil testing is a must.

Soil testing also informs us about the minerals lacking in your yard, which we can add to enhance the quality of your soil. This will be done before we start the planting for your landscape:

  • Soil should be re-tested every three to five years.
  • We analyze the progress of your soil compared with last test.
  • We take our sample of the soil when the ground is not frozen, during spring or late fall.
  • We take soil samples with the use of soil probe.
  • We gather a composite sample of the soil for the entire yard by sampling from different areas.

Improving Soil Quality By Adding Organic Matter

Organic matter goes on your yard to decay and form humus. Humus is the most important part of the soil. It is effective in enhancing the quality of the tilth which makes it easier for plants to grow.

Humus can be incorporated in various ways in the soil. It can be added in the form of manure, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat moss and many more.

Humus produces spongy texture which is helpful in:

  • Enhancing your soil water holding capacity.
  • Regulating the soil temperature.
  • Releasing nitrogen in the ideal proportion.
  • Enhancing your soil’s capacity to hold and release nutrients.
  • Helping in the growth of microorganisms. They are essential in conditioning the soil.
  • Opening up necessary pore space for air passage and many more.

Proper soil management is the key to success for every yard. It can improve results in a relatively small time frame. Our dedication and awareness to soil management will help make your yard beautiful.

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