Having a beautiful, lush green lawn is one of life’s little treasures. However, transforming your lawn into an oasis can be much more complicated than one would expect. Here, we will discuss how to go about transforming your lawn and what you can realistically expect while doing so.
Defining the State of your Lawn
People have varying ideas as to what constitutes a less than ideal lawn. Weeds, yellowing of the turf, or thin, balding spots are almost always included in those ideas. Below, you will find what we would consider to be two types of less than wonderful lawns. We will call them Lawn A (A for Alright) and Lawn B (B for Bad).
Lawn A: The “sort of alright lawn,” or Lawn A, is exactly what it sounds like: it could be better, but it could definitely be worse. If this is your lawn, you are not winning ‘lawn of the month’ but likely are not receiving letters from the HOA either. This lawn requires some TLC and some solid weed control. Green, “grassy” looking weeds account for a decent portion of Lawn A, with discoloration and possible fungus growth or current or past insect damage in other areas.
Transforming Lawn A
With the alright lawn, you will typically see results within a growing season if you actively feed your soil the nutrients it needs to work efficiently. This is the only way your turf is going to be able to utilize the fertilizer treatments it receives. If you are not providing appropriate nutrition, your lawn can take more than a season or longer to reach its full potential. Lawn A will look worse before it starts to improve, just like all lawns with an abundance of grassy weeds. This is because bare spots are left behind when grassy weeds die out and begin to rot away. These bare spots will be visible until they have had time to fill in with new grass growth. Bald areas do not “grow” grass with a little fertilization but will require the grass around it to “fill in.” Some of the harder-to-kill weeds can take multiple treatments to kill and control. Lawn A could take a year or more to reach its full potential.
Lawn B: The “lord, please help me” lawn, or Lawn B, is a lawn that is in terrible shape and will not be winning yard of the month for many years. This lawn has obvious present or past insect damage and crawls with turf disease. Areas will appear scalped or bare, and the only green to be seen is from the grassy weeds that have taken over!
Transforming Lawn B
If the only green you see consists of grassy weeds, as Lawn B is, then it is fair to say that it will take nearly double the time (as Lawn A) for a weed-free transformation. The lawns that we see like this also have patchy and mismatched grass. For example, Bermuda grass peppered throughout St Augustine grass. Large amounts of weeds, insect damage, and turf disease are no joke and do not tend to disappear as quickly as they appeared. For this reason, Lawn B will take at least two years to remedy the issues that made it so bad, to begin with. Reaching its full potential will only happen after many months of reactive and proactive treatments. The bad lawn, just like the alright lawn, will look worse before it gets better, possibly even more so.
This might sound like a lot of work, regardless of your lawn. GreenGate Turf can handle the work for you! From our top-notch, professional-grade products to the complementary soil sample we take when you sign up for our fertilization program, we have the tools & knowledge necessary to turn things around and make your lawn the envy of your block. (We can even help you get the coveted yard of the month!)
Transforming Your Lawn from Weeds to Grass
Remember that miracles do not happen overnight, and it will take time to transform a lawn from ‘alright’ or ‘bad’ to the gorgeous, emerald green carpet of your dreams. With enough patience and elbow grease, partnered with the correct treatments, we are confident you will see a difference!
Maintaining the Transformation
After we have your lawn in tip-top shape, you must maintain a regular regimen of ongoing lawn maintenance. Just like when a bodybuilder stops going to the gym and eats ice cream all day instead, a lawn without the proper nutrition and care will quickly fall back to the state the lawn was in before the transformation.
The good news is a healthy lawn is easier to maintain! It will become more resistant to disease, weeds, pests, and other concerns. It will also require significantly less water. We highly recommend seasonal liquid lawn aeration treatments and lawn fertilization and weed control programs to keep your lawn looking and feeling it’s very best.
Choosing the Right Company
Lawn care companies are a dime a dozen. You want to focus on finding a lawn company that will focus on the health of your soil since this will directly affect the appearance of your grass. Unhealthy soils are hard and compacted, preventing moisture and nutrients from seeping in and accessing the roots. You may find that discount and national franchise companies who offer zero to hero overnight claims or say they only need to treat your lawn for one season, but this is unrealistic. Lawns are ever-growing, evolving ecosystems. As such, lawn care cannot be a one-and-done situation.
GreenGate Turf & Pest Produces Golf Course Quality, Healthy Lawns
At GreenGate Turf & Pest, we pride ourselves on being a step above the dime-a-dozen lawn care services. We will be honest about the time it will take to help your yard reach its full potential. We will create a realistic treatment plan and help set realistic goals based on what makes sense for your wallet and the specific needs of your lawn. Our technicians are licensed, knowledgeable, and professional, and our customer service reps are friendly and waiting to answer any questions you may have.
Check out our lawn care programs, request a quote, or give us a call so we can get started on transforming your Sugar Land, Katy, Spring, or The Woodlands area lawn!
