Nutri-Lawn Blog

Vancouver lawns face a tough battle to stay weed-free and healthy. Between the coniferous trees, the rocky and acidic soil, abundant cloud cover and subsequent rainfall keeping everything extremely moist, the odds are not in favour of your lawn.

Our lawn care experts at Nutri-Lawn Vancouver have put together a short list of quick tips to help you get your lawn looking lush and healthy this season. Remember to call our team for a free quote whether you simply want to relax and enjoy a vibrant lawn or if your lawn has persistent problems.

The European Crane Fly is native to Eurasia, but has been present in Canada since the mid 1950s. It is found throughout both the east and west coast and throughout southwestern, central and eastern Ontario. These pests live in the top layer of soil and feast on the root hairs, blades and crowns of lawn grasses and can cause extensive damage to your property.

Brace yourselves... Summer is coming.

Unless you're an even greater Grass Expert than I am, July and August are bound to do a number on your lawn. Consistent heat and inconsistent rain can take a toll on your turf, and unless you're on the ball, before you know it your once green lawn will have lost all its lustre.

The trick in avoiding a brown, dormant lawn is the right preparation and constant maintenance. Here are some tips to prepare your lawn for withstanding Summer stress.

White grubs are round, white or yellowish in colour, and will eat your lawn to death. The larvae of the native June bug or June beetle are the most common culprits infesting your lawn. Japanese beetles and the European chafer have invaded eastern Ontario, but are not typically found in western Canada. Because of the warmer temperatures in Vancouver, it is necessary to treat your lawn earlier than in other parts of the country. Nutri-Lawn Vancouver’s lawn care experts are able to quickly diagnose a larvae problem and prescribe effective treatment to save your lawn.

The white grubs you find in your lawn this time of year are larvae of the native June bug or June beetle, or less likely but possibly, the European chafer or Japanese beetle. These grubs are particularly fond of the fibrous roots of lawn grass. You might not see the damage caused by these pests until later in the summer, so now is the time to take action before large brown patches of ruined lawn emerges.

If your lawn can roll up like a carpet (a decimated root system), there may be a grub infestation. It takes only 8 or 10 grubs to ruin a square foot of lawn. Your lawn may feel spongy to walk on or skunks and other small mammals are digging up your lawn at night. Typically these infestations don’t happen every year because it takes three years for the June bug to mature, so the damage happens cyclically.

As simple as it sounds, there happens to be a lot more to mowing grass then just firing up the lawnmower and pushing it back and forth across the lawn.

The overall performance of the lawn relies heavily on the mowing practices that are performed throughout the season. No other machine will be used as often as the lawnmower on the lawn, so it's important that a good set of general guidelines are followed and the mower itself is in good working condition for the first mowing of the season.

Just like the human body, your lawn needs a certain amount of nutrients to function as intended. Unless restored, the essential nutrients found in your lawn soil will deplete over time, leaving the lawn struggling and malnourished. A lawn lacking nutrients won't grow like it should, and will be more susceptible to weeds, insects, and disease.

Thankfully, you can renourish your lawn in a number of different ways. Topdressing is a great way to rejuvenate tired grass and improve poor soil conditions, getting you on your way to much healthier turf.

The foundation of any building needs to be sound or the entire structure is compromised. Ever consider how solid the soil foundation is under your lawn? Poor soil will mean a scraggly or thin lawn and can lead to other chronic problems. If you have a soil problem, your lawn care efforts may be sabotaged from beneath. 

Everything needs a rest from time to time and your soil is no different. But removing all the grass to give the soil a season to rest obviously isn’t ideal. From time to time, it’s really important to help replenish the nutrients that were naturally present in the soil, otherwise your grass will suffer. One easy way to do this is by top dressing.

What is Top Dressing?

Fertilizer is one way to reintroduce essential nutrients into the soil. Another way is to apply a layer of fresh soil on top of your lawn. Top dressing could be compost, loam, or topsoil. Just be aware that topsoil is literally the top layer of soil, so this does not guarantee rich nutrient soil. Top dressing is an organic way to gradually add ‘life’ back into your soil.

Soil contains many nutrients and microorganisms that are vital for good plant growth. These microorganisms are what breaks down organic materials such as fallen leaves, woody debris and other things into nutrients the plants can consume. Soil without these microorganisms can create a variety of other problems.

Grass is very resilient. More often than not, lawns can recover on their own as long as stress conditions like disease and insects don't continue for long periods of time.

However, it goes without saying that lawns appreciate a little TLC. A well fertilized, irrigated, and mowed lawn can make a huge difference in how it responds to and recovers from stress.

Having said that, when areas are just not recovering, you might need to look into repairing or renovating your lawn.

Depending on the starting condition and whether you have isolated areas or an entire lawn to address, there are a number of paths you can take on your way to healthy, happy grass.