Nutri-Lawn Blog

Pronounced (CH-inch), Chinch bugs are the smallest destructive turfgrass insect by size, but the damage they can cause is anything but!  Even under close inspection most turf managers need a magnifying glass to see the tiny chinch bug clearly. 

"I'm sorry!"

We have a tradition in my company that means so much to me personally. Every year, I hand out Canadian flags to each and every person who works in our company. I want to send them off to their own celebrations with the flag so that when they are with their friends and family on this day, that they remember that Canada is the reason why we have all that we do. 

Our technicians are currently seeing a lot of mower damage on lawns, particularly because of the extreme heat and dry period that we have had recently. If you are unsure of damage that you may be seeing, send us a picture at ottawa@nutrilawn.com and we will be happy to take a look.

Quick Tips to Avoid Mower Damage:

1. Sharpen your mower blade once a year. Shredded blades will risk disease, insect, and dehydration harm. And, it just looks shredded & ugly.

2. Never cut below 2.5 – 3 inches in height.

3. Mow in the morning or early evening. Avoid mowing in the heat.

4. Water the lawn deeply, 1“ every 5 – 7 days. Increase watering in periods of extreme heat.

If you are tired of dragging hoses around, visit https://sprinklersystemsottawa.ca/ and ask us about our inground sprinkler systems. Save Time. Save Money. Save Water. 

It goes without saying that water is one of, if not THE most, important requirements the lawn depends on to maintain healthy growth. Without adequate water, the lawn will become drought stressed and die, and all your hard work will be for not. Many factors need to be taken into consideration when determining the lawns water requirements during this time of year. 

In this new era of a pesticide ban, weeds need to be present and actively growing in order to be controlled. With the warm temperatures coming, we will begin our weed applications late this week. We will spray the first flush of cooler temperature weeds and then return for another application for the late-emerging weeds, like clover and thistle.

Just like your car relies on fuel to move, and your body needs regular, balanced nutrients (food) for energy, your lawn also needs food to establish good root development and grow. 

Spring is the optimal time to aerate the lawns. Core aeration is the single most important thing that you can do to create a healthy, thick and robust lawn.  Core aeration is the process of mechanically removing small cores of soil from the lawn using an aeration machine.  The cores will decompose over time and add the nutrients back into the soil. 

Weed germination occurs when the soil temperatures increase. Dandelions are usually the first to germinate and emerge in bare areas. We usually see the growth starting in mid-May. The soil temperatures are still too cool for many ‘other’ lawn weeds, and current Ontario legislation only allows products registered to target weeds once they have emerged. There are no licensed control products that will prevent weeds from germinating.

Spring Is Here. Staying home doesn't mean you have to stay inside.