Gardening Tip: Double Digging

Gardening

Have you ever wondered if you could pull off a double-digging project for your garden?

Well this article is going to show you how we do it for our clients.

If you’ve got an area of soil that you’ve felt needed some TLC and would be the perfect spot if only it could be fixed then don’t despair.

Really.

If you are willing to get your hands dirty and put in some effort you might be able to realize this dream.

What Is Double-Digging?

What exactly is double-digging you ask?

It is the process of loosening the soil about a foot underground to help make the ground loose enough for your plant roots to easily grow and expand. It adds air deep down into the soil and really enables the root system to grow.

Why Should You Do It?

The fact is, beets, carrots, potatoes and other root crops need the soil they grow in to be loose so that their roots can grow deep and expand.

Many consider double-digging as the most important step towards a healthy, vibrant and productive garden.

Here’s how to do it.

1) Start At One End

Starting at one end of your garden, dig a 1′ x 1′ foot deep trench across the garden bed’s width.

Don’t throw away the dirt you remove. Set it in a pile or in a container for just a moment.

2) Use a Garden Fork

Using a garden fork or similar tool with pines, go along the trench and loosen the dirt. Really make sure it’s loose and fluffy.

3) Dig a Second

Now, dig a second trench just like the first. However, take the soil you remove and place it back into the first trench.

Again, using a fork, loosen the dirt at the bottom of the second trench. This will help.

4) One More Trench

Dig yet another trench and take the dirt you remove and place it into the second trench. Keep going until you reach the end of the garden bed.

Once you’ve reached the end take the soil from the first trench and use it to fill in the final trench.

Whew! All done.

There is no doubt about, this is not easy work but the payoff is invaluable. Your garden will thank you by producing far better crops then if you don’t do this with a garden bed that is hard and dense.

Remember, we service the South Surrey area if you ever need a quote.

Spring Lawn Care

Gardening, Lawn Care, Lawn Mowing

Fight Thatch

If you are wondering what thatch is, it’s the layer of partially decomposed stems and roots that builds between your grass and soil surface. Some thatch is beneficial – it conserves ground moisture, cushions turf and insulates soil from extreme temperatures. But anything more than half an inch thick can be problematic. Heavy thatch can repel water, dry up roots and provide cover for unwanted insects.

Control thatch by raking your lawn with a power rake or by using a lawn aerator. A lawn aerator pulls cores out of the soil, allowing water, light and air to enter and gradually break down thatch. Severe cases of thatch may require the use of a mechanical dethatcher, or complete removal and replanting of sod.

Prep Soil

Proper soil preparation can take your lawn from blasé to beautiful. Improving your lawn soil allows roots to grow deeply and more evenly, making your lawn more resistant to drought. To restore valuable nutrients and build soil structure, spread organic material such as compost, peat moss or well-rotted leaf mould evenly on your lawn before seeding. You can also use a specially formulated lawn soil.

Spread Overseed

Overseeding is often overlooked when it comes to home lawn care. Extra seeding can repair bare patches and create a thick lawn that can crowd out weeds, and resist insects and disease. Purchase a grass seed that will grow in both sunny and shady areas, such as Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade Grass Seed, and distribute it evenly onto your lawn using a hand-held spreader. If you have a large property, consider investing in a push broadcast spreader. Lightly rake the soil to create seed-soil contact, but don’t cover the grass seed here as it needs direct sunlight to germinate.

Water The Soil

Grass seeds need direct sunlight and regular moisture to germinate, which can take up to three weeks. Be vigilant and water the seed daily, ensuring it stays moist for up to one hour per day. Only once you start to see the grass seed germinate should you begin to cut back on watering. Water new and established lawns early in the morning to avoid any water being lost to evaporation. Also, avoid watering at night — your lawn will likely stay wet all night providing an ideal environment for weeds and disease to take root. Once your lawn is established, water deeply (unless it has rained) with at least one inch of water per week to encourage healthy roots.

Use a “Green” Fertilizer

Your lawn will naturally thrive if you pay attention to it early in the season, but lawns do require fertilizer in order to stay healthy and maintain a lush green appearance. Every eight weeks, use an eco-friendly fertilizer — not only do these products promote strong root development and choke out weeds, they are also safe to use around children and pets, and are permitted in areas with pesticide/herbicide bans. Homemade compost is a natural alternative you can use to provide essential nutrients for a thick, green lawn.

If you have happen to live in the Clayton area we can provide a quote.

 

We hoped you got some good content from this article about spring lawn care. Please click the Facebook LIKE button below and leave a comment. You can also request a free lawn and garden quote from us today.

 

Surrey Lawn Care Services

Lawn Care

Surrey Lawn Care Services – How To Get a Healthy Lawn In 10 Steps

 

If you want to get your lawn healthy and green we want to let you know that it is possible. Take out a pen and make a note of the following professional Surrey lawn care tips. It is an easy process. All you need to do is  follow our 10-step plan to get your healthy and lush.

    1. Keep an Eye On The Height
      Stick to only cutting one-third of the grass blade off. If you stick to following this suggestion your lawn will develop deep roots and spread out. This will result in thick and dense turf. In order to follow this tip, you will need to mow more often during the fast growing periods of spring and fall here in British Columbia. Keep in mind that keeping your lawn healthy is the best protection against disease and weeds.
    2. Watch Those Cut Patterns
      Be sure to change up the pattern you do when you mow the lawn. This one tip helps. Mow in one direction one week and another the next week and so on. By alternating your mowing patterns every time you mow will keep the turf and soil from compacting and prevent creating ruts in your lawn from where the mower wheels have dug down into your lawn.

Surrey Lawn Care

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  1. It Is a Good Thing To Mulch
    Mulching is great to do. Mulching is when you mow your grass but don’t bag the clippings. You leave a light layer of grass clippings behind.  You can even purchase a mulching blade which will help to cut up the grass clippings even finer. Mulching does not promote thatch, for those of you who may be wondering. 🙂 Mulching also works in the fall. You can mulch up fallen leaves.
  2. Get Those Weeds
    When the weeds are young is the ideal time to get after them. This means using pre-emergence herbicide and similar products. Consult with a local nursery about the application processes. A perfect example is taking care of dandelions in the fall while they store energy for next year. If you get them now your problems with them will be minimal if anything at all the following season.
  3. No Cutting Corners
    Has your lawn mower ever been hard to start? Ever seen your neighbour nearly break their arm trying to start a mower that won’t turn over? Make sure to get yourself a solid lawn mower. If you properly look after it, it should last for years and be well worth the investment. Start your search by looking for brands such as Honda, John Deere, and Husqvarna. Certain Briggs & Stratton lawn mowers are also acceptable.
  4. Keep Your Lawn Equipment Primed
    Make sure to tune up your lawn equipment each and every season. By doing so you won’t end up being the neighbour every one is looking at who can’t start their mower. Affordable tune-up kits are available at local stores in Surrey and other surrounding Greater Vancouver cities. You will want oil, a spark plug, an air filter, and some fuel stabilizer for when you put your power equipment away for the winter. Keep the blades sharp too.
  5. The Best Time Is In The Morning
    It seems like everyone and their dog has an opinion about the best time to water. We see so many home owners watering during the day and that is generally the worse time of day to carry out such a task. Water between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. in the morning. This makes sure the sun won’t steal the moisture from your lawn. It also gives your lawn the best chance to dry in the morning. Water at night you ask? Watering at night can often lead to disease so resist doing this. Only one to two inches of water each week is needed by your lawn to stay healthy.
  6. Stick With The Best
    Be sure to make a note of this Surrey lawn care golden rule – you get what you pay for. When it comes to grass seed, you can bet your hard earned money that this is true here too. The cheaper the seed, the greater chance that there are weed seeds in the bag. This will inevitably lead to you spreading weed seeds throughout your lawn. Here is a tip. Look for a label on the grass seed bag that shows the seed-to-weed ratio (the percentage of the bag that is grass seed vs. weed seed). The number you want to see is less than 0.1 percent of weed seeds. If there is no label on the bag with this information, do not purchase it.
  7. Keep It Simple
    This ninth lawn care tip has us shaking our heads. We cannot tell you how many lawn mowing clients we have had over the years who wanted to fertilize their own lawn that did not follow the instructions on the. Use everything in moderation. The experts at the fertilizer company know what they are doing when they tell you how much product to apply and how often to apply it. Whatever you do, putting down more fertilizer will not help your grass. It will most likely do damage. Always follow the instructions. Stick with this – one pound of water-soluble nitrogen per 1,000 square feet is the maximum amount established lawns should have applied to them at one time. 🙂
  8. Respect The Planet
    Okay, this isn’t the time where we get all “earthy” on you and go all “Al Gore” 🙂 . The truth is that less than 2% of the total emissions output per year is made up of lawn mower emissions. It may be small, but homeowners can take several steps to further reduce harmful emissions. You can do this by air filter and oil after about 24 hours of operation. Make sure you do not tip the mower during any form of maintenance when the fuel tank is full.

Remember to request a quote in you live in Cloverdale, Surrey, BC.

We sincerely hope you got some good content from this article about Surrey lawn care tips. Please click the Facebook LIKE button below and leave a comment. You can also request a free lawn and garden quote from us today.

 

Red and grey lawn mower is cutting very thick grass.

Lawn Cutting Service – Surrey Langley

Lawn Cutting

Lawn Cutting Services – Always On Time

Have you finally stepped out in search of a professional lawn cutting company that you can hire to help look after your lawn in Surrey or Langley, BC (White Rock and beyond as well)?

Look, knowing what to look for and what to ask about is important.

Not every company that offers lawn mowing services is on the same level.

Knowing what lawn equipment they use and who exactly will be carrying out the service is important.

We think we may be the firm you are looking for and would be happy to give you a free lawn cutting quote.

There are no strings attached and we won’t put you on a phone list so that we can contact you all season. We simply want to let you know how we might just be able to help with your lawn and garden.

Our company delivers consistent pro lawn cutting services.

If you happen to live in Surrey, Port Kells, Fraser Heights, Langley, Fort Langley, Walnut Grove, White Rock, and other surrounding municipalities please request your quote right now.

Lawn Cutting Surrey BC

 

Professional Lawn Cutting Techniques

  • Mow on a regular basis
  • Keep your lawnmower blades sharp
  • Make sure your mower and trimmer are topped up with the proper fuel and oil
  • Make sure to broom or powerblow any grass clippings up
  • Cut the lawn again ideally in a week (or every 2 weeks)

 

Lawn Cutting Langley BC

 

With your schedule you may not find the time or the energy to mow your grass. The honest truth is that most fall behind on their cutting schedule because life gets busy and doesn’t seem to stop.

Our job is to deliver lawn cutting service you do not need to worry about. We arrive on time, every time, and consistently mow to your satisfaction.

There is no time like the present to get a free quote. Also check out the neighbourhoods we service.

Time To Get a Lawn Cutting Service Quote and You Live In Langley Or Surrey?

 

Lawn Mowing Service – Surrey Langley

Lawn Mowing

Lawn Mowing Services – Friendly and Professional

Is it now time that you find yourself looking for lawn mowing services in Langley or Surrey BC?

If you are wondering where to start or which lawn cutting service provider to choose from then you are not alone.

The key to remember is not every lawn mowing service is the same. It is all about the person(s) that show up to mow your grass – if they show up. 😉

Finding the one that is right for your home this season is what really matters.

We are happy to ask if we can provide a lawn cutting quote to you.

We deliver professional lawn mowing services for several cities.

If you take up residence in Surrey, Port Kells, Fraser Heights, Langley, Fort Langley, Walnut Grove, White Rock, and other surrounding municipalities please request your quote.

Lawn Mowing Surrey BC

 

A Few Lawn Mowing Service Tips

  • Keep your mowing schedule consistent
  • Use a push mower for exercise or a self-propelled lawnmower if you need some extra oomph (Honda mowers are good).
  • Use a line trimmer to clean up the edges
  • Follow suit with a proper lawn cut using nice stripes
  • Clean up after you are done using a broom or power blower
  • Rinse and repeat weekly or every 2 weeks

Lawn Mowing Langley BC

 

The harsh reality home owners face is that staying up on their lawn mowing service is not easy.

We would be happy to give you a quote to see if we can help take the chore of grass cutting off your plate – part time or full time.

There are no hidden strings attached. Our lawn cutting quotes won’t cost you a penny.

Get your quote online today and visit our neighbourhoods page.

Are You Looking For a Lawn Mowing Service Quote and You Live In Langley or Surrey BC?