Over the last decade, it is safe to say that the summer season in Toronto has gotten longer and hotter. We are seeing temperatures in late spring and early fall that we are used to seeing mid-summer. This increase in temperature has put added stress on our lawns over the summer and has required us to put emphasis on proper maintenance practices during those periods of high plant stress. In simple terms, during those hot weeks we need to pay extra attention to watering and cutting our lawns properly. Watering properly is essential to conditioning your lawn for periods of added stress such as record high temperatures in Toronto during the summer. It is very important that we pay close attention to both frequency and volume when determining our watering schedule. It is imperative to water your lawn two to three times per week for one hour each cycle. This has a far more positive affect on root depth then watering every day for twenty minutes. Greater root depth is very important because the lawn will have access to moisture, oxygen and nutrients deeper down in the soil during periods when it needs it most. If you don’t have an irrigation system, an oscillating sprinkler attached to your hose is just as affective and will allow even coverage verse watering by hand. Cutting your lawn properly during periods of high stress will be a difference maker in keeping both colour and plant health up to par. Raise your mowing height to three inches during periods of temperatures above 25 degrees. Increasing mowing height has a direct correlation with increasing root depth which we just finished explaining the importance of. Make sure to keep your mower blade as sharp as possible. This will allow for a clean cutting of the leaf blade verses a shredding with a dull blade. Shredding the leaf blades will put added stress on the lawn in a period where it needs all the help it can get. Cutting at least once per week will make sure you do not remove any more than one third of the leaf blade at a time. This is a very important principle to follow! Removing more than one third of the top growth at a time is considered scalping and could potentially cause the lawn to brown out completely. Following these cultural practice tips will keep your lawn as green as possible during the heat and increase your lawns ability to provide a much needed cooling affect to our living environment here in Toronto!

First off – congratulations! Buying a new home is an exciting yet overwhelming process; with a lot to think about. As you settle in to your brand new digs, you’ll eventually have to start thinking about the outside space that surrounds you. Your garden and lawn are the first step in creating an outdoor oasis for you and your family. As first time lawn owners, we are here to tell you exactly how to take care of your lawn so you can host all the parties, barbecues and play dates you want! Step 1: Invest in a Lawn Mower! Cutting your lawn is the first thing you should tackle; typically we suggest mowing around once a week through the season. Sometimes – when the sun and rain are out, you may have to be cutting twice a week to ensure you aren’t causing stress to the blades. You want the mower to be set at a height that only takes around 1/3 of the blade off; this means setting it around 1-2 inches high. Mowing your lawn is an easy way to keep your yard neat and tidy as the season goes on. Step 2: Understand how to Water A lot of times, the rain we get here in the GTA isn’t enough to keep your lawn lush and green all season long. You should try to water the property around 2-3 times a week for at least 40 minutes to ensure that the roots are getting thoroughly soaked. It’s better to water less often for longer! It also helps to water in the cooler time of day, usually in the early morning or later evening. This ensures that the water doesn’t evaporate before doing its job. You can think of your lawn like any typically plant, it needs lots of sun and lots of water! Many issues that come up through the season can be remedied by proper hydration. Step 3: Ensure your Lawn is getting Fed Fertilizer is to the lawn as food is to humans! Your lawn needs food to properly grow all season long. Our slow release fertilizer program is the perfect answer to this step; it ensures you are getting the proper nutrients for your grass and an expert technician on your property every 4-6 weeks through the year. Lawns can take a beating through the summer months, so ensuring that someone is keeping an eye on it will put you at ease. Our slow release fertilizers are specially tailored for each time of the year they are put down, with special additives to help the lawn when it needs it most. Step 4: Additional Considerations Once you have covered the basics, you can start addressing more specific issues that come up as the season’s progress. We will be back next time covering the services we recommend and what the benefits of them are. It will answer the burning questions like “what even is aeration?” and “why are dandelions so annoying?”

As seen in "Friends of The Beach" magazine, some top tips for how to prepare your lawn for the season ahead.

A complete break down of how to keep your lawn cut and watered all season long.

These abnormal weather patterns have stressed out lawns to the max. Insect feeding, weeds and drought are all sources of stress that your lawn has most likely faced this year. It's important to use the last few weeks of fall to prepare the lawn for what will most likely be another unpredictable Toronto winter. Following these steps will ensure your Toronto lawn is healthy and ahead of the game in the spring! 1. Clear the debris and thoroughly rake out any leaves, thatch and damaged grass. This will give your lawn more access to oxygen and sunlight, as well as decrease the chance of developing winter disease. 2. Raise your mowing height slightly and continue mowing regularly until growth has halted. Raising the lawn mower height will promote deeper roots and increase your lawns winter hardiness. If the lawn is left too long, it can become matted beneath the snow and diseases such as pink and grey snow mould have an easier time developing. We want to stay away from these! 3. Apply a late season fertilizer. The best time for this application is usually mid-October to early November depending on the weather Toronto is experiencing. Roughly 1 lb of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is the recommended rate! This application will increase the lawn's tolerance to freezing during the colder temperatures we are sure to experience. It will also help in greening up your lawn quicker and earlier in the spring. By following these simple but important steps, you will give your lawn a fighting chance against winter and be the envy of your neighbours come spring time. For more information, contact us at Frechette Lawncare to book your 2019 program!