Help...lawn is driving me crazy!

[angel222]

I know this subject has been addressed before but I really need current feedback or suggestions please! I'm on my second pest control and fertilizer company since buying the house in 2009 and my lawn continues to be a thorn in my side. I have gotten incredible water bills because "they" said I have to water more, I've spent money on checking and fixing sprinkler heads, the lawn cutter is the best I can find - never cuts it too short and still I have brown patches and ant hills all over the place! I started with Superior and had to call every month for help and they always said its not their fault...now I've had Tri County for two contracts and even though they've promised it will look better it never gets there! I live in TV 8 months a year now (full time in 2013) and this situation is really driving me nuts! I love my home - a designer with a corner lot - but I'm at a loss at what to do. I'm a widow so please don't suggest any "husband do" stuff...but ANY suggestions would be appreciated....thanks!

[graciegirl]

For the anthills. You can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get some sprinkling stuff and sprinkle on them.

We have Mike's Maintainance for our lawn. If your lawn is fed(fertilized) and watered properly usually that is all that is needed.

[Madelaine Amee]

We use Scotts and are very pleased with the job they do. They always call and tell me what they are treating for before they come, leaving me the opportunity to say yes or no. I do get calls from the office trying to sell me extras and I always refuse those. I rely heavily on my Scotts "man" to tell me what the lawn needs and I think he is doing a good job.

However, I would add that if you are not here full time it is very difficult to stay on top of any type of regular maintenance.

I have neighbors who use Massey and they seem to be doing a good job too.

[PaPaLarry]

I know this subject has been addressed before but I really need current feedback or suggestions please! I'm on my second pest control and fertilizer company since buying the house in 2009 and my lawn continues to be a thorn in my side. I have gotten incredible water bills because "they" said I have to water more, I've spent money on checking and fixing sprinkler heads, the lawn cutter is the best I can find - never cuts it too short and still I have brown patches and ant hills all over the place! I started with Superior and had to call every month for help and they always said its not their fault...now I've had Tri County for two contracts and even though they've promised it will look better it never gets there! I live in TV 8 months a year now (full time in 2013) and this situation is really driving me nuts! I love my home - a designer with a corner lot - but I'm at a loss at what to do. I'm a widow so please don't suggest any "husband do" stuff...but ANY suggestions would be appreciated....thanks!
Ant hills can really be hard to get rid of. You can sprinkle here, and then two days later, they are somewhere else. hehe But need to be here year round to take care of ants. Some Pest Control companies, come every other month, and some come once a month. That being said, and with the rain we had recently, theres no way the stuff they put down, stayed for a period of time. You can call them back, (and usually they wil come again) and tell them your problem or concern. Brown spots in lawn can be a number of things, but lots of times its burn out, especially if on a little decline. Wish I had a remedy, but if you talk with Plant Clinic at Sheriffs Office on 466 and Morse, they can be very helpful. Also bring in sample of ground (2.00 fee) and they will have it checked for you. Good Luck

[Pturner]

Hi Angel,
We inherited a pre-paid Superior contract with our home. They did not do a satisfactory job with lawn maintenance and always said it wasn't their fault. After the contract was up, we switched to Massey's and the improvement was remarkable. They provide a detailed report each month on what they have found upon inspection and what treatments they used. We are very satisfied.

Best wishes!

[courtyard]

We had a corner lot for many years and swore we would never make that mistake again. That's why we bot a large Courtyard Villa. You have the choice of a very small lawn or you can change it out for just rocks. You will save lots of time, money and agro.

[asianthree]

keep your house and call stellar everyone seems to be happy with them

[zcaveman]

Hi Angel,
we switched to Massey's and the improvement was remarkable. They provide a detailed report each month on what they have found upon inspection and what treatments they used. We are very satisfied.

I agree. :pepper2:

[jimbo2012]

Also bring in sample of ground (2.00 fee) and they will have it checked for you. Good Luck

good advise.

Read this (http://www.naturalgreengrasspatch.com/pages/brownspots.html) as to causes.

Bottom line is the folks U R using are not doing what needs to done which is to find the cause.

The Plant Clinic sounds like a place to start without wasting money.

[CarGuys]

keep your house and call stellar everyone seems to be happy with them

Yes Stellar, They will keep you advised when away.

[k2at]

I had the same problem with my lawn as everybody else. Switched to Massey and the ant hills and brown spots on the lawn disappeared. They are a bit more expensive, but they guarantee their work.

[Jullie]

We had Superior for the first year we moved here.
Got rid of them quickly. I agree with the posts. We don't have a contract with anyone now. Just take care of it ourselves. I know some of our neighbors are happy with Bate's.
We use Amdro for the ants. Works pretty good. You can buy it from Walmart, Lowes, etc. Good luck

[getdul981]

Have the lawn people check your sprinklers. Their pattern is supposed to overlap. Our previous house had the problem of areas being missed. They came and changed the inserts to cover a larger area and also recommended that we put down something called Milonite or something like that. It's actually dehydrated, and sterilized human waste. That worked like a charm but it stinks to high heaven for a week or two. Also, you could possibly have a fungus problem.

[texasfal]

We finally gave up. Our corner lot has a 3 car driveway and a large circule driveway in front. Plus we removed all the grass from the side of the house where we have 3 orange trees and filled it in with mulch. On the south side of the lawn, and the biggest part of the lawn, we put in terraced walls with rock and a large (20 x 30) rock island in the shape of the State of Texas. Our house looks like Arizona butr I don't have to replace grass for the first time in 8 years. It was cheaper in the liong run to use rock and concrete than replace the entire yard 5 times in a row.

[angel222]

Thanks everyone for all the help! That's what I love about TOTV --- you ask a question and everyone helps.....
Thanks again!
Char

[rp001]

Scotts turf builder...Do not use weed and feed...4 times a year..the fertilizers I've seen used here are usually liquid and evaporate without feeding..St Augustine is a very heavy feeder and the soil here is really nitrogen defecient...It will turn so green you will think it's Kentucky "blue grass"..lol

[dwbevan]

I know this subject has been addressed before but I really need current feedback or suggestions please! I'm on my second pest control and fertilizer company since buying the house in 2009 and my lawn continues to be a thorn in my side. I have gotten incredible water bills because "they" said I have to water more, I've spent money on checking and fixing sprinkler heads, the lawn cutter is the best I can find - never cuts it too short and still I have brown patches and ant hills all over the place! I started with Superior and had to call every month for help and they always said its not their fault...now I've had Tri County for two contracts and even though they've promised it will look better it never gets there! I live in TV 8 months a year now (full time in 2013) and this situation is really driving me nuts! I love my home - a designer with a corner lot - but I'm at a loss at what to do. I'm a widow so please don't suggest any "husband do" stuff...but ANY suggestions would be appreciated....thanks!

We too are in TV about 8 months a year. After a year we switched to Massey. This year since we have been up north we have been receiving messages about how good our lawn looks. We took all of their services and compared it to our other company and figured it was about 200 more a year, but well worth it so far. Hope this helps.

[Carla B]

If you live in Hadley, you have zoysia grass. It has different requirements, diseases and pests than St. Augustine grass, which is mainly found north of 466.

If you rely on a fertilizer/pesticide service, rather than doing it yourself, you will feel better able to monitor what they are doing by gaining some knowledge of zoysia's requirements. That's what I'm doing. I just finished a workshop on "managing your own yard" presented by the county extension service. However, you can do this by talking to the master gardeners at the clinics on Mondays and attending the talks by the county agents at the Twice on Tuesdays events. They are a wealth of knowledge. Just look at the gardening section of the paper on Saturday for times and places.

[billethkid]

remember we are all trying to grow suculant lawns on ground with the quality of a sand dune....lotsa water....lotsa chemicals....lotsa labor....fix it....make it look better ....it gets worse....change companies....one year later start all over again.

Do yourself a favor and as the brown spots or the less than spectacular show up create a new plant/rock/tree bed/area= reduced water, reduced chemicals, reduced labor, reduced stress.

btk

[rp001]

If you live in Hadley, you have zoysia grass. It has different requirements, diseases and pests than St. Augustine grass, which is mainly found north of 466.

If you rely on a fertilizer/pesticide service, rather than doing it yourself, you will feel better able to monitor what they are doing by gaining some knowledge of zoysia's requirements. That's what I'm doing. I just finished a workshop on "managing your own yard" presented by the county extension service. However, you can do this by talking to the master gardeners at the clinics on Mondays and attending the talks by the county agents at the Twice on Tuesdays events. They are a wealth of knowledge. Just look at the gardening section of the paper on Saturday for times and places.

Sorry, I don't buy it...Zoysia is no better than St Augustine which was developed at Fl State as and ideal grass for Florida's climate..I've lived in Fl for 50 plus yrs and think the whole idea of putting Zoysia in is a scam by some landscapers..My neighbor drank the kool aid, replaced his St Augustine and his yd is terrible.These landscapers prey on folks from the north who just don't know the grasses in Fl...Got to feed both of these grasses...

[Carla B]

I don't think my post stated an opinion on either type of grass. It's not the landscapers who plant zoysia south of 466, it's the builder.

[rp001]

I don't think my post stated an opinion on either type of grass. It's not the landscapers who plant zoysia south of 466, it's the builder.

Sorry, I didn't mean to state the zoysia was your preference..I'm saying in the long run both these grasses are very similar and are heavy feeders..BTW I live south of 466 and have buider installed St Augustine as do most of the folks I know..All the way to Bailey Trail...What happened here, is last year there was a large amt of chinch bug damage and the landscapers came into my development selling zoysia as the cure,,,It certainly is not and was just an excuse for a few unscrupulous folks to prey on the unknowing...My yard is St Augustine and is by far the nicest looking in the neighborhood...All I do is feed it and water it...And I use time release fertilizer not liquid..(Scotts Turf Builder)..Been using it in the 5 homes I've owned in Florida with St Augustine for a long time now..