+ How should I mow my lawn?

Proper mowing has a huge impact on how your lawn looks. Most homeowners don’t mow often enough. We know that’s not what you want to hear but, unfortunately, it’s the truth. Did you know that proper mowing also makes weed control easier and keeps down unwanted pests like mice, ticks and chiggers? During the growing season, you may need to mow twice per week. Here are some key mowing points:

• Be sure your mower blades are very sharp.
• Be sure your mower isn’t leaking anything.
• Never mow off more than 1/3 of the grass blade at one time.
• If your lawn gets way too high, mow it down in increments.
• Mow often enough that you don’t have to bag the clippings.
• Don’t always mow in the same direction.
• In extreme heat, mow your lawn a little higher.
• Adjust your mower height accordingly if you have both Fescue and Bermuda in your lawn.
• Don’t scalp your Bermuda lawn until it’s just starting to green up (in the spring).
• Don’t scalp your Fescue lawn ever. Mow it short if you’re getting ready to overseed (in the fall).
  
  Early in the growing season (Spring), mow Bermuda turf as low as possible without hitting the soil. As the turf begins to grow at a faster rate, the green blades of grass will be cut away at this mowing height causing the turf to “yellow”. The turf will green back up in a matter of days as the grass puts on new, green blades. At this point, you will need to move the mower deck up a setting. Continue this process throughout the growing season. By the end of the year, the Bermuda turf should be at a height of 2 inches going into its dormancy stage.
  
  Tall Fescue needs to be mowed at a height of 3” - 5+” tall. During the summer months, Fescue thrives at a height of 5+” tall as this time of the year is particularly stressful for this turf type. NEVER scalp Tall Fescue turf!
  
  Always be sure your blades are sharp at the start of the mowing season, and then re-sharpen them 2 or 3 times during the growing season. Sharp blades cut the grass. Dull blades tear the grass. Raggedy, torn grass blades have more openings for diseases and fungi to enter. In addition, dull mower blades may produce a brown-tipped lawn a day or so after mowing which can look lead to bad-looking turf.
  
  Be sure your mower isn’t leaking anything. Oil and gas do terrible things to your grass. (Don’t refill the mower while it’s on your lawn, either.)
  
  Never mow off more than 1/3 of the grass blade at one time. This is sort of a law-of-nature-rule. If you follow this rule, your grass will always look its best. Mow often enough that you don’t have to bag the clippings. Nutrients are stored in the tips of blades of grass which is the 1/3 of the blade itself. If you leave the clippings on the lawn, you are recycling the fertilizer and other nutrients stored in the grass blades helping your lawn will stay greener longer. If you are mowing frequently enough, leaving the clippings on the lawn will not contribute to thatch problems.
  
  If your lawn gets way too high, mow it down in increments. Out of town for a week? Mower in the shop? When you finally get around to it, don’t cut your lawn at the normal mowing height. Raise your mower, and just mow 1/3 of the grass blade off the first time. Wait 3 or 4 days, then mow it at its regular height. If you mow it down all at once, your lawn will brown and look unhealthy.
  
  Don’t always mow in the same direction. If you mow the same way all the time, ruts that distinctly look like “mowing lines” will develop in your lawn. It is also not good to run the lawn mower wheels over the same place, over and over, as this will lead to excessive soil compaction.
  
  In extreme heat, mow your lawn a little higher. When your lawn is stressed, a little extra height will help the turf with heat and drought stress. The more surface on the grass blade, the more photosynthesis is occurring, and the more food it can make for itself. This will also help the roots to grow deeper.
  
  Adjust your mower height accordingly if you have both Tall Fescue and Bermuda in your lawn. Fescue should be mowed higher than Bermuda. It’s kind of a pain to adjust it for different types of grass in the same lawn, but your grass will really do better if it’s mowed at the correct height.
  

+ Would I save money doing it myself?

No. Homeowners cannot purchase the same products Champion Green would apply for less than the price of an application from Champion Green. Products we purchase are custom blended for our specific needs. The products that are offered to the average consumer over the counter, are typically outdated technology for a lawn specialist like Champion Green, so these products are packaged for retail. All the products we use are the top of the line and are the most current. Homeowners could possibly buy fertilizer for what we would charge for an application, but that’s only fertilizer, and the homeowner would also have to supply the labor. There is much more to the treatments than just fertilizer, weed control, and customer service.

+ Are all the treatments necessary?

Each treatment is seasonally designed to take care of your lawn's specific needs at the precise time of application, and all the treatments supplement each other. Taking less than the full program can compromise the quality of service and the health of your lawn. Will your lawn be totally weed free? No lawn care service can promise this as manipulating Mother Nature can be unpredictable. By using the very best of materials, we can reduce the population of weeds to the point that they are not visually noticeable or damaging. If at any time, you feel the treatments are not effectively managing the weed populations, please give us a call so we can diagnose the issue and provide a solution.

+ Will the treatments of my lawn affect the mowing frequency?

Not necessarily. Fertilizing is not always an accelerator for top growth. Even though unfertilized grass will grow relatively slow, fertilizer is not a tool that can be used to adjust the rate of growth. Soil fertility should always be kept at the correct levels. Growth speed is dependent upon environmental conditions, such as soil temperature, rain, and soil condition.

+ What if I can’t water my lawn?

If you cannot water your lawn due to its size, a water shortage, or for other reasons, the treatments will still be effective. However, your lawn may go semi-dormant or lose some of its color during hot and dry weather.

+ Are the materials that Champion Green uses harmful to my pets or children?

Champion Green uses only the safest of materials. All materials used are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for use on turfgrasses and are applied in strict accordance with the labels. When possible, keep off the lawn for about an hour after application. This will allow the material to dry enough for the continued enjoyment of your lawn.

+ Does Champion Green guarantee its service?

Yes! Your satisfaction is guaranteed. The key to our success is customer service. We pride ourselves with supplying you with the finest lawn care service available. If you have a problem, all you must do is call us; we’ll be right out. We want to provide the very best look you can receive with your specific growing environment, but your satisfaction is our primary aim. Each treatment is satisfaction guaranteed for 30 days.

+ How long should it take to service my lawn?

With the latest equipment and technology, Champion Green can make applications to your lawn quickly and efficiently. The savings in labor through this technology is passed on to you, the customer. The average lawn (10,000 sq. ft.) can usually be sprayed in less than 10 minutes, depending on the number of obstacles in the lawn, such as flowerbeds, gardens, sidewalks, and patios.

+ Can I receive extra services for special problems?

Yes. Champion Green offers additional services, which include soil tests, fungicide applications for disease control, and insecticide applications, including treatments for mosquitoes, ticks, ants, and fleas. These special applications are provided to you at your request at an additional charge.

+ Does Champion Green offer other services?

Yes. Champion Green offers several other programs and services! You can check them out here.

+ Should my Fescue get the same treatment as my Bermuda or Zoysia?

No. We are not a “one formula treats all” style of lawn care company. Warm season turf is different than cool season turf. They react differently to certain products at different times and should be treated differently. We separate our applications of each turf type; therefore, each type of turf gets what it needs and when it’s needed. No other company does this. It takes time, effort, and training to accomplish this. This is essential for achieving the healthiest lawn for the same cost.

+ Which application method is the best?

We use both dry granular and liquid applications. Some companies may contend that one is better than the other, the truth is both are needed. Considering local weather conditions and types of product being applied, one method of application may be better than the other at certain times of the year. That’s why we use a “best of both worlds” approach.

+ Do the programs and services automatically renew?

Yes and no. All programs automatically renew while the additional services must be renewed by the customer.

Programs Automatically Renewed:

• Turf Program
• Tree & Shrub Program
• Mosquito Control Program  
  
  All other services do not automatically renew.