Doctor’s Orders: Give Your Lawn Some Much Needed T.L.C; Largest Lawn Care Franchise Offers Easy Tips to Prepare Yards for Winter

After this year’s mercilessly hot summer, there’s no denying that lawns across the country deserve a little extra attention. Since you can’t take yours with you on that much anticipated holiday vacation, leave the pampering to the Lawn Doctor, Entrepreneur magazine’s No. 1 lawn care franchise for 20 years and the largest lawn care franchise in America.

The experts at Lawn Doctor can prescribe a variety of nutrient enriching and reparative services to help your yard recover for the ravages of summer and prepare for the dormant winter months.

“Many people don’t realize that the key to a healthy, lush lawn in spring really starts with the right care in the fall,” said Scott Frith, VP of franchise development at Lawn Doctor. “Taking a few simple steps now can make sure your yard bounces back after the winter and provides a great return on investment for your efforts.”

Lawn Doctor has 40 years of experience caring for lawns through seasonal changes and is equipped with the insight and know-how to restore and prepare yards across America.

• Seed – Properly seeding a thin or spotty lawn in the fall readies the grass to fill in spots in the spring. Using a power seeder to evenly distribute seed can also strengthen your yard’s root system, decreasing the amount of water it needs in the spring. Seeding is also a great way to saving on your homes water bills.

• Aerate - Over the summer, high temperatures and low moisture put a lot of stress on lawns. Aeration helps loosen your yard’s soil, allowing it to absorb more oxygen and nutrients.

• Fertilize - Just like bears, lawns need to store up food before entering a period of winter dormancy. A well-fed lawn recovers much more quickly when the spring arrives.

• Remove leaves – Be sure to clear your grass of leaves at least once a week. Dead leaves can block out sunlight and prevent your yard from creating enough food to last it through winter.

Fall is also a great time to make sure your lawn mower is in working order for the spring. Address any maintenance issues like changing the oil, air filters or spark plugs. Consider getting your mower’s blades sharpened as well. Dull blades can tear grass instead of cutting it, leading to health problems down the road.

October brings cooler weather, colorful leaves and the hint of holidays, but it also presents the perfect opportunity to help your grass recover from months of dry heat and get ready for the cold.

“Everyone loves a healthy, green lawn,” said Scott Frith, VP of Lawn Doctor, “putting in a little extra effort now pays off when you get to enjoy a beautiful yard in the spring.”

Lawn Doctor Featured in Asbury Park Press

Lawn Doctor was recently featured in The Asbury Park Press’ most recent article entitled, “Fertilizer debate puts NJ environmentalists against lawn care groups". The article focuses on the ongoing legislation to limit fertilizer usage in the Barnegat Bay region of New Jersey and explains the impact this bill, if passed, will have on the lawn care industry. Lawn Doctor’s local franchisee Dave Mlotkiewicz, VP Scott Frith and Director of Technical Services John Buechner were all quoted as industry experts to explain how the four month ban on fertilizer would affect the lawn care industry and area yards, as fall is a critical time for lawn care maintenance. A portion of the article is below and the article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Fertilizer debate puts NJ environmentalists against lawn care groups
By KIRK MOORE

The warmest summer in 44 years was just a prelude to the heated battle brewing between the lawn care industry and environmental groups in Trenton.

Both sides are fighting over legislation that would limit fertilizer runoff pollution to Barnegat Bay, the state's largest and most endangered estuary.
The bill, if it passes this fall, would prohibit New Jersey lawn-care businesses from applying lawn fertilizer from Nov. 15 to March 1. Industry representatives say fall is a critical — and profitable — season as contractors nurse back turf damaged by summer heat and feed it to prepare new growth.

"Eight of my guys would be on unemployment a month earlier," said Dave Mlotkiewicz of Lawn Doctor as he wheeled a seeding machine across a Toms River lawn. "We're up against the leaves now in the fall, just trying to get the winter services done. Customers say, 'I'll call when I get the leaves off the lawn.' But sometimes you don't get that call until after Thanksgiving."

In recent days industry advocates were back in Trenton, trying to persuade lawmakers to push the fall cutoff date back into late December.

A four-month cutoff on feeding lawns is a move that Barnegat Bay conservation groups say is the surest way to stop excess fertilizer from washing into Barnegat Bay and other waterways across the state. But lawn industry advocates say that would eliminate 10 percent of their business, to get at what they contend is only 2 percent of the bay's runoff pollution.

(Read More)