Grass Works Lawn Care - Austin TX

Local Lawn care in Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Avery Ranch, Bee Cave, Lakeway, Steiner Ranch & West Austin

Wonderful Water – All About Irrigation

Summer is nearly here, and in Austin Texas that means hot temperatures…and dry lawns and crops. It’s essential to keep your precious grass and landscaping watered so it can thrive. Whether you’re looking to keep your lawn green and beautiful (and the envy of your neighbors), ensure the health of your newly planted landscaping/flower garden, maintain a commercial property where appearances are important, keep your valuable crops alive, or meet any other purpose, our irrigation services keep you green.

Grassworks offers a variety of irrigation and sprinkler solutions, all designed to keep your vegetation alive while also keeping efficiency – of both water and the environment – in mind. There is no better time than now to install a new sprinkler systems, or make repairs and updates to your existing system. Grassworks offers a wide variety of sprinkler systems for both residential and commercial uses, and we can even assess your situation and help determine which system is right for you!

Below we dive in to some of the most popular and effective irrigation solutions we offer.

Drip Irrigation

Drip Irrigation is an irrigation method that refers to applying small amounts of water slowly and evenly over a designated area. Drip irrigation delivers water to a plant’s roots slowly, by dropping small amounts of water into the soil either on the surface or slightly below it. Water is delivered through a series of pipes and valves, and fertilizer can also be applied using this method.

Spray/Rotor Irrigation

Spray or rotor irrigation refers to what is more commonly known as a sprinkler system, generally a plastic head piece attached to a hose that sprays water. Think of that “tick tick tick” sound you hear when the sprinkler is going around – this is a type of spray/rotor system! Water can come out of a spray head, or small nozzle. There are a variety of patterns and speeds available that go in various directions and distances, and both rotate and remain stationary. Or it can be distributed through a rotor, which works by, you guessed it, rotating, and distributing streams of water back/forth in circles. These systems offer bursts of water, and can have one or several streams.

Tree Soaker

A tree soaker delivers water to trees or other large plants. It resembles a hose, except it varies because it’s porus and drips water across the entire length to deliver water slowly and closely to the desired area. It is a steady stream of water, offering ongoing support to whatever you are trying to keep hydrated. It’s a reliable method of ground-level irrigation, and also saves vegetation from fungus as it keeps the upper parts of plants dry because it only touches their roots.

Tree Gator Soakers

Treegator is a leader in irrigation systems, with their pioneer product the “Slow Release Watering Bag,” a slow-release watering bag for new or established trees smaller in size. This bag wraps around a tree to deliver consistent and quantity water to your plants. As it continuously waters the area over a period of 5-9 hours, it saves water and eliminates loss from runoff or evaporation. It goes below the surface, promoting strong root growth, and combating drought and transplant shock.

Not sure what kind of irrigation system is best for you? That’s what we are here for! Get in touch and we’ll help you both select and install the sprinkler or irrigation system that is right for you.

The Effects of Constant Weeds

The Ever Growing Presence of Weeds

Weeds are plants just trying to grow like anything else. They do not mean to be a menace or disturb the look of your lawn, they want a place to call their own. However, if weeds are allowed to continue they can do more damage than you might think.

Weeds can do damage beyond their physical appearance. And with all the bad reasons to not have them we hope you understand the importance to getting rid of them. 

Very unsightly – They grow fast. Almost 3 times as fast as real grass. This advance push, and different weeds at different heights, mean your lawn is never level length and wil constantly look in disarray. 

Spreads to neighbors yards – It’s not just about you. Weeds that get unruly will reproduce and populate in your neighbors lawn causing much more work for them. This is not just about the effects of the yard itself but may damage relationships as you have imposed more work, time, and money to your neighbors. 

Invite additional bugs and pests – Pests are attracted to many different kind of plants. The more variety of grass and weeds the more variety of pests and bugs that will be attracted and stay. This goes beyond the grass but flowers, bushes, and possible garden. By eradicating those weeds you reduce the amount of invited pests. t

Beat out the good grass for water and nutrients – It’s a competition with weeds. Weeds are going toe to toe with the grass in competing for valuable nutrients and water. 

May physically hard pets are humans – Sticker burrs, thorny plans, poisonous plants are some of the hazardous of allowing weeds to continue. Be sure to understand what your pet or family is walking on with the bare feet. 

Cause damage to lawn mowers or weed-eaters – Often overlooked is the often overgrown or thick weeds. These take a toll on maintenance to your machines that are forced to work harder on taller and thicker vegetation. 

Taking the time and energy now will save off a lot of work in the future. Not only will it produce a healthy lawn, but will bring a lot of satisfaction to you and your love ones to trust the ground underneath them. 

 

Grass Works has been providing professional Aeration and Topdressing services for Austin area customers since 2007. Get a free estimate from us and let us make your lawn beautiful again!

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Springtime is Perfect for Lawn Aeration and Topdressing

Grass Works Lawn Care Austin Winter Rye

Lawn Aeration and Topdressing

Spring tends to arrive here in the Austin area bringing warm springtime temperatures and it’s the perfect time to get a head start on a lush, healthy lawn via Aeration and Topdressing. Bluebonnets will be popping up before you know it!

Lawns begin looking tired and patchy over the years, as the soil is compacted underneath areas of high foot traffic, tree roots rot and soil shifts (making the grade uneven), and vital soil nutrients are depleted without being replaced.

Two simple processes can refresh a grass plane: Aeration and Topdressing. Together, these simple landscape processes can decompact the soil, even the grade, and replenish soil nutrients.

The ultimate goal of Aeration and Topdressing–largely invisible to most homeowners–is to create a healthy soil ecosystem, or life web. A healthy soil ecosystem is sustained by a process known as “bioturbation”: that is, the process whereby soil organisms and plants shift sediment, creating channels for water and nutrition to penetrate the topsoil and become available to plant roots.

Aeration is the first step towards increasing bioturbation. A machine that is slightly larger than a lawnmower is guided over the grass plane, and as it moves, it takes out cores of soil. These openings suffuse the topsoil with oxygen, creating an aerobic environment where air, water, and nutrients can easily reach the roots of the grass.

As inputs from above the grass plane penetrate the soil below, the soil begins to loosen up, creating a more optimal habitat for soil-tilling organisms like earthworms. Their activities help to further decompact the soil.

Grass Works Aeration and Topdressing

The next step towards a healthy, organic lawn is Topdressing. This process basically entails lightly covering the lawn in a sediment mix, and raking in over so that the grass is still visible, and can continue to grow and photosynthesize. An ideal mix for top dressing is equal parts sharp sand, compost, and topsoil, but pre-mixed alternatives are readily available. Together, these components make what is called a “loam” soil.

Top-dressing replenishes soil nutrients, encourages new root growth, and converts some of the old, dead grass thatch to compost (worm food). The grass that colonizes the new top layer is lush, young and green. Additionally, repeated top-dressing in depressions in the grade can help even out a lumpy grass-plane.

These basic landscaping tasks– Aeration and Topdressing–are important to maintain a healthy lawn that will help soil flora and fauna will do their “job”, and be more happy to do it in an oxygen-rich environment that is suffused with bioavailable nutrition.

Grass Works has been providing professional Aeration and Topdressing services for Austin area customers since 2007. Get a free estimate from us and let us make your lawn beautiful again!

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Tips on How to Maintain Your Lawn During The Summer

Picture of lawn Grass Works Steiner Ranch Lawn Care - Maintain Your Lawn During The Summer

Summer time in the Austin Area can be extreme on your lawn! We often refer to July and August as SummerER as we see frequent triple digits days!

Just look at the forecast this week!

SCreenshot of Austin Area Summer Forecast Aug 8 - Aug 13 - Maintain Your Lawn During The Summer

The typical homeowner struggles to maintain their lawn both financially and time consuming. The reality is Central Texas Summers are tough on your lawn!

Having been in business for almost 10 years now, I get to meet all sorts of people: home owners/ renters, property management companies, HOAs and Commercial Lawn clients. Some clients care a lot about their lawn and request total lawn packages(mostly homeowners and commercial). Others just want basic lawn service (such as renters). I meet and talk with clients during my walk through and after hearing their concerns almost every time and every day I get asked “What would you do Ferris?” Well… that depends on a lot of questions I have to ask the client without coming across as being pushy with sales or adding extras assuming funds are not an issue.

Here are 3 Tips on How to Maintain Your Lawn During The Summer that should help keep your lawn green:

1. Problem-Soil! Most new developments and new construction in the Austin area have minimal soil between the turf and limestone. This causes high heat stress in the summer and big time runoff during rain/irrigation times. Lack of nutrients/nitrogen/ potassium that fertilizers provide.

Solution– Add Texas Turf Mix/ Top Dressing to get the roots happy and build your lawn up to allow your grass to get comfortable.

Grass and Soil Illustration - Maintain Your Lawn During The Summer

 

2. Problem- Irrigation/Sprinklers! Almost all the troubled lawns have lackluster results without irrigation. Dried out lawn, dusty, compacted soil and small shrubs/trees.

Solution- Irrigate! Turn the lawn nice and green. There’s a night and day difference in irrigated landscapes vs. non-irrigated. Healthier lawn result and faster growing trees the neighbors will envy.

Image of Hunter Irrigation Pressure Regulated Sprinkler Body

 

3. Problem- Regular Lawn Maintenance. Seeing a well maintained lawn means fewer weeds, using lightweight commercial mulching mowers allowing potash to enter the soil. This also pertains to flowerbeds and shrubs. At least turning over the flowerbeds once and a month along with a good trim and shape on those shrubs.

Solution – Set up a total lawn care package(If you don’t have time to do it yourself)!

Grass Works Lawn Care Austin Winter Rye

 

Try these 3 easy initial steps to maintain your healthy lawn and landscape in the Austin area! There’s plenty more advice we can share. Please contact us today!

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Simple Tips for Sprucing Up Your Sprinkler System

Image of Hunter Irrigation Pressure Regulated Sprinkler Body

As I write this post, Austin, Texas is about to have another 100F day, or as I like to say it’s “Summerer!” here in Central Texas!

It is 11:07am and it is already 91F out! Crazy!

Screenshot Grass Works Austin Weekly Forecast July 22 2016

These triple days can be brutal on your lawn, especially when water restriction are in place which happens often in Austin and the surrounding area such as Cedar Park, Round Rock, Leander, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Steiner Ranch and Pflugerville.

A faulty or improperly maintained sprinkler system can kill your grass & cost you money by wasting water! Check out some simple tips on how to prevent this.

Grass Works Simple Tips for Sprucing Up Your Sprinkler System:
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Inspect. Check your system for clogged, leaking, broken or missing sprinkler heads.
Better yet contact a certified licensed irrigate by a TCEQ LI#0019556 labeled program to do the work for you.
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Connect. Examine points where the sprinkler heads connect to pipes or hoses. If water pools in your landscape or you have large wet areas, you could have a leak in your system. A leak about as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen (or 1/32nd of an inch) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month!
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Direct. Are you watering the driveway, house, or sidewalk instead of your yard? Redirect sprinklers to apply water only to the landscape.
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Select. An improperly scheduled irrigation controller can waste water and money. Update your system’s watering schedule to align with the seasons, or contact Grass Works to take the guesswork out of scheduling/programming.
 
You can save even more water outdoors by incorporating WATER SAVING nozzles into your landscape sprinkler design.
Looking for more ways to save? Fill out the form below for a quick turnaround estimate or Call Us at (512) 797-1640
 
We are also running a special this month with $25 off Sprinkler Audits!
 

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