Comparison Photos

Visited our son yesterday, (he has a program with Turf King)
The neighbour has another company. I know I have see their sign several times when I drop in to see the grandchildren. So it is not as if they have not had any lawn care services.

Yes, I'll get after him to trim a little nicer, but the colour is so much superior when you use a good fertilizer product, applied professionally and properly. 

I'd say the dogs have done a better job of greening up the other lawn than their lawn care company.

Which program should I choose?

Hello Gerry:

I am interested in going with your company.

I like the fact it appears if you have a problem or a question is there usually someone that can answer within a day or two.

This was my main beef with the current company I have. No one was ever there or for that matter cared  and since I am fairly new to all of this believe me, I was not impressed

I am trying to compare your program with what I have now, 

What would be the best thing to do from here.  I was hoping I could get a discount for prepaying or any others I may qualify for.

Thank you, looking forward to hearing from you 

Judy

Hi Judy

Sometimes doing the same program as before is okay if that program is what you need.

Sometimes it may be helpful to start from square one to figure out what your needs in fact are.

Most people want a healthy, green lawn-> fertilization. We find it costs the same time for our guys to spread high quality fertilizer as it does to spread mediocre quality fertilizer. Our 3 fertilizer program is equivalent to many other 4 fertilizer programs. 

Most people prefer to not have too many weeds- so at least a couple of spot weed treatments if the lawn is in reasonable shape. Blanket treatments may be necessary if the lawn has been neglected and is very weedy.

You mentioned grub treatment. You may have had a problem in the past. No one can predict if the adult beetles will lay eggs on your lawn this year or not. Certain areas of the city are often more likely to get grubs than other areas. Areas with high grub populations are likely to have more adults that will lay eggs in the summer. 

Some people feel more comfortable, knowing that they have done something to reduce the risk of grub damage. Organic nematodes are not as effective as Merit (the product now banned that was less poisonous than table salt.)

Your neighbour, Bob says he has a problem with crabgrass. This is usually a problem in sunny areas, especially along the edges. An organic crabgrass preventer can be applied. It is about 50% effective. That sounds not bad, but in August the 50% that may come up can look 100% terrible. Because of this it is important to look at other cultural methods to reduce the risk of crabgrass. Mowing higher, re-adjusting the lawn levels along the edges, and seeding to increase lawn density in crabgrass-risky areas may be needed as well.

A prepayment discount is always available to new customers, the paying of which we appreciate but target is not fixed until we figure out what you need.

Gerry

Asian Lawn Care

Turf King Announces New “Click to Win” Lawn Care Contest

Turf King Announces New “Click to Win” Lawn Care Contest

Ken Murray, President of Turf King announced a new contest for homeowners who value a healthy green lawn. By entering the “2011 Click to Win” contest, a lucky homeowner is eligible for a prize of $300.00 worth professional lawn care services from each participating Turf King franchise. As well there will be one winner who will receive 1,000 AIR MILES ® reward miles. This winner will be selected from all the collective entries from all franchise locations.

This exciting contest was suggested by Tanya of the Wasaga Beach franchise as a key promotional tool for the coming Spring Season. Not only do the contest participants have a chance to win a valuable prize; by visiting the Turf King website, valuable education and information is available to help lawns to be healthier and greener.

The winning entries will be chosen after the May 15th, 2011 deadline. All entrants are encourage to go online at http://www.turfking.ca after the contest closes to see if they have won either the local or national prize. Winners will be contacted directly up to 7 days after the contest closing.

Core services available at the local franchise include lawn care programs that include high quality Turf King fertilizer and seasonal weed management applications using Fiesta weed control. There are a number of other services that are available for lawns such as core aeration, chinch bug protection, grub treatments and overseeding.

Certain individual franchise may also offer certain other services such as pest control, sodding, landscaping, irrigation services and more.

About Turf King
Turf King has been in the lawn business since 1962. Each franchise is locally owned and operated, providing a variety of high quality turf and property management services. Murray says that, “Separate from our exclusive products, our main resource is our people. We are all extensively trained professionals, with up-to-date knowledge, and we all have access to the experts within Turf King, which include agronomists, arborists, graduate agriculturalists, and horticulturalists.”

Turf King is a premier lawn care provider serving the residential and commercial markets in throughout various markets in Ontario. There are locations in Alliston, Barrie, Burlington/Oakville, Hamilton, Midland/Muskoka, Orillia, Sudbury, Wasaga Beach/Collingwood.

Turf King embraces the use of high quality fertilization products to provide long lasting nutrients to the lawns of their clients. Every effort is made to use products and practices that keep lawns healthy and to also keep them safe for pets and children.

An industry pioneer since 1962, Turf King has grown into a brand that ensures that its clients and their lawns are well looked after. Our goal is to provide the best Lawn Care in this area and to continue our commitment to serving our customers with a level of service that is unmatched. For more information or to request a lawn evaluation, please visit www.turfking.ca

www.lawncarehamilton.com

www.lawncarehaldimand.com

www.lawncarewaterdown.com

www.lawncaregrimbsy.com

www.hamiltonturfking.ca

www.hamilton.turfking.ca

http://turfkinghamilton.blogspot.com/

http://kingofgreen.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/turfkingofgreen

http://bit.ly/g6Irnc

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turf-King-Hamilton/110675539001874

8 Reasons to Choose Turf King Lawn Care

8 Reasons to Choose the King of Green

• Healthier, Greener Lawns, Guaranteed
• Ask about our Green Organic Programs
• Programs Customized for You and Your Budget
• Weed & Insect Treatments
• Over 40 Years Experience
• Locally Owned and Operated
• University of Guelph Degree in Environmental Horticulture
• "We Care" Personalized Service
• AIR MILES(R) reward miles

Seniors' Discounts

Turf King Hamilton The Lawn Care Experts since 1962
Call Now to Start Your Lawn Program
905-318-6677
1-888-887-3546
www.hamiltonturfking.ca

Gerry Okimi B.Sc.Agr.

Lawn Care Draw Winners Chosen

Gerry Okimi, of Turf King Hamilton announced that two winners have been selected in the 11th Early Bird Fall Lawn Care Draw. Each fall, 2 winners are selected from those customers who choose Turf King Hamilton as their lawn maintenance program provider for the following season.

Turf King Hamilton would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the winners of this year’ draw. Every year, Turf King Hamilton has been rewarding its invaluable customers by holding an Early Bird Draw for a Free Lawn program.

According to Okimi, “This is just a small endeavour on our part to say ‘Thanks!’ for the priceless trust our customers place in the products and services of our lawn care company. Turf King Hamilton appreciates the opportunity that pre-booking gives us to pre-order supplies and to organize throughout the winter. Fall bookings also lessen the impact of a busy spring booking season.”

Okimi reiterated that “Turf King Hamilton would like to thank everyone who has booked their 2011 lawn package this fall. We are grateful for the confidence that is shown to us, by our many loyal clients. It is through their continued support, and referrals that help us to continue to be a leader in the lawn care industry.”

The lucky winners will receive up to $300.00 towards their 2011 lawn care programs. If they have paid for their programs, the $300.00 will be refunded to them. To be eligible, the lawn programs may be booked in the fall, but can be paid for in the fall, in the spring, or paid on a budget payment plan. To make the process as easy as possible, Turf King Hamilton accepts cheques and major credit cards. Clients can also make payments through their banks internet banking portals.

The winners will be contacted shortly to inform them of their good fortune. Their names will be published in the spring edition of the Turf King Hamilton newsletter TURF NOTES.

Turf King Hamilton has been servicing lawns in the Hamilton area since 1991. Turf King Hamilton, the Lawn Experts since 1962 provides the highest quality products and service in Lawn Care. Turf King Hamilton is a full-service professional Lawn Care provider, servicing residential, commercial and industrial lawns in Hamilton, Grimsby, Beamsville, Burlington, Oakville and Haldimand.

In order to give clients a healthy, green lawn, Turf King Hamilton applies high quality, long-lasting fertilizers to provide needed nutrition to the grass, with minimal impact to the environment.

Gerry Okimi has a degree from the University of Guelph in Environmental Horticulture and has spent all of his working career in various aspects of horticulture. Turf King Hamilton is a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association (LOHTA), and the Professional Lawn Care Association of Ontario (PLCAO). Customer may also earn AIR MILES® reward miles on lawn programs at Turf King Hamilton.

Contact Gerry Okimi
Turf King Hamilton, 95 Hempstead Drive, Hamilton ON L8W 2Y6
Phone: 905-318-6677
www.lawncarehamilton.com
Email hamilton@turfking.ca

Grass

www.hamiltonturfking.ca

Lawn Mower Blade Speed

Ever wonder why the rotary lawn mower can cause the lawn to be damaged. Here on this lawn, this spot is obviously caused by the mower itself. Harder to see in the photo, but the grass blades are bent in a circular direction. Why is it that the centre is green? Then an area with the most damage and then areas that seem okay.

Rotary mower engines are made to spin at 3,600 revolutions per minute when not under load. During cutting, the rpm drops to between 2800 and 3300. 


The centre of the blade is spinning at 3600 rpm, but the velocity of blade itself will vary depending on the length of the blade.  An 18 inch blade tip will travel through the air at one speed, a 21 inch blade at a faster speed and so on. This also means that the centre of the blade is travelling slower than the tip.


Does the speed of the mower affect how well the grass is cut? Often if the grass is thick, I find there is a strip of grass that does not get cut very well. If the riding mower is set at a lower speed, this strip in the centre get cut better than if the speed of the mower is faster. In this case, the grass in the middle does get the mower blade passing over it, but at some times, the centre of the blade is also over this area and not cutting is done. At the side, the cutting edge which is at the end of the blade is over the lawn longer -therefore that area gets cut better.


So now in the case of the circle in the picture, did the brown area get cut more by the centre of the blade, that part that is not sharpened. So that there was more tearing of the blades, rather than cutting with the sharpened part? Tearing of the blades would cause more stress and more damage to the lawn than being cut by the sharper part of the blades at its ends.


The cente didn't get cut at all when the mower was sitting over this spot. It got cut when the mower moved on. Then it was cut by the sharper part of the blade -hence very little damage.


I don't know if I am 100% right, but that's my theory.

Customer lawns

Heritage Green Nursing Home, Senior Apartments, and Retirement Home, Stoney Creek
Fertilized with our Turf King fertilizer April 28th
http://www.hgseniorcare.com/
www.hamiltonturfking.ca

HOMEOWNERS RECOGNIZE VALUE OF EXPERIENCED LAWN CARE SERVICE

HOMEOWNERS RECOGNIZE VALUE OF EXPERIENCED LAWN CARE SERVICE

Lawns provide benefits to the environment.  There is an anti lawn movement being created by special interest groups across Canada.  Many organizations concerned about fertilizer inputs and other plant health care practices have done their best to change the perception that Canadians have about their lawns and other recreational turfgrass areas.

The truth is that the attempts by these groups to vilify lawns, golf courses and other turf areas in general in an effort to convince people to switch to alternative landscapes could actually be harmful to the environment.  Before you begin to dig up your lawn and pave it over or switch to an alternative landscape, you should consider some of the benefits provided by lawns.

The benefits of healthy turfgrass areas are similar to the benefits of trees and have been well documented by Dr. James Beard of Texas A&M, and other turf researchers across North America.

Some of the benefits associated with healthy turfgrass include:

- Healthy turf areas are prolific oxygen producers and help to sequester carbon dioxide.  Grass and other plants convert carbon dioxide into clean oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.  Thick healthy turf verses thin, dormant or weed infested turf is more efficient and effective in providing this benefit.
- Healthy turf helps to filter and improve air quality.  Healthy turf traps and absorbs dust and pollutants from the air helping us to breathe a little easier.
- Healthy turfgrass further helps to clean water that enters the ground.  The dense root mass and thatch layer (a thin layer of living and decomposing organic matter between the soil surface and the grass plants) and foliage acts as a natural filter helping to purify water.  Water that passes through healthy turf is generally much cleaner than before it enters.
- Healthy turfgrass also helps to moderate air and surface temperature on a hot summer day by as much as 5 degrees C.  Turf provides tremendous cooling effect through evapotranspiration or water loss through the leaves helping to moderate temperatures and reduce air conditioning needs significantly in urban environments.
- Turfgrass areas can also help to absorb and reduce noise by as much as 20-30%.
- Healthy turf provides a safe and comfortable playing surface for sports and leisure activities.
- Well kept turf reduces nuisance pests such as snakes, mice, moles and rats.
- Lawns that are well kept generally do not have as many weeds that can contribute to allergies such as ragweed.
- Healthy turfgrass areas are deeply rooted and help to stabilize soil, thus providing effective soil erosion control.

The benefits associated with healthy turf enhance our quality of life and far out weigh the benefits of weak, neglected weed infested turf or alternative landscapes.

There is a misperception in society that lawns are monocultures and that we should do more to promote more diverse landscapes.  Lawns are not monocultures.  They are usually made up of 2 - 3 species (i.e., Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescues) of turfgrass which incorporate different varieties or cultivars within the species.  Even lawns that are sodded with 100% Kentucky bluegrass, generally contain three to four different varieties of bluegrass selected for their tolerances to environmental conditions and stress and their ability to grow under adverse conditions.

Although it is a matter of choice whether you prefer the aesthetics of a lawn or an alternative ground cover or landscape (i.e., rocks or pavement), the choice should not be made on the misconception that lawns are bad for the environment.  In fact, the opposite is true in that lawns provide tremendous benefits to our environment.

Article written by Darcy Olds, Bayer Environment Sciences
Turf Talk Volume 1 Issue 6 Fall/Winter 2007

From Flower Islands to Artificial Turf

The City of Hamilton used to put in a lot of traffic island flower gardens. The program started under Mayor Wade, I believe in the 1990's. Recent budget cutbacks have seen a number of them disappear in spite of the corporate sponsorship program. A couple of years ago, a few were filled with decorative gravel.

Earlier this summer someone from the Public Works department called to ask if there were any products that could be used on the traffic islands. This person said that the city had tried weed whacking the weeds. The hot water machine worked reasonably well, but the equipment was no longer usable.

Today while driving, I was struck by an island of green. Whoa, that's artificial turf!

Is this a new sponsorship deal? Or is this the new beautification program? No water, no fertilizer, no mowing, no weeds? Personally, my guess is that the weeds will eventually creep into the edges and seams, but who knows.

BUT, then, driving a little further down the street, another section of the road had another green facelift. Several islands that had been full of flowers earlier this year were not sprouting real grass.

Now the real grass looked fairly new. Not all of it has filled in. And it looked like it needed a trim. Maybe this was just a fall cover crop? Or is this the other side of the new traffic island program?

Really uneven and too long. A little lawn care is needed here.

What will they think of next? A lawn in the median will need some care, even if it is only to trim it once in a while.

I'm sure a few pounds of grass seed are a whole lot less expensive than growing petunias and begonias in the greenhouse and transplanting them into the traffic islands. Is this the new place for lawns?

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Fall Colours

Fall colours on the landscape and lawn are a wonder to behold. The colours available take on a much larger dimension than the spring and summer colours. There are a few trees that give a mass of colourful blooms. None however, fill the eye's camera screen in the same way that the fall colours of trees can.

The sheer volume of colour in the leaves of a tree are overwhelming. And more so in the autumn. During the time the leaves are green, there is a lot more green around in the other plants, trees and lawns. In the fall, the other plants are less noticeable. Only the evergreens have a presence. The lawn is still green, but is often blanketed by the same palette of fall colours from the fallen leaves.

In some cases, the variation in the colours can create a stunning contrast- red, yellow, green.

The leaves of trees can be a detriment to the lawn in several ways. During the spring and summer, they restrict the amount of sunlight that reaches the lawn. This means we have to resort to special measure to be able to maintain a healthy lawn in the shade.

Once the leaves have decided to leave their lofty heights, they can also be a bit of a nuisance. If they are left on the lawn over the winter they will damage the lawn. That means the leaves must be dealt with somehow.  One way is to rake, rake rake.

Lawns can be an important visual component of a landscape. Maintaining their health is important to keep them looking their best and able to function as efficiently as possible.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Why Follow the Crowd?

It's that time of year for the Annual Hamilton Mum Show. And it's a time when many people add some fall colours to their homes and placed of business. Chrysanthemums are the queens of fall flowers. They are bushy compact plants bursting with colourful blossoms, spilling out over porches and walkways. They brighten your invitation to enter this home, "Welcome to our Home." ( in Spanish is "Bienvenidos a nuestra casa".)

Noticed a beautiful Fall Chrysanthemum at Heritage Green Nursing Home the other day. A brilliant yellow mum, at the peak of bloom.

But then as I looked closer, I saw a lonely bronze flower. Just one odd blossom in a sea of waving yellow blooms.

I remember from my classes in botany or horticulture at the University of Guelph, where we learned about chimeras. Here is this mum plant, there are 2 different genetic make-ups. One part with yellow flowers, one part with bronze flowers.

How did this happen? Most likely there was a mutation in a few cells that changed the colour from yellow to bronze. The stem of that flower somehow got its DNA coding mixed up.

I see something similar on many of the variegated euonymus plants. On a plant with green and gold leaves, you may find a branch or 2 that has reverted back to the plain green foliage. The variegated foliage is a sport or variety that somehow mutated in the first place. The green foliage twig has reverted back to the original genetic coding. Often the green section is more vigorous than the variegated part and if allowed to grow may overtake and overpower the variegated portion. Be sure to prune out the green foliage as soon as possible (assuming you wish to keep the plant as a variegated foliage plant.)

In business, some companies like to fit in and follow the rest of the world. Others prefer to do things differently.

Turf King Hamilton is geared to providing our customers with value and quality. We could provide the same fertilizer as the other companies. But the way we look at it, it takes the same amount of time to fertilize your lawn whether we apply a mediocre blend or whether we apply a custom blended high quality fertilizer. Any one can use mediocre blends or even cheap blends. They can offer to match the price of any competitor. I don't know if I have seen anyone offer to match the quality of any of their competitors. You will see some retailers who sell brand name products offering to match prices but here you are comparing apples to apples (at least for the product itself).

With lawn care, there is so much more than just a product. While we can be match by a competitor who may decide to offer a fertilizer with similar qualities, they also have to match our quality service. Here it becomes harder to define and harder to compare. And even harder to match.

Quality service starts with the attitude of wanting to serve your customers. They are not there to be taken advantage of. If we meet their needs, they will want our services. Granted, our quality of service is not for everyone. Some people want the cheapest price. Quality is of value only when it is appreciated. Our customers are looking for value.

And we do provide that value in many ways.

From having knowledge and expertise available to the technicians who care, and who are willing to spend extra time if and when needed, Turf King Hamilton strives to give each customer just what it needs.

Because every customer has different needs, we do offer a whole range of options to our lawn programs. Some companies have 3 programs, Good-Better-Best or Bronze-Silver-Gold. Whatever the name, pick one of these 3 programs. At Turf King Hamilton we have lawn care packages that can be customized in a multitude of ways. With or without crabgrass reduction fertilizer. With or without core aeration. With or without chinch bug protection. And so on.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Easy Lawn Care

Getting your lawn care looked after by the professionals at Turf King is easy. The King of Green will send technicians out to your lawn. Your lawn will be fed with high quality, fortified organic fertilizer. It takes the same amount of time to fertilize your lawn, whether we apply a mediocre lawn fertilizer or whether we apply Turf King's custom blend. Since the labour cost is the same, we prefer to put on the best fertilizer. Your lawn will be fed for up to 16 weeks.

A healthy, thick, green lawn is not going to be spoiled by a few weeds.

Once you have gotten used to have a professional lawn care company providing you with a lawn program tailored to your needs and budget, you'll wonder why you ever tried to do it yourself.

A healthy, thick, green lawn can be addictive.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Is White Clover a Weed?

By Paul Tukey / SafeLawns.org

Buzz up!

Once upon a time, before the advent of synthetic weed killers for the lawn in the late 1940s, most American lawns contained white clover. Because no formulation of weed control could be developed that left both grass and clover, but killed everything else, clover was then lumped in with the weeds in subsequent marketing campaigns.

The scientist who developed 2,4-D, the most common synthetic herbicide, was publicly apologetic because his new product had the unfortunate side effect of eliminating clover. "The thought of white Dutch clover as a lawn weed will come as a distinct shock to old-time gardeners," wrote Dr. R. Milton Carleton in his book, A New Way to Kill Weeds in 1957. “I can remember the day when lawn mixtures were judged for quality by the percentage of clover seed they contained. The higher this figure, the better the mixture.”

Today’s newfound emphasis on natural lawn care has folks taking a second look at clover as a primary lawn plant. The benefits are numerous:
Six Good Reasons White Clover Is Not a Weed

1. It’s low growing and needs little mowing.
2. It’s evergreen even in the coldest climates.
3. It’s drought tolerant, requiring little if any supplemental water once established.
4. It’s a fertilizer factory for grass and other plants since clover has the ability to store atmospheric nitrogen in its root systems.
5. It masks the presence of other weeds in the lawn.
6. It resists insects and diseases, especially the white grubs that can be a major lawn nemesis.

Paul Tukey is the founder of Safelawns.org. See all his Organic Lawn Care Tips.
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/clover-lawn-weeds-47071703#ixzz0LoYzcLAd
See also GTI Newsletter about clover

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

USING BORAX TO CONTROL CREEPING CHARLIE

USING BORAX TO CONTROL CREEPING CHARLIE

Borax (sodium tetraborate, a white, crystalline mineral salt) has been found to be an effective herbicide for creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea, also known as ground ivy, creeping jenny and gill-over-the-ground). Creeping charlie is an invasive perennial weed that vines throughout lawns and chokes out grass. Since the 1920s, borax detergent has been used as an herbicide to eradicate weeds, but it has only recently been tested scientifically for effectiveness on creeping charlie.

Borax contains boron which is an essential micronutrient that aids in sugar transportation in plants. However, in minute excess amounts, boron has a toxic effect on creeping charlie.

Borax must be applied with great caution because boron remains immobile in the soil and can accumulate to form a "hot spot" in the lawn. Boron toxicity results in yellow and brown spots around edges of leaves. Stems wilt and eventually the weed dies. Established grass appears to withstand the minute excess of boron needed to kill creeping charlie, though it may show brown discoloration temporarily. If the borax solution is applied in too high a concentration, or repeatedly, it will then be toxic to grass and many other plants.

This treatment can be applied only once each year for two years. If you still have creeping charlie problems, then switch to a standard herbicide.

Before applying borax as a herbicide be sure to test your spraying technique and the rate at which liquid sprays from the nozzle. Fill the sprayer with water and walk at a constant pace, passing back and forth over an area the same size as the one to be sprayed with borax. Your goal is to walk fast enough to empty the sprayer tank, spreading its contents evenly over the entire area.

---

Borax Solution for Creeping Charlie Control:

Dissolve 10 oz. Twenty Mule Team Borax in 4 oz. (½ cup) warm water.
Dilute in 2.5 gallons of water.
This will cover 1,000 square feet. If you have a smaller area to treat, cut the "recipe" accordingly.

---

Apply borax when creeping charlie is actively growing in the spring, when no rain is expected for 48 hours. The borax treatment appears to be most effective during warm summers when soil moisture is ample.

Remember: The borax recipe has been tested only on creeping charlie and is not to be used on other broadleaf weeds. Be sure to use the borax spray only in the lawn because research shows established grass is tolerant of the spray. It should not be used in gardens.

If creeping charlie is growing in a very shady location, think about what you can replace it with before spraying this borax treatment. Unless you can establish other plants you'll find the creeping charlie sprouting again in the same location.

A healthy lawn is the strongest defense against weeds. Maintaining a regime of proper mowing practices, watering and fertilization will enable any gardener to combat weeds in a lawn. Contact your local County Extension Office or call The Yard and Garden Line for information on lawn maintenance and fertilization.
From http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h519borax.html

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Another Yellow Flower to Watch For

Most people are aware of and know what a dandelion flower looks like. And it's okay if you like them because you're into dandelion wine or just pretty yellow flowers

Bird's foot trefoil is a lesser know yellow flower. It it not often found in lawns. You are more likely to see it along the roadsides. Especially roads without sidewalks, just near the rural boundaries or along the edge of a field.

What is the significance of this flower? It's what we call an indicator plant. When birds foot trefoil is in bloom, it indicates the chinch bugs are at the height of egg laying.

Of course, after the eggs come the baby chinch bugs or nymphs. These little guys like to suck the sap out of grasses. Enough of them can do a lot of damage to a lot of lawns.

Chinch bug Article in Library.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

The Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation
FACT: The Ontario turfgrass industry maintained 390,000 acres of turfgrass in 2007 while generating $2.6 Billion in revenue to the economy. The industry also provided 33,000 full time jobs while spending an additional $1.75 Billion on operating and equipment expenditures.
The Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation has released a detailed report of the economic size of the Ontario turfgrass industry. This comissioned study measures the scale and the breadth of the industry both in physical terms (acreage, employment) as well as in economic terms (gross revenue, expenditures on operating and equipment). The Ontario turgrass industry consists of diverse segments, such as golf courses, municipal parks, sod farms, lawn care companies and sports fields. Surveyed industry professionals and selected turfgrass industry segments, along with other data sources, provided an in depth analysis of the value of Ontario turfgrass industry. The results of this study emphasize the importance of the turfgrass industry to the economy of Ontario.
Click on the following link for a brief summary Highlights of Economic Profile of the Ontario Turfgrass Industry.pdf For a copy of the full report, click on Economic Profile of Ontario Turfgrass Industry.pdf

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2008 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

The Art of More Paths

Lawns can be more than just a lawn in a garden.
A garden is are considered to be made up of trees, plants, flowers and flower beds. Certainly all of these elements are an integral and important part of a garden. Sometimes, lawns are sometimes looked upon as just the green stuff, the filler if you will between the flamboyant and colourful beds of well-designed and beautiful flowers and shrubs.

But, in reality, the lawn is more than just filler. It is the adhesive that binds all these sometimes diverse and varied elements together. The lawn can be a frame for the flowers. And, it can be the canvas on which the garden is painted.

We visited the Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina a few years ago. Here in addition to being the background for the camellias and azaleas, the lawns are also there to enhance the many figurative statues that grace the 9,200 acre site.

The photo I took is of the The Live Oak Allee garden. These 250 year old live oaks trees were planted in the early 1700s when Brookgreen Gardens was a thriving rice plantation. These inspiring matriarchs frame this garden space like a living cathedral. But here, also the lawn is an important element in allowing the visitor to take in all the beauty.

For more about lawns visit

www.lawncarehamilton.com

www.lawncarehaldimand.com

www.lawncarewaterdown.com

www.hamiltonturfking.ca

http://turfkinghamilton.blogspot.com/

http://kingofgreen.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/turfkingofgreen

http://bit.ly/g6Irnc