SML Outdoor Living Experts Five-Step Fertilizer Program For Comprehensive Three-Season Care

*Includes free soil analysis, a $35.00 value

  • First Visit
  • Second Visit
  • Third Visit
  • Fourth Visit
  • Fifth Visit

First Visit(mid-March to late April)

This application is granular. It prevents crabgrass from germinating later in the summer, and it also contains a slow-release fertilizer to help establish a thick lawn when your lawn comes out of dormancy once warmer spring weather arrives.

What to expect: A greener lawn once it starts to grow, reduced or no crabgrass, season-long prevention of not only crabgrass but also goosegrass, foxtail, dallisgrass, and Poa annua
What not to expect: Will not control or kill any existing weeds
What to avoid: Do not sow grass seed 3 weeks prior to application or 8 weeks afterward, Do not aerate/puncture/till lawn until late Aug/Sept

Second Visit(mid-spring, typically May)

This application is both liquid and granular. It controls broadleaf weeds like dandelion, plantain, and clover that are present in the lawn at the time of application.

What to expect: Dying weeds within 4 days, most dead within 14 days, reduced or no crabgrass
What not to expect: Will not kill weeds that germinate after the application; these will be treated at the next application
What to avoid: Keep off lawn (pets, too) until dry, typically about an hour after the application. Do not mow for 48 hours; do not aerate/puncture/till lawn until late Aug/Sept

Third Visit(early summer, typically June)

This application is granular (grub control) and liquid (weed control). It prevents grubs (the larvae stage of many types of beetles) from damaging your lawn later in the summer and fall. We also spot-treat areas with significant weeds for visible broadleaf weeds that have germinated since the previous visit.

What to expect: Dying weeds within 4 days, most dead within 14, The small amount of fertilizer in this application will help your lawn as the hot days of summer approach and you should not see any grub damage later on
What not to expect: Will not kill weeds that germinate after the application; these will be treated at the next application

Fourth Visit(late summer, typically early September)

This application is liquid. It controls broadleaf weeds like dandelion, plantain, and clover that are present in the lawn at the time of application.

What to expect: Dying weeds within 4 days, most dead within 14. The fertilizer in this application gives your lawn another boost of vigor
What not to expect: Will not control weeds that germinate later on
What to avoid: Keep off lawn (pets, too) until dry, typically about an hour after the application. Do not mow for 48 hours

Fifth visit(autumn, typically late September/ early October)

This application is granular. It helps to revitalize your lawn from the hot summer and gives your lawn the necessary elements to strengthen it, including the roots, for the winter months.

What to expect: Thicker, greener lawn after a few weeks if there has been enough rain to activate the application
What not to expect: No spot treatment for weeds unless there are areas that have significant amounts of weeds

Occasional Fertilization

 You ask, we'll do it

Again, we highly recommend our five-step program because it’s more efficient and effective in the long term. Even so, we also offer occasional fertilization based on your site conditions and budget.

Soil Testing & Analysis

Know your own lawn...

SML Outdoor Living Experts five-step fertilization program includes a soil analysis to determine your lawn's current nutrient levels. Our full five-step program gives you the best value with the greatest long-term effect and efficiency, but we also offer soil testing alone if that's what a client wants. The testing begins at $35.

Professional Services Links

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Seth's Tips & Tricks

  • Grow bigger fruits and veggies. Let us take a soil sample from your garden and send it off for testing. It's possible that a few natural amendments will do wonders for your blueberry or tomato crops.

  • Lighten up! Landscape lighting adds not only a wow effect to your property at night, but it also provides an element of security. And with low-cost LED lighting, there are no bulbs to change.

  • Go easy on the mulch. If you mulch yearly, make it only about 1 inch thick. More mulch can't break down and, instead, builds up to the point where it damages plants and trees. Also, too-thick mulch can actually promote weed and mold growth.

  • Be edgy. You can clean up the edge between your lawn and mulched beds if you turn your string trimmer upside down and run it along a defining line to cut off bed encroaching grass. Too difficult? Ask SML to do it instead.

  • Shear your sheep, not your shrubs. Save the power shearing for your sheep and ask us to prune your shrubs by hand. Yes, selective hand-pruning takes more time and effort, but you'll love the more natural look. And your shrubs will thank you.

  • If your lawn has turned brown, avoid walking or playing on it as much as possible until it is no longer stressed and it has started turning back to green. Don't mistake drought stress for insect or disease damage...lawns typically recover from drought stress but may need extensive repairs from insect or disease damage.

  • Stop weeding! Unless you really and truly like to spend your days weeding around your flowers, have us apply a commercial strength pre-emergent weed control product. You'll be amazed at how much less weeding is needed.

  • De-stress your lawn. Stay off lawns that brown out in the hottest days of summer. Those lawns will likely recover, even if it's next season. But don't mistake drought stress for insect or disease damage. In that case, ask SML to repair.

  • Be kind to your pavers. Sealing pavers helps to intensify the color and protects them from wear and staining. We can even use sealants that give your pavers a "wet" shine when the surface is dry.