FACTS & QUESTIONS

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? We price our services on the square footage of your lawn. We measure lawns online using Google maps + Auditor's website, and provide free quotes. We find our prices comparable to traditional chemical treatments for small to medium sized lawns (1,000-6,000 sq. feet). For the larger lawns (7,000 sq. feet and up), our prices may be a little higher than chemical treatments. Keep in mind that since organic products break-down slowly, we only need to apply four applications per year. Chemical treatments are typically applied more often, and many of their programs include 6-8 applications per year. So while our per treatment price might be a little higher, you may end up paying less since you don't need as many applications. Our company does not cut corners on the quality of our products, nor do we use cheap "organic" substitutes such as Urea.

HOW WILL YOU BILL ME? Invoices will be sent out after each treatment is completed. There is no need to pre-pay for services, nor do we offer a pre-pay discount. We can email or mail your invoices. Please indicate your preference on the contract.

DO YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS? Yes. Please select the online/emailed invoice option when you sign-up for services. An invoice will be sent to you through Quickbooks with a link to pay online securely with either your bank account or any major credit card.

DO YOU PROVIDE A 1-DAY NOTICE BEFORE TREATMENTS? We are happy to provide you with a 1-day emailed notice before all lawn services. Please indicate your preference on the contract. This can be helpful if you have locked gates or outdoor pets.

HOW WILL I KNOW YOU TREATED MY LAWN? Similar to chemical companies – we leave a sign. They are required by law to inform you that chemicals were applied, so they leave a sign warning you to stay off the lawn. We leave a sign that announces “Touch Me! I’m Organic" letting your neighborhood know that you are making a safe choice for your family, community and environment.

WILL MY SERVICE BE AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED? Yes. Your lawncare services will automatically be renewed each year (excludes Overseeding, Aeration, Soil Amendments, and Soil Testing). If you would like to alter or cancel services, please reach out to our office by the end of February.

WHAT DO YOU USE FOR WEED PREVENTION? We use DDG (dried distiller's grains) as a pre-emergent. For more information on this product, please check out our All-Natural Products page.

HOW CAN I KILL EXISTING WEEDS? In the past, we had provided Fiesta Natural Dandelion treatments to kill dandelions and some other weeds. While it is a great all-natural product, we found it difficult to successfully treat customer lawns within the product’s effective window and application perimeters. We no longer offer a natural weed treatment for existing weeds. Instead, we recommend homeowners treat existing weeds DIY with a similar all-natural product: Bonide Captain Jack’s Lawnweed Brew. This product is an iron based product, has an easy to use spray applicator, does not kill grass, and can be purchased off Amazon. Another option for killing weeds in patios, hardscape areas, and gardens is to use a Flame Weeder with propane tank.

OVERSEEDING SEEMS EXPENSIVE - IS IT WORTH IT? While the cost of having your lawn Overseeded may seem steep, it is an investment in your lawn's future. Lawns with thin grass or bare spots are perfect targets for weeds. In nature, plants produce seed to reproduce themselves and spread new plants. Grass that is mowed regularly has no opportunity to set seed and produce new grass plants. Over time, your lawn will need new grass introduced to help fill-in thin areas and bare spots.

We use a slit seeder to add high quality Turf Type Tall Fescue (TTTF) grass seed to your lawn, the variety most disease and drought resistant in Central Ohio weather conditions. Re-seeding your lawn with TTTF grass seed can also help save money on your water bill. Having a more drought resistant variety of grass can better withstand our hot Central Ohio summers means less watering. 

CAN YOU OVERSEED MY LAWN IN THE SPRING? While we typically recommend late Summer Overseeding, we do offer Spring Overseeding. We find grass both germinates and matures best under late Summer weather conditions. During that time of the year we begin to have cooler nights and regular rainfall. Late Summer Overseeding offers plenty of time for newly planted grass to germinate (typically 12-14 days), and begin to mature before the winter frosts arrive. After Overseeding lawns for many years we have found optimal germination and long-term growth results from late Summer Overseeding.

For lawns without much grass, which are at risk for large scale weed invasion, we can Overseed in the Spring (called "frost seeding"). Grass seed planted in early Spring will germinate slowly for a longer period of time as the soil temperature begins to rise. The new grass will need to be regularly watered for the entire germination period, which can last several weeks longer than late Summer germination. The biggest obstacle for new grass plants in early Spring is surviving the heat and low rainfall conditions of Central Ohio Summers. It is difficult for the newly planted grass to have matured enough to survive the dormant growing period of Summer. Homeowners will need to water early Spring planted grass throughout the entire Summer on a regular basis.

CAN I DIY RE-SEED MY LAWN? Yes! Please let us know if you plan to re-seed your lawn. The weed pre-emergent product we use (DDG) will also act upon grass seed and suppress it's growth. We will substitute the DDG treatment with organic fertilizer accordingly. We will also email you our Guide to Reseeding, to help get your newly planted grass off to the best start. Here are our DIY re-seeding recommendations.

• Use Turf Type Tall Fescue grass seed. It is often available at Oakland Nursery (brand name Titan).

• You will need 10 lbs per 1,000 sq. feet (for established lawns) of grass seed. If you need your lawn square footage, please contact our office and we can provide you with that information.

• The best time to plant is late August through the end of September. You can also plant in early Spring (frost seeding), which allows the seed to germinate slowly as the soil temp begins to rise.

• When planting the seed you can either hand-cast or use a slit seeder, which can be rented at Home Depot.

• Water the new grass daily for the first 2-3 weeks. You should begin to see seeds germinate in 10-15 days.

• Water the lawn for 15 minutes in each newly planted area of your lawn.

• During the germination period you may water the lawn in the morning or in the evening.

• After the seed germinates you can then continue watering every three days for the next 2-3 weeks until new grass is established. Watering in the morning is best and reduces potential fungus problems.

• The first mowing after re-seeding should be short (1 inch). The second mowing should be a little higher (1.5-2.0 inches). Each subsequent mow should be at the regular height (at least 4.0 inches).

WHY DO YOU ONLY AERATE DURING THE FALL? We only provide lawn Aeration service in the Fall. This is primarily due the fact that Spring Aeration can create the perfect situation for Crabgrass to germinate. Considering the high potential for an influx of weeds we only aerate lawns in the Fall.

DO I REALLY NEED TO MOW HIGH? Yes. This is the single most important aspect of Organic Lawncare. When you mow your lawn too short (under 4 inches), you are reducing the surface area of the grass blade which is able to absorb sunlight, and ultimately feed the plant. In addition to providing the grass plant with more nutrition, grass blade length is directly related to root depth. Longer blades equals deeper roots. Short grass also allows sunlight onto the soil, where weed seeds can begin to germinate. Tall lush grass will help shade out and out compete weeds.

MY LAWN IS NOT GREENING UP AS QUICKLY AS CHEMICALLY TREATED LAWNS. WHAT'S GOING ON? We feed the soil - they feed the plant. Chemical fertilizers release their nutrients too quickly, creating excessive plant green-up without giving time for strong root growth. Organic fertilizers are derived from natural plant and animal source, and break down slowly to provide steady plant and root growth. Organic lawns green-up beautifully over a longer period of time than chemical. Actually, clients who have used our Organic Lawncare services for several years tell us that their lawns are usually the first to green-up in their neighborhood every Spring.

YOU JUST SPREAD THE 4TH LAWN TREATMENT ON TOP OF LEAVES. WILL IT STILL WORK? Yes. The #4 fertilizer treatment will still be effective. Please don’t worry if there are leaves down when we apply the final treatment of the season. Our fertilizer is granular, so during the raking process it will work its way down to the soil.

DO YOU PROVIDE A GUARANTEE? We do not provide any specific guarantees in terms of results, as there are many variables that go into lawn performance (i.e. soil composition, weather conditions, homeowner maintenance, etc.). We do promise to be responsive and stay in touch with you to help meet both your needs and the needs of your lawn. We have some customers who have left us feedback and have kindly allowed us to share their experiences.

WHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY DO TO REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE? Organic lawncare reduces your “carbon footprint” by taking CO2 from the air, and putting that organic matter into the soil. We buy our products in bulk, and purchase many products locally.  We email invoices and send most of our information to clients electronically, resulting in less paper products consumption.