Second round of fertilizer starts today

Our Summer Fertilizer is a granular fertilizer with a 50 percent slow release. If you have not already gotten an estimate call our office for an individualized quote: 952-252-3301.

If you have already signed up for the Summer Fertilizer, your application will be scheudled according to our weekly mowing routes sometime between July 1 - September 15.

Do you have a specific request pertaining to the timing of your fertilizer application? Please call or e-mail our office staff and we will do our best to honor your request.

Thanks!
PLS

Mowing Schedule for the Week of July 4th

Next week our office will be closed on Friday, July 3 for the July 4 weekend. This means that our weekly mowing routes will be condensed to a four day schedule for that week.

All mowing will be completed by Thursday, July 2. All of our customers can expect to have their lawns mowed on either:

1. Your regular mow day
2. The day BEFORE your regular mow day

For example: If your mow day is usually Tuesday, your yard will either be mowed on Monday or Tuesday.

Customers with concerns or specific requests should contact our office as soon as possible.

Thanks!
PLS

Tips for Keeping your Grass Green

Who wants a yard full of brittle yellow grass? No one!

It hurts your feet and (most importantly) it makes your home look less attractive. Our staff has put together a list of helpful tips for keeping your grass green, the way it should be:

1. The length and frequency at which grass is cut is a crucial factor in determining whether or not you will have healthy looking grass. It is recommended to keep the grass cut at around 3 inches in length. Shorter grass is more difficult to maintain as it needs more water and is more susceptible to weeds.

2. We recommend watering your grass once a week. Keep in mind that watering is more effective if it is done “deeply and infrequently”. Generally, a lawn needs about an inch of water per week. It is better to soak the lawn once rather than in small increments throughout the week.

3. Finally, a simple way to assure your grass looks its best is to fertilize regularly. If you are not currently signed up for one of our fertilize programs, it is never too late! Our next round of fertilizer is due to begin towards the end of June.

Memorial Day pushes back mowing schedule by 1 day

I hope you all had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Since we were closed on Monday, all of our routes have been pushed back one day this week. For example, if your lawn is typically mowed on Mondays, it will be mowed on Tuesday this week. And if you are a Friday customer, your lawn will be mowed on Saturday etc...

Things to keep in mind with the altered mowing schedule:

1. Adjust your sprinkler systems accordingly. If the sprinklers are going off when the lawn crew arrives, we won't be able to mow your lawn this week.

2. Please do not forget to call us 48 hours in advance if your grass is too short to mow.

3. If you have a party, construction, or other plans for this week that will obstruct your lawn or access to the lawn, please let us know 48 hours in advance.

Thanks!
PLS

Irrigation Start-ups

With one week of mowing under our belts, we're now working on some of the extraneous lawn services as well. Fertilizations and Weedsprays started last week with mowing, and this week we'll also be working on Irrigation Start-ups. If you have a sprinkler system and you're interested in a start-up, call or e-mail us for details this week!

Mowing starts this week

As of this week Monday, the mowing season has officially begun for Peterson Lawn. Our weekly mowing schedule is as follows:

MONDAY
Commercial properties

TUESDAY
Edina
Hopkins
Minneapolis
Minnetonka
St. Louis Park

WEDNESDAY
Golden Valley
Plymouth
Robbinsdale
St. Louis Park
Wayzata

THURSDAY
Deephaven
Eden Prairie
Minneapolis
Minnetonka
St. Louis Park
Wayzata

FRIDAY
Edina
Minnetonka
St. Louis Park

If you have any questions about your mowing schedule, please call or e-mail us!

Thanks,
PLS

MORE Spring Clean Ups!

Weather permitting, here is our clean up schedule for this week (please watch for updates to this schedule as the week continues):

MONDAY, April 27
Minnetonka

TUESDAY, April 28
Wayzata
Plymouth

WEDNESDAY, April 29
Edina
Minneapolis

Please remember, this scheudle is tentative based on the weather and how many clean ups our crews complete each day. Please continue to check our blog for updates. And if you need your clean up to be completed by a certain date, please call our office and we will forward your request to the lawn crews.

-PLS

SPRING CLEAN UPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the weather warming up, bright green buds are appearing on trees and popping up from the ground -- a welcoming sign after a long, cold winter. Now that the snow is gone for good, this is the perfect time to get all of those dead leaves cleaned up from your yard.

Our crews began spring clean ups last week. With our commercial properties nearly completed, the focus is now on the yards of our residential customers. So far, clean ups have been done in Deephaven, Excelsior, Plymouth and St. Louis Park. Below you will find our schedule (weather permitting) for the next couple of days:

Thursday, April 23
St. Louis Park
Wayzata

Friday, April 24
Minnetonka
Golden Valley

Thanks for visiting!
-PLS

How to Make a Compost Pile

Want a healthier looking lawn? Try composting, this is an environmentally friendly way to make your lawn look better and reduce the cost of disposal. Composting your yard will improve soil structure, reduce soil erosion, and lessen the need for chemical fertilizer.

Location:

It is important to start your compost pile on a level area with good drainage. The ideal location will provide the pile with half a day of sunlight. Shaded areas work fine as well but make sure the area is not covered in a way that will prevent rain from reaching the compost. Keep your pile in a space away from animals and out of the way of any activities that might take place in the yard. Finally, if the compost pile is going to be in a damp area consider placing the compost on a pallet.

Size:

The ideal size for a compost pile is between 3ft x 3ft x 3ft or 5ft x 5ft x 5ft. If the compost is smaller than 3x3x3 it may not heat up enough, and compost larger than 5x5x5 could hold too much water.

Best Time to Start:

Spring or fall is a good time to start. There is an abundance of nitrogen from the cool lawn and carbon from the leaves in the fall. Fall is the best time to start however your compost will slow down through the winter months.


Layering:

It is only necessary to do this step when first starting the compost pile. Continue layering until you run out of materials. Water each layer once it is added to the pile.

Layer	Items	Thickness
1. Organic Materials	Corn stalks, chopped corn cobs, garden debris, grass clippings, hay, vegetable waste, sod, straw, twigs, and untreated saw dust	6-8 inches
2. Animal Manure or Fertilizer	Manure from a grain eating animal Or 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 Fertilizer	1-2 inches Or 1 cup per 25 sq. feet
3. Top Soil	Garden soil	1-2 inches

Maintenance:

· The ideal temperature for a compost pile is 110º- 160º F. A metal pole will help determine if your pile is heating up. You can also purchase a compost thermometer.
· It is a good idea to turn your compost once every 4-5 weeks. Use a pitchfork to help turn the pile.
· Materials will decompose faster with more surface area. Use clippers or a shredder to cut up materials.


*If you need a pallet for your compost pile call us at 952-252-3301

Note: St. Louis Park has regulations concerning compost piles. Visit www.stlouispark.org/composting.htm for more information.

Welcome to our blog!

In addition to our new Web site, the staff at Peterson Lawn has created this blog just for its valued customers. In our blog you will find information on:

• Our weekly service schedule. We will tell you what are crews are doing each week and what cities they will be working in.
• Service delays due to weather. As soon as we know how our schedule is affected by rain, harsh winds, or snowfall we will let you know.
• Eco-friendly lawn care tips. Ever wonder how to get a compost started or what the benefits of composting are? We'll give you information on starting a backyard compost and much more!
• Information on the services we offer. We won't just tell you what services we offer, we will also tell you how each service works and what time of year it should be performed for optimum results. Check back this spring for posts on aeration, fertilization, weed sprays and bush trims.
• Important dates. This section of the blog will contain information on city yard waste pick-up dates etc...

If you have any comments for our blog, or if you have an idea for our next post, please feel free to leave us feedback by clicking on "comments" below. You do not need to be a member of Blogger to use this feature. Or, if you prefer, send us an e-mail at: info@petersonlawn.com.

-PLS