Essential Lawn Care Tasks to Take Care of Before Winter

As you can tell by the chill in the air here in Minnesota, winter will soon be here. Have you taken care of all of the lawn care tasks necessary to prepare your lawn for the cold months ahead? Not sure where to start? That’s where we come in! As expert providers of lawn care services for Maple Grove and the surrounding areas, Advanced Irrigation can help you take all the right steps toward maintaining a beautiful lawn.

The best way to ensure a thick, green, and healthy lawn in the spring is to give it some TLC right now. Here is a list of essential lawn care services your lawn needs this autumn. And, if you need assistance with or don’t have time for any of these tasks, don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Your fall lawn care services checklist:

• Rake. Leaves may look pretty but they're no good for grass; blocking the light and trapping moisture, becoming potentially fatal for the grass beneath. So when the leaves are falling, it is important you or your professional lawn care service blows or rakes them away as often as possible. 
• Water then winterize. If your lawn isn't getting at least an inch of water a week (a rain gauge is a useful way to keep track) then keep the irrigation system running until the end of October. Then, schedule your fall blowout for your irrigation system right away. This is one of the many lawn care services we provide at Advanced Irrigation. 
• Give it a final cut. Grass continues to grown until the first hard frost and so regular cuts are still necessary to keep it at an ideal height. If it gets too long it will mat and become vulnerable to fungi like snow mold. Cutting grass too short, however, is just as bad because it curtails the root system and impedes the lawn's ability to withstand winter cold. 
• Seed. Fall is the best time to seed because the ground is still warm, moisture is more plentiful and the sun is not as hot during the day. 

Ready to put the final touches on your fall lawn care? These are just some of the essential lawn care services that should be performed before the hard frost. Give us a call today to learn more about our services and why we are considered one of the most trusted names in lawn care services in the Maple Grove area. Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can request a Free Estimate.

Begin Your Spring Cleaning Out In the Yard

When you start your spring cleaning, why not start outside and work your way in? With the weather getting nicer, venture outside and give your landscaping a little sprucing up. But rest assured, you won’t have to tackle the weeds alone! spring will soon be on its way. At Advanced Irrigation, we offer a variety of lawn care services for Lakeville and the surrounding areas and would like to offer a few tips to help get your spring lawn care kicked off right.

Don’t forget to water the lawn! Usually the morning is the best time of day. If you water during the afternoon, too much of the water might evaporate. If you water overnight, it could lead to mold growth and other problems like that. If you don’t want to worry about it, a sprinkler system could be the answer! And, it just so happens lawn irrigation is one of the many lawn care services we provide. In terms of lawn care services, aeration is another important task because it leads to healthier and stronger grass.

Also, make sure debris gets cleaned off of your grass. If stuff like buckets, toys and leaves are left on your lawn, it could cause dead spots or interfere with the effectiveness of your lawn irrigation system or other lawn care services you’ve employed.

Promote a lush lawn. Don’t forget to apply grass seed and mulch. Look for areas of your yard where the grass looks like it is dead. Apply grass seed to those spots. Then take the time to mulch the bases of any trees, shrubs or flower beds. Mulch will help them to retain water and will help keep them warm when the nights turn chilly. Contrary to popular belief, mowing your grass shorter and more frequently does not always mean that your grass will not grow back as quickly. Mow your grass when it needs it and try to keep the grass blades at about 3 to 3 1/2 inches.

About once a week, go outside and inspect your lawn irrigation system. Look for any potential problems and give us a call if you spot any. Of course, Advanced Irrigation can also come out to inspect and repair your system whenever you want. While a lawn irrigation system will help water your lawn and keep your grass looking great, there are several other lawn care services that will make sure your lawn stays looking great all year long. And, these are just some important tasks to consider.

Ready to learn more about lawn care services in Lakeville? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or contact us and get a Free Estimate.

Fall Lawn Care Tips

Can you believe that fall is right around the corner? Now is a great time to start transitioning your lawn to the fall season. As a company that provides lawn care to Minnetonka residential and commercial clients, we have a few tips for you on how to keep your lawn looking great no matter what time of year it is.

Mowing Height

It is time to adjust the mowing height of your lawnmower. If you raised it during the summer months, reposition it so your grass will be about two inches tall after it has been mowed. If your lawn is a little shorter during the fall season, this is a great lawn care technique because it will prevent the grass from matting down under the weight of snow and leaves. But don’t cut your grass too short either because that can lead to weeds.

Water Your Lawn

Grass and other plants still need to be watered even as the weather cools down. Try to water your lawn once or twice a week if there has not been a lot of rain. If you have an irrigation system, it should be reprogrammed for the fall months. Talk to the professionals at Advanced Irrigation.

Weed Your Lawn and Garden

Fall is the best time of year for this lawn care chore. Weed killer sprays work the best when the temperatures are moderate and when the soil is moist. A little weed prevention now will help when the spring rolls around again.

Rake Debris

It is time to do one of the most dreaded lawn care chores: raking. Get rid of any leaves that have accumulated and any thatch that has accumulated too. Keeping up with this chore will help your grass grow next spring!

For more information on lawn care in Minnetonka, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or contact us for a Free Estimate.

Choosing the Best Brooklyn Park Lawn Care Company

Think spring! The warm weather will be here in Brooklyn Park before we know it, so now is a great time to start thinking about what lawn care company you’re going to hire for your Brooklyn Park home. As one of the best Brooklyn Park lawn care companies, Advanced Irrigation has a few suggestions on what to look for while you’re in the hiring process. Of course, we think we’re one of the best in the area, so we encourage you to give us a call to see what we can offer you and how we can help turn your yard into the backyard oasis of your dreams!

Remember the old cliché: “You get what you pay for.” Don’t necessarily hire the Brooklyn Park lawn care company with the cheapest rates. You want to be sure that the company is reputable. That’s why asking for references is so important. Take the time to follow up with a few of those references too. You can check out Advanced Irrigation’s testimonials page if you want to see what your Brooklyn Park friends and neighbors have to say about us and the quality of lawn care service we provide.

Definitely be sure to go with a lawn care company that is licensed and insured like we are. You want to be sure the company can back up its claims of quality service and materials.

Getting an estimate is also key. You can visit our free estimates page if you want to see how much we’d charge you to maintain your Brooklyn Park lawn, or we can come to your home and speak to you face-to-face and answer your questions and address your concerns. Any lawn care company that’s worth looking into will offer some type of written estimate so you know exactly how much they will charge to provide lawn care services to your home.

So when you are ready to hire a lawn care company, call Advanced Irrigation at (612) 599-8675 or contact us online.

Getting Your Maple Grove MN Lawn Ready for Spring: Lawn Care Tips

Advanced Irrigation has some great lawn care tips for your Maple Grove MN home. One of the last things on your mind during the winter months is lawn care. Maple Grove MN is pretty cold this time of year. But it’s never too early to start thinking spring!

One of the best lawn care chores you can start taking care of early on in the season is raking. Be sure to rake any leaves and debris, plus the first layer of thatch on your grass. Look out over your Maple Grove MN lawn and check out any bare or brown patches on your lawn. Get some grass seed and apply it (but be sure snow season is over!). Mulching is another necessary lawn care chore. Again, this is best done after the threat of snow is over. Two to three inches of mulch should go around the base of any plants, trees or shrubs in your Maple Grove MN yard. 

Then take another look at your Maple Grove MN lawn. Are there any dead tree limbs lying around (maybe the result of a snow storm or blizzard)? Remove those branches and prune any shrubs in your yard. 

If any weeds have grown throughout the winter, yet another lawn care chore is to pull those and spray some weed-killer to make sure they don’t come back before the spring and warm weather arrive. No sense in doing that lawn care chore twice if you can help it!

Finally, take the time to check on your lawn mower, which is your greatest tool when it comes to lawn care. Make sure the blades are sharp, the oil is changed and any air filters are new and clean. 

And for all of your Maple Grove MN lawn care needs, call Advanced Irrigation at (612) 599-8675, contact us online or get a free estimate online.

Lawn Care: Keeping Your Grass Green This Summer

There’s no other way of saying it: it’s hot outside. And while you might like basking in the summer sun, it can be rough on your grass. Therefore, it’s important to take proper lawn care precautions, especially when summer reaches its peak in July and August. If you’re unsure of how to properly care for your lawn, it’s important to hire a lawn care company in Plymouth, MN or wherever you may live. Otherwise, here are some tips on keeping your grass green this summer.

Fertilizing

One of the best ways to ensure your grass remains healthy is with fertilizer. For the best results, we’ll wait until the grass is dry and mowed. The fertilizer should sink into the ground, not stick on the blades. After we’re done fertilizing, we’ll water the grass to ensure proper growth, which brings us to our next tip ...

Watering

With the summer sun beating down on your grass, it’s important to make sure it’s properly hydrated. However, the amount of water necessary depends on the circumstances. If the area is suffering from a drought, it’s OK to go heavy on the water, but this should be avoided if you’ve had a lot of rainstorms lately. The best watering starts early in the morning, usually around 5 a.m., as this allows the grass to dry by nighttime.

Mowing

Having your grass mowed will help make your watering and fertilizing efforts be more successful, as these will be better able to reach the roots if long grass is not a factor. You’ll want to mow before fertilizing, and when the grass isn’t too damp. The clippings can provide beneficial nutrients to your lawn, so it’s recommended to let your clippings lay instead of bagging them up.

Need help with your summer lawn care routine? Call us now at 612-599-8675 or Request a Free Estimate.

How Landscaping Adds to Your New Twin Cities Home Design

If you’re building a home in the Twin Cities, landscaping shouldn’t be a thought that waits until after the home is built. As with selecting the right design for your home, the decisions you make regarding the landscaping will dictate how your home looks and how this will affect its property value. With a well-designed landscape, you not only added value to your home, but also complement your property’s indoor/outdoor flow.

Here are some tips to reflect on when considering your landscaping:

Use a Twin Cities landscaping professional

Not only will a professional landscaper like Advanced Irrigation understand your vision, but they will be able to put together drawings and options about what will work best in order to make the vision a reality. They will also be able to tell you which plants will and won’t grow best in your particular climate, location and soil, which will end up saving you more money in the future. If permits are necessary, they will also be able to take care of those.

Have a checklist and everything together

You’ll want to think carefully about how the outside and inside will flow together, and what is necessary to make your new home flow into the outdoors. These can include things like decking, garden boxes, paths and other features that can seamlessly blur the transition between indoors and outdoors.

Use your imagination

Designing your landscaping is akin to designing your new home in that your imagination should be able to fully unleashed. You want your landscaping to express your personality, while being an extension of your new home. If you’re struggling to come up with an idea or plan, ask a professional Twin Cities landscaping company what it recommend.

Have questions about the landscaping for your Twin Cities home? Give us a call today at 612-599-8675 or Click Here to Request a Free Estimate.

Summertime Lawn Care Necessities

Summer is still a few months away, but it's never too early to begin thinking about your lawn care regimen. After all, as one article noted:

In the summer season, caring for your lawn is something you might enjoy doing a bit more since the weather is nicer and more inviting. 

So, what is necessary for taking care of your lawn? If you have a sprinkler system, get in touch with an Orono MN lawn sprinklers company to have them checked out to ensure everything is in working order. You'll also want to have your lawn mowed on a regular basis, but making sure not to scalp your lawn. Weeding and recycling grass clippings are also important to keeping your lawn healthy. 

Read the entire article: "Caring For Your Lawn in the Summer." 

Lawn Care on a Budget

While it would be great to have the staff at Buckingham Palace taking care of our Minneapolis lawn care needs, most of us don't have the luxury of having access to a royal family's bank account. Still, working within a budget doesn't mean the look of your lawn will suffer: you can still have the neighborhood's best looking yard even with a small budget. Just keep in mind the following and you're sure to be able to do a lot with a little.

Mowing

Don't focus on trying to scalp your lawn. Yards that are low mowed are more costly, as they require more water and herbicide. In the summer, mow to a minimum of 2 1/2 inches, and try not to remove more than one-third of grass so as not to stress the lawn. Another tactic to try is to use a mulching mower and instead of discarding grass clippings, leave them on the lawn so nitrogen returns to the soil.

Watering

Your lawn should receive at least one inch of water on a weekly basis. Buy a rain gauge and is it to determine if this is happening naturally. If not, then water in the early morning or evening, so it doesn’t' evaporate.

Core aeration

Soil becomes compacted as the lawn is used over the years. This compaction reduces the soil's oxygen, which can lead to health problems. Compacting issues can be alleviated with core aeration. Do this before applying the last fertilizer of the season. While the immediate results might not be eye pleasing, it will cause your lawn to be healthier next season, with better access to fertilizer, water and oxygen. 

Lawn Care While You're On Vacation

Summer is a great time to take a few days off of work and hit the beach, visit an amusement park, or hop on a plane and check out some other destination. While you can take time off, relax, and enjoy yourself, the sun can't, and it can potentially harm your lawn if you don't take the proper steps to protect it before you head off on vacation.

One of the first things you should do is cut your grass, optimally the day before you leave. This can give you approximately 7 to 10 days without the grass getting too long. In fact, leaving your lawn uncut for an extended period of time (between 1 and 2 weeks) can actually be beneficial when rainfall isn't as heavy during the summer months.

Having your lawn checked for insect activity is also another good step to take. Time spent away can open the door for insects to attack patches of your grass, expanding their territory if left free while you're gone. A good professional lawn check-up can help you diagnose any of these problems and take care of them so you can vacation worry-free.

Looking to improve the look of your lawn and landscape? Get in touch with Minneapolis lawn care provider Advanced Irrigation today by calling (612) 599-8675,

Twin Cites Lawn Care Tips for Spring

Spring arrived late last month, and the weather is just about right for knocking out some landscaping duties on your property. If you're the do-it-yourself type, we have a couple tips for you to help get your spring maintenance started.

DO A LITTLE CLEANING
Your Twin Cities landscape has undoubtedly accumulated some debris over the winter. Leaves, branches, and other items have probably collected and will need to be cleared out before you start anything else. Make this priority number 1; after all, it's not healthy for your lawn to have items sitting on it for an extended period of time.

GET WEEDING & FERTILIZING
Clear out any weeded areas you see present on your landscape, and then fertilize your grass, flowers, shrubs, and other plants. For edible plants that you might plan on eating later, consider a fertilizer that is free of pesticides.

TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Make sure all of your sprinklers are working as they should be, that your pump is operating at its capacity and there's no problem with your water source. Test your control device to make sure it still works as it's supposed to.

Advanced Irrigation can help you tackle these tasks if you're not up for it on your own. Complete a free Twin Cities lawn care quote request today, or call us at (612) 599-8675.

Lawn Care Schedule

When establish a lawn care schedule, start at March and go into November. Here’s an example:

• March: Start thinking about what you want from your lawn
• April/May: Remove branches, and start mowing in May
• June/July: Your lawn is in full swing, so test the soil and remove weeds
• August: Keep an eye for insects and diseases, and treat as needed
• September/October: Repair bald spots and take care of those small landscaping projects
• November: Do a final mowing, and wait for Spring

Advanced Irrigation is a professional, Minneapolis lawn care services company. Find out more information at www.Advanced-Irrigation-Minneapolis.com. 

Lawn Care Tips

Lawn care doesn’t have to be a chore if you remember to:

• Fertilize every 60 days in early spring, and once a month before the growing season begins
• Remove weeds, as it will help your lawn be healthier
• Don’t set your lawn mowers too low, as you’ll damage your grass
• Keep your lawn watered, else it will dry out

Looking for a Minneapolis lawn care company? Then get in touch with Advanced Irrigation at www.AdvancedIrrigationMN.com.