Lawn Fertilization Tips for Spring in Tulsa

After Tulsa's wintery weather this past month, it might be hard to think past the cold, but believe it or not, it's never too early to start planning ahead. With these simple lawn fertilization tips, your grass can get a head start on looking great sooner and staying lush and green longer! Good fertilization builds a healthy foundation from which your lawn will grow and also protects agains stressful conditions later in the hot Tulsa summer.

Test Your Soil's pH

Depending on what kind of grass you have, it's typically time to start fertilizing your lawn once soil temperatures start reaching 60 degrees. Fertilization isn't a one-size-fits-all practice but is intended to correct and optimize the chemical and nutrient conditions that are unique to your soil. Start by having your soil’s pH tested to see what nutrients might be lacking.

Even the best-kept lawns have now spent the past few months under the strain of a cold winter. Testing your soil's pH will tell you how to provide good nutrition to get back up and running this spring. You may need to replenish nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium in order to build strong roots and turf.

Prepare for Spring Fertilization with Lawn Aeration 

You will also want to prepare your lawn by aerating. This helps remove thatch or dead grass and breaks up compacted soil to ensure that the nutrients can penetrate deep into the earth. Aeration also helps achieve better drainage and makes more room for oxygen—it's all about building the strong and healthy root system your lawn needs to thrive. While you're at it, you might consider overseeding to help fill in any gaps in grass coverage left after the winter.

Combine Fertilization with Pre-emergent Weed Control

Springtime isn't just about fertilization. Remember that the same nutrients that kick start your grass are also favorable for other organics hiding in your lawn, even weeds! Get ahead of the curve by utilizing pre-emergent weed control to prevent these troublesome plants from establishing themselves. There are even some weed control and fertilizer combos, including some organic options like corn gluten meal. These convenient solutions can both strengthen your grass and kill weeds at the same time.

Protect Your Work with Good Mowing Techniques

When it is time to start mowing, don't forget to start out with a higher blade height around three inches, cutting no more that a third of the grass blade at a time. This will help reduce strain on your lawn in this crucial time of growth and replenishment, keeping the soil cool and preventing weed seeds from getting sunlight. Make sure you do not over-stress the grass by scalping the lawn with an overly short blade height.

Make a Lawn Fertilization Schedule

When your done, it's time to sit back and watch your grass grow! We advise fertilizing your lawn again six to eight weeks after this initial treatment, so keep a fertilization schedule to know what's up next and don't hesitate to contact our Tulsa Lawn care specialists. You're well on your way to a vibrant and beautiful Tulsa lawn this spring!

Lawn Fertilization - Pet Safety Tips

We love our pets! We want them to be able to fully enjoy the grassy space of the outdoors. But at times our Tulsa lawn’s fertilization and weed control needs may require the use chemicals that if ingested can  have serious effects on dogs and cats.

“While small ingestions of fertilizer may only result in mild stomach upset, larger ingestions can result in severe poisoning from the iron, nitrogen, and other chemicals,” The Pet Poison Helpline noted.


It’s very easy for pets to pick up fertilizer on their paws, or body, by rolling around in a lawn, and thereafter quickly ingest the weed control herbicide or fertilizer.

Dr. Petra Volmer, a veterinarian and toxicologist at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana said in an article about pets and safety around fertilizers stated, “If you find your pet rolling or walking in a recently sprayed area or spray him by accident, immediately wash the substance off with a mild dish soap, such as Dawn, and contact a veterinarian.”

Dr. Volmer  also noted that insecticides like those used in the garden for roses and molluscicides for snails, , are often more toxic to pets than herbicides or fertilizers so it’s good for homeowners to be especially careful when using these around animals.

What can you do to protect your pets when you’re fertilizer or weed control treatment to your Tulsa lawn?

It’s always best to follow the instructions on the manufacturer’s label exactly in how much to put down and when to permit access to lawn again. Applying too much fertilizer may cause the grass to retain the fertilizer residue for an extended period of time.

Carrie Gustavson with the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine stated “…make sure a treated lawn is completely dry after waiting the maximum period recommended on the label. To be extra safe, consider watering down the lawn after application and letting it dry before allowing pets into the area.”

Liquid fertilizers, may be harder to see on the lawn, and to know if they've been absorbed into the soil. Often water will be used along with a liquid fertilizer to help it be absorbed into the soil. You’ll need to keep pets off the lawn until the grass is visibly dry after being watered, an article in the SFGate Home Guide noted.

With granular fertilizers broadcasted across the lawn it can more easily be noticed that the fertilizer pellets have dissolved and been absorbed into the soil after a watering of the lawn. Generally, you can allow your pets back onto the lawn 24 hours from when you last saw any granules on the grass blades.

You may want to wait at least 48 hours after the fertilizer application before you allow your pets back onto the lawn, to be on the safe side.

“Consulting a professional landscaper for custom fertilizing instructions is the best way to stay safe if you are unsure of the application amount,” the SFGate Home Guide noted.

Oklahoma Landscape, Tulsa lawn care and landscaping company, can take care of all your lawn fertilization and weed control needs so that your lawn not only stays beautiful but is also safe for your pets.

Lawn Care and Mowing Tips for Tulsa Landscapes - Aerating and Weed Control

Proper Tulsa lawn care is the foundation for a gorgeous landscape. As grass starts to grow in the spring, fertilizer and water are vital. Proper mowing techniques can also support your lawn in staying beautiful.  What are some Tulsa lawn care tips to help your landscape look lush and green this year?

Fertilization and Weed Control Tulsa

Weed seeds will have been inactive during the winter months, so spring is a good time to start a Tulsa weed control and fertilization program to cut weeds off at before they start. Pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control systems will help prevent weeds from taking over your lawn.  When the grass has a strong fertilization program, the grass can grow robust and have a better opportunity of crowding out any emerging weeds. Slow-release fertilizers will be best. Healthy grass is ultimately the way to hinder weed growth by blocking out sunlight and nutrients from those irritating weeds.

Aerating and Overseeding 

There may be areas of turf that have become compressed because of winter resulting in patches of thatch or dead grass. Because of the harsh winter weather, the soil may also have become compacted. Core aeration can help to relieve compacted soil and remove dead grass that can stop proper drainage and nutrients from reaching the soil. Raking the grass in the spring can also help to remove thatch.
As the soil is warming up and more rain falls, spring is also a good time to overseed your lawn with new varieties of grass to fill in any bare or brown spots in the lawn. The new grass seeds you plant will have a higher resistance to disease than the grass in your lawn already, thus making your entire lawn stronger and healthier.

As a full-service Tulsa lawn care company, Oklahoma Landscape can take care of all your weed control, fertilization, mowing, aeration, and overseeding needs and keep your lawn looking green and vibrant this year.

Lawn Mowing Tips

On the weekend, many dislike mowing their lawn, so they often mow the grass at the lowest possible level. However, mowing grass this short can damage the grass in the long run by putting more stress on the turf. When the grass is too short, the soil can dry out faster while weed seeds have more sunlight to grow.

To prevent this, mow your lawn at the highest level – removing only about the top one-third of the blade. This will help your turf stay thick and lush, thus choking out weeds and really requiring less maintenance overall.

Regular mowing can help to encourage new growth and make the turf stronger. Each time you mow, change the direction in which you cut the lawn to prevent ridges and grooves from forming. In addition, mowing the lawn diagonally creates a professional look for your landscape. Try not to mow in the heat of the day to reduce the stress on the turf.  Always keep the mower blades sharp.

Oklahoma Landscape can take the hassle and stress out of lawn mowing with our professional lawn maintenance services. Keeping in mind these few Tulsa lawn care reminders can help you create a green, lush, and beautiful turf to serve as the foundation for your perfect outdoor living space.

Weed Control in Tulsa - What is the Best Defense?

Lawn Care Tulsa

Weed Control…Tulsa homeowners know that to have a beautiful, healthy lawn you have to keep weeds in their place…virtually nonexistent, right? But what does that involve? Consistent lawn care all year round is the best defense against weeds. With a thick, healthy lawn, there’s less of a chance of weeds taking over.

For broadleaf weeds, you can start by using a weed herbicide to kill the weeds; and then after they turn brown, you can remove the thatch. But removing the weeds is only the beginning of consistent lawn care and a subsequently healthier lawn.

Aerating your lawn in the fall (for cool-season grasses) and in the spring or early summer (for warm-season grasses) can greatly improve the health of your lawn. Core aeration, as it’s sometimes called, breaks up compacted soil that over time can harden, keeping the roots from growing and preventing rainfall, fertilizer, and other nutrients from penetrating the soil. Aeration is done by making small holes in the grass and soil or by removing small core patches of soil and dead grass, or thatch. These small holes allow oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the soil and grass roots. Oxygen helps prevent diseases and increases growth, and with enough room in the soil, roots can continue to grow and flourish. Thus, this simple procedure can greatly increase the health of your lawn, giving it the strength and thickness it needs to choke weeds out.



Weed Control

Fertilizing your lawn in the fall, just after aerating, will allow the nutrients to reach the soil and roots. And with temperatures cooling, there will be better conditions for the soil and grass to repair and rebuild itself.

Overseeding your Tulsa lawn with cool-season grass varieties in the fall will help to fill in any bare patches of grass and strengthen your lawn with new grass seeds. This will help grass stay healthy and more resistant to diseases and weeds. Again, a healthy, vibrant lawn is the best defense against those pesky weeds.

While herbicides can help keep weeds at bay, truly healthy lawns require a regular maintenance program of aerating, fertilizing, and overseeding to have effective weed control.

For more information visit, Weed Control Tulsa.