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 Fertilization Schedule for a Healthy Tulsa Lawn

Every homeowner wants his or her lawn to be lush and vibrant all year. Like an exercise or diet plan, maintaining a good Tulsa lawn care schedule is important to a lawn’s success. A good Tulsa lawn fertilization schedule is crucial in your endeavor for a lawn that’s the envy of your neighborhood. But what is a good lawn fertilization schedule for Tulsa lawns? First, we have to think about what your grass needs and why.

Like us, grass needs nourishment to grow. So especially when grass starts growing in early spring after a long winter, it needs adequate nutrition including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to build strong roots and turf. Experts recommend that when soil temperatures start to reach 60 degrees is a good time to feed your lawn, depending on the type of grass you have.

First, however, you should aerate your lawn. Aerating helps to remove thatch, or dead grass, in the lawn and break-up compacted soil so that your lawn can effectively use the fertilizer.

As grass grows, though, weeds grow also, so pre-emergent weed control will be needed to avert the spread of weeds like crabgrass. There are combination weed control and fertilizers that can feed your grass while stopping weed growth. An organic pre-emergent weed control agent like corn gluten meal, is also a good source of slow-release nitrogen, World of Lawn Care noted, so this type of weed control may also serve as a good lawn fertilizer as well.

In late spring, lawn fertilization is also important before the stress of Tulsa’s summer heat in arrives. Providing adequate lawn fertilization during this time, when the grass is still growing, will help to thicken the grass blades and help fortify the root system. Combination weed control and lawn fertilization programs are great for this time of year when both grass and weeds flourish.

Summer heat can be ruthless on lawns, along with the accompanying drought, insects, and increased outdoor activity to wear on the lawn. Once again, your lawn will need a suitable lawn fertilization application for the summer season to protect the grass and soil from these stresses, depending on if it’s a cool season or warm season grass.

Many say fall is the best time to apply a lawn fertilizer treatment. The cooler weather and increased rain, along with a good fertilizer, will help your lawn recover from the stress of summer. Applying a fertilizer just before winter comes will help ensure grass and roots get to store up the nutrients they need for the long winter. This nutrient storage will help grass recover faster and be more vibrant the following spring.

The Tulsa lawn fertilization and weed control experts at Oklahoma Landscape can help you get the right fertilizer and weed control treatments for your particular lawn to ensure it remains vibrant this summer.

Summer Staycations - Made Custom By the Premier Tulsa Landscaping Company

Even before spring gets here, Tulsa homeowners are now planning for summer – planning their summer vacations, home improvement projects, and even “staycations.” Why take a staycation? And what can Tulsa’s Oklahoma Landscape do to give you the ideal summer staycation spot?

Staycations became widespread when the economy took a downturn, but even with the country’s economy on the rise, many have seen the benefits of a staycation. Not only is there the reprieve from packing and traveling through busy airports, but there are also the obvious economic advantages. Many have decided to invest the money they would have spent on a luxury vacation into creating an indulgent retreat right at their home. As an investment, these home-based retreats add significant property value and curb appeal to the Tulsa home. 

But what kind of retreat is possible? Just about anything you could want. That’s where the Tulsa landscaping company Oklahoma Landscape comes in. We can create the one-of-a-kind vacation retreat you’ve always dreamed of, and all in your own backyard. We also provide numerous other hardscaping, landscaping, irrigation, drainage, lawn care, drainage, and landscape lighting services.

With Tulsa outdoor environment staycations, we can design and build an outdoor kitchen complete with state-of-the-art outdoor appliances like refrigerators, grills, pizza ovens, burners, sinks, and more. You can have bar seating attached, creating the perfect entertaining spot, along with extra cabinet and storage areas so you have all your prep and cooking utensils right at hand. Many have a stylish dining area nearby to bring the whole outdoor living space together. 

Custom outdoor fireplaces and fire pits offer an excellent way to stay warm during the chilly spring or fall nights while providing a cozy spot for chatting with friends. Combined with all-weather outdoor sofas, coffee tables, and chairs, these outdoor living areas give Tulsa homeowners all the comforts of the home outside. 

Relaxing swimming pools and in-ground spas customized to your home and family needs add the finishing touch to any outdoor environment. Paver patios create the ideal foundation for these stylish outdoor living spaces. 

We also offer custom Tulsa hardscaping to build retaining walls, decks, walkways, bridges, and patios that are not only practical but add the design details that make your outdoor living space come together. 

Landscaping is at the center of what we do. We strive to bring out all the beauty that nature provides and create living works of art that Tulsa homeowners can enjoy for years to come. The basis of great landscaping includes keeping your lawn healthy, vibrant, and lush. That’s why Oklahoma Landscape offers a custom 6-step lawn fertilization and weed control program to make sure your lawn has the nutrients it needs to be ready for summer. These Tulsa fertilization and weed control programs are beginning now as the grass prepares for spring growth. Overseeding and aeration are also important aspects of turf care. 

Oklahoma Landscape also offers commercial and residential Tulsa lawn maintenance to relieve business and homeowners of the worry and hassle of regular lawn care. 

From designing luxury outdoor living spaces to creating custom irrigation and drainage solutions and everything in between, we can deliver all the Tulsa landscape design and build services you need to create the perfect home and the perfect summer staycation spot.

Fertilization and Weed Control Tulsa - Custom Programs for Healthy Lawns

A healthy, green lawn is the basis for any great Tulsa landscape. Having a vibrant, rich lawn sets the perfect stage for increasing curb appeal to the home and showcasing a beautiful outdoor living space. That’s why Tulsa lawn fertilization and weed control is so vital. Without the nutrients and care it needs, a lawn doesn’t have solid footing and can easily succumb to weeds, erosion, or heat.

So, even before spring comes, it’s good to have a fertilization and weed control program scheduled in order to have the healthiest lawn possible. What benefits come from having a fertilization and weed control program in place? 

Weeds are usually divided into two main categories: either broadleaf weeds or grassy weeds and can typically have either an annual or perennial life cycle. Thus, a custom pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control system is needed depending on the type of weed. Our Tulsa lawn care experts can develop a custom application schedule for your lawn to have the most effective weed control and giving you a hassle-free and weed-free lawn this spring.  

Having a Tulsa lawn care schedule ready will ensure you stop weeds from gaining the upper hand in your lawn. Especially during the spring, weed seeds are blown or carried in to your yard from surrounding areas. So, having a custom pre-emergent weed control system applied before these weeds develop will help to prevent them from taking over your lawn.

“Timing the application before germination of seeds is critical. For example, crabgrass is an annual grassy weed which germinates in the spring when soil temperatures reach 60F and above,” the University of Illinois Extension noted. “Thus, timely spring application is needed for crabgrass control products to be effective.”

This properly-timed weed control application is only part of an effective lawn care program. Keeping your lawn healthy is a vital aspect of weed control. Lawn fertilization treatments encourage a healthy, dense lawn and strong root system. Having a thick, vibrant turf will help to prevent weeds from getting the sunlight, water, and room they need to grow. Thus, a healthy, well-fertilized lawn will mean less weeds and overall less maintenance. Robust Tulsa lawns also reduce the chances of erosion, prevents areas from getting muddy, and in general is healthier for the environment.

Custom weed control and lawn fertilization programs in Tulsa can certainly bring a great deal of benefits to your landscape and your home overall. But there is a lot that goes into effective lawn care treatments. Much depends on your particular lawn and its needs. That’s why a custom Tulsa fertilization and weed control program can significantly increase the health and richness of your lawn. Oklahoma Landscape’s lawn care specialists can develop and schedule a custom program for your landscape – giving you a beautiful, weed-free, and hassle-free lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood. Call us today to schedule your lawn treatment at 918-299-LAWN.

Tulsa Lawn Fertilization and Weed Control - Vital for Vibrant Lawns

You’re probably enjoying the changing leaves of fall in Tulsa, and winter is here, so you may be thinking, ‘We’re in Tulsa. It’s getting colder. Why should I think about my lawn and its fertilization program?’

Well…actually a Tulsa lawn fertilization and weed control treatment programs can help your lawn be prepared for winter temperatures so that it can bounce back to be even more lush and green in the spring. Lawn fertilization helps replenish nutrients that were lost during the heat of summer, or because of stress and from just the passing of time.

Nutrients are key to a green, healthy lawn. Replenishing these nutrients allows the root system of your lawn to grow stronger and deeper for a robust and healthy winter lawn. These slow-release fertilizing treatments help the lawn have the needed nutrients, feeding it through winter, so that it’s ready when spring arrives.

While the 6-treatment Tulsa fertilization and weed control programs are finishing up this winter, it’s a good time to start thinking about the next set of treatments for the new year. A complete treatment program is really vital for grass to thrive and remain healthy and weed-free, so having a treatment program already scheduled will ensure your lawn doesn’t miss any of the nutrients it needs.

Pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control systems allow your lawn to be virtually weed-free. A healthy, green, weed-free lawn actually requires less time and attention to maintain. Healthy lawns become more resistant to stress, weeds, and disease. Using weed control systems in the fall will help prevent weeds taking the nutrients the root system needs and prevent them from overtaking the lawn in the spring.

Even though the temperature is getting cooler, fall is a great time to help your Tulsa lawn have the nutrients and strength it needs to survive the winter months and come back for a beautiful spring. Tulsa fertilization and weed control treatment programs can do just that, keeping your lawn lush, healthy, and ready for the next season.

Fall is the Best Time for Overseeding Tulsa Lawns

Is your Tulsa lawn looking a little worn-out? Grass starts to get old and look weary, thin, and brown due to heat or simply the passing of time. In this weakened condition, weeds can easily take over a lawn.

Overseeding your Tulsa lawn with new grass seed can help to revive your landscape and make it look vibrant and new again. Overseeding is the practice of spreading a layer of new grass seed over your existing turf.  This new layer of grass will fill in any bare spots in your Tulsa lawn and help it to stay healthy.

There’s also another benefit to overseeding your Tulsa lawn in the fall. “…overseeding with a cool-season grass in the fall ensures that you will have a green lawn during the winter months,” the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources division noted.

When is the best time to overseed or reseed? Fall is an opportune time because the soil is still warm enough for seeds to germinate in. Meanwhile, the air temperature is getting cooler, making it more difficult for weeds to grow and choke out the new grass. Cooler temperatures also mean a decrease in insects and disease to harm the new seeds. Thus, with adequate watering and fertilization, the new seeds can start to germinate before winter.

By overseeding your Tulsa lawn, it will become more resistant to diseases, weeds, and drought. Thus, a healthy lawn will need less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. So, a little overseeding now will be a big help in having a thick and green lawn in the spring.

Before you overseed, you will want to cut your grass lower than you usually do to allow more room for the new seeds to grow and to allow more sunlight to reach them. Remove any clippings and thatch in the lawn. It’s helpful to aerate your lawn, removing core patches of dead grass and soil, to allow more oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the roots.

After you spread or broadcast your new seed over the turf, lightly rake the lawn to help the seeds germinate in the soil. Apply a good fertilizer to the lawn to help the new seed grow strong. Many also recommend spreading enriched soil or a thin layer of compost over the seeds to supplement the soil, but it’s important to apply just a thin layer so as to not smother the new seeds before they can grow.
Watering is vital. Water the lawn immediately after overseeding, keeping the lawn damp but not flooded. Continue to irrigate the seeds several times a day for several weeks. After the seeds have begun to grow, you can water less frequently. Wait to mow the grass until it reaches about 3 inches high.

These simple steps to overseed your Tulsa lawn will help get it ready for winter so that your landscape can look lush and beautiful in the spring and remain healthy. Oklahoma Landscape in Tulsa offers complete overseeding services as well as fertilization and weed control to help maintain a green an attractive lawn.

Revive Stressed Tulsa Lawns with Fertilization and Weed Control

People associate lawn care in Tulsa with spring and summer, but the fall is actually the optimal time to take steps toward a healthy, greener lawn. Fall gives homeowners time to repair the damage caused by intense summer heat and help prepare the lawn for winter. Lawn fertilization and weed control in the fall can help Tulsa lawns be healthy and green in the spring.

Rout the Drought
This summer’s drought has left many lawns in Tulsa straw-colored and dormant. Fall lawn care can help your lawn recover. During a drought, you should continue to fertilize your lawn every eight weeks with a slow-release fertilizer. A lawn that has the proper nutrients grows dense, deep roots and recovers from drought faster. A regularly fed lawn will also be healthier and thicker than an unfed lawn. Couple feedings with infrequent, deep watering to promote deeper roots, which provide a larger reservoir of water to draw from.

After the drought passes, keeping this feeding schedule up through the fall should help your lawn green up quickly. If brown patches remain, fall is the time to consider raking those spots out and reseeding to get your lawn healthy for the following spring.

Feed the Need
Even lawns not stricken by drought need nourishment in the fall – and autumn feeding can make a big difference. Fall feeding can bring a dramatic improvement as the lawn recovers from summer damage. Lawn fertilization in Tulsa can help store vital nutrients your soil so that underground root development can continue until the ground freezes to ready the lawn for fuller growth in the spring. Two feedings — timed around Labor Day and Halloween — are recommended for Northern lawns, while Southern lawns are best-fed four-to-six weeks before the first frost occurs in your specific region.

Let It Breathe
In order to grow, a lawn needs air. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t see the grass due to leaf coverage, then it’s time to remove the lawn debris from the yard. Clearing leaves and clippings in the fall will help by removing clutter that keeps air and sun from reaching the growing grass. Heed caution if mulching leaves, as a thick layer spread onto the lawn actually does more harm than good.

One great way to let your lawn breathe is through core aeration in Tulsa, which promotes deep root growth. Aeration removes cores of dirt, thatch and grass and reduces soil compacting that can keep grass from developing roots deep enough to absorb rainwater. For best results, choose an aerator that removes plugs of soil, with the remaining holes at least 3/4″ in diameter, 3″ deep and no more than 3″ apart.

Overseed
Once the lawn is aerated, look for weak spots in it. Drought, thatch, insects, disease or seeding too lightly at first planting can make lawns thin or patchy. Overseeding — the spreading of grass seed directly onto soil within an existing lawn — can improve a lawn’s appearance dramatically and eliminate the need for a total lawn renovation.

Fall is the prime time to overseed because the warm soil promotes rapid seed growth and typically, fewer weed problems emerge at this time of the year. If the thatch layer of dead roots and stems below the green blades is more than 1/2″ thick, you should de-thatch the lawn before overseeding. If the presence of tree roots has resulted in an inadequate topsoil layer, spread a layer of topsoil no more than 1/4″ over the lawn.

The day before you overseed, mow the lawn slightly lower than normal. Be sure to use fertilizer when you seed. For the next several weeks after overseeding, keep the top inch of soil moist to permit growth.

Performing these simple Tulsa lawn care steps in the fall will help you have a beautiful lawn in the spring. For more information on fall lawn care and tips on preparing your lawn for winter, visit http://www.oklahomalandscape.com or call 918.299-LAWN.

Courtesy of ARA Content.