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Coastal Entrepreneur Of The Year For Outstanding Customer Service.

This page is dedicated to all lawn and garden enthusiasts everywhere. Suggestions and recommendations are courtesy of our agronomy staff and plant care experts. Do you have lawn or plant care question? if so, please contact us. We are always here to help you.

Mt Airy, MD
Q. My Tall Fescue lawn looks great in the spring, but as the summer progresses, it seems to thin out and gets circular like patches. Any idea what this could be?
A. Your lawn thinning out during the warmer summer months, could be the result of number of factors or a combination of several things. Circular areas dying are likely the result of Brown Patch, a fungus disease that is common during the summer months. To minimize the occurrence of this disease, be sure not to fertilize with quick release nitrogen sources in late spring and summer, and keep irrigations to a minimum watering between the hours of 12:00 am and 6:00 am if possible. Proper mowing of 2.5”- 3.5” will also help reduce the incidence of this disease. If brown parch is a problem, your Freedom Lawns expert has professional disease control problems to prevent the fungus from spreading.

Business of the Year

Outstanding Environmental Services

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Monrovia, MD
Q. I have a Zoysia Lawn. What is the ideal mowing height for my lawn?
A. Zoysia Lawns perform best when mowed slightly lower than Fescues or Bluegrass. We suggest mowing your Zoysia lawn at 1”- 1.5“ weekly during the growing season.

New Market, MD
Q. I was in my yard yesterday, and noticed that a 6 ft. x 6ft area was uprooted, like an animal was digging for something. Any idea what this could be?
A. As this is the fall of the year, my guess is that you have either a skunk or raccoon in your yard searching for food. White grub worms are very active and near the soil surface this time of year. Both skunks and raccoons enjoy a tasty meal of grub worms. Grubs can also cause extensive damage to your lawn during late summer and fall. Your Freedom Lawns professional can perform grub treatment to resolve these problems.

Frederick, MD
Q. My wife and I recently purchased our first home. One of the things that we liked about the house, were the nice mature trees in our backyard. However, we have noticed that the grass in these areas is really thin. As we are new to the Maryland area, can you suggest a type of grass that will work well in shaded conditions?
A. Truth be told, most turf grasses will require a minimum of 5-6 hours to perform at their peak. In our region, the fine fescues, red fescue and some of the newer tall fescue verities will perform best in a semi shaded area. In densely shaded areas, you will have to use alternative ground covers or make these areas natural! You can’t fight nature and in some situations, you have to strike a balance with lawns and trees!

Clarksburg, MD
Q. My wife read somewhere that wearing my golf shoes while mowing, will improve my lawn by aerating it. Any truth to this?
A. Core aeration is an ideal cultural practice for most lawn. Core aeration helps loosen the soil structure, allows air movement through the roots, helps with the utilization of moisture and nutrients, and generally, provides for a healthier lawn. However, walking on your lawn with golf shoes will not really help, and may actually hinder your lawn. Spiking compacts the soil! Freedom lawns performs core aeration and over seeding in the fall at a reasonable price. Save your golf shoes for the course!

Damascus, MD
Q. I have lots of moss growing in my yard. I’m afraid it will begin to take over my entire lawn. My neighbor says it’s because I need to lime, more often because my soil is too acidic. Is this true?
A. All plants including lawns, have optimum soil ph ranges. The only sure way to tell if your soil ph is ideal for your lawn type, is by having a soil ph test taken. In many cases, moss that is thriving is the result of an environment which is more conclusive for moss, than for turf-grass. Moss prefers moist, shady conditions for growth. Typically in areas where moss is flourishing, grass will struggle. In some situations, tweaking the environmental conditions by pruning some tree canopies to allow for more sun, may help improve the environment for grass.

Brunswick, MD
Q. I noticed Bagworms and some brown areas on my arborvitae last year. What is the best time to spray for Bagworms in Maryland?
A. If the arborvitae plants are small and there are not many bags on them, hand picking the bags off the plant is the best approach. If there are too many bagworms to simply pull off, late June –mid July would be the best time to spray.