08/30/2019 - Aerate, Aerating, Dethatch, Dethatching, Fall Treatments, Fertilizer, Landscaping, Lawn Care, Maintenance, Natural, Natural Lawn Care, Organic, Overseed, Overseeding, Slice Seeding, Topdress, Topdressing, Winterizer

Ahh, summer... a sweet few months dedicated to playing fetch with the dog after work, kids playing in the yard and weekend cookouts. During these months, New Englanders typically find themselves spending more time outside, enjoying their green spaces rather than staying indoors. As we begin to gear up for cold weather and the inevitable scent of pumpkin spice, it's important to remember to prep our lawns for next year's round of fun in the sun. Here's a list of services that may help to keep your lawn healthy:

Aerating

Aeration is the process of puncturing the ground and pulling up plugs of soil, creating space so grass roots can receive enough air, water and nutrients to grow deep and produce a full, healthy grass. Compacted areas in your lawn can be caused by lawn mowers, heavy equipment or high levels of foot traffic. It is best to aerate a lawn during the cooler months, after mowing and summer activities have stopped and is usually recommended to supplement an aeration with a fall fertilizer to create a healthier lawn and soil.

Dethatching

Thatch is the spongy layer of dead plant matter between the green grass and soil surface. It can be caused by over watering, over fertilizing or from grass clippings. When water and fertilizer have an environment to stay saturated within, it becomes an ideal place for fungi and other lawn diseases to exist and spread. Dethatching is done to comb out any dead organic matter, allowing the live grass to be reinvigorated and is typically paired with overseeding to fill in any thin spots in the lawn. This can be especially beneficial if grass clippings are not bagged on a regular basis throughout the summer season.

Overseeding and Topdressing

Overseeding is a quick and easy way to thicken your lawn. Spreading grass seed over existing lawn space can help fill in any gaps and provide a fuller, improved lawn color. Topdressing is done by adding a light layer of loam/compost (about 1/4" depth) to a lawn, then additional grass seed. If the lawn has any pits, dips or patchy areas then topdressing might be the solution for you. We typically recommend dethatching be done before topdressing to ensure any dead material has been removed.

Fall Fertilizer/Winterizer

Feeding your lawn before it goes dormant is a good way to help the grass recuperate from the hot, dry summer and helps promote spring 'greening'. Fall Winterizers are typically high in Potassium, which helps strengthen plants against the stress of the cold. We encourage using organic fertilizers, so the overall soil quality is improved.

Need Help?

It's never too late to start improving your lawn! Give us a call to schedule a free consultation and a free estimate!

03/01/2019 - Beavertail, Environmental, Hardscaping, Inspiring, Jamestown, Landscaping, Native Plants, New England, Outdoors, Perennials, Permeable Pavers, Pollinators, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Monthly, Sustainable, Wildflowers

We are pleased to announce that a recent project completed by Atlantic has been featured in February's issue of the Rhode Island Monthly Magazine!

Imagine sitting on the deck of a modern, New England style house admiring the sweeping views of Mackerel Cove in Jamestown, RI while below you butterflies and honeybees flutter throughout fields of native plants and wildflowers.

Beginning in April 2017, Atlantic Lawn & Garden had the pleasure of pioneering the transformation of a piece of property on Beavertail Peninsula into an environmentally conscientious landscape.

Any traces of a grassy lawn have been removed. The driveway has since been altered with permeable pavers to control water runoff- Clover and Fescue grass seeds were planted within the stones to provide hardy, drought tolerant greenery and mitigate soil loss. In addition to the permeable driveway, a Rainwater Harvesting System was installed with underground tanks, as well as various precipitation gardens throughout the property to alleviate similar issues.

A large, raised vegetable garden bed was installed, as well as various native perennials to encourage the local plant species against invasives, such as Burning Bush and Japanese Rose. Among the perennials, several wildflower spaces were created from seed. Such spaces help in attracting and supporting pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies. The bountiful spread of flowers includes Firework Goldenrods, Lavender Hyssop, Wild Blue Indigo, Butterfly Milkweed, Red Bergamot among many others fill the landscape with summer scents and a sight to behold.