1. Where do we service?
2. Why should I choose Lawn Sense over another company?
3. How do I sign up for services?
   
4. How do you bill for your services?
   
5. Do I have to sign a new service contract every year?
   
6. What guarantees do you provide?
   
7. When is my next application?
8. If the weather is bad, will my treatment be rescheduled?
9. My lawn treatment was done and shortly afterwards it began to rain, is it okay?
   
10. When can I walk on my lawn after a treatment?
    
11. How Many Applications of Fertilizer Do I Need?
12. Will you leave me information about my lawn after each treatment?
    
13. Do I have to water my lawn to make it weed-free?
    
14. Do I have to be present during your treatments?
    
15. How do I make my lawn green?
    
16. How often should I mow?
17. What do I do about ?  Crabgrass?
18. Moss?
19. Moles?
20. Mushrooms?
21. Brown spots?
    
22. Aeration- who should get it and how often?
23. Will aerating control thatch?
    
24. Liming- Who should get it and how often?

(1) Where do we service?     [Back to service ?]
We service the city of Pittsburgh, all of Allegheny, Westmoreland and Bultler counties. 

(2) How do I sign up for services? [Back to service ?]
Signing up is easy. Just call 1-888-884-LAWN and request the services you would like to receive. If we haven't estimated your lawn, we will be out the next day to give you a free estimate on your lawn.

(3) Why choose Lawn Sense over another company?    [Back to service ?]
Nearly 100% of our first time customers, remain our customers today. We pride ourselves on providing superior customer service. Customizing our service to suit your needs. 

(4) How do you bill me for your services? [Back to service ?]
After each service our bill will be left attached to your front door. You may pay by check, Visa, Mastercharge, or money order. We also have a pre-payment discount plan, as well. Payments are due within thirty days.

(5) Do I have to sign a new service contract every year?    [Back to service ?]
Like your newspaper delivery service, we automatically continue treatments every spring. In case you forget, we send a reminder letter around February. To cancel your service you need to call or write Lawn Sense.

(6) What guarantees do you provide?  [Back to service ?]
The treatments your lawn receives from Lawn Sense do not guarantee perfect results. The outcome depends largely on your mowing and watering routine, the amount of shade and trees present, soil and grass varieties and many other factors. However, if you are not satisfied, we'll keep working with you until you are or we'll refund the cost of the last treatment.

(7)When is my next application?  [Back to service ?]
We schedule lawn application in 6 week intervals. If you would also like to have a phone call as a reminder, just let us know. 

(8) If the weather is bad will my treatment be pushed back to a later date? [Back to service ?]
Please don't worry if an application seems to be delayed. Weather plays a big part in when and where we treat. Our materials are blended especially for this climate and your lawn will most definitely be treated within the proper time frame.

(9) My lawn treatment was done and shortly afterwards it began to rain. Is it still okay? [Back to service ?]
If it rains within an hour of one of our treatments, don't be concerned. All of our treatments do best when watered in. If a heavy downpour immediately follows a treatment, call us without delay and we can decide whether a reapplication is necessary.

(10) When can I walk on my lawn after a treatment? [Back to service ?]
We ask that people and pets stay off the lawn for two hours following an application to allow the products to thoroughly dry or be watered in. We'll post a sign after each visit noting the treatment time and date.

(11) How Many Applications of Fertilizer Do I Need?  [Back to service ?]
The answer to this question has more to do with how you want your lawn to look, than what it needs. Current recommendations from Penn State University's Extension Service indicate that 4 to 5 pounds of nitrogen should be applied per area over the course of the summer. These amounts should never be applied all at one time. You can see that somewhere between 5 and 6 applications of fertilizer are needed to be sure your lawn gets the nutrients it needs to be healthy.

(12) Will you leave me information about my lawn after each treatment? [Back to service ?]
We leave a lot of written materials that explain what we have done and what you must do to assure a good looking, healthy lawn. Watering and mowing instructions, plus other information concerning your lawn. 

(13) Do I have to water my lawn to make it weed-free? [Back to service ?]
Water, of course, is the key to good results. An inch and a half of water per week is essential. It can come from a combination of rainfall and sprinklers, but if you can't water properly, absolutely expect to see weeds. 

(14) Do I have to be present during your treatments? [Back to service ?]
There's no need to be home during a treatment. It takes less than one minute to treat a thousand square feet of lawn, so we're only there for a short time. 

(15) How do I make my lawn Green?    [Back to service ?]  
First start by watering properly. Without proper watering, nothing else you do to the grass will make it turn green. Next, apply a little fertilizer over the course of the summer. Without some nutrients consistently added through-out the growing season, the grass will fade and become less green than it can be. Since you are watering and fertilizing, the grass is going to grow. If the lawn is cut improperly, it will not be as green as it can be. Simply put, mow high and let it lie. 
Put these three practices together in the right combination and a green lawn is actually quite easy. But remember, once it gets green, there is a maximum level it will be. Once it's looking good, enjoy it and don't keep trying to make it greener still. You'll be putting the lawn into a stress condition, which will eventually cause major problems.

(16) How often should I mow? [Back to service ?]
Your lawn does best if mowed once every fourth or fifth day. Long intervals between mowing can damage grass. Also, it's best to avoid mowing when the lawn is wet or mowing during the hottest part of the day.

(17) What do I do about crabgrass?    [Back to service ?]
Crabgrass is an annual weedy grass that germinates in the summer and dies with the first frost in the fall. The best prevention is a dense, healthy lawn. For lawns that have an abundance of crabgrass, a preventive application in the early spring will prevent about 90% of the weed from appearing. Those few plants that do make it up can be hand pulled or treated later in the summer before they go to seed.

(18) How do I control moss in my lawn?  [Back to service ?]
Moss can be a real problem and even tougher to control. Start by raking out the existing moss. Moss usually grows in damp areas with poor air circulation. So control entails first improving drainage (or removing cause of excessive moisture) and improving air circulation, if possible. Prune up low hanging branches and move fences or other obstructions to air movement. Anything to get more sunlight and air will help. Also, use Core Aeration process to break up the soil. Moss will not do well in loose soils. Moss will not grow on a healthy dense turf. Be sure you are following good watering, mowing, and fertility practices to encourage a healthy lawn.

(19) What do I do about moles?  [Back to service ?]
What you'll see are lots of tunnels running through your lawn. In many instances, there will be piles of dirt throughout the yard where the mole has pushed the dirt out of the tunnel. The reason for the problem is a small, but very aggressive animal that lives below the surface of the ground. Moles forage for insects to eat and will travel long distances to feed. In Pennsylvania, there are two prevalent species of moles. Eastern moles cause the visible tunnels that criss-cross your lawn. Star nosed moles will tunnel deeper and then push up a pile of dirt that looks like a volcano has erupted on your lawn. The best ways to control this problem is to trap the mole and kill it. Harpoon, choker, and other types of traps can be purchased at hardware stores. Tamp down the tunnels to find which ones are the actively used by the mole. Place the trap in an active tunnel and be patient. Other options available to you include applications of a mole repellent. Eastern moles in particular do not like the smell of this castor oil based material and in most instances, will quickly leave the area. This non-toxic application will last for about 30 days and may keep the moles out of your lawn area. Of course, this means they'll go into your neighbor's yard! Applications will have to be repeated once the effectiveness wears off. What doesn't work is trying to control moles by applying an insecticide for grubs. While it is true that moles eat grubs, they eat all worms, insects and bugs that are found in the soil. Just because you have moles does not mean you have a grub problem. Applying an insecticide to get rid of moles may only cause larger problems, without getting rid of the moles. Also, remedies such as chewing gum in the tunnels, Moth-Balls, hair and other "folk remedies" have been shown to be ineffective.

(20) Mushrooms  [Back to service ?]
The presence of mushrooms means there is some decaying organic matter is present in the soil. Mushrooms are a result of organic matter (old tree roots, wood, etc.) decomposing in the soil. Don't worry it won't hurt your lawn and there is nothing you can do about it. They also indicate that there is plenty of moisture in the soil. Usually the mushrooms appear after a rainfall. Once the soil dries out a little, give it about 3-5 days and the mushrooms will probably go away. The only way to eliminate the mushroom growth is to remove the organic matter and the surrounding soil. A very big task, indeed. Mushrooms are a sign of life in the soil...and that's a good thing. Bear with them for a short time and they will disappear. Or, when mushrooms do appear, simply mow them off. And no, there is nothing to do to prevent them.

(21) Brown spots  [Back to service ?]
Diagnosing the proverbial "brown spot" in a lawn can drive even a seasoned professional crazy. There are just so many things that can cause the lawn to turn brown and die in a spot. One thing you never want to do is to apply a control material without knowing exactly what the problem is. If you apply the wrong stuff, you may end up causing more problems than you are trying to solve.
So where do you start? Have you been watering correctly? Lack of water will cause lots of yellowing and spots. Plus other problems will become worse if a lawn is not watered correctly. Over-watering can also yellow a lawn and can kill trees and shrubs! What about mowing? If a lawn is mowed too short or not often enough, brown spots can and do appear. Is it a problem from pets? Both dogs and cats can cause spots...even if you don't own one of your own.
If all that has been taken care of, we start to look for diseases or insects. While there are millions of different insects in this world only 5 or 6 will cause damage to a lawn. So it is pretty easy to know what to look for. Diseases are a little harder to pick out, but again, there are only a relative few that routinely cause damage, so knowing the symptoms and signs can help narrow down the cause.
A good diagnostic book from a garden center will help you know the symptoms...or, if you are an Lawn Sense customer, a trained service technician will come and check out your lawn for free.
The bottom line is this: There are too many different things that may cause a brown spot in a lawn . Take the time needed to properly diagnose the problem before jumping in to start controlling something. You'll be glad you did.

(22) Aeration- Who Should Get It And How Often?   [Back to service ?]
Every lawn can benefit from core aeration. It is suggested that a lawn be aerated at least every other year, but preferably every year. There is no bad time to have your lawn aerated, as long as it has irrigation. Fall is often mentioned as a "better" time only because of the high level of activity of the root system.

(23) Will aerating control thatch?    [Back to service ?]
Core Aeration brings cores of soil up from below the lawn's surface. We recommend that these cores be mowed back into the lawn. By allowing these cores to mix back into lawn surface, the soil adds back microbial agents which are needed to control thatch. This is not an immediate fix for a serious thatch problem, but is the best way to manage a thatch condition.

(24) Liming-Who should get it and how often? [Back to service ?]

Liming adjusts the pH level of the soil. Healthy lawns should have a pH level of 6.5 to 7.0. The number of applications depends on the amount of limestone needed to bring the current pH level to the desired pH level.