Alternative Environments

Weed Control, Fertilization, Landscaping and more...

Serving West Georgia for over 25 Years

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3 Easy Winter Lawn Care Tips

December 6, 2018 by Micheal Larson

Beautiful home and lawn covered in snowWinter is here, and with it comes some unique challenges regarding caring for your outdoor plants and yard. Thankfully, Alternative Environments is here to help with winter lawn maintenance! Here are 3 winter weather lawn care tips to help care for your Villa Rica lawn:
  • Make sure to mow to the correct height! You may be tempted to mow low so that you don’t have to cut your grass as often, but it’s important to set your mower height to over 1.5 inches during the winter. This length will help keep your grass insulted during the colder months.  
  • Always avoid foot traffic when your grass is dormant or frosted. Dormant or frosted grass is much easier to weaken or damage. If you don’t have a clearly marked pathway to your front door for holiday guests, give us a call to discuss options for walkways and hardscaping. Your lawn will thank you!
  • Choose the right plants. It’s important to know which plants need to be covered or brought inside when the outside temperature reaches freezing. If you don’t want to have to cover your flowers or bring them inside, make sure to choose flowers that can withstand winter weather.  
Of course, the easiest way to care for your lawn this winter is by hiring Alternative Environments to do it for you! We offer top-notch Villa Rica lawn care services to keep your residential or commercial lawn healthy all year long. Contact us today for a free estimate.

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How to Mow Your Lawn Like a Pro

October 18, 2018 by Micheal Larson

grassy dewLet’s face it, lawn care can be straight up intimidating. It’s easy to overlook essential steps when it comes to keeping your grass green no matter where your intentions lie. But at Alternative Environments, we’re about to give away some industry secrets that’ll turn your yard into the envy of your Northwest Atlanta neighbors.

Lawn Mowing Tips and Tricks from the Pros

It’s important to remember that your yard is one huge living organism. And just like any living thing, your yard is going to react to how it is treated. Here’s how to keep it green and happy.
  1. Don’t cut too short! This is really the most important step in having and keeping a healthy lawn. We know it’s tempting to to give your lawn a nice tight buzz, but resist the urge! You should never take more than 1/3 off at a time. If you’re not sure what that means in terms of setting your mower, just play it safe and keep your blade at the highest cutting level.
  2. Don’t mow during peak heat. Mowing at high noon is not fun for you or your grass. Everyone will be happier if you jump on the mower closer to dusk or dawn.
  3. Keep your blades sharp! Dull blades will rip your grass rather than cut it. This leaves ragged cuts that become more susceptible to disease and exposure from harsh weather.
  4. Leave your clippings where they fall. Grass clippings will decompose back into your yard, adding nutrients and helping to nourish the grass you just cut.
There are quite a few more tips out there to keep your lawn looking great, but these four things are at the top of the list as far as we’re concerned. Take our words to heart and try these techniques out. You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make for your yard’s health and appearance. And don’t forget to contact us any time for more great tips on keeping your landscaping green and vibrant throughout the Kennesaw, Georgia area!

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Better Together – The Benefits of Overseeding and Aerating Your Fescue Lawn

August 3, 2018 by Micheal Larson

Traditional style home with green lawn and brick-lined walkwayA thick, luxurious fescue lawn is a thing of beauty, but sometimes your lawn needs a little help to grow to its fullest potential. That’s where overseeding and aeration come in! Alone, these services are important for a healthy, vibrant lawn. However when combined, they become a powerful one-two punch of effective lawn care!

Why Are Aeration and Overseeding Important?

  • Aeration is so much more than just “poking holes” in your lawn! It removes cores or plugs of soil, thatch, and grass, allowing air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots more efficiently, and in turn, encouraging growth.
  • Overseeding is a solution for damaged or thin lawns, adding seed to areas that have fallen victim to summer heat, pests, or disease. Seeding over areas of established grass helps to fill in the gaps and create a thicker, more robust lawn that is better able to fend off these hazards.

Why Combine Aeration and Overseeding?

Aeration and overseeding are often combined because aeration creates an ideal environment for the new seeds. The holes and cores left behind by aeration ensure that seeds come into contact with soil, rather than getting caught in the thatch layer. When more seeds reach the soil, more of them germinate, and more grass fills in the sparse areas, leaving you with a lawn that is not only thick and attractive, but tougher in the face of lawn hazards like drought, disease, and insects. Combining aeration and overseeding will give you a healthier, hardier fescue lawn with that “make-the-neighbors-jealous” look, but the time to book is now! If you’d like to learn more about overseeding, aeration, or any other landscape and lawn care services, contact us!

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4 Summertime Lawn Care Tips for Healthy Grass

July 11, 2018 by Micheal Larson

lawncareWe’re well into summer, but it’s never too late to start practicing good lawn care. With Georgia’s summer heat, it’s important to take extra precautions to keep your lawn looking lively and growing healthy. Consider the following lawn care tips for beautiful grass:

Mow Your Lawn Correctly

It’s tempting to mow your lawn as short as possible so you don’t have to do this chore weekly. However, grass that has been cut too short is at the mercy of the elements. The scorching heat may brown your green grass and burn any existing water. When you mow, make sure to put the blades to the highest length.

Distribute Your Grass Clippings

Many lawn mowers spit the grass clippings onto the lawn that was just cut. Instead of bagging these clippings, re-distribute them evenly across the lawn. These clippings not only provide shade for your freshly-cut lawn, but they also add nutrients to the soil below.

Water Your Lawn

Grass thrives when it has enough water. If you’re not watering your lawn already, make sure to start. It needs roughly one inch of water on a weekly basis to grow properly. When you water your grass, do so in the early morning hours before the scorching sun is high in the sky.

Remove Weeds Quickly

Weeds and thatch are soil’s worst enemy. When weeds take root, they infiltrate the soil and choke out good plants and wanted grass. When you remove weeds before they spread, you are enabling your grass to have the room it needs to grow and thrive.

If you’re searching for lawn, tree, and shrub care, Alternative Environments is the company for you. We can help make your existing lawn into a thriving, healthy lawn that you’ll never want to leave. Contact us today with your questions.

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Don’t Let Fungus Destroy Your Lawn!

May 3, 2018 by Micheal Larson

Spring doesn’t just bring longer days, warmer nights, and lots of pollen. It also means it’s time to look out for lawn fungus. The most common fungi to look out for in May include dollar spot and brown patch. Dollar spot fungus causes little tan patches that usually start off about the size of a silver dollar. The patches will eventually blend together and become much larger. It thrives in slightly cooler temperatures. Brown patch is caused by a fungus named Rhizoctonia. It’s especially active in warm, humid temperatures. You’ll first notice a brown circle of dead grass, often surrounded by a dark, narrow ring. It spreads quickly, so if you notice this, don’t delay. Lawn fungi are made worse by weather conditions. When the temperatures reach above 70 degrees at night, fungus really starts to become apparent (since that’s finally started to happen, it’s time to keep your eyes open!). A number of other factors can encourage the growth of fungus on your lawn, though. Compacted soil and overwatering are the primary culprits here. Core aeration services from Alternative Environments will make sure your soil is loose and less likely to encourage fungal growth. It will also make it easier for the soil to accept water, which will help prevent overwatering. And of course, if you notice any of the signs of lawn fungus, call us! Timely treatment is just as crucial as prevention. Contact Alternative Environments if you suspect you have lawn fungus and let our professional staff help take back your lawn.

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Recent Posts

  • Heat & Drought Stress
  • URGENT WARNING: DOLLAR SPOT FUNGUS IS RAMPANT
  • Spring Fescue Brown Patch
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Service Areas

Our service area includes but is not limited to the following cities:
Acworth, GA
Bremen, GA
Carrollton, GA
Dallas, GA
Douglasville, GA
Lithia Springs, GA
Hiram, GA
Powder Springs, GA
Temple, GA
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