Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most. Don't see yours? Call the office at (856) 547-0101 — we'll tell you straight.
About us
Are you licensed to apply lawn treatments in New Jersey?
Yes. We're licensed by the New Jersey DEP for pesticide application. In New Jersey anyone putting products down on your lawn is required to be, and it's a fair thing to check before you let a company treat the property.
Do I have to sign a long-term contract?
No. We don't do long-term lock-in. You can stop any time — just call the office and we'll take you off the schedule.
Are you insured?
Yes. We're fully licensed and insured.
Where we work
What towns do you serve?
Depends which service. For the treatment work — fertilization, weed control, aeration and overseeding, plant health care, perimeter pest control, mosquito and tick — we cover most of Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties. For landscape maintenance, mowing and cleanups, the route has to stay tight, so that's Barrington, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township/Westmont, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Audubon, Oaklyn and the towns right around them. If you're not sure, call and ask — we'll tell you straight.
Can you do just the fertilization and pest control if I already have someone mowing?
Yes — that's a lot of our customers. The treatment side runs on its own schedule and doesn't need us on the property weekly, which is why we cover most of Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties for it — turf programs, plant health care, perimeter pest, mosquito and tick. You don't need to be on our maintenance route to be on our programs.
Lawn treatments
What does "organic-based" actually mean?
The fertilizer we feed with is built on organic material rather than straight synthetic salt — it releases slower and feeds the soil, not just the grass. It's not the same as "all organic," though: weeds, insects and disease still get treated with conventional products when they need it. We'd rather say that up front than have you find out later.
More about turf fertilization and weed control →
Is what you put down safe for kids and pets?
Our feedings are organic-based, but weed, insect and disease treatments are conventional products — there's no organic option that reliably handles crabgrass or grubs. Stay off until it's dried or watered in, and we'll tell you the timing when we're there.
My lawn has brown patches that lift up like carpet — is that grubs?
Usually. Grub damage shows in late summer and the turf pulls up because the roots underneath are gone. Grub control works as prevention, not as a rescue — so if you're seeing it now, it's treat and repair this fall, then prevent next season.
Do you treat weeds in mulch beds?
Yes. Bed weed control is its own service — a mulched bed that's full of weeds by July usually just needs treating, not re-mulching.
How many applications is your fertilizer program?
Our Platinum turf program is eight treatments over six visits across the season, timed to when the grass is actually growing. The heaviest feeding goes down in late summer and fall, when the grass is building roots.
Why do you feed more in the fall than the spring?
Cool-season grass puts its fall energy into roots, so that's when feeding does the most good. A heavy spring feeding mostly buys you extra mowing and soft growth that's more prone to disease.
Does New Jersey have rules about lawn fertilizer?
Yes, since 2011. Phosphorus can't go on an established lawn unless a soil test shows it's needed, though new seedings and bare-ground repair are exceptions. Homeowners can't apply nitrogen or phosphorus between November 15 and March 1. Licensed applicators like ours have until December 1, which lets us put down a late-fall feeding after homeowners have to stop.
Do I need a soil test?
It's the cheapest way to stop guessing. New Jersey soil tends to run acidic, and if the pH is off, the lawn can't use the nutrients that are already there. If we're building a program for your property, we handle it as part of the process.
My lawn turned brown this summer. Is it dead?
Usually not. A cool-season lawn goes tan and dormant in a dry South Jersey August to survive, and it greens back up when the weather breaks. Water deeply and less often, mow high, and don't aerate or feed it until it's growing again.
Aeration and overseeding
When's the right time to aerate and overseed in South Jersey?
Late August through October. Cool-season grass does its real growing in the fall, and seed put down then has the whole fall and next spring to root before summer heat hits. Spring seeding mostly feeds the crabgrass.
More about core aeration and overseeding →
How much does aeration and overseeding cost?
It starts at $299 for lawns up to 3,000 square feet, and larger lawns are priced by size. We confirm the exact number after a quick look, so there are no surprises.
How often does my lawn need aeration?
Once a year on heavy clay or a lawn that takes real traffic from kids, dogs or parked cars. Every two or three years is plenty on lighter soil nobody's beating up. Some lawns don't need it at all right now: if a screwdriver slides six inches into moist soil, it isn't compacted, and we'll tell you so.
Can you aerate in the spring?
Sometimes, for a badly compacted lawn that can't wait or one coming out of a construction project. It's a compromise every time: spring aeration opens the soil right as crabgrass germinates and cuts through your pre-emergent. Fall is the better window.
Do you do dethatching?
Yes, by request. Dethatching, compost topdressing and power seeding can all be built into an aeration and overseeding quote. Just ask.
How should I water after you overseed?
Backwards from normal. For the first couple of weeks, water lightly once or twice a day, early morning if you can, to keep the top half inch damp. Once you see a green haze of seedlings, water less often but longer each time, so by week three you're heading back toward normal watering.
When can I mow the new grass?
When it's about three inches tall. Mow it dry with a sharp blade and take no more than a third of the blade. Keep kids and dogs off it for a few weeks too, since new seedlings tear out easily.
Can I use crabgrass preventer in the same season you seed?
No. Pre-emergent stops grass seed from coming up just as well as it stops crabgrass. If you're overseeding this fall, skip fall pre-emergent, including weed-and-feed bags with crabgrass prevention on the label.
Why won't grass grow under my trees?
Usually not enough light. Grass makes its own food from sunlight, and in dense shade it doesn't have the fuel no matter what seed goes down. Sometimes limbing up the tree lets enough light through. Sometimes the honest answer is a mulch bed, and we'd rather tell you that than sell you seed for it three years running.
Mosquitoes, ticks, trees and shrubs
Do you do mosquito and tick control?
Yes. It runs as a season-long cycle — six applications, roughly four weeks apart, April through September. We treat the shady, damp spots where they actually live and breed rather than just misting the open yard. Most people notice the difference within the first week.
More about mosquito, flea and tick treatment →
Do you treat spotted lanternfly?
Yes. They do their real damage on trees and shrubs, so we handle it through plant health care — treating what they're actually feeding on, not just knocking down what's on the deck rail. Most people call in late summer when the adults show up.
What is plant health care?
Treating and protecting the trees and shrubs, not just the grass. Mostly dormant oil before the buds break and insect treatment timed to when each pest is actually vulnerable, plus feeding or disease work when a plant needs it rather than automatically. It's the part of the property most companies ignore until something's dying.
More about plant health care and spotted lanternfly →
Maintenance and snow
Do you mow, or do you do the whole property?
Full-service maintenance is what we're built for — mulching, bed edging, pruning, cleanups and the turf programs, the whole property looked after through the season. Mowing's part of that for a lot of our customers, but it isn't the whole of what we do.
More about full-service landscape maintenance →
Can I book a one-time cleanup, or do I have to sign up for the season?
Either. Landscape maintenance, including fall leaf cleanups, can be scheduled one time or on a recurring basis.
Do you plow snow?
Yes. Snow work is separate from the lawn side — call the office and we'll go over what your property needs.
Getting started
How do I get a quote?
Call the office at (856) 547-0101 or send a request through the website. We look at the property before we quote — pricing off a satellite photo is how people end up surprised.
Do you charge to come look at my lawn?
No. We'll walk the property and give you a straight read on it — no charge for the visit, and no pressure after.
How will I know when you're coming?
You'll get alerts when jobs are scheduled. The online customer portal also lets you update your card and request additional services, and you can always text, call or email the office.
Can't I just do this myself?
You can, and plenty of our neighbors do it well. It takes a soil test, a decent spreader, careful timing and the discipline to not fertilize in July. What we sell is someone paying attention to the calendar for you, with licensed applicators and an honest read on what your lawn actually needs, including when it doesn't need anything.