ABC Blog
Choose a City

Outdoor Tree Lighting Ideas

. Posted by in , • Houston
landscape lighting

Looking for an easy way to enhance your home’s curb appeal? Adding outdoor lights around your trees is a great solution to liven up your home’s exterior.

Outdoor landscape tree lighting can create a magical ambiance and transform your outdoor space. Plus, the extra lighting can make your lawn more enjoyable and usable at nighttime.

Where do you start with designing landscape lighting? The first thing to remember is that you need to balance aesthetics with functionality. Mapping out your design ideas will help you bring your vision to life.

The best way to achieve the outdoor space of your dreams is to work with a landscaping specialist. A professional will utilize their skills and expertise to create a seamless outdoor lighting plan for you. Along with designing your lighting plan, they can also save you time by installing the light fixtures.

Your Guide to Outdoor Tree Lighting Ideas

Illuminating your lawn with tree lighting … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

What Are the Benefits of a Sprinkler System Backflow Preventer?

. Posted by in • Houston
a sprinkler head

When you turn on your showers and faucets, clean water is typically there. But many don’t know that clean water can come into contact with contaminants on its journey to our homes. If you have a sprinkler system, something called “backflow” can happen, causing hazardous materials to enter your home’s water supply line.

That’s why it’s crucial to install a sprinkler system backflow preventer. Contact an irrigation professional to help you choose the best kind for your home.

What Is a Sprinkler System Backflow Preventer?

Before discussing what are the benefits of a sprinkler system backflow preventer, it’s helpful to know what a backflow is. The water inside the supply system usually flows in one direction. But when the water travels the opposite way back through your sprinkler system, it’s called backflow.

The water that comes into your home from the municipality travels at a specific pressure level. But certain factors can cause the … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

When to Fertilize Your Lawn in the Fall

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
soil

Should you fertilize your lawn in the fall? The answer is yes; however, when you start the process is important. You want to ensure that you nourish your lawn before the cooler temperatures set in so that your lawn can make a strong spring comeback.

Next, it’s easy to accidentally over-fertilize your lawn. Luckily there are ways to reverse over-fertilization, and it starts with understanding the signals your lawn sends you that you used too much fertilizer.

Finally, this guide will break down the difference between organic and inorganic fertilizers. Keep reading to learn which type is best for your lawn.

When to Fertilize Your Lawn in the Fall

Even though the leaves change colors and vegetation starts to go dormant in the fall, it is still an active growing time for your grass. It’s important not to skip your fall fertilization because it prepares your lawn to return lush and beautiful in the … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Can You Dethatch and Aerate at the Same Time?

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth
a lawn

The key to maintaining a healthy, vibrant and beautiful lawn is proper maintenance. That includes dethatching, aerating and overseeding your lawn at the right times. Many homeowners want to know if they can dethatch and aerate their lawns at the same time, and the answer is yes.

However, there is a particular order to follow for the best results. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to dethatch and aerate your lawn so it looks beautiful all year.

Next, it’s highly recommended to aerate your lawn before overseeding. Overseeding is adding new seeds to your existing grass to fill bare patches or increase grass density. Aerating your lawn beforehand improves soil-to-seed contact, which helps the seeds germinate and develop strong root systems.

Finally, there are two categories of lawn aeration tools: spike and plug aerators, also known as core aerators. Figuring out which type is best for your lawn depends on your … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How To Identify Grass Grub Damage

. Posted by in • San Antonio
grass grub damage

Homeowners know that having a perfectly manicured lawn is very satisfying. Grass grubs can wreak havoc in your yard, digging up your grass and damaging it at the root level. They are every gardener’s worst nightmare, so knowing how to identify and control grass grubs is important. It can be hard to manage a grass grub infestation yourself, so contact a lawn care professional if you notice these lawn pests. They have the tools and expertise to restore your lawn to its pristine state.

Most Common Signs of Grass Grub Damage

If your yard has seen better days, grass grubs might be responsible for its deterioration. Here are the most common signs of grass grub damage to help you confirm your suspicions.

Brown Patches

If you see irregular brown patches on your lawn, grass grubs are likely the culprit. Grass grubs cause the grass to thin and turn brown. It’s a common problem during … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Aerating Versus Dethatching: What’s the Difference?

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
green lawn with trimmed landscape and white fence

Keeping your lawn looking its best isn’t always easy, but it can be rewarding. Periodic dethatching and aeration are beneficial treatments for keeping your lawn green, healthy and beautiful.

Dethatching removes built-up dead grass blades and organic matter that resides on the soil surface below the green, creating a barrier. This barrier inhibits water, nutrients and air from getting into the soil to reach the root zone. Dethatching slices this barrier and allows that debris to be removed.

Aerating, on the other hand, helps to break up compacted soil, removes built-up layers of organic matter and introduces pathways for air, water and nutrients to reach deeper into the root zone.

What Is Dethatching Grass?

Dethatching your lawn is a helpful step in keeping your lawn healthy and green throughout the year. Dethatching helps remove any built-up debris or organic matter on the surface that may prevent water, air and other nutrients from reaching the … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Can You Use Compost as Soil?

. Posted by in , • Austin
a shovel in compost

Compost, often called “black gold,” adds rich nutrients to your soil that help your garden thrive. However, is it possible to use compost as soil and leave out the soil altogether?

While using compost as soil works in some rare instances, it is not recommended. This quick guide will explain why you shouldn’t use compost as soil and the important differences between compost and potting soil. It will also go over how to use compost correctly with your soil to benefit your garden the most.

Can You Use Compost as Soil? 

Compost is a nutrient-rich material that offers many benefits for your garden. However, should you use compost as soil? While compost and soil may seem interchangeable, they are two separate materials that should be used differently for the best results in your garden.

It is sometimes okay to use compost as soil, but those instances are rare. For example, you can use compost … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Common Types of Weeds in Grass

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
weeds in grass

Are unruly weeds taking over your lawn and damaging your grass? They can also cause problems for your plants and become a major annoyance for gardeners.

There are thousands of species of weeds, but some are more common and invasive. Some weeds are simply eyesores, while others, such as poison ivy, can cause harm. The best way to keep them under control is to educate yourself on the most common types of weeds in grass.

Composting your weeds is a great way to get rid of them. Weeds can add valuable nutrients to your compost that will benefit your garden. However, spreading their seeds through your compost is possible, so you must ensure you completely kill off the weeds in the composting process.

Finally, there are types of purple weeds that are deceiving. They may look like beautiful blooms but can become difficult to control. The best way to get rid of weeds … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How to Design a Sprinkler System

. Posted by in , • Houston
a sprinkler in a yard

When it comes to having the lawn of their dreams with lush flower beds and a perfectly manicured yard, many homeowners have to make a choice between spending their time maintaining their lawn or finding a way to automate a lot of the care.

With our hot summers, a sprinkler system seems like a perfect solution. Watering your yard can take hours every week, and missing even one day can damage your lawn on sweltering days. It can mean you take twice as long the next day to make up for the day you missed. Sometimes even that isn’t enough to save your plants.

Sprinklers are the obvious solution. Oscillating sprinklers that arc back and forth overhead are quiet but must be moved regularly. These sprinklers do a great job covering a rectangular patch evenly, but that’s all they do. They can’t be tuned for oddly shaped areas and don’t move from … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Sprinkler Valve Leaking: Signs and What To Do

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a home's yard

A reliable sprinkler system is a vital part of lawn care; luckily, sprinkler systems can work on autopilot when functioning correctly. However, sprinkler system leaks can throw a wrench in your dream of having a beautiful, lush lawn.

Sprinkler systems can leak from multiple places, including valves, underground equipment and heads.

Leaks in your sprinkler system can lead to property damage, such as soil erosion, fungal diseases, root rot and more. It can also cause unnecessary water waste and a spike in your water bill.

The best thing you can do when you notice a sprinkler system leak is to contact a licensed irrigation specialist. They can identify the leak, find the underlying cause and repair the system and any damage done.

Sprinkler Valve Leaking: Signs and What To Do

A leaking sprinkler valve can result in water waste, a more costly water bill and a damaged lawn. Luckily, there are several signs that homeowners can … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed