For your convenience, here is a list
of some of the more
commonly asked questions we receive.

How long should I wait to water?
How long should I wait to mow?
How long should I keep my children/pets off the lawn?
Will the chemicals burn my lawn if I don't water them in right away?
What if my dog/kids eat the fertilizer?
How long until my lawn greens up?
How long will applications take to kill weeds/insects?
What if my treatment didn't get done on its scheduled day?
It rained after my application. Do I need to have you come back out?
Will the chemicals stain my concrete/fences/etc?
I think BUGS are in my lawn! What do I do?
Do you recommend aeration or power raking?
How can I reduce thatch without power raking?
What is proper mowing height?
How can I get rid of "dog spots"?
Why don't you recommend planting Quaking Aspens?
What if I already have or still want Quaking Aspens?
When will I get my bill, and how long do I have to pay?
How do I request services?
What are your hours of operation?

How long should I wait to water?
Waiting until the next morning is optimal. However, a wait time of 1 to 2 hours is typically adequate.

NOTE: When there is a chance of rain we add a "sticking agent" which is typically rain-fast within ten minutes.

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How long should I wait to mow?
For best results, wait ATLEAST until the next day. Mowing will NOT suck up a significant amount of fertilizer. It will, however, reduce the effectiveness of the weed control by cutting off the top of the weed (where the spray is absorbed) before it can translocate into the roots.

NOTE: Whenever possible, try to avoid mowing the lawn in the 1-2 days prior to treatment so that the weeds have sufficient foliage to absorb the chemicals!

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How long should I keep my children/pets off the lawn?
Always keep children and pets off the lawn until it has completely dried. Though we use the safest materials possible - and often will not apply anything harmful during a treatment - it is sometimes necessary to use insecticides/herbicides which need to be allowed to dry before it is safe to play on the lawn. If there is ever a need to stay off the lawn after it has dried your lawn technician will let you know.

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Will the chemicals burn my lawn if I don't water them in right away?
Absolutely not. Our applications are designed to feed the lawn over time and to go for several days without watering. If you have certain insect/disease problems we may ask you to water those treatments in right away - in order to work the application through the thatch. If your lawn is dry, we may ask you to water it ASAP. This is just to save it from drought damage.

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What if my dog/kids eat the fertilizer?
The fertilizer is not overly harmful and has an extremely bitter nasty taste.

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How long until my lawn greens up?
Usually green-up will occur within 7-10 days. It may take longer if there is a lot of dead thatch in your lawn.

NOTE: If your application included a granular fertilization it will not begin to work until it gets watered/rained in.

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How long will applications take to kill weeds/insects?
It depends on the type of weeds/insects and the time of year. In summer's heat, most weeds harden off - developing a thick layer of waxy cutin - so they react slowly to herbicides, generally 7-10 days. Insects sprays work within 2 minutes to 2 days, depending on the type of insecticide and pest. When we can, we use organic products. They are not quite as fast but are completely safe. In fruit trees or other sensitive areas, we may use Azatrol, which is an organic extract of neem seed oil. It will not kill the insects but will stop them from feeding. We do this because it is very effective & there is no required waiting time between application and re-entry/harvest.

NOTE: If you still see insects on your shrubs and bushes shortly after our treatments, this does not mean the application failed. Remember that many of our chemicals are systemic (taken up by the plant). This protects beneficial insects such as lady bugs and praying mantis'. Further, when harmful insects ingest part of the plant, the toxins then enter their systems and kill them at a rate directly corollary to the pest's metabolism.

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What if my treatment didn't get done on its scheduled day?
Occasionally we are not able to perform treatments on their scheduled day. Practically 99% of the time it is due to wet/windy weather, or a locked gate, or a dog left in the yard. If it is weather related, we will reschedule. If we are unable to service your yard because of a dog/gate or sprinkler problem, we will leave a card with contact info so that you can reschedule.

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It rained after my application. Do I need to have you come back out?
Probably not. The fertilizer will benefit from the rain. When we suspect rain, we will add a latex-based adhesive to our mix (a "sticking agent"). This agent is rain-fast within 10 minutes. If your weeds are not dying within 7-10 days, call us and we'll gladly come respray.

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Will the chemicals stain my concrete/fences/etc?
No. A few of our products may leave a temporary (1 or 2 days) discoloration most of them will NEVER leave a mark.

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I think BUGS are in my lawn! What do I do?
Through years of experience in responding to these types of queries, we have learned that about 80% of alleged "bug problems" actually turn out to be sprinkler coverage (i.e. drought) problems. So common is this concern, that we have included a page in our Resource Center to specifically address this problem. Click here to go to the BUGS VS. DROUGHT Page.

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Do you recommend aeration or power raking?
We strongly recommend core aerating on a regular basis. Once every 1 to 2 years for sandy soil, every year for clay, twice a year for compacted clay. Aeration will break up the thatch layer and loosen soil: allowing air, water, and nutrients into the root zone. We do NOT typically recommend power raking. Though it does reduce the amount of thatch and usually leaves the lawn looking temporarily better, it does so at a cost: it usually destroys too much thatch and damages a large percentage of the root mass, leaving the lawn open to weed and drought problems. It often takes a lawn 2 years to recover from a power raking.

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How can I reduce thatch without power raking?
Though we usually recommend mowing as high as possible, it is helpful to mow very low in the fall and bag. It will take some time but by mowing low and taking up all the clippings in the fall you will minimize the amount of thatch build up. You can also do this in the early spring.

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What is proper mowing height?
We recommend you mow no lower than 2". Generally, 2.5 to 3.5" will work well. These taller heights promote water conservation and make it harder for weed seeds to find soil in which to germinate.

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How can I get rid of "dog spots"?
"Dog spots" are actually fertilizer burns caused by the nitrogen in dog feces and urea from dog urine. Dogs usually will like going in one certain area of the yard. Your best bet is to train the dog to go in a sandy corner, if such a location is available. By doing this you can take advantage of the sand's ability to leech, and therefore speed up the lawn's recovery by washing the nitrogen away from the root zone. Fill a 5 gallon bucket with water and then add a half a cup of dish soap (such as Dawn, Joy, Palmolive). Pour some of the mixture over each spot. 5 gallons should treat 10-20 spots. This will allow increased watering of the area to wash the nitrogen down through the soil.

NOTE: There are several products which make the claim of reducing the nitrogen content of dog waste. We have never found evidence that they work. If they did, it would likely be harmful to the dog, seeing as nitrogen is a natural byproduct of digestion and needs to be eliminated from the body.

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Why don't you recommend planting Quaking Aspens?
Quakies are beautiful trees, but they are not native to Utah's valleys. They have lived for thousands of years in the mountains but have never colonized the valleys. There is a reason for this. They cannot tolerate: 1. the heat, 2. the fungi, or 3. the insects that thrive in the valleys.

1. Heat. Quakies have shallow, rhyzomous roots, meaning they grow sideways, and are typically less than a foot deep and can not reach the water table. They will send hundreds of suckers into nearby lawns at maturity and even more when they start to die. It is not uncommon to find Aspen suckers popping up across a 50' paved road from the tree.
2. Fungi. Wet warm spring storms are ideal for several fungi which cause leaf spot in aspens.
3. Insects. Aspens have very thin bark. If you are still wanting some quakies go to any aspen and scrape into the bark with your thumbnail. The bark is paper thin revealing a soft green tissue layer. Bark is a tree's armor against boring insects. ASPENS ARE THE ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET OF THE INSECT WORLD. I have never seen a quakie more than a year out of the nursery without borers.

What if I already have or still want Quaking Aspens?
If you have quakies you aren't overly attached to, we recommend replacing them. Do a few a year. If you are attached-to, or dying-to get some aspens: do some homework and you can find aspen/poplar hybrids that have deeper roots. You'll still be prone, however, to bug & fungus problems. We recommend you have the aspens sprayed at least once per year to reduce borer infestations - and have a broad spectrum fungicide labeled for Aspen Leaf Spot applied each spring. You can probably do these yourself with the right equipment and a little homework - or we'd be happy to do it for you.

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When will I get my bill, and how long do I have to pay?
You will typically receive your bill a few days before your service is scheduled. The reason we do this is to notify you of when we are coming. Your bill will indicate the date so you can be ready. You have 14 days after service is rendered to remit payment.
NOTE: Our Mowing Service is typically billed separately at the end of each month.

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How do I request services?
Request service by calling our office, sending us an e-mail at joe@evergreenofutah.com, or writing a note on your bill.

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What are your hours of operation?
Office hours are Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-3pm. Our crews often work until dark.

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