LOCAL LAWN EXPERT AUTHORS BOOK ON LAWN CARE
Local lawn expert Skip Orth, owner of Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions has published a book What Every Home Owner on the Emerald Coast Needs to Know About Lawn Care which is a compilation of his many years of experience at solving lawn problems!
Skip says the Florida Panhandle is one of the most difficult places in the country to keep a lawn healthy.
“We have poor soil that has little nutrition or moisture holding capabilities and a climate that is favorable to a number of pests and diseases that attack turf grass. You must be very pro-active with caring for your lawn or it will naturally just decline.
Mother Nature never intended for turf grass to be grown in our region. So if you are going to remove all the pine trees, scrub oaks and palmettos from a building lot and replace them with sod, you are going to have to continually work to keep the grass healthy and viable.”
All of the information in his book comes from personal experience working in the lawn care industry and dealing directly with troubled lawns in this area over the last 30 years. It’s very practical information about things homeowners should and should not do to their lawn and why.
In the book, Skip addresses many concerns and frustrations commonly expressed by homeowners trying to keep their lawn healthy. “I talk about how to recognize specific pests and diseases, the proper way to water your lawn, the different types of turf grasses used in Florida and a lot more.”
Skip says that the belief that grass eventually wares out and must be replaced every so many years is not necessarily true. “If a lawn is maintained properly, it should last indefinitely. However, proper maintenance not only includes things like watering and chemical treatments, it also includes periodic mechanical maintenance such as dethatching, aeration and top dressing which I also discuss in my book.”
Skip feels one of the most important issues he addresses in the book is how to gauge a healthy lawn. He says we have been given unrealistic expectations about our lawns through the marketing efforts of fertilizer companies. “One of the biggest problems I see is well meaning homeowners who end up destroying their lawn by over maintaining it with too much water and fertilizer.
Proper watering plays a big part in keeping a lawn healthy. Proper watering involves the correct amount of water applied at the right frequency and time of day.” Skip also says that most commercial fertilizers are not formulated for our soil here along the Emerald Coast and applying the wrong fertilizer can do more harm than good over time.
If you would like a copy of What Every Home Owner On The Emerald Coast Needs To Know About Lawn Care, Skip is offering a free copy of his book to all who ask for one. You can request a free copy of What Every Home Owner on the Emerald Coast Needs to Know About Lawn Care by requesting one at www.fatherandsonlandscape.com
Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions also offers FREE LAWN CONSULTATIONS to homeowners struggling to keep their lawn healthy. Call or text 850-240-7935 for an appointment or visit www.fatherandsonlandscape.com for more information.