We were green before being green was cool. Way back in the late 1970′s, in my earlier life as a science teacher, I had my students re-cycling paper and aluminum cans. We had them stacked up to the ceiling in our classroom, and did this to raise money to buy science supplies also. I was teaching way back then on the “oil crisis”, and the fact that it was a non-renewable energy source, and we’d eventually run out. We learned about the dependence on foreign oil, which is even worse today. I had an outdoor education program, teaching kids the importance of conserving water, and developing a respect for the environment among other things. Read the rest of this entry »
LawnAmerica Converting to Propane-Powered Equipment
September 23rd, 2011Ten for Joplin
September 21st, 2011Tulsa Habitat for Humanity to Help Joplin Re-build
1/3rd of Joplin was destroyed by the 2011 tornado.
Our neighbors up the road in Joplin were devastated by the tornado which plowed through their city last spring. We’ve seen images of the destruction and read stories about the families who have lost loved ones. Some of us have even voluntered our time to help with relief, or given money to help. The needs still remain.
The Tulsa Habitat for Humanity saw the need, and decided to help our neighbors up the road in a big way. Raising $800,000 and building 10 homes during a 3-week period is out of their norm for Habitat. It’s a bold undertaking. That’s why we at LawnAmerica are supporting it. We like bold. We like to help those in need. So we are on board in doing our little part to help make this happen. Read the rest of this entry »
A Labor Day Thank You!
September 6th, 2011The much anticipated cold front that finally made it down to Oklahoma has been a welcome relief to all. We can all finally go outside and enjoy it, rather than just enduring it. It could not have come at a better time than the Labor Day weekend.
As a small business owner, Labor Day is more than just a 3-day holiday. I remember in the earlier years while building the business it wasn’t even that, since I was often working on that Saturday and even on the Monday. But now with a mature business, I’m able to actually take off and enjoy a 3-day weekend, and for that I am very grateful.
Labor Day should be a time when we all are grateful that we have a job, or a business, or a mission in life. We all know the situation we are in now as a country with unemplyement, and with so many good folks without work of any kind. Read the rest of this entry »
Summer’s Last Stand
August 24th, 2011What a difference a few weeks makes in what our city looks like. With over 5″ of rain in most areas of NE Oklahoma, the brown grass and lawns have suddenly turned green, and just in time for fall. I was really getting concerned, even for the bermudagrass, before the rains hit. And I’ve been amazed as to how quickly the grass turned around. I knew bermudagrass was tough, but I have even more respect for it now.
The late summer termperatures however are still reminding us that fall is not here. While OU, OSU, and TU football kicks off in a little over a week, it’s still summer as far as the turf is concerned. We could use a little more rain, but who knows if that will happen. So go back to a normal watering schedule of watering about 2-3 times per week, with about 1/2″ of moisture with each sprinkling. Read the rest of this entry »
Just in Time!
August 12th, 2011As Will Rogers once said, “If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, just stick around—it will change.” Last week it seemed there was no end in sight to the awful hot and dry weather. All of a sudden, God turns on the faucet, and many areas in Northeast Oklahoma and Tulsa have received over 4″ of much-needed rainfall over several days. Along with cooler temperatures, one can see already the impact on our lawns and landscapes, along with our attitudes!
Bring on the Rain!
I was getting really concerned about many of our lawns last week. I thought it could be mid-September before seeing any significant rain and cooler temperatures. But I was thankfully wrong, and I think we’ll be getting back to normal soon. We are not officially out of the drought though, and there are still consequences of being in the hottest month ever for any state in any month. YES—We’re #1!! But with even more rain in the forecast, before the heat returns next week, we are in much better shape now.
For every person who was not watering well this summer or watering at all, there have been just as many who have been over-watering. Turn off your system for now and give it a break! Let Mother Nature do her thing. Don’t water during the middle of the day, as that is such a waste. If it does heat up and the rainfall stops, then proceed to water normally again for summer, which generally is about 2-3 times per week, early in the morning. Read the rest of this entry »
The Drought of 2011 Wrecking Havoc on Lawns and Landscapes!
August 2nd, 2011
Entering August, we are now under extreme drought conditions.
The summer of 2011 is turning out to possibly be the hottest and driest on record in the Tulsa area and all of Oklahoma. With the current and long-term forecast of more of the same, at what normally is the hottest time of the season, the prospects for any relief soon are slim. Much of the green grass of area lawns has turned to brown, with now trees, shrubs, and ornamentals showing the consequences of days on end of scorching temperatures with no or little rainfall.
Brad Johnson, owner of LawnAmerica, has been caring for lawns in Oklahoma for 25 years. “I’ve never seen a period like this since I’ve been in business, with little rain and constant 100 degree temperatures,” Brad said. “Sure, we’ve had periods of heat drought, usually in August, but we’ve just now entered the time when that usually occurs. That’s what is different about 2011—the drought started much earlier and is more severe.” Read the rest of this entry »
LawnAmerica Battling the Tulsa Drought with Mobile Irrigation
July 22nd, 2011We are in the midst of what could turn out to be the hottest and driest summer on record in the Tulsa area. I know that it’s as bad as I’ve seen it in the 25 years I’ve been doing lawncare in Tulsa. Every day, the lawns are turning browner, people (especially our outdoor workers) are getting more tired and frustrated, and water is getting more scarce.
Help! I need water!
We just sent out a special letter and newsletter to our customers with information on proper watering and other things a homeowner can do to help their lawn and landscape survive this summer. Bermuda grass lawns should be fine. With little or no water, they will shut down and go dormant, but should spring back to life when we get rain or if they are irrigated very well. That is—they should spring back to life. The turf will need fertilization before fall dormancy hits, and that is a concern for us. It’s not wise to just quit fertilizing and put the turf under even more stress on top of the drought. LawnAmerica is using mainly an organic fertilizer now, with nutrients that will slowly be released as we get into a more normal weather pattern with some moisture. Read the rest of this entry »
Is My Lawn Dead?
July 19th, 2011With every day that passes during this miserable hot and dry spell, Tulsa area lawns continue to turn from green to brown from the effects of the drought. Some homeowners have given up on even trying to keep up with the watering demands this summer as they watch their lawns turn brown and dormant. Leaving folks to wonder…”Is my lawn dead?” It’s not dead, but it’s sure not very pretty or healthy.
Dead or Dormant?
No the lawn is not dead--only dormant.
Bermuda grass and zoysia grass are warm-season grasses that are well-adapted to hot weather. However, they still need soil moisture in order to grow and survive. When the weather is as extreme turf will naturally just shut down and go into summer dormancy by turning brown. It’s not dead–it’s just dormant, same as it is during the winter when it’s brown and not growing. As long as the temperatures remain as they are, and no rainfall or irrigation occurs, the turf will remain brown and dormant. This is just the natural response the plant has in order to survive. Read the rest of this entry »
Too Hot to Mow Your Lawn?
June 24th, 2011It’s not even July yet, but it feels like summer has been here for along time already. We are currently about 10″ below normal for year-to-date rainfall in the Tulsa area, so we could be in for a long, hot, and dry summer. Lawns which are irrigated properly are really looking pretty good now, as bermudagrass and zoysiagrass both love hot weather. Fescue is on the decline though, as it will be looking pretty rough compared to the thick, green look of springtime.
Water about 2-3 times per week without any natural rainfall.
Turfgrass during the summer in Tulsa will require about 1.5 up to 2″ of water per week to perform well. This means that without any rainfall, you’ll need to irrigate about 2-3 times weekly. Water only early in the morning if possible, especially on fescue turf. Overwatering or watering in the evening will lead to Brown Patch disease problems on fescue. The biggest mistake many homeowners make in watering is not applying enough water each time you irrigate. At least 1/2″ of water should be applied with each irrigation, getting the moisture down deep into the soil root zone. This means leaving your sprinklers out or running your irrigation cycles for up to 30 minutes each, depending upon your water pressure and coverage.” Read the rest of this entry »
It’s What They Do!
June 7th, 2011We had a customer cancel service last week because of all the weeds in his lawn. Well, it turned out that the “weeds” were actually tree saplings, which had germinated in force from a local oak tree in his lawn or in the neighborhood. Every year we battle this during late spring. Yes, a tree sapling is technically a weed, since it is a plant growing out of place. But give me a break! There is nothing I can do to prevent an Oak tree, or a Maple tree, an Elm tree, or any of the other various trees found in Tulsa from trying to reproduce. It’s what they do!! Read the rest of this entry »
Praying for Rain in April???
April 11th, 2011I thought I’d never be praying for rain in April, but that’s where we stand now in Tulsa and much of this part of the country. Yes, it affects what we do in Tulsa lawncare when it’s this dry. But it affects people who farm even more, such as a buddy of mine in western Oklahoma who grows wheat for a living. He’s told me that unless we get some substantial rain soon, he may be plowing his wheat crop into the ground, or at the very least, have a very poor and late harvest this season.
Oklahoma weather—don’t you love it? One month it’s a record blizzard and massive snow, and before you know it, it’s hot, dry, and windy. One thing I’ve found which sometimes works is to write about the weather, and then by the time my writing is published, the opposite has happened to the other end of the extreme. So if you are reading this now, maybe it’s raining cats and dogs now! Whatever works—we need rain in the very worst way. Read the rest of this entry »
What Do Our Customers Think?
August 9th, 2011At LawnAmerica, our Mission is, “To please our customers so much that they’ll tell others about us.” That’s how we’ve grown to become the largest lawncare company of our type in Oklahoma—by taking good care of our customers.
Thumbs Up
We constantly monitor the customer service experience our customers have through the Net Promoter Score. Basically, this is a question that asks a customer to tell us how likely it is that they recommend our service to a friend or neighbor. The results are tabulated and scored as a number, with the higher the number reflecting a better customer service experience and happier customers. Our team members are even paid a bonus if they reach our ambitious goal of a high Net Promoter Score.
Thousands of company’s across the country use the Net Promoter Score to measure customer satisfaction, and even a few lawncare companies that we know of. Our overall company score currently is 79, which may mean nothing to folks who don’t know what Net Promoter is. Any number over 50 is an indication that customers are really happy, and that the company is strong in providing a great service or product overall. A 79 is really good! Nobody in our industry comes close to that to my knowledge. In fact, the largest lawncare company in the country is sitting at 15 the last I heard, and that would get a guy fired at LawnAmerica if his customers had scored him at that low number. Read the rest of this entry »
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