Greener Seasons: FAQ

Why hire Greener Seasons?

Greener Seasons' services are performed by highly qualified, experienced individuals. We are licensed by the Ministry of the Environment, all of our lawn care services are provided by trained plant health care technicians, and all of our tree services are provided by an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist. Greener Seasons is also fully insured.
Our commitment to customer satisfaction. Since the proprietor of Greener Seasons strives to be personally involved in all jobs performed by the company, customers can be confident that the job will be done right, to the exceptional standards demanded by the owner. In addition, should you ever have questions or concerns, your call (or email) will be answered by a person with the knowledge to respond to your inquiry, and the authority to make any necessary decisions.
We respect your privacy. Greener Seasons does not employ telemarketing, and we will not disrupt your evening with a sales call.
Greener Seasons is locally owned and operated in Ottawa. We hire employees from the Ottawa area and buy most of our supplies locally, helping to keep our local economy strong.

What should I do to get the most out of my program? back to top

Follow the advice given by your plant health care technician. After a visit from Greener Seasons, your technician leaves behind a doorknob hanger describing what services were rendered, and, when warranted, written recommendations for your landscape.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. We are here to help. We want your landscape to look beautiful too!
Do not cut your lawn too short. This is probably the most common mistake we see. Cutting the grass so that only a small part of the blade remains can be quite stressful to the grass plant. A short lawn also accelerates the drying out of soil. Greener Seasons generally recommends mowing at 3 inches (7.6 cm).
Water when it gets dry. Although grass will go into dormancy during times of water shortage, a drought-stressed lawn can be easily damaged (e.g. by children playing) and is the perfect place for weeds to take over.
Do not apply additional fertilizer. More is not always better.

What is a soil + compost top-dressing? back to top

A top-dress entails spreading a thin layer of a rich soil plus compost mix on top of your existing lawn (see images). This adds vital organic matter, nutrients and minerals in the form perfected by nature. A top-dress is the best way to improve soil quality, leading to the development of more extensive grass root systems and enhanced nutrient uptake. The effects of annual top-dressings will compound as your fertile topsoil layer builds.

What type of grass seed does Greener Seasons use?

A lawn can only be as good as the individual grass plants within it. Therefore, it is essential to choose grass seed with a strong genetic composition, and to continually apply this grass seed so that your lawn is full of young, vigorous grass plants that are up to the challenge of out-competing invading weeds. Greener Seasons uses only premium, well characterized, variety-typed grass seed from a reputable seed supplier in Ontario. These elite varieties have been selected based on desirable appearance, disease and insect resistance, and stress tolerance. Each graded lot of grass seed must meet high standards for percent germination and freedom from weed seed contamination. Greener Seasons purchases multiple varieties of each bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, creeping fescue and hard fescue, and blends these pure grasses in the appropriate ratios to suit the individual site conditions (sun exposure, shade, wear and tear, etc.).

What does the "weed / inspection" component of a pesticide free lawn program entail?

During a "weed / inspection" visit, our plant health care technicians will spend some time weeding you lawn, will inspect for turf-damaging insect infestations and other potential problems, and will give recommendations on good horticultural practices to keep your lawn looking its best. In some cases, Fiesta^TM Lawn Weed Killer, which is a chelated iron solution, will be spot-applied to certain broadleaf weeds. The weeding services included in a program are not necessarily complete. More extensive weeding visits are available as an additional service.

Why deep root fertilize trees and shrubs? back to top

During construction, many properties in Ottawa (especially in newer developments) have had their upper soil horizons stripped away, to be later replaced with only a thin layer of topsoil. This thin layer of topsoil might be sufficient to maintain grass, but it is hardly conducive to tree growth. In addition, urban trees are often planted in tight quarters, squeezed into the small areas between sidewalks, buildings and driveways, restricting root growth and the tree's access to vital nutrients. These factors, along with soil compaction, road salt and pollution, often leave urban trees in depleted and limited soil conditions. Greener Seasons utilizes a soil injector to deliver water soluble tree fertilizer directly to the roots of a tree (below competing grass roots). This small amount of fertilizer gives our valued trees a little bit of a helping hand, to help them survive in our unnatural urban environment.

Greener Seasons offers organic treatment of surface insects in trees. What is this?

To control surface insect infestations in trees and shrubs, Greener Seasons uses a diluted solution of potassium salts of fatty acids; in other words, soap. Soaps have been used for centuries as an all-purpose pesticide, and can be safely applied to most plants to combat many detrimental insects. The soap works by dissolving the outer protective cuticle layer of the insect, leaving it to dry up and die. The type of soap Greener Seasons uses has been specially formulated to ensure its insecticidal activity, and has been approved for this use by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency. Greener Seasons applies the insecticidal soap using a high pressure spray, which helps to physically blast away the insects as well. This organic method of insect control can help fight infestations of aphids, sawfly larvae, whiteflies, tent caterpillars, etc.

Greener Seasons offers Emerald Ash Borer treatment. What is this? back to top

TreeAzin is a systemic bioinsecticide now available for the control of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The product is derived from the seeds of the Neem tree, and when injected under the bark of a tree, it can kill EAB larvae feeding on the tree. One treatment can provide up to 2 years of protection against EAB. TreeAzin was developed by the Canadian Forest Service in collaboration with BioForest Technologies. Please visit BioForest Technologies' website for more information on TreeAzin and EAB treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions