Plants To Help Repel Mosquitoes

Education, Gardening, Lawn Care & Maintenance

We know that many of our customers are loving that the summer season is starting in a few short days. Even though it has been warm in Florida for some time, there is always something exciting about the official start of summer. One aspect of summer that we are not looking forward to is the onslaught of mosquitoes. There is nothing to like about mosquitoes. They make their presence known and leave you feeling itchy and uncomfortable when you are bitten. One way that you can help eliminate or reduce the number of mosquitoes is by adding certain plants to your yard. Not only can certain plants help repel mosquitoes, but they can also add curb appeal to your property. Plants that can help include:

Reasons Growing Zones Matter In Gardening

Education, Gardening, Irrigation

Do you ever wonder why some people seem to have a way with planting vegetables, shrubs, and flowers, while others seem to kill everything they touch? Sometimes, it is not a green thumb like some people seem to think, but just an understanding of what is needed to help everything grow properly. When planning to redo the shrubs, plants, and trees on your property, many people choose to use a landscaper because they are not familiar with what plants, trees, and flowers grow in our area. There are some people who choose to do the landscaping themselves because they want to keep costs lower or they just want to try doing it on their own. If you are attempting to plant your own landscaping, you should get familiar with growing zones. Growing zones are determined by the typical annual temperatures in that region. Certain maps also take into consideration the amount of rainfall per year.

Landscaping Tips Ideal For Florida Weather

Education, Hernando County, Irrigation, Lawn Care & Maintenance, Spring Hill

Are you planning on doing some spring cleaning in your yard? Now is the perfect time to inspect your lawn and landscaping for any areas that need improvement. Perhaps you have suffered damage from a prior rainstorm and have postponed making the necessary changes. Maintaining outdoor landscaping can be challenging in our climate. We experience extremely high heat in the summer along with heavy rainfall and the possibility of a hurricane or heavy winds. It is important to have landscaping that is appealing while being able to withstand the elements.

Lawn Mowing Tips

Education, Gardening, Hernando County, Irrigation, Lawn Care & Maintenance, Spring Hill

Do you take great pride in your lawn? There are many factors that can contribute to a beautiful, lush, green lawn, such as weather, watering technique, fertilization, and lawn mowing practice. If you cut your own lawn, and you have been less than thrilled with the appearance recently, we are sorry to tell you, but you may be to blame. Not cutting your lawn properly can lead to damaged grass that looks less than ideal. We want to share some lawn mowing tips to help you achieve the lawn of your dreams:

Tips For Starting A Vegetable Garden

Education, Gardening, Hernando County, Irrigation

Over the past few years, farm-to-table restaurants have become extremely popular, introducing more people to the idea of growing their own food. Also, with higher grocery prices, more people than ever before are becoming interested in adding a vegetable garden to their property to help with food expenses each month. Before starting your garden, it is important to decide which vegetables and herbs you want to harvest. It is also important to map out your yard and determine which location gets ideal sunlight. Finally, it is important to determine if you want your garden to be directly in the soil or if you are interested in building a raised garden bed. Here are some tips to help you have a successful garden.

Protecting Your Lawn And Landscaping From Frost

Education, Gardening, Landscaping, Lawn Care & Maintenance

Many people choose to live in our area of Florida for the mild winters, although we still have our fair share of frigid days. While our daily temperature will never get anywhere close to single digits, we still have some days that reach close to or below freezing. Even though we have milder winters than other places across the country, we still have to prepare our lawns and outside landscaping for winter weather. We would hate for a frost to strike while you are unprepared and destroy areas of your property. We want to share some helpful tips to be sure that your lawn and landscaping stays protected this winter.

Common Florida Weeds

Education, Gardening, Irrigation

Having a healthy and beautiful lawn requires a certain amount of maintenance. It’s important to make sure that your lawn is cut to the appropriate height for the season. Also, be sure to water it properly. At Challenger Irrigation, we can help you care for your lawn by installing an irrigation system. We can set up your system to ensure that your lawn is being watered properly. As much as you try to create a lawn that is beautiful, it is not uncommon for pesky weeds to get in the way. One of the easiest ways to help prevent weeds from overpowering your lawn is to apply a fertilizer that kills weeds. Before you invest in fertilizer, it is important to know what type of weeds are in your lawn.

Should I Water My Lawn This Winter?

Education, Irrigation, Lawn Care & Maintenance, Weather

We live in an interesting climate where we don’t experience severe winter temperatures like other areas of the country do. Even though we don’t have frigid temperatures the entire winter, we still need to adjust the way we water and care for our lawns. The grass in our area typically grows more slowly from October to March. In fact, many lawns may begin to appear yellow and brown. Your grass is not dead if this happens. It has simply become dormant for the winter and will go back to the beautiful green shade come spring.

How to Save A Damaged Lawn

Education, Hernando County, Irrigation, Lawn Care & Maintenance

Even if you take excellent care of your lawn, it is always possible for it to become damaged. With the holiday season upon us, inflatables are on the rise, which are huge contributors to damaged lawns during this time of year. The size and weight of the inflatable doesn’t allow proper oxygen to reach the grass, not to mention that the stakes that are used to keep the object in place can also cause damage to the lawn. Additionally, fall and winter storms can cause serious damage to your lawn and lead to the need for repairs. Thankfully, it is possible to restore your lawn without needing to replace all of the grass on your property.