COMMERCIAL BIDS •  1-800-635-TURF  • Mon-Fri 8-4:30    •  HOME  

FAQs

Surface should be cultivated soil that has been leveled, rocks removed, and hand raked. Topsoil is not required if native soil is not too rocky to provide a good seed bed. Amending the soil by rototilling compost into the native base is always good. To amend native soil with compost or organic matter, add approximately 4 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet. If you are importing topsoil, consider rototilling 1/2 of the soil into your native base and layer the remaining portion. The last step should always be raking to provide a soft surface for the seeding process.

We carry 300 feet of hose and generally have no problems in accessing all parts of a site. If your site is more than 300 feet away from where we would park our truck, let us know and we will come prepared to handle your project for a small additional fee.

Our equipment and experience allows us to install our product neatly and accurately. However, hard compressed surfaces make the product bounce instead of stick. Hand raking prior to our visit eliminates this problem.

The mixture should be kept wet continuously during the initial germination period. This means short frequent waterings until the first mowing.

Walking on the surface will not cause any damage to the seed. However, the soil is soft and will not tolerate traffic. Keep activity on the area to a minimum until the area has been mowed approximately 3 to 4 times.

The most critical factor in the success of your new lawn is watering. When Rapid Gro Lawn is newly planted, we recommend short frequent waterings to maintain the moisture in the lawn.

As your new Rapid Gro Lawn matures, longer less frequent waterings are needed. At 30 days, waterings should be long and deep. This allows moisture to seep well into the soil and encourages a deep root system and drought resistance. In all cases, monitor waterings to avoid run-off.

Rapid Gro Lawn comes complete with long-lasting fertilizers, which will nourish your lawn for the first 60 to 90 days. (The time depends on soil quality) When the lawn begins to lose its deep green luster, it is time to fertilize.

Specially prepared Rapid Gro Lawn fertilizers can be delivered with just one telephone call. Each bag of Rapid Gro Lawn fertilizer is custom blended for each stage of your lawn's development and growth. Your lawn will remain green and lush for 60 to 90 days, depending on soil conditions.

If you wish to purchase fertilizer from a store, we recommend a fertilizer with a basic ratio of 3:1:2. These three numbers represent the percentages of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium/potash (K) in the fertilizer. A mixture of 21-7-14 with a minimum of 40% organic (water insoluble) nitrogen is a good mixture.

Spread fertilizer with a broadcast-style spreader when the grass is dry, to avoid burning. Two or three passes help to ensure proper coverage and eliminate striping. Staining of concrete areas is caused by iron in the micronutrient package. Wash off all concrete areas to avoid staining. After applying fertilizer, water deeply.

Drop spreaders, while good for applying herbicide or insecticide, are not recommended for fertilizer application. To achieve proper coverage, fertilizers must be applied in two or three passes. Drop spreaders make this difficult. Striped lawns are a result of improper drop spreader application. For this reason, Weed & Feed products are not recommended. See Mowing& Weed Control.

Your Rapid Gro Lawn is ready for its first mowing, depending on the weather, in about two to three weeks.

We recommend a mowing height of 1.5 inches for one month to kill coarse or succulent weeds. These weeds may appear as a result of weed seeds in the soil.

After the first month, mow your new lawn at a height of 2 inches. Never mow more than 1/3 of the lawn height at any one time. To maintain a mowing height of 2 inches, the lawn should never exceed 3 inches before mowing.

To avoid lawn damage, do not apply any weed control within the first 60 days.

After that period, use hand tools or a liquid herbicide to control lawn weeds that may appear. Follow directions carefully when using these products, to use them safely.

Since broadcast spreaders are best for fertilizers; and drop spreaders are best for herbicides, Weed & Feed products are not recommended. When a Weed & Feed is applied with a broadcast spreader, herbicide is thrown into the shrub beds and gutter. This causes damage to your shrubbery, as well as being environmentally unsafe.

While we at Briar Group Inc. convey growth expectations to the best of our ability, sometimes misunderstandings occur.

You should start to see single blades of grass in 5 to 7 days. After your first blades are visible; three days later the lawn area should be covered with new growth. If the weather is abnormally cool these times may be slower. Warmer temperatures result in faster growth. You should expect to mow your new Rapid Gro Lawn in three weeks.

Remember, ground temperatures are the determining factor, not air temperatures.

Thin areas & premature yellowing

Be sure that the area in question is receiving enough water. Sometimes dry areas occur under trees. The tree branches keep adequate water from reaching the ground.

See if the area has an extra layer of topsoil. Some topsoil mixtures contain large amounts of sawdust. This causes premature yellowing of the lawn until the sawdust rots. These areas, commonly deep topsoil-filled areas, require separate feeding with a liquid fertilizer. This can be done with a water-soluble plant food in a watering can.

Check for buried debris, such as large rocks, logs, or stumps.

If the area is along a fence line, check to see if your neighbor has sprayed herbicides.

Should the lawn not fully develop within the first 5 weeks, call us.

Fall Tips

When the weather turns colder and wetter, we sometimes forget about our lawns. It is an important time of year to take care of some chores to insure your lawn is beautiful and green in the spring. Remember to apply lime or soil sweetener. Be aggressive. In heavily treed areas with lots of falling needles, 100 pounds per 1,000 sf is NOT excessive. Keep the leaves off your lawn. Rake or mow them away. Apply a good quality fall fertilizer before the end of October.

During the off season, please mow your lawn at least once a month. Mow after wind storms to remove all the needles that fall. Enjoy the crisp, clear days of the season.

Winter Tips

How cold are you? So cold that …………………….! You fill in the blanks with your personal stories. If your lawn is not growing right now, the cold weather is the reason. It is extremely difficult to grow grass with temperatures in the 20”s at night. Enjoy the mowing break, but when we return to normal temps you will need to mow at least once a month.

We are still hydroseeding for erosion control and even some lawns. Our “Out of Season” warranty guarantees that your new lawn will be GREAT. We give you a revisit in the spring to fix any of the problem areas. Your cost for this service is very affordable and allows you to receive our service even in the winter.

If you have an immediate need for soil stabilization during the winter months, we can provide you with protection. Bonded Fiber Matrix is a stand alone product that stabilizes soil from erosion for two years. We can use Bonded Fiber Matrix for erosion applications as needed. If you are dealing with mud and soil erosion, please call us. We are here to offer solutions to your soil erosion problems.

Spring Tips

Another winter is almost behind us. If a new home with bare soil is an element of your growing season, please acquaint yourself with our Rapid Gro Lawn page. Soil prep info is shared under Frequently Ask Questions. We are always here to help, so if your question is not answered please call.

Keep your lawn green and healthy

You may have been left with the remnants of winter such as a thinning, mossy lawn. Rainy weather and evergreen trees are the basic recipe to produce MOSS. We have addressed the problem, so let's address the solution. Rapid Gro Overspray coupled with thatching and aeration will give you a clean start for the spring and summer season. Give us a call for pricing on this service. We recommend Rapid Gro Overspray at least every three years.

If you have survived the winter months without much damage, start your maintenance program now with an aggressive fertilization of your lawn areas. Liming your soil is also an excellent method to control future moss problems. Start your weekly mowing program now. Your lawn thrives with regular mowing. If you need some seed for filling in a few areas, give us a call. We can UPS or mail Rapid Gro Lawn Seed directly to your home.

Use less water this year!!

Two of our products provide increased stress and drought tolerance, increases root mass and nutrient uptake and disease resistance. Both Extended Roots fescue lawn and DEEEP Roots additive are healthy for the environment and for your family. Improve your lawn from the start by asking for Extended Roots fescue lawn or DEEEP Roots additive.

Our Stay Moist moisture retention agent was an extremely popular product last year. The benefits of cutting your lawn establishment watering by 50% are tremendous both environmentally and financially. Don't forget to ask for Stay Moist

Summer Tips

It is a great time to install a new hydroseeded lawn. Rapid Gro Lawn© jumps out of the ground and is ready for the first mowing between the second and third week during summer months. Our temperatures in the beautiful Northwest never get too hot for our process. Remember that watering is the key to success with a new lawn.

If you have not applied your summer fertilizer, do it now. Fertility, watering, and mowing are critical for the success of your new lawn. The benefits of regular maintenance are visible in your lush, emerald green lawn.

Don't be afraid to mow. New lawns love mowing. Set your mower height higher for summer time. The shade of the blade will conserve water. Mow with your golf shoes. The spikes will provide aeration to your roots system.

How to water:
Remember the key to healthy lawn in the summer is water. Please maximize the benefits of your waterings by setting the sprinkler for early morning.

Short, frequent water applications are critical. If your lawn is establishing (first three weeks after installation), watering three or four times daily will provide you with the fastest performance. Please water to complete saturation just prior to puddling. Next year the lawn will be more mature and will standup to the drought stress better.

Don't forget to order Stay Moist. Summer is the time to take advantage of this product. It cuts your watering requirements in half or doubles the benefit of each watering.

Please check out our photos of Meadow Lawn and Deluxe Wildflowers. The Meadow Lawn is courtesy of our customer Pete Wallingford in the Normandy Park area. Pete's place is looking good. The Deluxe Wildflower photo was shot in mid June from our bed in the front of our office. This is the second year for the flowers. They change weekly. Such fun! If you have a spot for Wildflowers at your home, give us a call. We would love to display your photos of your Rapid Gro Lawn. Please your digital photos. Enjoy the summer and remember Green is Good.