Services by Season:
Cleanamp; Green Lawncare has over 20 Years of lawn care service in Kalamazoo and we use ONLY battery operated equipment to fight noise, air, water and surface pollution. Did you know only 1% of the population uses battery powered lawn equipment?
Belong to the 1% Club!
Our QUIET, Non-Polluting, Proven, Sustainable, Battery Powered Equipment Made by GreenWorks and Mean Green Mowers assures you won’t have your neighbors (or you) closing the windows to drown out the sounds and the smells of the smoke spewing, unsustainable gas equipment! Our battery-powered, equipment includes mowers, string trimers, blowers, hedge clippers, cement edger, pole pruner and chain saws, to provide you quiet, nonpolluting sustainable service you can feel proud to use.
Consultative and Testing Services:
Consultation: We want to meet both you and your lawn to discuss the best plan of action for a beautiful investment! We’ll thoroughly discuss your options and suggest the best course of action to get the lawn you and your family have been dreaming of all these years.
Soil Testing for Key Performance: Soil testing is critical. Several tests are completed (CEC or LaMotte and the Saturated Paste) these will give us the information we need to obtain the required results. Annual soil tests taken verify the health of the soil and quantify the improvement. We cannot use another laboratory’s soil testing results. If you choose to take and submit the sample yourself, please follow this link to Crop Services International (http://www.cropservicesintl.com/) for instructions on taking a sample. We work exclusively with CSI on sampling and recommendations. A variety of specialized soil tests makes CSI Soil Testing unique in the industry.
- Cation Exchange Test: A standard extraction solution used by most soil laboratories that is assumed to measure total nutrients available for agronomic purposes. These readings help to define your soil and show what is missing according to sustainable agronomic practices. This test does not show what nutrients are available to the growing plant, only what’s potentially available to the plant.
- Saturated Paste Test: A water solubility test that determines the minerals available in the soil solution that are not attached to the colloid. Use this test in conjunction with the CEC test on low and high exchange capacity and calcareous soils to determine what minerals need to be side dressed or foliar applied to “feed” the plant.
- Carbon Test: A combustion test to determine the amount of Carbon in the soil. It can be used to document carbon sequestration. Biological growers know that by increasing their soil carbon levels – Organic Matter/Humus – they realize an increase in microbial life as well as soil water holding capacity. This combustion test is performed by a Carbon Analyzer and measures the total amount of carbon in the soil.
- Micronutrient Tests: Micronutrients, in their many forms, work together for soil health; without one, they all fail to produce at maximum production. Of those micronutrients: Cobalt is a core element of vitamin B12 and needed by ruminants; Molybdenum is required for the fixation and uptake of nitrogen; Nickel is necessary to create the enzymes necessary to break down natural or manufactured urea into usable nitrogen; Selenium has no known function in soil or plants yet without it higher life forms lack a functional immune system; and Silicon contributes to stalk strength, sheen and protection against insects.
- Scanner Test: A scanner, also called a radionics device, can detect and measure low level, subtle energies emitted by all matter. This patented device enables you to see what is happening at the Quantum level with reasonably priced equipment and procedures.
Fall:
Lawn Fertility, Installation, Renovation and Repair, Weed Control ~
Natural Soil Fertility with Weed Control: Nature’s Cure Natural Soil Fertility with Weed Control uses all-natural weed management and Compost Tea’s with organic additives to increase your soils fertility to keep your lawns and gardens healthy and green by improving the soil biologically that has been depleted with the use of Chemical fertilizers and weed and insect killers. Compost Tea is compost in a liquid form. We inoculate your soil with billions of living microbes, fungi and bacteria ready to jump start the soil web. We can get your lawn and garden off the harmful chemical fertilizing and weed control treadmill and get back to nature. You can now stop using chemical fertilizer and pesticides because Nature’s Cures’ Compost Tea is Nontoxic/ Sustainable/ Scientifically Proven/ Biological/ Cost Effective.
Did you know, homeowners use 10x more weed killer per acre than the industrial agriculture? “A Concentrate of Life,” Compost Tea is a biological promoter. It is billions of protozoa, nematodes, fungi and bacteria—all needed to have a viable soil web that can then feed our lawns and plants naturally—the way nature intended. It can be applied to lawns, flower beds, seedlings, vegetable gardens, trees, and crops. You can never apply too much or too frequently. It’s safe around our children and pets and you’ll see results in just a few weeks.
Compost Top Dressing Lawns and Gardens: Using our Eco-Lawn 250 dual spinner top dresser (only available from Nature’s Cure) http://www.ecolawnapplicator.com/products/eco-250/
To maximize your lawn and garden’s potential we suggest top dressing with aged leaf compost. Aged leaf compost is spread throughout your lawn or garden as a probiotic for your soil, at no more the ½ inch thick. This provides the soil with the microbes needed for a healthy lawn. When top dressing gardens we typically go a bit heavier than ½ inch for coverage. The compost then should be watered or tilled into the garden soil or lawn.
Top Dressing is a proven practice often completed in conjunction with aeration and over seeding in turf maintenance programs and renovation procedures. Topdressing adds organic soil amendments, which improves the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil. This enhances turf quality and vigor and improves its resistance to drought and other stresses.
We partner with KLS Landscaping for our aged leaf compost for top dressings. KLS’s leaf compost has been Lab tested and analyzed for fungi and bacterial components and meets our specifications https://www.klsupplies.com/products/soil/lifecyle-compost.
Aeration: We use specialized machines to provide core aeration in the spring or fall. The machine pulls up plugs of turf and soil and deposits them back onto the lawn where they will quickly break down and redistribute the microbial life back into the soil, relieve compaction and make room for air, water, and compost to get to the root zone of your lawn, thus resulting in better overall lawn health. Aeration also severs the grass roots making additional plants to form and send out runners.
Over-seeding: Did you know a grass plant only lives for 6 weeks? Aeration along with over-seeding encourages new growth in your lawn and landscaping throughout the growing season. Lawn seeding can be performed anytime but fall still seems to be the preferred time for most homeowners in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area. The combination of less heat and slower weed growth, along with regular watering is less critical than in the spring. We use Black Beauty Sun/Shade and Shady seed mix made by Johnathon Green Co. and sold by Mattawan Landscape. Black Beauty is a new seed that has superior drought, insect and disease resistant making it ideal to use for new lawns and over seeding. You can check out Mattawan Landscape’s new line of organic fertilizers at https://www.mattawanlandscapingsupply.com/.
Our weather is changing and so must our lawns –
Lawn Leveling: Tired of your ankle twisting bumpy uneven lawn? Leveling a bumpy lawn is accomplished using a soil blend called Renewed Earth lawn soil from Kalamazoo Landscape Supply for topsoil applications and leaf compost. We’ll have you mowing smooth in no time!
Pruning and Clean-Up: Typical fall clean up includes clearing the lawn and beds of summer debris and dead plant material. Using our quiet battery powered equipment we cut back ornamental grasses, shape shrubs and perennials, and remove broken or low hanging tree branches We offer seasonal, dormant, or corrective pruning for shrubs, ornamental trees, fruit trees, or bushes and vines. Schedule early for Dormant/Corrective pruning or to get on the schedule for the seasonal program. We will haul all debris away and will be recycled into compost and added to soil blends.
Weeding and Maintenance: Weeds in the lawn are a sign that there is something wrong with your soil (soil compaction, mineral imbalances, and maintenance issues). We have found that weed control is best accomplished by stopping the weeds and crabgrass before they germinate. Corn gluten, the byproduct of making corn meal, is a natural pre-emergent used for lawns and beds to prevent seeds from sprouting along with the added benefit of adding nitrogen to the soil. SAFE to use around your children, pets and wildlife and environment. For more information on corn gluten go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2005/mar/mar0522.htm.
Healthy lawns will choke out most of the undesirable invaders. Other natural nontoxic options are using a corn gluten twice a season to prevent weed and grass seeds from germinating, manually weeding or when a non-selective (kills everything) option is needed, we use a combination of vinegar, salt, and dish soap. We also can modify our program to utilize chemical broadleaf killer and pre-emergent. When spraying chemicals for weeds will employ spot spraying measures. This reduces our use of toxic chemicals by 90%.
Mowing at the finished height of no less than 3 inches should be your goal. (Measure your mower’s height on concrete with a ruler to the bottom of the deck). Water when needed and aeration will go a long way in preventing weeds and giving you a health lush lawn.
Improving soil health with Compost Tea applications with organic additives, core aeration, compost top dressing and over seeding, coupled with changing cultural practices of mowing higher and leaving clippings on the lawn to feed the soil will greatly improve your lawn’s health, and diminish weed pressures.
Bed Preparation: As the weather cools, it’s important to prepare your beds and landscaping for the temperature changes. We suggest a good comprehensive hand weeding to eliminate all the pesky unwanted flora; deadheading any perennials that need it; pruning stray shrubs and branches. Don’t forget to leave something for the birds.
Winter:
Dormant Pruning and Brush Removal: You may not need to remove that old shrub or keep hitting your head on that branch or struggling to get grass to grow. We offer dormant and corrective pruning for shrubs and ornamental trees.
Snow Plowing and Blowing: We plow residential and small professional lots. We will shovel, snow blow, and pre- and post-event salt your walks and drives. We’ll stay on top of your snowfall so you can get the kids to school and yourself to work on time.
Spring:
Mowing, Weeding/ Bed Redefining/ Re-Mulch/ Installation and Removal of Annuals/ Perennials/ Plant/ Shrub/ Tree / Edging Cement/ Lawn Installation/ Renovation and Repair ~
We would love to meet you and view your property to discuss your plans, and give you input, or we can draft a plan with you of your dream project, then follow your planting desires for a beautiful and valuable addition to your landscaping! Fall bed preparation will make the re-installation of annuals a success, or you can work with our team to build your own dream berm, bed, or other annuals design.
Soil Fertility: Our 4-step Natural Soil Fertility process will lead to a healthier lawn and garden. Our Compost Tea is the liquid form of a blend of aged leaf and worm compost. Applications of Compost Tea feed the microbes in the soil without ANY danger to our children and pets from toxic fertilizers or weed control. Most lawns and landscapes respond to this increased microbial activity within a few weeks.
Top Dressing Lawns and Gardens: Spring is also a good time to apply leaf compost to your lawn. The aged compost matter improves the soil texture and ability to retain moisture and adds the microbes, bacteria and fungi needed for a healthy lawn. Gardens can be top dressed with a heavier application of compost which then will be watered or tilled into the garden soil.
Bed Redefining and Mulching: It’s spring and you want your flower beds to shine! We use a special tool (or we do it by hand) that will refresh the natural border around your mulched beds and landscaped areas. We highly recommend having this bed redefining done before laying down mulch for a more efficient process. Prior to mulching, all beds will be weeded and cleared of debris, and previous mulch material will be cultivated into the bed before applying new mulch of your favorite variety and color.
Spring Lawn and Bed Clean-Up: Honeybees and butterflies love dandelions, so we recommend letting them flower (just this once) early in the spring to make food for the pollinators. THEN, you can pick or mow the heads just before they go to seed to prevent spread. Our typical spring clean-up includes removing leaves, sticks and debris from beds, lawn area, patios, and porches. Then the lawn will be mowed, and any cement will be edged along with any landscape edging that is accessibility; pruning of plants and shrubs as needed.
Aeration: Mechanical Core Aeration is mostly performed in the fall and spring but can be done anytime if you have adequate moisture in the soil. Core aerators pull out plugs of turf and soil and toss them back onto the lawn where they will break down and redistribute the microbial life present in the soil. The holes left behind provide space to allow more air, water and leaf compost to get to the roots of your lawn.
Lawn Leveling: Tired of your ankle twisting bumpy uneven lawn? Smoothing out your lawn is accomplished much the same way as compost top dressing works. The main differences are that we would use quality blended topsoil instead of leaf compost and the amount would be more, depending on how rough—and your expectations.
Over seeding: Does your lawn have bare spots? Damaged surfaces? Unevenly distributed grass growth? Over seeding and spot seeding your lawn is a good way to give the existing lawn a boost and fill in bare spots. We prep the lawn with an application of leaf compost and blend it into the soil where needed. We then distribute the appropriate amount of Black Beauty grass seed at a rate of:
- 4-6 pounds per 1000 sq. feet when over seeding
- 6-8 pounds per 1000 sq. feet for new lawns
You’ll want to water regularly. Do not water to the point where you have run off or puddling for the first 2-3 weeks and keep watering through any dry spells during the summer.
Summer:
Weeding:
It has been said that weeds are the garden’s enemy (and the lawn’s too!). Regular weed abatement, whether it’s chasing clover or summer crabgrass, will help keep your happy place looking happy! And lawn weeds can even aggravate summer allergies! Keeping weeds at bay is a full-time job; we recommend using corn gluten twice a season to prevent seed germination plus the added benefit of giving your lawn a dose of naturally derived nitrogen in spring and then again, just coming out of summer. Since the timing of the application is temperature driven, the application in the spring should coincide with the start of the forsythia bloom, and the second can begin as soon as the hot summer begins winding down usually Mid-August to early September.
Doesn’t using products that are non-toxic for our CHILDREN, and PETS just make sense? Applying corn gluten, regular hand weeding, spot spraying, combined with our organic Compost Tea with fertilizer will keep the weeds at bay and leave your lawns and flower beds at their best throughout the short summer months of lawn maintenance in Kalamazoo, MI.
It may take up to 3 seasons to naturally and manually control the weeds in your lawn. It may be slower, but it doesn’t poison our children and pets
Beds:
Scheduled Bed Maintenance: Reserve your place on our monthly bed maintenance schedule. It’s like having your own personal gardener. We’ll first clean up your beds, work with you to plan your floral displays, then plant, and maintain your favorite spaces around your home with annuals, perennials, and decorative shrubs and maintain it all season long. You don’t have to lift a finger to have the appeal of a professional and sustainable lawn and landscape.
Trimming and Pruning: We offer seasonal as well as dormant and corrective pruning and removal for shrubs, bushes, and ornamental trees. that have outgrown their space. We also trim and shape fruit trees, and vines.
Natural Soil Fertility:
Compost Tea is the elixir of life for our soil and there for humanity. It is the liquid form of compost. No, it does not stink, and you don’t drink it. Compost Teas contains billions of microbes such as nematodes, fungi, and bacteria, all needed to have a viable soil web. This is how Mother Nature intended our lawns and plants to get their nutrients, through the biology in our soil; NOT from man-made chemicals that destroy the microbes in our soils.
