Providing the information you need to make wise decisions about your lawn.
General Service Information
Q: Are estimates free?
A: Estimates are always free. You don’t even have to be home. We can come by and leave the information on your door, or we can call you to set a time to meet with you.
Q: What does it cost?
A: We base your price on the square footage of your grass areas. Prices start as low as $34 per application. Many times, we can estimate a price range over the phone by looking at the records of your neighbors who are already Fairway Lawns customers.
Q: Do I need to sign a contract?
A: Ours is a verbal agreement. You are free to cancel at any time. But if you stay on our program, you will see the best results. Our service is continuous from year to year, like a subscription, so if you move or need to cancel for some other reason, you must contact us to stop the service.
Q: What are your office hours?
A: Our office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST on Saturdays in the spring. You can reach all branches with our toll free number 1-800-300-8565. For your local office #, please click on your state under Service Area on the blue navigation bar above. After hours, please feel free to email us.
Q: Are you privately owned?
A: Fairway Lawns has been under the same family ownership since 1979. We are not publicly traded (which means we do business the right way, without pressure from stockholders.) Click here to read a little about our company.
Q: Are the applications safe for my children and pets?
A: All our applications equal or exceed EPA safety standards. We recommend that children and pets stay off the yard after a liquid application, until it is dry (about 30 minutes.) This is an additional safety measure in case someone happens to have a particular allergy (even dogs can have allergies.) Through the years, we have found that this is a personal decision. Some clients leave their dogs out all the time, even while we’re doing the application, and others always put them in the house or garage when we’re coming out.
Q: Do I have to be home when you come out?
A: Not at all. We will just leave your invoice on the door, along with information on today’s application as well as watering and mowing instructions. If you need to know when we’re coming out, to unlock a gate or put up the dogs, we can call you the day before to let you know.
Q: How many times per year do you come out?
A: Our regular program is 6 to 8 applications per year, depending on the type of grass you have and which city and state you live in. When we do an estimate, we will recommend the appropriate program for your lawn. We may recommend some additional weed applications for the first year only, depending on the shape your lawn is in and the time of year that you start the service.
Q: How often/when do you come out?
A: Our applications are generally 4-8 weeks apart, depending on your location and the time of year. During the growing season, applications are closer together than they are in the fall and winter, for obvious reasons. Your lawn tech will leave an approximate schedule when he does your estimate. Our schedule is always dependent on weather conditions.
Q: Can you treat weeds in the flowerbeds?
A: Unfortunately, we can’t treat flowerbeds. Flowers and ornamentals are just too sensitive to the weed control materials, and we can’t risk damaging any of your plants.
Q: If someone referred me, do they get a discount?
A: Most of our customers come from referrals from other happy customers, and we appreciate that very much! If someone referred you and you become a full-program customer, that person will get his or her next application free, up to $50. Likewise, when you are on our service and you refer someone else, you will receive the same discount each time someone you refer becomes a full-program customer. Read all about our referral program.
Q: What are free service calls?
A: If you see weeds popping up, or you need some extra fertilizer between your regularly-scheduled applications, we’ll come out and treat your lawn at no charge. (Skipping regular applications voids this guarantee.)
Q: How long until I see results?
A: It depends on the shape your yard’s in to begin with. When we do your estimate, we’ll let you know how long it will take for your lawn to reach its maximum potential. Some customers start out with a yard that’s a mess! Others have new sod that looks great. With each application, you’ll see a difference, but if your yard is thin and full of weeds, it make take a growing season or two to get it looking like a showplace.
Q: May I take less than the recommended number of applications, perhaps just the weed control?
A: It depends on the results you’d like to see. If you want the results that we want for you, you must take the full program. Many people think if they just take the weed control applications, they won’t have weeds. But your main defense against weeds is a thick, lush lawn. If you want to take just the weed control applications, then you must be sure you fertilize your lawn yourself. And bear in mind that when we do fertilizer applications, we also spot spray weeds. The materials we use are not available over-the-counter—some weeds, like wild violets or onions or nutsedge require special materials designed specifically for those weeds.
Q: Can you get rid of moles or gophers?
A: If we knew how, we’d be rich! Unfortunately, there is no sure way to rid your yard of moles and gophers. Traps are the best way, but they are difficult to place and time-consuming to monitor. Terriers can be good at catching them, but they’ll dig up your entire yard in the process. A shotgun works, too, but the neighbors would probably call the police! But seriously, please do not think that getting a preventive grub application or treating for grubs will rid your lawn of moles. Moles eats many different things, primarily earthworms. If you have a bad mole problem, you may want to contact a pest control company who will set and monitor traps.
I just got my application and...
Q: What if it rains right after?
A: In most cases, rainfall will not harm your application. In fact, all applications need to be watered in, so rainfall is really a benefit. However, if it's raining when we're planning on coming out, we will reschedule your application, as we don't want our lawn techs out in the rain, especially if lightning is a possibility!
Q: What if my mowers came right after you did an application?
A: With dry granular fertilizer applications, it doesn't matter at all. The lawnmower will not "suck up" the fertilizer. But if we did a liquid weed control application, give it 7-10 days to judge the effectiveness, and give us a call if you don't see some results. If your mowers have a set schedule (or you always mow on certain days,) just let us know, and we'll note that on your account and work around it.
Q: When can I mow and water?
A: Rule of thumb is to wait 24 hours, water the application, then mow. You can wait longer if you want to, but try to get it watered in within 7 days, if there's no rain. Each time we come out, we'll leave information about the application on your door with your invoice.
Q: Do I have to water before I mow?
A: For best results after an application, water it in before mowing.
Q: When can I let my children and dogs out?
A: If we did a liquid application, please let it dry before letting children and pets on the lawn--about 30 minutes. This is just an additional safety precaution in case a child or dog happens to have a particular allergy.
Q: Why is there fertilizer on my driveway & patio?
A: We do our best to keep fertilizer off your concrete areas, but you might find some once in awhile, because the commercial spreaders that we use are designed for the best possible coverage. The fertilizer we use will not hurt or stain your concrete.
Q: Why are you doing an application in the winter?
A: Although your lawn may be brown and dormant in January and February and look like it doesn't need anything, there are literally millions of weed seeds down there, just getting ready to germinate. Over the winter, rain and wind and animals have brought all kinds of seeds to your lawn. Our pre-emergent is designed to stop a lot of these before they germinate. Once certain weeds germinate (like crabgrass) they are extremely difficult to control.
Q: Why are you doing an application when my lawn is brown and I can't water?
A: Summer drought can put some nice lawns into premature dormancy, and we understand that it's not always possible or practical to keep watering, not to mention the water bill! But even though it looks brown, the root system is still active and still needs caring for, even more so because it is drought-stressed. When the fall rains come, your lawn will recover much more quickly than those that have not been fertilized, and the late summer fertilizer will give it a healthy boost to help protect it against cold weather and freeze damage.
Q: Why do I still have weeds after I've been on your service awhile?
A: There are many different scenarios that will produce different answers. But, regardless of the scenario, if you see weeds between your regular applications, just call us and we'll take care of it. To fully understand what we're all up against when it comes to weed control, please see our WEEDS page.
Q: Why are you doing another application so soon?
A: During late spring and summer, as we get into the growing season, your applications could be 4 weeks apart. If it's your first year on the service and your lawn tech advised that you would need grassy weed applications, you may have 2 or 3 applications as close together as a week or 10 days. We realize that may not be convenient for your budget, but it's what your lawn needs to get into shape. We will never do extra applications or applications that you did not authorize when you started the service.
Q: Why did you do 2 (or 3) applications at once?
A: Certain optional applications coincide time-wise with regular applications. If you requested a Sup-R-Soil application and a Preventive Grub application, these may coincide with your fertilizer application. Or you may have a Tree & Shrub fertilization done at the same time as a Dormant Oil spray, just because that's the correct time to do both, even though they're completely different. The applications are perfectly compatible and thus can be done at the same time. If this is a strain on your budget, you may feel free to take an additional 30 days to pay, or just call our office if you need to make other arrangements. We'd rather get the applications down at the right time and get paid a little later, than put the applications down at the wrong time.
Mowing
Q: Do I need a mulching mower?
A: Mulching mowers are great, but you don't really need one. Just mow often enough that you don't have to bag the clippings. Please see our MOWING page for full details on this most necessary and important part of lawn care.
Q: What are scalping and dethatching, and do I need to do either?
A: Scalping in the spring is simply the process of removing all the old dead grass that has insulated your dormant lawn all winter so that the sun can warm the ground and your lawn will green up sooner. Scalping is for warm season lawns only and should be done only after all chance of frost is past. We recommend scalping all warm season grass lawns each spring.
Dethatching is a major process and should only be done if your lawn really needs it. You can avoid the need to dethatch with proper mowing techniques and scalping (of warm season grasses) in the spring. Click here for full details.
Watering
Q: What's the best time to water?
A: The best time to water is early morning, 4 AM to 9 AM. However, watering at any time is better than not watering at all. Click here for full details on watering.
Q: How much should I water?
A: Your lawn needs 1" to 2" of water per week, during the growing season, whether it's from your watering or rainfall. Click here to see how to determine how long to run your sprinklers and for complete details on the important subject of watering.
Q: Do I need to water in the winter?
A: Your lawn needs water year-round, even if it's dormant. Although not very practical, watering in the winter is important to keep the root system of your grass well-insulated against freezing temperatures that could damage it. Click here for complete details on watering.
General Lawn Questions
Q: Why are there brown spots in my lawn?
A: Good question. Brown spots can be an indicator of many different things. If we came out recently and spot-sprayed your weeds, there may be a temporary browning in your lawn, due to the materials used. Grassy weeds require a material that can temporarily damage the surrounding grass, but the key word is temporary. Proper watering and mowing will have it green again in no time. Unfortunately, this is the only way to get rid of certain stubborn grassy weeds.
Brown spots can also indicate insect damage, such as that from grubs or chinch bugs. Grubs, when overactive, can eat the roots of your grass, so you can pick it up like a piece of carpet. Click here for more information on grubs, and give us a call if you think you have a problem.
Chinch bugs are very tiny and hard to see, and when brown spots appear, you may think the lawn is drought-stressed and that you need to water more. If the lawn does not respond, you may have a chinch bug problem. Click here for more information on chinch bugs.
Brown spots in the spring (areas that simply did not green up) could be Spring Dead Spot, a soil disease for which there is no preventive or cure. Click here to read more about Spring Dead Spot and learn how to repair the damage quickly.
Another reason for brown spots is improper mowing. Did you (or your mowers) accidentally scalp it, or perhaps one of the wheels hit a hole and the blades went too low? Was the mower leaking oil or gas?
Dogs (especially female dogs or young males who still squat) using the bathroom in the same place can also cause brown spots. If this is the case, there will probably be a bright green ring around the brown spot, due to the nitrogen in the dog's urine. Not much you can do about it, except train the dog to go somewhere else, like way in the back in the corner. Heavy watering in these areas can also help dilute the concentration of nitrogen.
Lack of water is another reason for brown spots. If you have automatic sprinklers, check them occasionally to be sure you are getting complete coverage. One may be aimed wrong and you might have an area that is being missed.
Lawn diseases, like brown patch or dollar spot are another reason for brown spots or other discoloration. Click here to read more about lawn diseases.
If you notice any unusual discolorations (might even be yellow or orange or grey) in your lawn, please give us a call. Your lawn tech or a field manager will be happy to come out and diagnose the problem and recommend a treatment if available.
Q: Why does my neighbor's lawn look better/greener than mine?
A: You'd be surprised how often we get a call in the early spring from someone saying his neighbor's lawn is green and his isn't. The reason is that our customer's lawn is Bermuda that hasn't come out of dormancy yet, and the neighbor's lawn is green because it's all weeds and he's already mowing them. So, green isn't necessarily good all the time! But his lawn could also be fescue or bluegrass, which is green when bermuda is dormant.
Of course, if it's the summer, we certainly can't have a neighbor's lawn greener than yours! When we investigate we usually find one of the following:
- Our customer is letting his lawn get too high, and then mowing off more than half the height at once. This will result in a brown lawn after mowing.
- Our customer is not watering as much as his neighbor is.
- Our customer's neighbor is retired and does nothing but take care of his lawn every day, including fertilizing twice a month and mowing every three days.
- Our customer's lawn mower blades are very dull, resulting in the grass getting torn instead of cut. This will result in a brown lawn after mowing.
Or maybe your lawn is just not responding well to your last fertilizer application for some reason and needs a supplemental boost of fertilizer! Just give us a call, and we'll come out at no charge.
Q: How often should I mow?
A: Ideally, you should mow when your lawn needs mowed. During the growing season, that could be twice per week. Please visit our mowing page for an easy way to find out how often you should mow, according to your grass type.
Q: How much should I water?
A: Your lawn needs 1" to 2" of water per week, during the growing season, whether it's from your watering or rainfall. Click here to see how to determine how long to run your sprinklers and for complete details on the important subject of watering.
Q: Why is my lawn thin?
A: The main reasons for a thin lawn are improper mowing, lack of fertilizer, too much shade, lack of over-seeding (for cool season grass like fescue,) or serious compaction.
Improper mowing — that is, letting it get too high and mowing too infrequently — will contribute to your lawn thinning out. Mow frequently enough so that you don't have to bag the clippings - this will help keep your lawn thick and lush.
Not putting fertilizer down during the summer will also thin out your lawn, because the grass is lacking the proper nutrients. Many people don't want to fertilize because they think they will have to mow too much. But your lawn won't be healthy without fertilizer and proper mowing.
Frequently, people have full Bermuda or zoysia lawns, and then their trees get big and the amount of shade increases year by year. Thinning grass is a sure sign of too much shade. At this point, no amount of fertilizer, mowing, or watering will thicken it up. We recommend seeding shade grass in the fall, or putting in some shade-tolerant ground cover like ivy or vinca.
Already have shade grass in the shade areas, and it's getting thin? You must overseed shade grass each fall to keep it thick. Click here to read more about overseeding shade grass.
Serious compaction will make your lawn thin or even give you bare spots. Ever notice the bare spot beneath a swing? That's not from little feet rubbing the grass off. It's from being constantly stood on and jumped on, and the soil is so compacted that NOTHING will grow there. The roots can't get into the dense, hard soil. You'll also see this where your dogs usually run along the fence or where they lay in the yard. Even if you don't have a swing or a dog, you may just have hard clay that's giving you a compaction problem. If the roots can't easily penetrate the soil, your grass will be thin. Consider getting a Sup-R-Soil liquid aeration application, or renting an aerating machine. Click here to read more about aeration.
Q: When should I prune my trees and shrubs?
A: A good rule of thumb is NOT to prune when leaves are forming or falling.
Spring bloomers produce flower on wood from the prior season. If you want a heavy flower growth next year, prune plants such as forsythia and azaleas, after the flowers have wilted.
Summer bloomers follow the opposite theory. Their flowers grow from new wood produced the same season. A late winter pruning will encourage the growth of new wood and abundant flowers.
Evergreen trees generally need less pruning than deciduous trees. But when necessary, needle evergreens, such as pine and spruce, also prefer a late winter/early spring trimming just before their growth spurt.
Avoid fall pruning. Heavy pruning is usually best done in late winter, when the plant is dormant and temperatures are above freezing.
Avoid topping. Proper pruning should not be confused with topping. Topping removes a tree's main leader and branches, resulting in stubs. Topping will severely disfigure trees and results in "watersprouts" and weak limbs that are susceptible to damage from high winds or other adverse weather. (You've probably seen trees that have been topped by utility companies to keep them out of electrical wires — not very pretty!)
These guidelines are just that — guidelines. We can all find examples of particular species that may go against these pruning guidelines. If you are in doubt, check with a professional arborist or your county extension service.
Q: When should I plant trees and shrubs?
A: Actually, the question should be when shouldn't you plant trees and shrubs? Don't plant when the trees and shrubs are already stressed or will have a hard time getting acclimated, such as during the heat of the summer or periods of drought.
If you want the freshest plants, make your purchases early in the season. Most nurseries dig their trees in winter and ship them along with new container-grown plants in early spring. If you are on a budget and have a little bit of a green thumb, buy in the fall. You'll have to take some leftover plants but you can really get some good deals. Winter is fine for planting, as long as the ground isn't frozen.
You should dig a hole twice as big as the root ball when planting. Always remove the material from a balled tree or shrub before planting. Some of the items you'll find are plastic buckets, wire baskets used for transporting, regular untreated burlap, treated burlap, burlap with nylon or plastic woven into it or any kind of string. We regularly find these items still attached to the root ball, when customers ask us to investigate why a tree is doing poorly.
Payment / Billing
Q: How do I pay my bill?
A: Each time we come out, we will leave your invoice on the door. There are many ways to pay:
- mail a check after each application
- prepay for the entire year and get a discount
- make monthly payments with a credit card (annual cost, divided by 12)
- call our office with your credit card #
- set up automatic credit card billing for hassle-free payment
- pay online with a credit card
Q: What credits cards do you take?
A: We take Visa, MasterCard and Discover. You may call us with your credit card # or pay online (click on "Online Billpay" in the blue navigation bar.)
Q: Is there a discount for paying for the year?
A: If you would like to prepay for the year, we offer a 4% discount. If you take the full program, plus one special optional application (like Sup-R-Soil or Preventive Grub) we offer an 8% discount on everything.
Q: May I take extra time to pay if I had 2 different applications at once?
A: Of course. Sometimes two applications are done at once because it’s the proper time to do them, but we know that’s tough on the budget. In that situation, you may take an additional 30 days to pay.
Q: How long do I have to pay my bill before a late fee is applied?
A: A small late fee is applied after 30 days, unles you had two applications at once, and then we allow an additional 30 days.