10 Summer lawn care tips from the extreme lawn care guru
I’ve blogged before about the importance of curb appeal but extreme lawn care is new to me. Would you pick blades of grass by hand or vacuum your lawn? Some homeowners across the country do. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, extreme lawn care is more than a trend, it’s a labor of love that’s tremendously competitive.
Imagine your front lawn a deep emerald green, weeded, perfectly squared and striped like a baseball field. For most homeowners, taking care of their lawn is nothing more than a chore. Most of us prefer to pay someone else to take care of our lawn. But for some people across the country, having a perfect lawn is something to be proud of.
Those who feel having an extreme lawn is worth sweating over are the disciples of the self-proclaimed Lawn Care Nut and YouTube guru Allyn Hane. Check out his popular video “How to Dominate Your Neighbor’s Lawn,” that’s received more than two million views to date. In the video, he encourages lawn lovers to “mow taller” than their neighbors for “…the same reason why tall people stand out in a crowd.”
Here’s a list of summer lawn care tips you’ll want to follow – or make sure your lawn professionals follows -- that will give you an extreme lawn: 1) Rake your yard
Get rid of sticks, leaves and other debris in your yard that can kill sprouting grass. 2) Add topsoil
By using topsoil to fill in low spots, you’ll be properly prepped for new seeding. 3) Summer Weed Control
In the hot months, use a spot or zone spray method to weed. Mix your own concentrates in water in a pump sprayer. Spray in the evening when the temperature is not as severe. Give your lawn at least a 30-day window before you reseed. 4) Irrigation
Irrigate your lawn deeply at least two times per week even if it rains. This will thicken your turf. (Not recommended in a California drought!) 5) Mowing
The extreme lawn guru suggests you mow your lawn twice a week, no matter what type of grass. When you do mow, remove more than 33% of the leaf blade each time. 6) Reseeding
Wait until late August or early September to reseed. Heat and water are the main elements to a healthy, green lawn, just not too much heat. If you reseed too early, your grass will suffer. 7) Spread fertilizer
Use a natural or slow-release fertilizer to help your new seeds grow. 8) Sprinkle topsoil, again
Spread topsoil over your seeded area to hold your seeds in place and protect seedlings from birds. 9) Water regularly
Your new grass needs daily watering for 10-14 days. 10) Have the Best Lawn in the Neighborhood
Go ahead and gloat, you’ve worked for it!
Don’t have a gardener or landscape person? Then check with the experts at HomeAdvisor. All you have to do is put in your zip code to get a list of the best garden and landscape professionals in your area.
Extreme lawn care comes naturally in Santa Barbara because we have the perfect, year-round Mediterranean weather for a beautiful, healthy lawn.
“It was an emotional experience selling our mother’s home in Montecito that we all loved so much but Cristal made the process easier on our whole family by guiding us through the transaction every step of the way. She knows the market so well and everything she recommended was on point including the asking price, painting, and staging the home, which looked beautiful and helped the buyer envision her new home. We sold it the first day it hit the market with an offer above asking! Cristal did an incredible job communicating with us and the buyer to ensure that the transaction would run smoothly. We highly recommend using Cristal, she was a pleasure to work with! ”
- J & A
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- M.F.
“Cristal Clarke is #1 in her field - and you don't become #1 by luck. Cristal works harder, and longer, and with more charm and patience than any real estate agent I have ever worked with in the past; her calendar has no weekend, her days have no clocks, her only concern is selling your property as soon as possible and for the best price on the market. Am I a fan? You bet!”
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- M.A.
“Working with Cristal was a complete pleasure. Cristal was extremely patient with us as we evaluated nearly 2 dozen homes over a span of 2 years. Her knowledge of the market is unmatched. Cristal provided us with exceptional counsel as we evaluated opportunities and negotiated pricing. The closing process was handled thoroughly and efficiently. We could not be happier with our purchase and even more happy to now call Cristal our friend.”
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“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”
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“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”
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“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”
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“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”
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“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”
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“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”
- Ken Saffir
“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”
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“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”
