Q. Where are we now located?

A. We have now moved to our new location, right where we used to be prior to 2005.  It is at 7762 Wall Tirana Highway in Harvest.  Take Wall Triana North of Highway 72.  Go about 5 miles, past Capshaw, Pine Grove and Nick Davis.  Turn Left into Harvest Monrovia Business Center.  We are in Unit 22, almost at the end.  You can also go to the contact page of this web site and there is a map showing you our location.

Q. What are the hours of the business?

A.  The lawn technicians work from 6:30 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday. If one of those days is a rain day, then Friday becomes a workday. Frequently – in pretty weather – the technicians will choose to work half a day on Friday even if they have already worked 40 hours. However, this is their choice so we do not always have a technician available on that day. The office is normally open the same hours as the technicians work. There is a message machine to take our calls in case all lines are busy or if we are meeting with a customer. This message machine is also on all night and all week-end so you can leave us a message after hours. We will return your call as soon as we return to the office.  You can also send us an email at night or on the week-end and it will come directly to my inbox.  I check my inbox each week day morning as soon as I come in (6 a.m.).

Q. Why do I get a message machine so often when I call?

A. On most days office staff is in the office from 6:30 until 4:30. However, we receive many calls all day from Nitro Green customers, prospective customers, vendors, etc. A call may take only a few seconds or it may last for 15 - 20 minutes. We will always give the caller as much time as he or she needs to cover the reason for the call.  In addition, as with many small businesses, there may be times when we are making bank and tax deposits, buying supplies, meeting personally with suppliers or customers here in the office or merely on a lunch break. At any time, you are welcome to leave a detailed message and one of us will return your call as soon as possible. The message machine is on 24 hours a day so you can also leave us messages at night or on the week-end and we will return your call on the next work day.

Q. Why should I use a lawn care service when I can buy chemicals and do it myself?

A.  If you estimate the cost of products, your time, energy, and the cost of equipment to apply the treatment, you will be spending more by doing it yourself. We continually research and evaluate our treatments and our schedule in order to apply the appropriate products at the most beneficial time of year. There is no guarantee that the products YOU buy will work or give you the results you expect. You will have to pay more to re-treat at your own expense. We guarantee our treatments and will come back to re-treat at no charge if you are not satisfied. We can service your lawn for about the same cost you would incur doing it yourself. Best of all, you will have more free time to spend with your families.

Q. Are your treatments guaranteed?

A.  Yes. For those customers who are on our full program, each treatment is fully guaranteed until your next treatment is due. If problems come up within 30 days of the treatment, we will return to address the problem. If the call comes after 30 days, we will move up the next scheduled treatment and address the concern at the same time. However, if a customer chooses to skip any of our treatments, there are no free re-treats in between the skipped applications.

Q. What are my payment options?

A.

1. When you prepay for the year on any or all of the programs, you receive a 10% discount. If there is any reason why you need to cancel during the year, the remainder of the prepayment will be returned to you.

2. Each Application is due on the day of treatment. As a convenience, we leave you an invoice and return envelope. We accept cash, checks, and credit cards. No free puppies or children accepted as payment!!

3. Auto Pay. Simply give us your credit card one time and each application will be billed to your card upon completion of the regularly scheduled service. There is no charge for resprays or inspections.

Q. Can I have the bill sent to another address?

A. Yes. Just tell us that you want a different billing address from your service address.

Q. Do I have to sign a contract?

A. No, there are no contracts. We want our customers to remain with us because they want to – not because they have to. Additionally, there is no need to call at the end of the year to renew the services. Once you begin services with us, the services will continue automatically at the beginning of each new year until you notify us that you want to cancel the program.

Q. Do you treat commercial lawns?

A. Yes, although most of our business is residential. A supervisor will be glad to come out and do an estimate if the commercial property is within one of our established routes.

Q. I have small children and pets. Are your treatments harmful to them?

A. We only use materials that are registered and approved by the EPA for their extended use in the lawn area. Also, our Lawn Care Specialists are trained, licensed, and monitored by the State of Alabama Agriculture Department in the proper use and application of all our products.

Q. How long should I wait before I allow my pets or children to go on the lawn?

A. We recommend that you keep pets and children off the lawn for 30 minutes after a treatment so that weed spray will dry. You can normally water and mow the lawn the following day. We recommend, that you water the whole treatment in if it does not rain within a few days to activate the granular pre-emergent and/or fertilizers. The sooner the treatment is watered in, the sooner it will begin to work for your lawn.

Q. Do I have to bring my pets inside?

A. No. Your pets can remain in the yard if they are friendly. If you have pets, such as rabbits and turtles that eat grass, we recommend that you keep them off the grass until you water the treatment in and allow it to dry.

Q. How soon after a treatment should my lawn "green-up"?

A. On summer treatments, when we are promoting a faster growth rate, your lawn should be greener within 5-7 days. During spring/fall months, when growth is at a slower rate, it could take 10-14 days to "green-up". However, remember with warm weather grass, such as Bermuda, it is very important that you mow frequently and keep the grass short. It is necessary for the sun to get to all of the grass in order to produce the greening. If the grass is kept long, only the tips will turn green. Then when you mow, the green will be cut off and it will take several more days to green the grass again. Bermuda should be kept at 1 – 1.5 inches. Zoysia should be kept at 1-2 inches and tall fescue at 3-4 inches.

Q. How soon after a treatment should my weeds begin to die?

A. In most cases you will see weeds begin to wither and turn yellow within a few days. However, it can take 10-14 days, especially when it is cold. Remember in a very weedy yard, the weeds did not all appear within one week and they will not all disappear with one treatment. Some of the weeds will die quickly, some may start to yellow and recover; others may not even seem to be fazed by the first treatment and may need multiple treatments. The best way to determine how effective the treatment was is to mow the yard within a few days of service and see if the weeds come back up. Continue to mow at least weekly during the growing season. This is healthy for your grass and damaging to the weeds. Weeds are wild creatures so mowing injures them and makes it more difficult for them to recover. We will work on the weed problem each time we are on your property and frequent mowing helps us with that endeavor.

Q. Why are some weeds easier to get rid of than other weeds?

A. There are annual weeds that grow from seeds that blow into the yard on windy days or are dropped by birds. Applying frequent pre-emergent treatments to stop the seeds from germinating into plants can prevent the majority of these. Applying one or two weed treatments can generally eliminate those that do germinate.

There are also a group of weeds that are perennial weeds. These are weeds that are already present in the soil and many of them grow from bulbs or nuts underground such as onions, garlic, nut grass, etc. Other perennials are wild flowers such as violets that may be cherished in a garden but are considered a weed when they invade the grass. Since perennial weeds already exist in the soil, they cannot be prevented from growing – they can only be controlled after they appear. This reduces the possibility of them multiplying in the next growth cycle. Some perennials, such as onions – are easier to eliminate than others such as nut grass. A yard can have literally millions of weed pods or seeds imbedded in the soil. Different temperatures and weather conditions can trigger growth patterns. Since the weeds do not all appear at once, it can take several years to clean up the perennial weeds that are present in a yard.

Q. What if the lawn does not become green or there is a problem after the treatment is done?

A. Call the office and we will schedule a Technician to come out. He will be glad to come out and evaluate and treat the problem. Remember to wait the suggested 10-14 days to allow the original treatment to work properly. This will prevent any damage to your lawn by over treating it. Remember, also, to call within 30 days of the treatment for a free service call. Due to the fact that lawns require service approximately every 5-6 weeks, a call after 30 days will result in our moving up the next regularly scheduled service in order to expedite your next treatment and resolve your problem.

Q. Why isn't my lawn as green as my neighbors'?

A. There are many variables that affect the color of your lawn. For example:

1. The soil in each yard – one may have better topsoil or may be less compacted.
2. The timing of when each was last fertilized.
3. The amount and timing of watering of each yard.
4. The mowing practices of each homeowner.
5. The type of grass that each of you have.
6. The amount of sunlight each yard receives.

Our program promotes balanced growth as well as root growth. Green color doesn't necessarily mean it is healthy. Lawns need a healthy balance between top growth and root growth. Different types of grasses will have slightly different colors. Also, the timing of the treatments, as well as the season, will have an impact on the color. And remember that frequent mowing is necessary for the sun to produce the greening effect.

Q. How often and when should a lawn be watered?

A. During the growing season, a lawn needs water to remain healthy just as humans need water. Experts say one deep watering once or twice a week is far better than frequent short watering cycles. Why? Because if you water frequently, your grass comes to ‘expect’ water to be present and is more likely to stress if it is extremely hot or if you are unable to water for a period of time. In addition, the roots never have to stretch down for water and a strong root system will not develop. Stretching down will make the roots longer and stronger – just as exercising our muscles strengthens them. Stronger roots will support healthier grass.

A deep watering of the grass means at least an inch of water. The length of time this takes will vary based on how compact your yard is and the amount of water that is already present in your soil. A good way to find out how long it takes for your yard to get an inch of water is to set an empty can (like a soup or tuna can) under the sprinkler and time how long it takes to accumulate one inch of water in it. You may want to do this in several sections of your yard to determine if there are sections more compact or sloped than others.

Remember that watering in the morning is the best time to water. Watering at night is more apt to result in fungus on yards during hot summer months. Watering in early morning (like just before sunrise) means that the sun can evaporate the moisture off the grass blades!