TruGreen Recommends Five Tips for Fall Lawn, Tree and Shrub Care to Prep for Nature's Spring Workout

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Sep 09, 2010, 08:30 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- TruGreen, the nation's largest professional lawn care service, is helping to educate Americans on the importance of caring for their lawns, trees and shrubs in fall before the end of the growing season. The experts at TruGreen offer five Fall Green Space Tips to homeowners to better prepare their outdoor living rooms for spring's vigorous growth.

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"For generations, lawns have served as Americans' natural playgrounds," said Ben Hamza, Ph.D., director of technical operations at TruGreen. "These lush, green backdrops for social gatherings are subject to a lot of annual wear and tear. Homeowners' lawns and landscapes can benefit greatly from proper care this fall, particularly as roots continue active growth before the dormant winter months and store reserves needed for next spring's growth spurt."

Through demonstration photography, Hamza and a TruGreen customer depict five beneficial Fall Green Space Tips. Visit www.TruGreen.com to access the demonstration images and information on TruGreen's customized winterization services including lawn, tree and shrub expertise prescribed and delivered by trained specialists.

Fall Green Space Tips:

*ASSESS:*	Thoroughly walk your property and inspect lawn, trees and shrubs as these plants prepare for dormancy in late fall and early winter. Identify problem areas in need of treatment, pruning or replacement. Note patchy areas, where grass has thinned out or is in need of valuable nutrients and appears as light green. Also look for weed and pest infestations and overgrown shrubs and trees, especially those with the potential for interfering with roof and power lines. Consider a qualified expert, such as TruGreen, to properly gauge your lawn and landscape needs.

*AERATE & PRUNE:*	Help your lawn breathe through fall core aeration to strengthen roots and to prepare for a hardy spring workout. Conduct corrective pruning of trees and shrubs in fall to enhance plant appearance and vigor, and thin rather than top-shear overgrown shrubs and flowering trees to preserve their overall shape.

*REPLACE:*	Fall's favorable weather conditions, as well as moist and warm soil temperatures, create the ideal opportunity for successful seeding of bare lawn areas and overseeding of healthy grass to improve your lawn thickness and density. Replace dead or floundering plants in fall for a healthier landscape and improved curb appeal in spring.

*MOW & MULCH:*	Mow your lawn into the fall and avoid removing more than one-third of the leaf blades with each cut. Return grass clippings back to the soil for added lawn nutrients and use tree leaf compost to nourish plants.

*FEED:*	A good fall feeding gives roots of lawns, trees and shrubs the energy needed to prepare for a healthy spring green revival. Keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn. Use a trained specialist, such as TruGreen, for insect and disease control measures customized to your region to help trees and shrubs thrive.

"TruGreen's trained specialists help homeowners secure the health of their lawn and landscape environment through customized solutions that are effective, innovative and responsible, such as with TruGreen's offering of TruNatural®, a 100-percent natural, organic option," Hamza said.

Green specialists from TruGreen are available at 888.901.LAWN to provide assistance in creating a healthy, green lawn and landscape for homeowners to enjoy.

About TruGreen:

TruGreen is the nation's largest lawn care company, serving more than 2.5 million residential and commercial customers across the United States with lawn, tree and shrub care. As the industry leader, TruGreen continues to pioneer the development of new technology for lawn care and devotes substantial resources to evaluate new products and equipment. The company is committed to responsible lawn care, including offering and promoting the use of natural, organic services and sustainable practices. Today, there are more than 250 TruGreen LawnCare branches in the United States and Canada, including more than 50 franchise locations. TruGreen is part of the ServiceMaster family of brands, one of the world's largest and most versatile service networks.

About ServiceMaster:

ServiceMaster currently serves residential and commercial customers through a network of more than 5,500 company-owned locations and franchised licenses. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. The core services of the company include lawn care and landscape maintenance, termite and pest control, home service contracts, janitorial services, disaster restoration, home cleaning, furniture repair and home inspection.

SOURCE TruGreen