Frequently-Asked Questions
As a leading landscaper serving homeowners and businesses throughout the Chapel Hill and Durham, NC areas, Williams Landscape Services is your source for trusted knowledge. Our expertise allows us to answer even the toughest landscaping questions, but we've compiled the most common ones we get below for your convenience.
A: Check out our full description of our lawn enhancement program to learn more.
A: "Pre-emergent" weed control is a product you apply to your lawn before weeds begin growing (pre = before, emergent = coming out). "Post-emergent" weed control is just the opposite: a product you apply after weeds begin growing in your yard. Generally, pre-emergent weed control products are designed to help prevent weeds from sprouting, while post-emergent weed control products aim to kill weeds that have already grown.
A: This is a great question, and the answer depends on a few factors. We recommend setting your mower to cut your grass at three inches or higher. This will allow your grass to develop a healthy root system, making it less vulnerable to drought, weeds, and insects.
We also recommend following the "one-third" rule to determine when it's time to mow. This means that if you're cutting your grass to three inches, you mow before your grass reaches 4.5 inches high.
The frequency your lawn needs to be mowed will depend on the season, but the one-thirds rule will be your guide. Generally, during the spring, you may need to mow as often as every three to five days. As the summer heat slows your lawn's growth, you'll be mowing every week or two. Stop mowing in the fall when the average daily temperature falls to 50℉ or below for a full week. Be sure your grass isn't more than four inches high when you stop mowing to help discourage matting when it snows, which can cause snow mold to form.
A: For the best resource regarding when to plant grass, we recommend consulting this in-depth article on NC State's website, which will tell you exactly when to plan about a dozen different varieties of grass.
Most flowers should be planted just after the last spring frost, which is generally sometime in late March or early April here in the Chapel Hill area. We recommend browsing this page on NC State's website for further information about growing annual flowers in NC.
A: This is not as simple a question as it may sound. We recommend checking out this in-depth article on NC State's website to learn more. There, you'll find detailed descriptions of about a dozen major types of grass, along with photos of each and instructions for planting and care.
A: Deer can be deterred through their keen sense of smell. Our favorite product for keeping deer out of your yard is I Must Garden Deer Repellent, an all-natural spray that's completely safe for people, pets, and the environment and does no harm to the deer.
A: There are a ton of trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, vine covers, wildflowers, and more, native to North Carolina, that will thrive in your landscaping. Our favorites include a range of azaleas, honeysuckle, rhododendron, hydrangea, and others. We recommend referring to the North Carolina Native Plant Society's website for further information.