TruGreen Educates Homeowners on Summer Lawn Care to Enhance Curb Appeal and Home Value

MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer's arrival means America's yards step up as the popular backdrop of family life. More than half (58 percent) of homeowners surveyed in the TruGreen Home Features Report, conducted by the National Association of REALTORS^®, named "eating and/or entertaining outside with family or friends" as one of the most common ways they currently use their outdoor space. And if selling a home, a healthy, green lawn can be a value-boosting asset.

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According to TruGreen's Lawn Lifestyles National Survey of America, more than half of Americans surveyed (53 percent) said "the quality of the homeowner's lawn can tell you a lot about the quality of the home overall." But summer fun can create significant wear and tear on lawns. Maintaining optimum curb appeal during this recreational season requires some schooling and a tailored lawn plan. TruGreen, a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, is celebrating 40 years as the nation's largest professional lawn care service provider, and is educating homeowners on how to enhance their home's walk-up allure.

Lawn Care Summer School
According to Ben Hamza, Ph.D., TruGreen expert and director of technical operations, knowing the types of grasses and trees in your yard is essential to your lawn and landscape's health, especially if you are concerned about brown spots. In fact, TruGreen's survey revealed that less than half (only 45 percent) of homeowners knew the types of grass(es) or tree(s) in their yard.

"Not all plant-damaging insects like the same types of grasses and trees," Hamza said. "It's important for a trained expert to assess the situation and take a tailored approach to address problem areas."

In TruGreen's three new summer webisodes, Jason Cameron, licensed contractor and TV host, talks about how your home can be judged by its lawn, especially important with the housing market rebound. In episode three, Cameron discusses cool season and warm season grasses and the need to pay close attention to signs of discoloration, patchy areas, and chewed grass blades and roots.

Common Causes of Bare Spots
TruGreen's survey also identified America's lack of knowledge about the common causes of brown spots. Only 15 percent of homeowners knew bare spots can occur from too much water. In summer episode two, Cameron shares simple tips for proper watering of lawns, including placing a one-inch deep empty food can in the middle of your yard to measure depth of water collected each watering cycle. He also recommends watering in the early morning as watering later in the day may leave sitting water and cause problems with root rot or fungal diseases.

Most homeowners surveyed failed lawn care 101 when it comes to mowing and brown spots. Only 25 percent of respondents knew grass becomes prone to bare spots if mowed too low. In summer episode one, Cameron offers mowing tips for keeping your outdoor living room as the ideal centerpiece for family activities. Because your lawn's brown spots could be more serious than a blemish to your home's curb appeal, he recommends talking with an expert.

TruGreen takes a scientific approach to a lawn you'll love with Ph.D. agronomists developing the training for each TruGreen certified lawn specialist. TruGreen's specialized lawn services are designed to specifically meet your lawn's needs at key stages throughout the year based on climate, grass type, soil condition and usage. Partner with a TruGreen specialist for a tailored lawn plan to give your lawn exactly what it needs at just the right time to get the most out of your lawn. Go to the newly enhanced TruGreen.com for additional healthy lawn and landscape tips to boost your home's first impression.

Survey Methodology
The TruGreen Home Features Report conducted by the National Association of REALTORS^® was fielded in October of 2012 from a sample of households that had purchased any type of residence real estate during 2010 to 2012 and still owned the property. The survey sample was drawn from a representative panel of U.S. households monitored and maintained by an established survey research firm. A total of 2,005 qualified households responded to the survey. There is a 95 percent confidence interval for the sample. Households were sampled to meet age and income quotas representative of all home buyers drawn from the 2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

TruGreen's Lawn Lifestyles National Survey was fielded from January 3 - 9, 2013, using the field services of ORC International (Opinion Research Corporation). The online omnibus survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of Americans aged 18+ (n=2,000), with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. For questions that were asked among homeowners who are personally responsible for making decisions regarding their lawn care (n=829), the margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

About TruGreen
Celebrating its 40^th anniversary, Memphis-based TruGreen is the nation's largest lawn care company, serving approximately 2 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 services and sustainable practices. Today, there are approximately 250 TruGreen branches in the United States and Canada, including about 50 franchise locations. TruGreen is a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, one of the world's largest residential and commercial service networks. The company's brands include Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Go to http://www.TruGreen.com or http://www.facebook.com/TruGreen for more information about TruGreen.

About ServiceMaster
With a global network of more than 7,300 company-owned, franchise and licensed locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world's largest residential service networks. The company's high-profile brands are Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 20,000 corporate associates and a franchise network that independently employs an estimated 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands provided services and products to approximately 8 million customers during the last 12 months. The company's market-leading brands provide a range of residential and commercial services including termite and pest control; lawn, tree and shrub care; home warranties and preventative maintenance contracts; furniture repair; home inspections; home cleaning; janitorial services; and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.

SOURCE TruGreen