FAQ’s

GENERAL:

Lawn Doctor of Longview-Kilgore is a locally owned franchise operating in Longview, Hallsville, Kilgore, Diana, Gilmer, White Oak, Gladewater, Big Sandy, Whitehouse, Bullard, and Flint, Texas. Lawn Doctor Corporate has been around for over 50 years and has the highest Trust Pilot score in the industry. We have the best of both worlds – We are a local, family-owned business and are backed by the experience, expertise, and support of a big company.
It boils down to one simple premise: we care more. It’s the kind of caring that can only come from being the business owner – one that lives, works, and is a part of the community they serve. Quite frankly, we believe we are the best in the business. We take a personal interest in every customer. We will assess your lawn in person and explain any recommendations for service along with answering all your questions before you decide. Additionally, our customers have direct access to the owners of the company. We still believe in good old-fashioned customer service and mutual respect! Finally, we never require contracts, commitments, or pre-payments.

Check out our local reviews on Google, Home Advisor, and Facebook. They speak for themselves. Please visit our website www.lawndoctor.com/longview-tx.

 

Never hesitate to contact our office with questions or concerns about any service. If we can’t answer your question via phone or email, we will stop by to assess the concern in person.
In the event that you are unsatisfied with your last treatment from Lawn Doctor, we ask that you call us and let us know as quickly as possible. Our experts will either return and reapply that application at no additional charge or refund the full cost of your last application.
Lawn Doctor is not responsible for damage that is out of its control; such as that caused by heat stress, improper watering or mowing, insects or disease that have not been addressed.
No way! We would never expect a customer to pay for a service they weren’t expecting or didn’t approve. If we see anything of concern going on in your yard, we will make a note on the invoice and follow up in our after-service email. We will also let you know if we are seeing a particular issue (like insects or disease) in the area. You can then decide if you want the recommended service or not. We will NEVER try to sell you something you don’t need. Your Healthy Lawn Maintainer Program will not protect you from disease or insects. Unfortunately, we cannot control nature!

There are 3 ways to contact us. Call our office at (903) 720-6264, send us an email at ld1271@lawndoctor.com, or put in a request through our customer website www.lawndoctorcustomer.com. Please do not Google us and fill out a lead form if you are a current customer.

 

TERMS:

Payment is due following the service. A payment is considered late if not paid 14 days after a service. As a courtesy, payment reminder emails are automatically generated when a payment is late. If payment is not received by the next scheduled service, our system applies a $10 late fee. Furthermore, if payment is not received by the subsequent scheduled service, the service will not be performed. Accounts over 60 days delinquent will be submitted for collections.
Easy! We accept checks and all major credit cards. You can mail the payment from the invoice, through your online bank, or submit your credit card payment online using our secure customer website.
Never! We do not require any contracts, commitments, or prepayment of services. Instead, we choose to earn your continued business with excellent results and amazing customer service. You can cancel or skip services at any time as long as you let us know before we schedule a service.
Absolutely! We do not keep credit card numbers electronically which could be subject to hacking. Instead the encrypted information is stored in the secure system database. You are always in control of the billing and can change or cancel the payment status at any time.

SERVICE SCHEDULING:

Good question! It may help to know that we operate a high-volume business and can’t be everywhere at once or anywhere specific at any given time. With that in mind, we have established routes that cover certain areas of our territory on certain days. Each customer will be assigned to a route depending on location. We do our best to accommodate customer desires regarding scheduling.
Unfortunately, with the volume of business we do, it would be nearly impossible to schedule services for specific days and times.
Absolutely! Our system automatically sends a before service email (and text message if you opt in for that) the day prior to the scheduled service. These notices cannot indicate a time frame. Please call or email the office to request a time window if needed. We will do our best to provide the information.
No, you never need to be home. We will ring the bell when we arrive and complete the scheduled service.
We will leave a small sign on the lawn, an invoice at the door, and send you an after-service email with any important notes from the technician. Ultimately, we will be moving to a paperless invoice system.
It is important that we have easy access to any treatment areas. Please be sure to unlock gates (or provide us with the code), remove/move any hindrances to the walkways and pick up toys and/or pet items and waste off the lawn. It is best to skip watering on the day of service and set sprinklers to go off the following morning.

SERVICE INFORMATION:

Proper-fertilization is a year-round commitment, which is why we offer our Healthy Lawn Maintainer Program. Lawn Maintainer is an annual program that incorporates year-round lawn fertilization, pre-emergent weed control and post-emergent weed control for superior results. We will keep your lawn fertilized according to a carefully pre-planned schedule determined by your specific type of grass and our local climate. Our highly trained technicians will also look for issues such as insects or disease at every visit, spot treat for free and then make recommendations on future treatment.
Not likely! The State of Texas requires a special license for what we do called a Commercial Applicator’s License. Ask to see ours. It is very rare for a gardener or basic landscaper to go though the time, expense, preparation, testing, and continuing education required to maintain the necessary licenses. Our extensive product knowledge along with our training and education make the difference.
Yes! Other services include Core Aeration in the spring, Liquid Aeration/Soil Enrichment in the fall, Turf Insect Control and Prevention, Preventative and Curative Fungus Control, Tree and Shrub Care, Flowerbed Weed Control, Fire Ant Control, Grub Control, Mole Control, Mosquito Control, Flea and Tick Control, Moisture Manager for dry soil and drought conditions, and Organic Fertilizer options.
This is a very important question! Any product we may apply to your lawn is highly tested and regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and subject to additional layers of scrutiny by the Texas Department Agriculture. Laws mandate we adhere to product label instructions. These laws are designed to protect product applicators as well as consumers. Most labels instruct people and pets to stay off surfaces during treatment but may re-enter after any spray has dried and/or dust settled.
We do offer an all Organic Fertilizer Program and an Organic Hybrid Program that includes stubborn weed control. However, these options generally come with reduced results and added cost. Our goal is always to produce the best results with minimum use of chemicals at a reasonable cost. We are happy to have a conversation about your goals for the lawn and your understanding of these products. With that, we can share the facts along with pros and cons of these options to customize a program that meets your needs.
No! The vast majority of our products are non-staining plus we blow off driveway and hard surfaces for a professional completion to the service.
There are a lot of factors involved in the health and appearance of any lawn. Weather, soil composition, irrigation and mowing practices, pets, environmental factors like disease, insects, and drought all affect the lawn. Our goal for each lawn is to make it as lush and healthy as possible. Having a beautiful lawn is a process. It takes time. The amount of time varies depending on all of these factors. If a lawn isn’t reaching its full potential, we will work with you to achieve that lawn you have always wanted.
A lot depends on your type of grass and the time of year you become a Lawn Doctor customer. Remember, weeds are green but we work to reduce the number of weeds at every visit. Every lawn is better off with Lawn Doctor services. Also see – Can you give me a perfect lawn?
In most cases a lawn starts greening up and weeds start dying in one to two weeks. Some lawns require longer than others. Much depends on the season and starting condition of the lawn.
Nature is very good at spreading weed seeds and no lawn is exempt. Also, weeds germinate at varying seasons and cycles. You can rest assured that Lawn Doctor will keep weeds at a minimum and be on the lookout for invasive weed species. The best defense against weeds coming back is a few seasons of pre-emergent. We use post-emergent spray at every visit to keep weeds as controlled as possible.
Maybe! Even so, nature is even better at spreading weed seeds around. Whatever the source, we will keep weeds to a minimum.
Perhaps never! It takes up to two years to make a lawn 90% weed free and some weed roots can remain underground for up to 7 years! There are annual weeds, biannual, biennial and perennial weeds. We need to work through seasons and cycles to see everything possible. Rest assured that the greatest progress is made early on so you can be loving your lawn again soon. Please be patient and know we are looking out for your lawn and will always adjust treatments as needed.
That is a very important question and the answer isn’t that easy. The general rule is to water infrequently but deeply so the grass roots will develop. Watering requirements in our area go from 2 days a week in early spring, to 4-5 days a week in the heat of summer, to NO watering in the late fall through winter. ALWAYS water in the mornings; preferably between 4:00 am and 7:00 am, but no later than 9:00 am in the summer to avoid steaming the lawn and losing water due to evaporation. Never water in the afternoon or evenings to avoid getting Fungus.
Quite possibly! Feedback from customers indicates they can achieve 10%-15% water savings after getting the lawn healthy and following our recommendations. Of course, if a customer is under irrigating to begin with, the extra savings aren’t likely. Be sure to ask about our Moisture Manager Program that can achieve 30% – 50% savings in lawn irrigation.
Good cultural practices include proper mowing, trimming, edging, and irrigation. These work together with good fertilization and weed control to achieve a healthy lawn. We will let you know if we suspect deficiencies in any cultural practice so it can be corrected. You can learn more about cultural practices and other relevant topics by following us on Facebook – Lawn Doctor of Longview-Kilgore.
Absolutely! We find some lawns edged way too aggressively. A popular method of edging seems to be “tapering” in. This is when a lawn is trimmed at an angle from the inside to the outside. This often leads to lawn size reduction and exposed soil around the edges. The result is an increase of weeds and loss of moisture. Neither is good for your lawn. The proper way to edge is vertically at the outer edges/hard surfaces.
Proper mowing height should be 2.5 to 3 inches. Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf surface in any one cutting. Cutting your lawn too short will cause it to dehydrate (burn out) and greatly increase weed and crabgrass problems. Taller mower height will also encourage deeper root growth. It is very important to keep mower blades sharp at all times.
Grasscycling or mulching lawn clippings simply means a bag is not used during mowing to capture and throw away the clippings. Most modern lawn mowers have the capability to recycle the grass clippings where they can return nutrients to the soil and reduce waste going to landfills. There are only benefits to grasscycling and we do recommend it.
Good question! We have found that many customers initially think they have crabgrass when it is actually any number of invasive grasses and weeds. It seems to be a “catch all” label for undesirable things in the lawn. In reality, Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed that germinates during spring, matures during summer then dies during fall after dispersing seeds. Those seeds become the following year’s crabgrass. It gets worse and worse every year until it is controlled. Lawn Doctor’s pre-emergent weed control application is your best defense against Crabgrass.
Even when you give your lawn excellent care, the grass can still become infected with various lawn diseases that can lead to dead or discolored areas. Disease spores can float by in the air or hide in the soil, and when conditions are right, they multiply. Common in our area are Gray Leaf Spot, Brown Patch, and occasionally Take All Patch. Heat and humidity can be the culprit especially as fall approaches and night time temperatures begin to lower. Too much water, poor drainage, and evening irrigation can make it worse. Unfortunately, St. Augustine is very susceptible to Brown Patch.
Nutsedge is one of the most difficult invasive weeds to control in a lawn. What makes it such a challenge is an underground network of tubers called “nutlets”. These tubers are connected with horizontal stems called rhizomes. They cannot be physically removed and the extensive underground network makes chemical control a long-term process. Fortunately, some nutsedge plants are easier to control than others. We need to identify the type to determine the prognosis. While we can’t guarantee a quick solution or even complete eradication, we can make great improvement over time and usually keep nutsedge from completely overgrowing your lawn.
Virginia Buttonweed and Doveweed are two of the most stubborn weeds we see in our area. The more frequently they are treated, the less you will see them emerge. As the health of your grass improves, it will start to win the battle for water and nutrients against the weeds. It is all a process. It takes time and sometimes patience too. Dalisgrass and Torpedograss cannot be controlled with selective herbicides in St. Augustine.
The best way to control those weeds is with a non-selective herbicide like Round Up. We use only selective herbicides. We will be happy to spray small areas as a courtesy, but the weeds will likely return.
Any lawn can benefit from a Core Aeration in the spring, but a Liquid Aeration Program in the spring or fall can do wonders for a lawn too. If your lawn is hard and compacted, we highly recommend both of these.