Carolina Organic Lawns

I can't rate for quality of service as the service wasn't performed. I would not normally write a review in this case, but am so completely shocked at the level of unprofessionalism I experienced via email earlier that I am writing a review as that is equally as important. I had contacted this company in mid-August about aerating my lawn and received a response two weeks later; the season had not yet started. At my initial contact I told them that I lived in Durham and told them I was having an issue with Virginia Buttonweed that was taking up about 1/3 of my front lawn. I received a quote from them and we agreed to move forward. I again told them about the buttonwood just before they came out. They were going to come here September 1. They came here September 1, and seeing the buttonweed in the yard determined that we should wait a few more weeks until it was cooler and the weed died back a bit. That was fine. I followed up via email to get a date on which they were coming. They told me October 6. That's fine. I emailed today to make sure they were still coming tomorrow as we've had over a week of rain. They told me I am postponed yet again, this time until Thursday. I asked about when first frost may be, as I am concerned it's getting late in the season; they responded that first frost is sometimes October 27. I mentioned that I was frustrated because I was both being postponed again and being told it's nearly too late, and if I were going to seed myself it would have been before the week-long rain. They then told me that I was the one who postponed last time (I was absolutely NOT - it was Jonathan's suggestion), and they said I was out of their service area (really? He couldn't have said that in the first place?). And, then he told me to find someone else. Really, really terrible customer service, and if they didn't want to go to Durham they should never have taken on the job. Now I'm faced with scrambling to find someone last minute, or rent an aerator myself, which is too heavy. Very frustrating and I've not actually dealt with a small business so rude via email, ever. They don't need new business, obviously, but there's a way you treat people and a way you don't. I don't care now nice their lawns are - rude service is not acceptable.

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Getting started with Carolina Organic Lawns was a little tricky because they were reportedly 100% booked. I wrote to get on their waiting list and was contacted shortly thereafter that they could add me to their schedule. We had a terrible weed problem in our front yard that was cleared up due to a combination of their service and the weather warming up. I have been convinced enough to continue treatments with them, and my lawn looks fantastic. I am anxious to see how things looks next year, 1 full year after starting the service, to see if they are able to keep the early spring weeds down, since that is what I normally struggle with. I'll update my review once I know. Don't expect to get notification of services prior to coming out - you'll just find an invoice on your door when they've visited. I never signed a contract, but once I got my first application they continued to come out monthly, so be aware that you'll be starting regular visits with them unless you ask otherwise. I would prefer a little more notification, but this is a very small issue compared to the good results I'm seeing and the comfort that this is safe for my kid and pets.

I had decided last year to go to another natural lawn service as I wasn't happy with how my yard looked after using another company and I didn't want to use chemicals which are so bad for the environment, people and pets. I looked for another organic program online and found Jonathan's company and called him. He came out and gave me a quote $100 for the first treatment that included a pre and post emergent (areas in my yard at that time needed different treatments), fertilizer and soil conditioners. He also said that future treatments last year would cost $45 per application. I agreed and he started work shortly thereafter. My lawn had several applications of compost tea (not noted in the price noted above) after spending some money getting those other items Jon recommended added to the lawn. Unfortunately, the results were not impressive but I do have a VERY shaded yard and it is difficult to work with as in spots it gets almost no sunshine. This has been an ongoing struggle in my very shady yard. I also had not added new compost or topsoil to my yard for a number of years so I decided to do that before I had Jon and his sons out this fall to do the aeration, seeding and fertilizing. I hired another garden center near my home to make that application which was fine with Jon as he said he would have to charge me more for the same treatment. Before that occurred, I invited Jon out to see the disappointing results in my yard. He did that and agreed that likely some new compost and topsoil would help a lot before the new seed was added. I appreciated him coming out to review the yard's current condition. He charged me nothing for that site visit. Jon and his sons were originally scheduled to complete the work a little earlier in the week but I called him to see if they could reschedule for the 14th of September as I had noted that rain was predicted in the near future after that time (which turned into a deluge but I still appreciated the rain). Jon was most gracious and flexible in agreeing to come instead on the 14th. They showed up as promised ready to complete the work that day. It all went very well. Jon was very cordial as were his sons and they all worked together. Jon came to the door when the work was finished with an invoice and he told me he added a plentiful amount of seed (even shaded type in the deeply shaded parts and sun type in the sunnier areas which was so conscientious of him to do). He also said that the seeding was the equivalent of seeding a new yard. I was very happy and impressed that he did that and I noticed a goodly amount of seed spread throughout the yard. He also reminded me to water several times daily to get a good result (which I have been faithfully doing and the lawn is coming in nicely). He then said he remembered that I pay online so he promptly sent me a Paypal request which I immediately paid. Later, I did leave him several messages asking how long I should wait before I mow the new grass. None of those calls or emails have truly been returned so I am assuming that something has happened in his personal life which has taken precedence over his returning my calls. I say that as I know that Jon is very responsible, pleasant and professional so I am confident that this is what is going on. I do expect he will let me know when he is able as to why my calls have not yet been responded to. Nevertheless, I have full confidence in Jon and would highly recommend him with his dedicated attitude toward providing an organic lawn product that he is very proud of. In fact, he was very excited to learn about a show I recently saw on PBS highlighting a large organic yard in another state. I sent him the information about that show so he could view it. I look forward to Jon and his sons continuing to service my organic lawn as I like the new results I am seeing.

I contacted Jon of Caroline Organic Lawns last May. He visited my two rental properties and gave me a written bid for doing fertilization and weed control, but advised me that for one of the properties we should just wait until the Fall to do anything. For the other property I hired him to do the fertilization and weed control treatments that he had recommended for May and June. He said he would put me on the schedule to do the work as soon as possible and email the invoice to me. He never showed up to do the work and never contacted me to say he was not able to do the work. Apparently he forgot. I am greatly disappointed and consider this extremely unprofessional behavior.

We were looking for an alternative to chemical treatments and a plan to renovate our lawn after last years drought. Jon brought this and much more to the table. The tall fescue looks great so far and as part of the plan centipede seed will be sown shortly so that eventually we will not have to deal with the problems associated with a cool weather grass.

Jonathan looked at my dying St. Augustine yard. He said it was root rot and the only thing that would work is peat moss but he said peat moss has had great success in restoring the yard from this disease. He applied the peat moss and in about a month my yard was plush, looking like it did last year. He also fertilized it and killed some other growth. He is easy to work with and very knowledgeable, he has a degree in turf management from NC State, probable the best turf management program in the country. He is also very responsive, comes out quickly.He

He is excellent. He comes and fertilizes and does the weeds. I'll get him again in the fall to fertilize. He also cuts grass.