Soils Alive

05/04/2026

Why aerate your lawn? Compacted soil is difficult for grass roots to grow deeply.

Loosening up compacted clay helps roots grow deeper to tap into more soil moisture and build more drought tolerance.

We are finishing up our Spring core aerations now.....before summer heat gets here!

Soil compaction causes unhealthy grass roots. Roots have to work harder to access water, air, and nutrients in the soil, and they don't grow as deeply as they should to avoid drought stress. A core aeration helps reduce compaction and bring these three vital ingredients for lawn health....directly t...

04/06/2026

Thank you Sherry! Bringing back pollinators, birds, earthworms (and toads!) is what we're all about. We appreciate your 15 years of trust in helping to bring your ecosystem back to life.

04/01/2026

Ecofriendly lawn care allows you to enjoy butterflies like the Phaon Crescent and Common Buckeye. Fewer chemicals = more caterpillars.

What's the easiest way to attract these two butterflies to your yard? Plant frogfruit!

Frogfruit is a native, drought-tolerant groundcover getting only 6" tall. These butterflies will lay their eggs on the plant, to hatch into caterpillars that feed on the leaves. Check out all the places in Collin County where the Phaon Crescent has been spotted:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=3024&subview=map&taxon_id=68274

The Common Buckeye is common indeed....with nearly 1000 observations, just in Collin County:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=3024&subview=map&taxon_id=48505

Frogfruit is a hardy plant that thrives in hot, dry summers and also bounces back after a frosty winter. Fresh growth is coming on now, to help feed this season's butterfly visitors.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=3024&subview=map&taxon_id=59041

03/17/2026

Healthy trees need healthy soil.

Did you know that tree roots absorb far more water and nutrients with the help of an incredible soil microorganism that we rarely even think about? That microorganism might be damaged if too much lawn chemicals are being used.

Here's a few of our tips on boosting soil health, to protect your $10,000+ shade tree and help it thrive with proper access to water and nutrients in our DFW alkaline soil.

https://soilsalive.com/blog/preventative-tree-health-care

03/11/2026

Frogfruit...the busy gardener’s best friend.

Plant it among your other native plants, since this groundcover gets only 6" tall and will creep and fill in. It has little white flowers, from March to November and it's a favorite host plant for the Phaon Crescent and Common Buckeye butterflies. Be sure to avoid spraying any chemicals near this plant to avoid harming the caterpillars.

https://soilsalive.myshopify.com/products/frogfruit

02/27/2026

Thanks Patti! We're proud of the work our technicians do, caring for trees, shrubs, and lawns across North Texas.

Why ask your customers to sign an annual contract when we know you'll probably keep our service for 20+ years? Start your lawn care today. No contracts. No surprise fees. Just ALL-IN service you can always count on:

https://soilsalive.com/services/lawn-care

02/18/2026

When you plant the Maximilian Sunflower in your landscape.....you'll be sure to attract more of these Painted Lady butterflies.

This butterfly relies on the drought-tolerant, native, perennial Maximilian Sunflower to lay its eggs on the leaves, hatching into little caterpillars that feed on the plant before transforming into this gorgeous butterfly. Plant a few Maximilian Sunflowers in your landscape to be sure and attract the Painted Lady butterfly. Learn more during our Earth Day plant sale, going on now, with savings for Soils Alive clients:

https://soilsalive.myshopify.com/products/maximillian-sunflower

02/16/2026

Love sunflowers? The birds do, too! The Maximilian Sunflower is a great way to attract more birds to your landscape.

It's a native plant that's extremely drought hardy, so it helps reduce your watering bills. It's also a perennial so plant it just once and you'll see it returning from the root each spring to bring you tons of bright-yellow blooms starting in late summer.

It slowly spreads via rhizome, so all you need is one plant. In 2 years, you'll have a mass planting of 15-20 stems. Trim it back to 4' tall to encourage more blooms. Butterflies also love this plant!

Soils Alive clients save money when they buy native plants at our Earth Day plant sale. Deadline to order is March 15th! Get a free quote for ecofriendly lawn care today. Sign up, with no contract required, and take advantage of exclusive native plant savings.....only for Soils Alive customers.

https://soilsalive.myshopify.com

02/04/2026

Prevent Insect Pests....Naturally

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Did you know that your lawn, shrubs, and trees rely on the soil as their stomach? Plants are unable to feed themselves, without the stomach of the soil.

Just like our stomach, the soil needs to be filled with good, helpful bacteria to break down food that feeds plants. Without the bacteria in our gut, we would starve. The same is true for plants.

Insect pests often attack weak plants, not healthy ones, just like we often get sick more frequently when we eat a poor diet. Keep your plants healthy by protecting your soil's health.

Prevent insect pests with the #1 tried-and-true organic method of pest control using no harsh chemicals that harm soil life. Beneficial Nematodes are THE best way to protect against chinch bugs, grub damage, mites, aphids, and other insect pests and gardeners have relied on them long before we even knew they were helping us.

Learn More: https://soilsalive.com/blog/your-plants-have-a-stomach-too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEF1ntZJGow&t

It's not a panda bear. It's not a koala. It's not a puppy or a baby goat. What is beautiful to BYU professor Byron Adams? It's found in the harshest of ecosy...

01/27/2026

GRANNY'S NIGHTCAP

Snow and ice are slowly melting and as the winter melts away, it's actually almost time for one of DFW's earliest wildflowers to bloom. It's called by many different names. We like this one: Granny's Nightcap.

This tiny wildflower, native to most parts of North Texas (sadly not in Fort Worth), has already begun to pop up from its hardy roots in lawns that are treated organically. It knows that spring is coming soon, and it wants to be ready for our native bees.

Granny's Nightcap (also called Ten-Petal Anemone) is just another reason why eco friendly lawn care is so much fun. With 80% less (or no) herbicide used, you get to enjoy all the incredible nature that our unique DFW region has to offer. Learn more about this remarkable plant at the Native Plant Society of Texas.

https://www.npsot.org/posts/native-plant/anemone-berlandieri