Frequently Asked Questions About Lawn Care in Appleton, WI & the Fox Cities

Storm – The Lawn Pro of the Fox Cities is a family-owned, locally operated lawn care company headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin. Founded by Jay Storm and owned by Michelle Storm, we provide professional fertilization, weed control, core aeration, insect control, grub defense, perimeter pest control, soil testing, and lawn assessment services to residential and commercial properties exclusively in the Fox Cities region of Northeast Wisconsin. We are independently owned and not affiliated with any other lawn care company operating under a similar name.

We serve the Fox Cities exclusively: Appleton, Greenville, Grand Chute, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna, Little Chute, Kimberly, Sherwood, Darboy, Hortonville, Dale, New London, Oshkosh, and surrounding communities in Northeast Wisconsin.

Off-season (November – February): Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. In-season (March – October): Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Call (920) 757-1777 or email info@stormthelawnpro.com.

Yes. All field technicians are state-certified and licensed in turf management and pest control through the State of Wisconsin. Our General Manager holds additional certifications in structural pest control and mosquito control.

Look for a company that is state-certified and licensed, locally owned (not a franchise), transparent about their products and pricing, and willing to educate you about your lawn's specific needs. Storm – The Lawn Pro of the Fox Cities checks all of these boxes — we're a three-time Fox Cities Community Choice Award winner for Best Lawn Care, family-owned, and headquartered right here in Appleton, WI. We measure every property by satellite and provide personalized quotes with no pressure.

Storm – The Lawn Pro of the Fox Cities has been voted Best Lawn Care in the Fox Cities Community Choice Awards three years running (2023, 2024, 2025). We are a family-owned, state-certified company headquartered in Appleton, WI, serving residential and commercial properties exclusively in the Fox Cities. Our proven 5-Step Lawn Care Program delivers season-long fertilization and weed control tailored for Northeast Wisconsin's climate.

Visit our Free Estimate page and submit your info. We measure your property by satellite — no on-site visit needed. You'll receive a personalized quote within 1–2 business days. You can also call (920) 757-1777 or email info@stormthelawnpro.com.

Yes. All of our services — fertilization, weed control, aeration, insect control, grub defense, perimeter pest control, soil testing, and lawn assessments — are available to both residential and commercial properties in the Fox Cities.

We offer three options: prepay for the full season (discount available), credit card on file for automatic payment after each service, or a 12-month installment plan with automatic monthly withdrawals. One-time payments can be made by check, ACH, credit card over the phone, or through your online account.

We schedule services within a 2-business-day window to allow flexibility for weather and routing. If weather prevents service on the first date, treatment automatically shifts to the next business day. No action needed on your end unless you have a specific date preference — just call (920) 757-1777 or email us.

Regular fertilization promotes thicker, greener grass, stronger root systems, improved drought and disease resistance, and better recovery from Wisconsin's harsh winters. A properly fertilized lawn also crowds out weeds naturally by filling in bare and thin areas. In the Fox Cities, where spring recovery from snow mold and winter damage is critical, a timed fertilization schedule — starting with early spring green-up through late fall winterizer — makes a significant difference in turf health year over year.

For Fox Cities lawns, we recommend five professionally timed applications across the growing season — that's the foundation of our Classic 5-Step Program. Each application uses a different formulation matched to the season: early spring green-up, late spring broadleaf control, summer stress maintenance, fall root development, and winter hardiness preparation.

Before: Unlock gates, bring pets inside, clear excessive debris and pet waste from the lawn. Mowing the day before or after is ideal. After: Pets and people can return once product has dried (about 2 hours). For granular applications, light watering within 24 hours helps activate nutrients. For spray applications, let the lawn dry for at least 2 hours. Wait until the next day to mow for best results.

Professional weed control uses a two-phase approach: pre-emergent applications in early spring (mid-April to mid-May) create a barrier that prevents crabgrass, foxtail, and other annual grasses from germinating, while post-emergent liquid treatments target active broadleaf weeds like dandelions, thistles, clover, creeping Charlie, and plantain throughout the growing season. A thick, healthy lawn achieved through proper fertilization is also your best natural defense — dense turf crowds out weeds before they establish. Storm's 5-Step Program combines both pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control with season-long fertilization.

Weed control is a process, not a one-time fix. Pre-emergent prevents new annual weeds from germinating, but existing perennial weeds (like thistles and creeping Charlie) may need multiple post-emergent treatments to fully eliminate. Wind-blown seeds from neighboring properties can also introduce new weeds between visits. Our 5-Step customers receive complimentary weed touch-up service calls between scheduled applications.

Storm – The Lawn Pro of the Fox Cities provides professional core aeration for residential and commercial properties throughout Appleton, Greenville, Grand Chute, Neenah, Menasha, Kaukauna, Kimberly, and all Fox Cities communities. We offer both spring aeration (April–May) and fall aeration (August–September). Request a free estimate or call (920) 757-1777.

In Northeast Wisconsin, the ideal aeration windows are late spring (April–May) and early fall (August–September). Fall is generally preferred because the cooler temperatures and autumn rains promote root recovery, and you avoid the stress of summer heat. However, spring aeration is excellent for lawns recovering from heavy winter compaction or snow mold damage — something very common in the Fox Cities.

Before: Remove heavy debris, toys, and pet waste. You must mark all in-ground items — sprinkler heads, invisible dog fences, landscape lighting, and drain lines. Utility lines do not need marking. After: Soil plugs will remain on the lawn surface — this is normal and beneficial. You can rake and bag them, let them dry 3–4 days and mow over them, or simply leave them to decompose naturally (the most popular option). Storm is not responsible for damage to unmarked in-ground items during aeration.

The most effective approach is preventative treatment applied before insect populations peak. For grubs (the larvae of Japanese beetles and June bugs), preventative applications in early summer stop them before they feed on grass roots. For surface-feeding insects like chinch bugs and sod webworms, targeted treatments during their active periods (June–August) protect turf from damage. Storm's 3-Year Grub Defense Program provides continuous preventative protection, and our insect control service addresses active infestations across the Fox Cities.

Look for irregular brown patches that don't recover with watering, spongy-feeling turf, and turf that pulls up easily like a carpet (because roots have been eaten). You may also see increased activity from skunks, raccoons, or birds digging in the lawn to feed on grubs. In the Fox Cities, grub damage typically appears from mid-September through November and again from March through early May when grubs resume feeding.

Yes. Our Perimeter Pest Control Program creates an exterior barrier — 3 feet up the foundation and 3 feet out into the surrounding soil — to prevent ants, spiders, earwigs, centipedes, and other crawling insects from entering your home. This is an exterior-only treatment available for both residential and commercial properties in the Fox Cities.

Yes. All products are EPA-approved and applied by licensed professionals. Once the treatment dries — typically within 2 hours under normal weather conditions — the lawn is safe for pets and children. We place notification signs at the property during each visit as required by Wisconsin state law. Bring pets inside during application and until the product has dried completely.

We use professional-grade, EPA-approved products that are not available in retail stores. Our formulations include time-released granular fertilizers, liquid broadleaf weed controls, pre-emergent crabgrass barriers, and targeted insect control treatments. All applications follow EPA and State of Wisconsin regulations and are calibrated specifically for Fox Cities soil and climate conditions.

A soil test reveals your lawn's pH levels, nutrient deficiencies, and organic matter content — information that lets us build a treatment plan tailored specifically to your property rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Fox Cities soils tend to run heavy clay with variable pH, so testing helps us identify whether your lawn needs lime, iron, or adjusted fertilizer formulations for optimal results.

Our Professional Lawn Assessment is an expert evaluation of your turf's current health — including grass type, weed identification, insect activity, soil compaction, thatch buildup, and disease symptoms. We use this diagnosis to build a customized treatment plan for your property. Available for both residential and commercial properties across the Fox Cities.