We get asked all the time how to create a lush healthy lawn and fight weeds naturally so when we learned about Sunday, a tailored nutrient plan that helps you grow beautiful grass - we couldn’t wait to hear more! Sunday, like Tilly, is a remote service that uses soil science, climate data and satellite imagery to create the perfect combination of safe ingredients for your space. They use nutrients, not pesticides to build a gorgeous lawn that your family and pets can enjoy without worry. A natural lawncare solution, tell us more, right!?
We spoke with Coulter Lewis, CEO and Founder of Sunday, to learn more about how his company works. As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, fall and spring are great times to start renovating your lawn so if you’ve been searching for natural solutions, read on!
Sunday, A Natural Lawncare Solution
Why did you develop Sunday? What gaps in the lawn care industry does it fill?
When I started Quinn Snacks (my first venture) with my wife, Kristy, we worked directly with sustainable growers and learned how to build a transparent snack brand. The farmers we worked with were changing agriculture. The a-ha moment that led to Sunday was being a dad of three, buying a home, and having to figure out how to take care of my own lawn. I ended up in an aisle in my home improvement store that I could smell before even walking down it. Looking at the shelves, it felt like it was all from another era. There was so much room for improvement. I started digging in and learned that our lawns add up to our third largest crop and the way we’re told to take care of them is totally broken.
Current lawn care practices have us laying down 90 million pounds of pesticides every year. It’s somewhere around 5x the rate used on industrial farms. It’s bad for the environment and bad for our health. We’re helping people transform their lawn into a space that’s better for people and the planet.
Tell us about who the Sunday product is a good fit for?
Sunday helps you cultivate rich, living soil for a healthy lawn that’s more self sustaining. Instead of brute force, we use cutting-edge plant science to get back to how nature is supposed to work.
Every Sunday Lawn Plan is based on your climate, soil, and lawn. From Alaska to Texas and from Fescue to Kentucky Bluegrass, Sunday nutrients work with all lawns and grass types.
Our easy hose on approach is best suited for lawns 500 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft. This is the lawn sweet spot.
We select our ingredients and build our products to make DIY lawn care easy, earth-friendly, and effective. Whether you’re a new homeowner or a lawn pro, our smart lawn plan will guide you through our new approach to lawn care.
Your products are free of any dangerous chemicals and instead have ingredients like molasses, seaweed and iron - tell us more about those benefits and how you differ from products homeowners are used to having sprayed on their lawns?
We know there is a smarter way to treat your lawn than dousing it with toxic chemicals banned in other countries. Sunday eliminates the harmful chemicals commonly found in competitor products and uses non-toxic ingredients like seaweed and molasses, many of which are the same as those used by organic farmers.
Sunday is also not a one-size-fits-all solution, instead we create a tailored nutrition plan using soil science, climate data and satellite imagery for your lawn that ships right to your door all season.
We also have a customer service team that is always available by text or phone for specific questions, such as how to get rid of a stubborn patch or how to deal with heat stress - taking any fear out of DIY lawn care.
No one from Sunday ever steps foot on your lawn (like Tilly!), how are you able to create such a custom and targeted product for homeowners in this model?
Using cutting edge plant science and proprietary data and logic, we create a nutrient and soil health plan just for your lawn. Plans even include a soil test to help us zero in on any deficiencies.
Each shipment date is driven by your climate and grass growth, so you get the right nutrients for your lawn at just the right time.
Frank Rossi, Sunday’s Chief Science Officer, lives and breathes turfgrass. He has a PhD in Turf Science, has too many awards to list, and helps maintain some of the world’s most demanding turf, including Yankee Stadium. Now, he can help take care of your lawn too.
So… we sign up for Sunday, what happens next?
Along with your tailored lawn nutrients, your first Sunday box contains custom instructions, a sprayer attachment for easy hosing, soil test kit, and a Sunday growing booklet.
Your application date is on your custom instruction sheet. When you’re ready, hose-on nutrients evenly across your lawn. As soon as the nutrients dry, you can get back out on your grass.
Your free soil test is inside your first box. After you dig up samples from three different spots, you send it in to our lab (free postage included). We analyze your sample to build a full profile and identify any deficiencies. We add the test results to your account page and update your plan to keep your lawn on track for the season.
After your first box, additional nutrients will ship out to you right when your lawn needs them. We notify you when a new shipment is on its way and new custom instructions are included in each box.
When a homeowner receives the Sunday products, can they apply them to their lawn or should they have a professional landscaper do it?
Our products are built to do it yourself! From easy to hose on nutrients and custom instructions, everything we do is designed to make lawn care simple. Through innovative products and design, we build confidence to make caring for your property approachable, and even fun.
We know you have a Weed Spot Control, and many people get... a little obsessed with weeds - what type of lawn/grass is a good fit for that product?
Our Smart Lawn Plans are designed to build soil health and boost active plant growth. Our plans contain only nutrients because we want to help reduce overuse of pesticides and harsh chemicals. Plus, growing a strong, healthy lawn is the most effective way to prevent weeds in the long run.
Pulling weeds out by hand is our go-to. It’s easier to keep weeds from spreading if you catch them early before roots grow deep and flowers become seeds. When hand pulling isn’t working or isn’t an option, we offer two weed control spot treatments; Weed Warrior, an organic herbicidal soap and Dandelion Doom, an iron-based broadleaf weed treatment.
OMRI listed Weed Warrior is an organic alternative to RoundUp and it kills weeds in 20 minutes! It’s powered by an herbicidal soap that’s used by organic farmers and groundskeepers.
Weed Warrior is a non-selective herbicide so be careful when using it near your lawn. It is effective on grass, chickweed, corn spurry, dandelion, groundsel, lamb’s quarters, mustards, plantain, round leaved mallow, moss, algae, and more.
Dandelion Doom is powered by iron to knock out dandelions and other common lawn weeds without harming your grass. It also kills down to the roots so weeds don’t come back. It’s a selective herbicide, so it’s fine to use right on your lawn without damaging your grass.
Dandelion Doom is effective on dandelion, false dandelion, English daisy, white clover, black medic, bull thistle, Canada thistle, common chickweed, creeping buttercup, slender speedwell, plantain, dove’s foot geranium, wild geranium, lawn burweed, moss, algae and more.
What should people expect to spend annually with Sunday to keep their yard in tip top shape?
Full season lawn plans start at only $149. Each lawn plan is different depending on your lawn’s needs. Most lawn plans include 3 shipments of nutrients with 2 to 4 pouches in each shipment.
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