SubscribeIf you have a specimen tree that is critical to you for any reason, consider having lightning protection installed. Like insurance, you may never need it, but it’ll sure be nice having it if you do. Lightning protection is a very specialized area of Arboriculture and should only be performed by a reputable company that has experience in this work. The International Society of Arboriculture http://www.isa-arbor.com/ is a good place to look for a contractor familiar with this type of work.
Scalp your Bermuda and Zoysia Lawns Now!
Scalping is a common practice used to prevent thatch accumulation. It is most often done before the spring Greenup. This removal of dead turf will also encourage early spring growth of the grass. This process may cause a temporary reduction of turf quality but all Bermuda & Zoysia grasses should respond positively to this cultural practice. Lower the blade on your mower enough to take off the top layer of #turf. We recommend lowering to a 2-2.5’’ blade height. All lawns are unique and it is recommended to start the blades high and slowly lower them to ensure that you don’t damage the turf by starting the blades to low. This may require you to run the mower over the lawn several times to get the desired height. Make sure to remove all the clippings off the turf after completing this project.
Cutting back roses in March.
Now is a great time to cut back roses. You’ve waited long enough and now is a safe time to make those important cuts to the plant. This is a great video link to better demonstrate how to cut back roses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSWSbJNGF-E&feature=related
Why is there Poa Annua in my lawn?
One concern that we always have during a rainy winter is that pre-emergent herbicides, which exist as a thin layer on the surface of the soil and prevent emergence of lawn weeds, have been deteriorated. Deterioration of the pre-emergent layer will result in increased likelihood of lawn weeds, and may be most common in areas that do not drain well as well as in areas that experience a “flow” from channeled rain water.
Areas where soil is exposed, either due to “thinning” of lawn or due to low cut height, are also prone to a deteriorated pre-emergent layer. The reason for this is that there is no lawn canopy in place to cushion the impact of rain (or anything else that may disturb soil surface), and therefore the pre-emergent herbicide layer is deteriorated. Also, soil is exposed to sunlight thereby stimulating lawn weed germination. The above is one reason that maintaining a cut height of two inches during winter months should be practiced.
The lawn weed expected to be most problematic during this time is Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua), as it is a weed that has demonstrated resistance to pre-emergent herbicides even when weed control conditions are ideal. The scientific community is spending a great deal of time and money in efforts to develop products that will reliably control Annual Bluegrass, but they are still working on an effective control method. For now, we recommend going with a split pre-emergent application like we do in our 7 treatment Lawn Care Program. You can learn more about our program at http://www.naturesls.com/lawn-care.html .
Extreme weather may cause damage to trees and shrubs.
With the extremes in weather that we have had, you may not have been out in the landscape long enough to tally any cold injury to landscape trees and shrubs. No worries! Cold injury only becomes easier to spot over time, as tissue death is realized. Ordinarily, cold injury occurs when plants are “triggered” to grow prematurely, as a result of an out of season warm spell during the winter months. In this scenario, plant sap flows upward and cell water content increases. In the event of a freeze, respective cellular water freezes and therefore ruptures cellular walls, resulting in cold injury. However, the weather this winter has remained consistently cold. So the scenario above has not occurred, at least not yet. Still, cold damage is manifesting with some ornamentals within the landscape. Examples of plants that have exhibited cold injury include Wax Myrtle and Tobira Pittosporum.
How to properly prune Crape Myrtle Trees.
If you are planning on pruning Crape Myrtles, NOW is the time! Take a few minutes to watch this video on the proper way to prune these trees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hZJRWkRH5M
Many professional landscapers and homeowners incorrectly prune Crape Myrtles every year. We see these beautiful trees chopped down in our neighbor’s yards or in the grocery store parking lot. Share this video with others and help us stop our fellow citizens from “murdering” these great trees.
Proper timing is key for controlling weeds in lawns.
When to apply pre-emergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass and other lawn weeds is a question often asked. Proper timing is indeed critical, as applying pre-emergent either too early or too late is likely to result in a weed problem.
A common practice is to apply pre-emergent with a single application prior to germination of crabgrass and other lawn weeds. This is an effective means of applying pre-emergent, but minimizes margin of error in regard to the timing itself. If application is made too early, the effect of the pre-emergent may diminish while weed pressure still exist. On the other hand, if application is made too late, there will be nothing in place to prevent weeds in the #turf.
Though a single application isn’t what we recommend, if we were to apply pre-emergent with a single application in the Atlanta area, we would target March 1 – March 15 as the window of time for it to be made.
In our professional opinion, as well as research on the subject, there is a superior means to achieving weed control: To lengthen duration of crabgrass control with pre-emergent herbicide application, and to ensure that treatment is made on time, the pre-emergent dosage can be “split”. In splitting the application, half of the dosage is applied well before risk of germination, and the other half is scheduled to occur when the effect of the first application is expected to be weakened. The result is both insurance against early germination, and an extended window of control.
The timing of the first application should be February – early March, with the second occurring 6-8 weeks later.
Remember, the objective isn’t to put out more herbicide overall, but rather to split the intended dosage in half to gain a longer window of control with the same amount of product.
There are environmental benefits to using the split application method, as a lengthened window of control may result in less use of “post-emergent” herbicides. Make sure to read the entire label of any pre-emergent used, heeding any risks or cautions on the label.
Rejuvenate your Pansies!
If you have pansies that are looking poor, as most presently are, there are some relatively simple steps that you can take that usually brings the vigor back. First, pinch the dead flowers from the plants. When doing this, be sure to pinch the flower stalks off at the base. Do this once every three weeks or so. Second, apply a fertilizer that contains a readily available source of nitrogen. While like other blooming bedding plants, phosphorus is important to pansies, nitrogen deficiency is common. A water-soluble fertilizer that can be liquid fed is ideal, but a granular product can be used as well. If these two measures are taken, followed by adequate sun, pansies will usually be revitalized. If not, they may have a root-rot disease known as Black Root Rot (Thelieviopsis), for which a fungicide drench is needed.
Proper pruning of trees and shrubs can save money.
Just as the early years of a child’s life, the “formative years”, are so critical in the development of a person, so are the early years of a plants life. This is especially so where pruning is concerned.
For example, by performing some simple structural pruning during the first eight or so years of a trees life, one can transform a tree that is destined to be structurally unsound and even hazardous when mature, to a structurally sound one. Of course this requires one to think futuristically as far as economics are concerned, but in the case of the tree, a pruning cut that takes a minute today, may circumvent the need for future tree work costing thousands of dollars. Not to mention how appearance is improved with proper pruning.
Now is a good time to perform structural pruning on most landscape ornamentals. However, avoid pruning spring flowering trees and shrubs now, unless a loss of blooms can be tolerated.
If you’d like any further suggestions regarding pruning, email us info@naturesls.com.
