Posts Tagged ‘Lawn’

Overcome Those Matted Leaves Despite Snowtober!

Published by Mr. Grass on November 3rd, 2011 - in Pruning, Storm Damage Assistance, Trees, Turf

Most folks got at least a few inches of snow this past weekend during a record setting October snow storm.  The impact on your lawn can be summed up in a few basic scenarios with the first involving moderate to substantial leaf litter on the ground, now snow-covered.  Left uncollected, these piles of leaves can be trouble for your lawn as colder weather approaches with snow that will not melt until spring.  As soon as you can remove leaf piles and other debris brought down by the heavy, wet snow you should plan on doing so to prevent smothering areas of your lawn.  The thicker the leaf pile, the better it will mulch your grass leaving dead spots and bare areas next year.

If you have your driveway plowed, now is a great time to put up stakes marking the edge of the lawn indicating the transition from gravel or pavement to grass.  Snow plow damage becomes visible in the spring time as snow recedes, exposing chunks of sod and grass tossed aside to dry out and die.  Without help, snow plow operators can have difficulty determining where your driveway ends and the lawn begins.  Such an error is commonplace during late night snow storms and can result in significant lawn damage.  Using posts, stakes, or sticks can provide a simple, yet effective signal and minimize or prevent the edge of your lawn from being “relocated.”

Even though it is now November, if you got caught with your lawn still needing another cut- say over 3” in height- don’t feel odd pulling out your mower for one last farewell mowing.  Many folks can remove leaves and mow simultaneously so this is a great opportunity to “get two birds with one stone” as the saying goes.  A clean, short cut in November is one way you can say ‘I love you’ to your lawn before the onset of winter.

Many tree limbs were damaged by the weight of the snow with leaves still turning colors, many of those leaves still green!  Be sure to have those branches cleanly pruned to help reduce future insect and disease damage.  Of course, remove as many downed branches as you can from your grass, leaving the lawn surface as clean as possible before winter truly arrives.  Completing these basic housekeeping items can give your landscape the edge it might need to survive an unpredictable winter.

 

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Our Fall 2011 Newsletter – Hot Off the Press!

Published by Mrs. Chippers on October 19th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Land Enhancement, Landscaping, Plant Health Care, Pruning, Storm Damage Assistance, Trees, Turf

GreenWords Newsletter Fall 2011

In this issue: Restore Your Flood Damaged-Landscape & Great Reasons to Schedule Winter Work Now!

 

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How to Restore Your Lawn In Irene’s Aftermath

Published by Mr. Grass on September 23rd, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping, Storm Damage Assistance, Turf

For those with a home lawn in a flood plain or next to a waterway, removal of as much sediment and silt becomes job one.  Many will opt for a professional with equipment capable of moving large volumes of river sediment.  This is especially important to the homeowner as there is a high likelihood that the silt and sediment, being of the finest particle size, will trap and contain petroleum products, organic waste, or other undesirable materials.  Leaving the removal of such sediment to a professional can provide a measure of comfort to the home owner versus attempting such a daunting task themselves given the inherent risks.  After this “river frosting” is removed, the next phase is lawn restoration either this fall or next spring.

Freshly Reseeded Lawn and Hay Spreading

 

Damaged lawns will fall into two main categories ranging from a complete reinstallation with truck loads of loam down to basic turf treatments like core aeration, calcium lime, and fertilizer.  The more extensive the flooding and sediment layer, the more likely loam will need to be brought in, spread out with a tractor, seeded, and then rolled.  Any seeding this fall will pay dividends with quicker grass thickening versus having to wait for the soil to warm up and dry out next spring.

In many cases, a complete lawn renovation may well be the best choice compared to trying to patch up or fix thinned out or dead sections of lawn.  Attempting to match any existing grasses can leave a calico appearance to a lawn while starting over allows more desirable blends to be utilized yielding a more consistent turf cover. Before proceeding with a complete restoration it may also be the opportune time to decide how much lawn you really want in your planted landscape – do you love it and like the maintenance chores or do you really dream of creating other outdoor living spaces with patios, walkways, and gardens with native flowers, shrubs and trees? Only you can answer this question that Irene has raised….

The second type of lawn repair would be a partial renovation where perhaps the back or front was buried in silt yet or another area simply became either submerged in water or soaked by heavy rain.  Given the massive amount of rainfall during hurricane Irene, many soils, particularly sandy ones, will have lost significant nutrient value and will require supplemental treatment of Nitrogen and Potassium.  In this scenario, a normal lawn would do well to receive a balanced, low to zero phosphate, slow release fertilizer treatment to aid in improving turf health this autumn.

Any energy stored in October and November will be used to repair and establish a healthy root system prior to winter resulting in a better spring green up (see ‘winterizer’ blog post at mrgrassblog.net).  A high calcium lime treatment will aid in softening the soil itself while adjusting soil pH into a desirable range for the new and existing turf.  Core aeration is an excellent tool to reduce compacted soil, perhaps even those with some remaining sediment as a coating on the surface of the lawn.  These situations can be further improved by overseeding once the lawn is aerated with a superior blend of turf grass.

Most lawns can be seeded into late October and still have some germination prior to winter in a normal growing season.  Although you will not see a whole lot going on, taking the shot now is still normally worth the gamble of an early snow.  I have seen great lawns emerge in the spring from a late seeding and in the case of this catastrophe, I think the ‘doing’ outweighs the ‘waiting’ in most cases.

Although lawns may rate low on the scale of post-Irene reconstruction compared to bridges, roads, or house repairs, ultimately the job will arise and when it does, doing it right makes more sense than to not.

 

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Is Core Aeration On Your Fall ‘To Do’ List?

Published by Mr. Grass on July 27th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping, Turf

Core aeration or aeration is a physical process that utilizes a heavy machine called an aerator. Similar to a garden rototiller, the aeration machine has a central shaft with 4 or 5 discs where the actual aeration tines are attached. There are several types of aerators: some utilize solid tines while others are hollow, allowing the machine to extract plugs as it drives over your lawn. These tines are designed to penetrate your lawn like using a cutter for cookies. Most aeration cores will vary between ½” and 1” in diameter and will be left on the surface of your lawn. The depth of a good core aeration job should vary between two and three inches. Core length is dependent on soil moisture, the weight of the machine and its ability to push down versus roll over compacted soil, as well as the age or length of the tines. Older tines become worn and must be replaced as they do not have the capacity to penetrate the soil with a blunt or worn tip. If you are considering a rental aerator, be sure to check the tips of the tines – the more pointed they are, the better. A blunt tine or one with a worn down tips will simply not pull a decent plug, although you may enjoy the exercise!

An aeration machine’s effectiveness is also dependent upon the weight of the unit and the speed at which is it used over the lawn. The faster the aeration job, the less likely the machine’s weight can push down, forcing the tines into the soil. In addition, most rentals are smaller, older units, enabling the average home owner to utilize the machine on a given weekend. Although these rental units may do an adequate job in terms of maneuvering given their shorter width, a commercial grade aerator weighs hundreds of pounds more and is strapped with not only weights, but also with a drum full of water. Basic physics dictates that using the right tool for the job, in this case a commercial aerator, will provide superior results.

Aeration can be done any time of the year, but typically it is done in the spring or fall when soil moisture is greatest to ensure good plugs. In addition, fall is the best time of year to over seed a lawn due to warm temperatures and more importantly, the absence of annual weeds like crabgrass that often interferes and reduces results. Overseeding introduces superior grass varieties after an aeration job. The seed germinates primarily in the aeration holes just like doing a hair transplant. Overseeding is not meant to fill in damaged lawns with large patches or bare areas: this would be more in line with topdressing and seeding that could be done in conjunction with an aeration job. Topdressing adds soil or compost in a thin layer allowing germination to take place in bare sections. Overseeding adds new grass to an existing lawn area and small bare spots, and helps thicken up an existing lawn or thin areas. Aeration and overseeding is not meant to establish a lawn or repair significant damage without the use of topdressing or lawn restoration. Aeration is a great process and should be done annually to help maintain good soil health while minimizing compaction.

What are the benefits of Aeration?

- Increased moisture penetration since the holes open up space for rain to reach the root system below. The surface of the soil is hardened from high heat and summer drought, and a lack of rain makes the surface of the lawn much harder to loosen up due to the baking action of summer heat.

- Increased oxygen exchange (important for healthy roots) especially in compacted and dry soils. Punching holes in the lawn will physically allow air to reach into the surrounding root systems, even as the hole begins to break down and fill back in with soil next spring.

- Reduces soil compaction (especially soils high in clay) caused by those summer parties or high use. Compacted soil does not promote healthy roots in grass or trees for that matter.

- Increases penetration of fertilizers and other lawn products due to the holes being made. The pellets or flakes simply roll into the plug and dissolve for faster results.

- Increases rate of thatch decomposition due to micro-organisms being brought up to the surface in the plug itself. There is no need to rake aeration plugs off a home lawn as they breakdown on their own in a short period of time.

- Increases root development due to the vacant space created by the aerator tine. The turf roots can expand outward and beyond in search of water, air, and nutrients in the soil.

If you don’t have aeration scheduled this year, give us a call and we can give you a proposal on aeration, as well as overseeding. If topdressing is necessary, we can also give you recommendations on this procedure. Aeration typically begins in mid to late August and runs right into October. If you are interested or have questions on this important process, be sure to give us a call or e-mail anytime. It will be back to school time before you know it!

 

 

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Prevent Lawn Despair During Our Dog Days of Summer

Published by Mr. Grass on July 19th, 2011 - in Landscaping, Turf

Midsummer weather can put even a great looking lawn into a slow dive of despondency without careful attention. As the heat kicks into high gear, soil temperatures reach their smoking point and crabgrass seeds begin germinating in earnest, popping like corn in a microwave. Limey green crabgrass plants appear virtually overnight exposing vulnerable areas along driveways, patios, walkways, mailboxes among others. Where did they come from? How can they grow so fast? Ah, the games have just begun!

 

If you have not watered and your lawn is cut short, now is when your thin lawn becomes choked out with crabgrass plants the size of small cars. During hot, humid weather, cool season grasses will stop growing, sitting idle while crabgrass seemingly grows an inch an hour, basking in the searing July heat. A weak or thin lawn, or those lacking a pre-emergent crabgrass barrier, are now at high risk for a crabgrass invasion that will only cease when school reopens. While post-emergent sprays do exist, spraying at this stage is like using a garden hose on a house fire: it’s best just to let nature take its course. Measures should be taken in the fall such as aeration, overseeding, lime, and turf thickening fertilizers to help prepare the lawn for the following spring. A healthy lawn resists this invasion, and although areas may see some crabgrass, it will not be to the point where one could harvest the greenery for salads.

A casual glance toward the interior of your lawn may reveal disturbing patches and blotches of varying sizes and colors ranging from brown to white. How can this be? What went wrong? Like a good CSI episode, it is time for the facts to speak and rule out the guessing. These issues generally fall under environmental stress such as heat, sun scald, or some other non-pathogenic source. Ruling out diseases can be very tricky depending upon the weather, timing, and location of injury. This summer has seen a significant upswing in disease-related damage ranging from pits and scars, to unusual patches. Preventative measures can be taken to help clean up your lawn with either traditional or organic treatments. Insects are perhaps the easiest to detect given their predicable nature and timing during the season. Now is a perfect time to treat for grubs, sod webworm, and chinch bugs using either organic or traditional materials.

Doing some simple things properly for your lawn during the next six weeks can reduce unsettling issues arising from disease, insects, and environmental stress. Summer is generally not the best time to spray for difficult to control broadleaf weeds like ground ivy and violets since high heat and low soil moisture content reduce product effectiveness. If you think you have an invasion at your house, get it checked out and maybe there is a solution to either stop the problem or slow the damage. Plan ahead and keep your turf clean and green!

 

 

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Who’s Been Eating My Grass?

Published by Mr. Grass on April 20th, 2011 - in Landscaping, Turf

As the snow melts (eventually), you may find surface tunnels on your lawn. This can be a disturbing image and is most unpleasant. Voles, also known as field mice, will tunnel under the snow, eating the grass and shallow roots of your lawn. The result of this frozen dinner feast is a maze of tunnels created where the mice traveled. The extent of the damage can be minor such as leaves and thatch being eaten all the way to roots and shoots, a more severe result of mouse lawn damage.

Your best bet is to let the area recover in April and do some seeding in May once the soil warms up enough. Depending upon the extent and depth of the damage, you may not have to do anything, or as in this picture above, the soil is exposed, likely requiring some modest efforts to restore the grass to its original condition.

 

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Finally, the Growing Degree Days Begin…

Published by Mr. Tree on April 13th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Landscaping, Plant Health Care, Trees, Turf

Yesterday, April 12, 2011, we finally had degree days! 6.6 per our Chippers weather station, and it was probably over 10 at lower elevations.

Growing degree days are used to predict the hatch/vulnerability of insects – in our case on woody plants. They are calculated by taking the high and low (in Fahrenheit) of each day, taking their average, and deducting 50. Negative numbers are thrown out, as happens all winter.

Insects that make an early appearance are White pine weevil (mostly a problem for spruce) and pear thrip (a problem for Sugar maples).

Today, April 13th, we had a GDD of 7.3 today. Some of what you will see up to GDD 50: Red maple, magnolia, some rhododendron, pieris and forsythia will all bloom. White pine weevil may be seen doing its dirty deeds at 60 degrees and above, and we are treating for these this week.

These insects are all vulnerable to dormant oil spray up until gdd 50: Scales, Aphids, Mealybugs, Psyllids, Aphids + Mites.

For more information on this topic, please visit our website, www.chippersinc.com.

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An Insider’s View: 2011 Lawn Care Trends

Published by Mr. Grass on February 28th, 2011 - in Green Care Industry Issues, Plant Health Care, Turf

The clock is ticking as companies prepare for the snow melt and the onset of the 2011 lawn care season.  In this blog post I shall briefly cover compost tea, kelp, fertilizer pricing, Mycorrhizae, and other trends worth exploring.

As petroleum prices rise, so does the cost of manufacturing basic fertilizer components.  Lawn care companies can expect to pay more for their fertilizer products in 2011, thus increasing the need to execute an effective and efficient turf program.  There has been one price increase already with perhaps another expected midyear.  Those companies unable to make sound business decisions may become a thing of the past.  Some price increases may inevitably be passed onto the consumer as pressure builds to make a profit in a highly competitive industry.

The bell continues to toll for fundamental changes utilizing basic soil and environmental processes in the lawn care industry to move further away from petroleum dependency. These options include inoculating seed with beneficial fungi called Mycorrhizae.  One inoculation allows this fungus to multiply and spread within a lawn area.  Long used in the tree industry, Mycorrhizae sets up a friendly relationship on the turf root system, breaking down surrounding nutrients and minerals.  The end result generally becomes a lessened demand on the quantity of fertilizer required due to this helpful relationship below ground.

There are still more options available beyond standard fertilizers such as compost tea and kelp both of which utilize actual plant material, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and much more to help improve soil structure and thereby create a healthier lawn.  Compost tea usually contains beneficial bacteria, sugars, and kelp, all helping your grass become stronger while simultaneously improving the defensive mechanism to fight off insect and disease pressure.  Although there are lots of blends and types of compost tea, the general idea is to strengthen the lawn so it can withstand drought, insect, and disease pressure as it appears during the growing season.  Compost tea and kelp both help build the soil which is very often a large limiting factor in improving a lawn.  With many lawns containing high amounts of sand or minimal top soil, adding kelp and or compost tea becomes a very sound decision.

Both sea kelp and compost tea are not inexpensive, but they provide key materials not found in some fertilizers and they improve soil infrastructure.  Compare the investment in compost tea, kelp, or Mycorrhizae versus renovating your lawn and you are looking at saving thousands of dollars at a minimum.  Any lawn treatment that can help reduce fertilizer demand and build the soil is certainly worth exploring and perhaps even using in 2011.

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Forecasting for a Rainy Day

Published by Mr. Tree on February 17th, 2011 - in Land Enhancement, Trees

Forecasting the weather has always seemed like the perfect job, at least to me. What other profession can you be employed in where you can make a reasonably good salary (I think) and be wrong better than 50% of the time. Despite the less than stellar prediction performance, people still tune in every day and night? Is that not the best job ever? Well, not as great as a job in the “green care” industry.
Another difficult area to forecast is our nations and our local economies. Will we be seeing greater prosperity in the near future? Is the current recovery long-term or temporary? Is our financial future safe and secure? Although these questions are difficult to answer, we do listen to those that forecast. And although we can’t see the future, the current forecast looks promising. However, it is still prudent to be prepared.
During these times of economic uncertainty there are proactive steps that can be taken. One step could be to establish a “rainy day” property account. Not only can you improve the health of your property, you can improve the health of your pocket. So, how can this “rainy day” property account be established? Forest management is the answer…
There are several key things to remember regarding Forest Management. First and foremost is the health of your forest. I look at the forest just as a gardener does their vegetable garden. A gardener weeds, removing all the bad stuff he or she doesn’t want growing in the garden. Weeding helps the garden crops reach their full potential. As a result, there are more nutrients for the vegetables, flowers and herbs to flourish. Sounds pretty straight forward, right? Let’s take a look at the first step to take regarding your forest…

The best way for your Forest to reach its full potential is to consult with a forester that is trained in the art and science of silviculture. Silviculture is the care and cultivation of forest trees; forestry. The forester can with his knowledge, evaluate your forest and develop a plan that meets your Forest Management and “rainy day” property account goals. Also, your forester is knowledgeable of the log markets and would best be able to determine when to harvest selected trees on your forested property. Furthermore, the forester will have relationships with the professionals that would harvest your forested crop. And these professional relationships are paramount to the success of the forest management plan.
Overall, Forest Management can and does have multiple mutually inclusive benefits to you the land owner and your forested property’s health. Additionally, the winter season is one of the best times to perform Forest Management operations. The frozen ground allows for substantially less degradation to the forest soils and minimizes erosion concerns. So take the first step today. Consult with a forester and a reputable company who can assist you in developing a Forest Management Plan and a “rainy day” property account. The result will be enhanced forest health, additional recreational opportunities, and wildlife diversity of your forest.

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Seven Weeks Until Spring Is Still Plenty of Time for Winter Tree Work….

Published by Mrs. Chippers on January 31st, 2011 - in Arborist, Firewood, Garden, Land Enhancement, Pruning, Storm Damage Assistance, Trees, Turf

Top 10 Benefits to Performing Tree Work In Your Landscape During the Winter Months:

  1. Improve Your View: Enhancement work during the dormant season is ideal when leaves aren’t blocking the vista potential.
  2. Your Lawn Will Thank You: Frozen ground allows large equipment to access your site while minimizing damage to lawns, gardens and the forest floor.
  3. Prevent Distress: Cold weather prevents the spread of tree disease as well as minimizes shock due to leaf loss.
  4. Timing Is Everything: February and March are preferred times for orchard and fruit tree pruning, and for many other species.
  5. Peace of Mind: Know your trees and shrubs are prepared for fast re-growth during the coming spring, no matter what Mother Nature brings.
  6. Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance: Allows you to begin other spring landscaping projects earlier.
  7. Seeing Is Believing: Identify potential hazards or problems while the entire woody structure of deciduous trees is visible without leaves.
  8. Walk or Talk: Discuss your 2011 goals and plans for your landscape with your representative, either on site or via email/phone.
  9. Our Time Is Yours: Take advantage of more flexible scheduling.
  10. Outstanding Value: Enjoy off-season rates with the same chippers commitment to the highest quality and service.

We take care of everything green outside your door, all winter long.

What can we do for you?

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