Signs of Tree Damage

tree disease

tree abnormalities such as this one should be inspected and treated http://www.flickr.com/photos/reillyb/2190517453/

Maintaining a healthy lawn consists of more than just your grass and shrubs.  Ensuring the health of your trees not only helps create a beautiful landscape, but it is also an important safety factor for your home.  Unfortunately, most people focus most of their attention on what’s on the ground, and neglect the massive things above them.  If you have a damaged tree, it’s very important to treat the problem if possible, and if not, have the tree removed.  Tree problems can be classified as diseases or disorders.  Diseases are caused by infectious organisms.  A disorder is a noninfectious problem caused by nonliving sources. A general rule is that if you notice anything unusual on the bark, trunk, roots or leaves, there may be a problem, but there are some specific signs to look for.

Leaves will often give you clues as to the type of damage your tree has.  If you notice the leaves of a tree are much duller in color one season, this may be a sign of verticullum wilt disease.  Continue reading →

What to do with Yard Waste

yard waste

some see yard waste, others see resources http://www.flickr.com/photos/eggrole/7373497950/

As we’re approaching the fall season, your amount of yard waste is about to increase exponentially. As leaves start to fall and grass requires frequent mowing, you will likely find yourself with a large amount of yard waste that must be disposed of somehow. Many town governments have some sort of restrictions regarding what type, how much and when you can leave yard waste for trash pickup. Besides these detailed restrictions that can be quite a hassle, yard waste takes up quite a significant portion of space in landfills. If you can come up with alternative disposal methods, you will do a service to your community.

Lawn clippings are great additions to a compost pile. Your yard waste will vary in its nitrogen and carbon composition, which means you can provide your pile with the necessary “greens” and “browns” to facilitate a healthy decomposing process. Grass clippings and weeds are usually considered greens and dead leaves and pine needles are considered browns. Check out our post about composting for more information on how to get started with this. Continue reading →

Dealing with Moles in Your Lawn

moles

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There are plenty of yard pests that will cause a homeowner some headache, but moles have to be near the top of this list. Unlike most lawn pests that become a problem over a period of time and are less noticeable, the presence of moles in your yard is unmistakable. These pests can tear through your yard, tunneling paths everywhere in no time. Here are a few tips on how to get rid of moles.

Get a cat. All joking aside, if you like cats and have been considering getting one, now is a great time. Cats are great mole catchers and can seriously help reduce this problem in your yard. I can vouch for this as my cat has caught countless moles and deposited them on my doorstep for me to find. Continue reading →

Recovering Your Lawn after a Flood

yard floodinghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tomgood/6728416763/In light of the current national weather situation as Hurricane Isaac makes landfall, it brings to mind the problem of flooded lawns. As I write this article, this natural disaster is dropping significant amounts of rain over several of the southeastern and gulf states. It may seem unusual to be discussing the problem of too much water when the more common concern is drought and lack of water. However, oversaturation can be just as harmful to your lawn as it being too dry.

If you live in an area affected by hurricane Isaac, you will likely have some work to do on your lawn once the storm has passed. Anytime your yard has flooded, you will have to wait a while for the water to recede before you can begin doing damage control. You will likely find that the rain has carried with it a great deal of debris and sediment into your yard. The first stage of your cleanup is to remove and clear these materials from your lawn and garden.

If you have several inches of silt on your lawn, you may have to aerate your lawn. This will help break up the silt and allow water and oxygen into the roots. This can also be helpful to break up compaction that can occur to the soil when several inches of water sits on your lawn for an extended period of time. Another issue you may encounter is erosion. If your yard is flooded severely enough, it may wash away the soil and you may need to bring in topsoil to spread before replanting seed. Continue reading →

How to Green Up Your Lawn, Fast!

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There are some occasions that call for a lush, green lawn even when circumstances don’t make it practical. Maybe it’s a special party you are hosting or relatives coming in town. Whatever the reason, we understand the occasional need to green up your lawn really quickly. The practices that allow this rapid green up are not necessarily the healthiest thing for your lawn. Therefore, it’s important to note that this should only be done on rare occasions so you don’t stress your lawn too much.

One of the most effective ways to green up your lawn is with a nitrogen fertilizer application. In any fertilizer, each of the elements have a specific role to play for your lawn. Nitrogen is responsible for greening it up, hence why a nitrogen heavy fertilizer is the way to go in this situation.

Another effective way to green up your lawn is iron. For most homeowners, iron is not part of your typical lawn care regime. Iron is responsible for that dark green, almost blue color of some lawns, particularly Kentucky Blue Grass. When applying iron, it’s important to not over apply or you can turn your lawn grey. Iron can also stain the concrete on your driveway, so careful application is essential to avoid creating a whole other aesthetic issue.

 The final tip, though it is probably the most obvious, is to improve your watering tactics. As we have discussed on the blog before, thorough watering a few times a week are much more effective than short, daily watering. If you aren’t currently practicing efficient watering habits, this will help with your green up plan. Unlike the other two green-up options, correct watering is always good for your lawn. However, too much iron or nitrogen supplements may not only hurt your lawn, they can be harmful to the environment as a result of runoff, so use sparingly.

Fall Fertilizing

For many of us, summer provides a bit of a break from lawn care with many choosing to allow their lawns to go dormant. As we are approaching the fall, it’s time to start planning your fall lawn regimen. Most lawns will need to be fertilized in the fall to help prepare them for the winter season.

The summer heat depletes your lawn of many of its nutrients and fertilizing helps restore these nutrients. It also promotes deeper root growth, which helps your lawn survive the cold of winter. Fertilizer can help your lawn green earlier in the spring with better shoot growth.

The exact time for when you should apply the fertilizer varies based on your climate and type of grass. Generally speaking, the farther north you live and the earlier the weather turns colder, the earlier you will need to fertilize to allow enough time for it to have an effect.Continue reading →

Choosing Bulbs to Plant this Fall

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As we enter late summer, it’s time to start thinking about fall planting. Once the temperatures cool down, gardeners will be ready to plant bulbs. For the beginners, bulbs are perennial flowers that will bloom yearly. Bulbs are meant to be planted in the fall, allowing these plants plenty of time to establish a strong root system. Your climate zone and the particular type of flower you plant will determine when these bulbs will bloom. There are endless possibilities when it comes to planting bulbs. It is a relatively easy practice and bulbs can be planted anywhere there is well-draining soil. There is a wide variety of colors and styles of bulbs to choose from and combining different types can really add texture and contrast in your garden. Here are a few popular bulbs to consider.

 Lilies: These garden favorites produce large, beautiful blooms. You can find lilies in many different shapes and sizes. A few varieties include Oriental lilies, trumpet lilies and tiger lilies. These plants prefer large amounts of sunlight, but are otherwise very low maintenance.Continue reading →

Choosing Your Compost

We’ve talked about the benefits and utility of composting before, but questions we often hear are what stuff can’t I compost, what stuff should I compost and how much of the various materials?  I could just give you a long list of each category, but that will inevitably leave many things out and leave you still confused as to the reason each item falls into said category. Therefore we’re going to break it down for you (pun intended).

Composting is the process of breaking down organic material to create rich, fertile soil.  However, since compost piles are usually close to your home, you don’t want it to be a breeding ground for pests.  As a general rule you should avoid composting meat, dairy and bread products as well as any items that contain some sort of human waste or bodily fluid.  Continue reading →

Tips for Eliminating Lawn Mushrooms

http://www.flickr.com/photos/athomeinscottsdale/4835694385/Though they carry with them the folklore of toad stools and fairies, to a gardener and homeowner, mushrooms are really just blights on a beautiful lawn.  These fungi are not only unattractive, they are potentially poisonous and can cause harm to pets or children who accidentally ingest them.  Fortunately, mushrooms aren’t detrimental to your lawn itself, but it is understandable that you may want to prevent them or rid your yard of the ones currently sprouting.  It’s very difficult to completely eliminate mushrooms from a yard, but there are several things you can do to decrease their chances of occurring.

  1. Remove organic material: The role of fungi is to decompose decaying organic material, therefore if there is a lot of this present in your yard, you will likely see mushrooms.  Remove fallen limbs and sticks, animal feces and grass clippings whenever possible.Continue reading →

Protecting and Maintaining Plants in the Summer Heat

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Lately it seems like no matter where you live in the United States, during the months of July and August you are bound to face some brutal heat.  The recent heat wave that has sent temperatures around the country over the century mark probably have many gardeners worried about their plants.  The key is striking a balance between conservation and adequate watering of your plants.  As you work to keep your plants healthy through the hottest days of the summer, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

  1. If at all possible, you should water your plants early in the morning, such as before you leave for work.  This is when temperatures are the coolest and the least amount of evaporation will occur, allowing you to water more efficiently.Continue reading →