Will Rogers once said “If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute and it’ll change.” That has definitely been the case lately. We have bounced from flooding rains to very hot and dry conditions, back to flooding rains all in the course of 30 days. Today as I write this blog we have more rain coming down, but also have a forecast that includes an excessive heat warning for the next couple days!
While all the back and forth weather can make it hard to spend time at the lake or plan that backyard bar-b-que with the neighbors, it can also have a negative impact on your lawn and landscape.
One common problem that creeps up this time of year is Brown Patch in Fescue lawns. Brown Patch is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani. Brown Patch is more prevalent when temperatures are above 85, when humidity is high and when soil is moist for extended periods of time. It can be spread by wind, animals, foot traffic, mowers or just about anything that is exposed to the fungus. Left untreated it will cause an otherwise healthy stand of Fescue to deteriorate quickly, leaving your lawn bare and unsightly. The good news is that it can be controlled with applications of a fungicide. LawnAmerica offers both preventative and curative applications. A fungicide application will generally offer 3-4 weeks of control under normal conditions. If conditions stay excessively warm and moist, repeat applications may be needed sooner. Give us a call or email if you suspect that your lawn is suffering from Brown Patch.
Bermuda grass can also be affected by extended periods of rain. In most cases Bermuda grass lawns tend to lose some of their green color. This usually isn’t because of a lack of fertilizer, but can be attributed to mowing practices. We all know the drill, it keeps raining, and the grass keeps getting taller and taller. So what do you do? You cut it as short as you can, not knowing when the next opportunity to mow will come. In some cases more than half the height of the grass is removed. As a general rule of thumb, when mowing you should remove no more than 1/3 of the height of the grass in a single mowing. Anytime more than 1/3 of the grass is removed, the turf can become stressed and have a pale green or even brown appearance. The good news is that as the grass begins to grow again the color will return.
There is an alternative to scalping your lawn in between storms, it is a product called Primo Maxx. Primo Maxx is a turf grass regulator that actually slows down how fast your lawn grows. It is applied as blanket spray to the entire lawn and can reduce the amount you have to mow by more than half. Primo Maxx temporarily alters the way grass grows, causing it to spread laterally, rather than getting taller. It not only reduces the frequency that you have to mow but also leaves Bermuda grass lawns looking thicker and healthier. And when you do have to mow there is less of the grass plant that has to be removed, therefore the lawn retains a better color. If you haven’t tried Primo Maxx for yourself, you should. Once you do, you will fall in love with it.
Primo Maxx can be applied as early as May. Some people opt for one application each season to help keep their lawn from getting too tall while on vacation. Others take full advantage of Primo Maxx by having it applied every 6 weeks through the course of the summer months.
Last but not least, excessive rain can cause pre-emergents to break down prematurely opening up your lawn to spotty crabgrass. LawnAmerica uses the pre-emergent Barricade, because it has the overall best performance for preventing weeds and lasting the longest. We apply Barricade at a rate to offer 6 to 8 months of control, but as with all pre-emergents on the market, the length of control is dependent on heat and moisture. If you are experiencing some breakthrough of crabgrass, or any other weeds for that matter, go ahead and give us a call or email. We are more than happy to come back between regular applications to spot treat your lawn. Remember for our full service customers (5,6, 0r 7 step) service calls are no charge.
If you have noticed any of the issues we mentioned, or have something else going in your lawn that you need diagnosed, just let us know. We love helping you Make Your Neighborhood More Beautiful! You can go here to sign up for the optional Primo service.
AT2010 Update
I just wanted to take a minute and update everyone on our AT2010 – Compassionate Journey. Brad has been hiking the Appalachian Trail since May 28th. He is currently around Catawba Mountain – Just outside of Roanoke, Virginia. He has met a lot of interesting people and got some great pictures, but beyond that we have raised over $67,730 of $100,000 goal. This money is being raised for great organizations like The Little Light House, Folds of Honor, Young Life-Rogers, Habitat for Humanity, and The Salvation Army. If you would like to donate to one of these great organizations or would like to keep up Brad’s progress – go to www.at2010tulsa.com.
After a brief reprieve from the great “Christmas Eve Blizzard”, we’ve been visited again my old man winter. At LawnAmerica, we just started applying our Step 1 pre-emergent weed-control treatment, so we barely got out of the gate before this hit.
However, we’ve added ice & snow control to our service mix this season, so most of our trucks have metamorphosed into liquid pre-treating trucks with the capability of applying a special heavy salt solution of Magnesium Chloride to help combat the buildup of ice and snow on parking lots, sidewalks, and other concrete areas.
With snow and ice storms, it’s very difficult to predict when they will hit, with how much ice or snow, and if it will even snow at all. I’ve also shovelled several inches of partly cloudy off my driveway at times also. With the liquid pre-treat, the key is to apply it about 24 hours in advance of the anticipated ice or snow event. Once applied, the product bonds to the concrete, and will help prevent significant icing once the event occurs.
Now if we get 6″ of ice or snow on top of a pre-treat, it will not melt all of that, but it will make it much easier to plow off after the event occurs. And if it does not ice or snow to that extent, a pre-treat may prevent the ice from forming, and/or cause it to melt much faster.
So today, we sent most of our truck fleet out equiped to spray ice melt and apply granular ice melt also. We’ve treated all of the Tulsa and Bartlesville Quik Trips, and several other commerical and even residential properties. Now it’s time to just lay back and wait for the snow to follow, as the forcasters have predicted. We’ll see. Now that my kids are grown up and off to work, college, or on their way there, I’m really not into building snowmen any more. Instead of the
A LawnAmerica truck ready to plow and salt during the upcoming storm.
anticipation of a day off from work, playing with the kids in the snow, now it’s time to fire up the snow plows and generate some much-needed income for LawnAmerica. This is one of the things we are doing to thrive during the current economic environment–using our resources to serve customers, and generating income during a time when normally, we would not be doing much at all. So instead of waiting for the snow to melt, we’re plowin’ away, helping people, and making a little money also.
With a great fall winding down, the weather is becoming cooler, and gardeners are slowly migrating back indoors for winter. But don’t put away your gloves and tools quite yet, as now is a perfect time to add a new tree or a grouping of shrubs to the landscape. Or perhaps you have an area in the landscape that needs ‘remodeling’ or rejuvenating. Or as in my case, maybe the family dog got bored and literally pulled out of the ground a 7’ new Redbud tree I had planted in the backyard last spring. Anyone want a friendly 3-year old Golden Retriever?
The fall may be the best season to plant, surpassing even the spring. Many people prefer Spring for planting, but the fall months of September through December have distinct advantages. Fall planting follows the heat of summer, before a cool winter season, and trees and shrubs planted in the fall use this to good advantage. Plant roots grow anytime the soil temperature is 40 degrees or higher, which may occur all winter in Oklahoma. During the winter months, the root systems of the fall-planted specimens develop and become established. When spring arrives, this expanded root system can support and take advantage of the full surge of spring growth.
Fall is the optimum time to plant balled and burlapped trees and shrubs. Balled and burlapped plants have ample time to recover from transplanting and proliferate roots before spring growth begins. Remember, however, all bare root plants, including roses and pecan and fruit trees, should be planted in late winter when they are completely dormant.
Plan ahead before just throwing something into the ground. ‘Plan before you plant’ is always a good rule of thumb. Whether you are planting a single plant or an entire landscape, plan first, then plant. Good planning is a worthwhile investment of time that will pay off in greater enjoyment of attractive and useful home grounds, and in increasing the value of your home. It’s much easier to move plants on paper then to dig them after planting in the wrong place. A plan saves many planting mistakes.
Every plant in the landscape should serve a purpose. Ask yourself if you want a plant for screening, for privacy, or for shade. How large will it be five years from now? Plants, like people, grow up. Remember, that a small one-gallon-size plant will look entirely different after a few years of growth in your landscape. This is a common mistake homeowners make, by planting shrubs or trees too closely together, not realizing that they do grow up—just like your kids!
Plant properly for success. Here are a few guidelines on getting the job done right:
Dig a hole large enough in diameter so that the root system has at least six inches of clearance on all sides. The root ball should rest on a solid soil foundation, so don’t dig the hole much deeper than the ball.
Plant the tree or shrub slightly above the level of the surrounding soil, to allow for settling and increased soil drainage.
Carefully place the tree or shrub in the hole. Handle the plant by the root ball, not by the trunk. A broken ball of earth can mean a dead plant. Always remove any container before you plant.
Backfill the hole, using only the native soil removed from the hole; do not use soil amendments when planting large shrubs and trees. Fill the hole, and firm the soil around the plant. Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots and to eliminate any air pockets.
Do not fertilize your tree or shrub after planting. Wait until early in the spring to do this, and even then, go lightly. Heavy applications of fertilizer may burn and injure the root system, and could possibly kill the plant.
Watering has been and remains paramount in transplanting. At the time of transplanting, soak the root ball and surrounding soil. A thorough watering every 7 to 10 days dramatically increases the success ratio. More frequent watering may encourage root rot. Remember more trees and shrubs fail from over watering then from under watering.
Before calling it a day, add 4 to 6 inches of mulch around the base of newly planted trees and shrubs. This helps to keep down weeds and conserve soil moisture. Use pine bark, compost, grass clippings, or leaves.
After raking leaves this fall, go plant a tree!
So don’t settle down into the couch watching football too soon this season yet Dad! Before Winter sets in, why not get out in the landscape and give it a good “going over” so that it will be ready to take off next Spring. It’s a great time to plant a tree, shrubs, bulbs, and other landscape additions that will come out strong next spring.
he turf can become stressed and have a pale green or even brown appearance. The good news is that as the grass begins to grow again the color will return.
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