Archive for the ‘Fertilization’ Category
Thursday, April 5th, 2012
I’ve been a little worried with the unseasonably warm, and even hot weather we’ve had here in Tulsa this winter and spring. My concern was a late freeze blowing through here in early April and wacking the bermudagrass, but I think we are in the clear on that. I see nothing indicating a cold snap anytime soon, so…you can go ahead and scalp your bermudagrass, mow it, whatever you want to do now! If you’ve not serviced your mower and sharpened the blade, now is a good time for that. A good, sharp mower blade is so important for the health of your turf, and your turf will look much nicer after mowing.
Even though it’s early April, it looks and feels like May. Things are greening up early, along with bugs coming out early. I saw June Bugs this week, and we are two months away from June. Nobody told the bugs, along with Aphids, Bagworms, Lacebugs, and all the other shrub-eating critters in our landscape. So be prepared to move up your schedule in treating for these pests. We offer complete plant health care services at LawnAmerica, so contact us with any questions or if you are in need of service.
One good thing about the warm weather is that we expect to see fewer problems with Spring Dead Spot this year. A harsh winter can lead to increased severity of this troublesome disease. So we are anxious to see if our warm winter has helped us out in decreasing the number and severity of the dead spots.
April is National Lawncare Month
April is National Lawncare Month, so give your lawn some extra love this month. Lawns do so much for our urban environment in Tulsa, not only from an aethetic point of view, but also environmentally. A healthy lawn produces oxygen, while taking out carbon dioxide from the air. A thick lawn helps reduce noise and prevents soil erosion. For all the benefits of a healthy lawn, check out our website here. We’re proud of what we do at LawnAmerica in caring for lawns in Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma. And nobody loves lawns more that we do!
Posted in Fertilization, Tree & Shrub Care, Tulsa Lawn Care | No Comments »
Saturday, February 18th, 2012
- Tulips will be coming soon, but fertilize now before they bloom.
I actually saw a Daffodil in bloom today as I left my house. Spring flowering bulbs are coming on strong with the warm winter we’ve had, so now is the best time to fertilize before they burst into full bloom.
Spring flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils are best fertilized with nutrients to help the plant produce flowers the following year. If bulbs have been fertilized in the past, there is often plenty of phosphorus and potassium in the soil. It is best to use a soil test to be certain. If the soild needs phosphorus and potassium, use a complete fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) at the rate of 2.5 lbs. per 100 square feet. This would equal 1 rounded teaspoon per square foot. Blood meal and other organic sources makes an excellent fertilzer for flowering plants. It should be applied at the 2 lbs per 100 square feet.
Remember to leave the foliage until it dies naturally. The energy in the foliage is transferred to the bulbs as the foliage dies and will help bloom next year. For information on spring lawncare, visit our website.
Tags: fertilizing bulbs, Flowers, tulips
Posted in Fertilization, Flowers, Tulsa Lawn Care | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
1. When the lawncare trucks start roaming the neighborhoods.
2. When the sun gets higher in the sky.
3. When baseball, or March madness, takes over the sports pages rather than football.
4. When kids start counting the days until spring break.
No, the answer is…
When the advertisements for the wonder plugs of Zoysiagrass appear in the Sunday paper!
Spring has sprung with the first "wondergrass" add of the year!
Every spring, just like clockwork, these goofy ads appear in the Tulsa World. Folks must buy this stuff, or the advertisers would not continue to place the ads in the paper. The truth is that Zoysia is a wonderful grass type for sun or partial shade conditions in Oklahoma. It does not grow in full shade, nor will any other turf type grass grow in shade.
The advertisement claims that “No weeding or chemicals are needed.” That’s false. While healthy zoysia is thicker than bermudagrass, weeds such as crabgrass, dandelions, and nutgrass will still grow without proper herbicides applied. The ad claims that “you’ll only have to mow once or twice a season.” Well, I don’t think this would do much for establishing a good relationship with your neighbors, nor would it do well for the health of your turf. And while Zoysia can look good with slightly less nitrogen fertilizer applied, without any fertilizer, it will be thin, pale, and unhealthy. Zoysia still needs watering, and it can and will die out in extreme drought as we experienced last summer. I saw several areas of zoysia myself last summer and fall that were just flat out dead from the drought and lack of irrigation.
So Zoysiagrass is not a “miracle grass”. There is nothing out there, short of synthetic turf, that will perform well and look great without proper care. If a homeowner want to establish zoysiagrass, do yourself a favor and just go to one of our good local sod producers in Tulsa, such as Easton or Advance Sod Sales on south Memorial, and purchase rolls or slabs of zoysiagrass sod. It’s much faster and easier. Or you can just purchase some slabs of zoysia and chop them up to produce your own plugs, rather than overpaying by about 1000% and ordering inferior zoysia through the mail.
I would also recommend to wait until spring really gets here, more like in May, to establish any new warm season turf such as zoysia. Unless you have bare ground or a new lawn and have to sod now, I’d wait until the weather warms and turf greens up before plugging a lawn with zoysia. Zoysia is a slow grower and spreads out slowly, so you will also need to be patient in allowing it to take over a lawn.
Oh and by the way…it’s ZOYSIA, and not Zoyia!
Posted in Drought, Fertilization, Lawncare, Tulsa Lawn Care, zoysiagrass | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
What a difference a few weeks makes in what our city looks like. With over 5″ of rain in most areas of NE Oklahoma, the brown grass and lawns have suddenly turned green, and just in time for fall. I was really getting concerned, even for the bermudagrass, before the rains hit. And I’ve been amazed as to how quickly the grass turned around. I knew bermudagrass was tough, but I have even more respect for it now.
The late summer termperatures however are still reminding us that fall is not here. While OU, OSU, and TU football kicks off in a little over a week, it’s still summer as far as the turf is concerned. We could use a little more rain, but who knows if that will happen. So go back to a normal watering schedule of watering about 2-3 times per week, with about 1/2″ of moisture with each sprinkling. (more…)
Tags: Fescue, fescue overseeding, Irrigation, LawnAmerica, watering, watering your lawn
Posted in Drought, Fertilization, fescue lawns, Fescue Overseeding, Tulsa Lawn Care, Watering Your Lawn | No Comments »
Friday, August 12th, 2011
As Will Rogers once said, “If you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, just stick around—it will change.” Last week it seemed there was no end in sight to the awful hot and dry weather. All of a sudden, God turns on the faucet, and many areas in Northeast Oklahoma and Tulsa have received over 4″ of much-needed rainfall over several days. Along with cooler temperatures, one can see already the impact on our lawns and landscapes, along with our attitudes!
Bring on the Rain!
I was getting really concerned about many of our lawns last week. I thought it could be mid-September before seeing any significant rain and cooler temperatures. But I was thankfully wrong, and I think we’ll be getting back to normal soon. We are not officially out of the drought though, and there are still consequences of being in the hottest month ever for any state in any month. YES—We’re #1!! But with even more rain in the forecast, before the heat returns next week, we are in much better shape now.
For every person who was not watering well this summer or watering at all, there have been just as many who have been over-watering. Turn off your system for now and give it a break! Let Mother Nature do her thing. Don’t water during the middle of the day, as that is such a waste. If it does heat up and the rainfall stops, then proceed to water normally again for summer, which generally is about 2-3 times per week, early in the morning. (more…)
Tags: Tulsa fescue lawns, Tulsa tree and shrub
Posted in Drought, Fertilization, fescue lawns, Fescue Overseeding, Tree & Shrub Care, Tulsa Lawn Care, Watering Your Lawn | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
Entering August, we are now under extreme drought conditions.
The summer of 2011 is turning out to possibly be the hottest and driest on record in the Tulsa area and all of Oklahoma. With the current and long-term forecast of more of the same, at what normally is the hottest time of the season, the prospects for any relief soon are slim. Much of the green grass of area lawns has turned to brown, with now trees, shrubs, and ornamentals showing the consequences of days on end of scorching temperatures with no or little rainfall.
Brad Johnson, owner of LawnAmerica, has been caring for lawns in Oklahoma for 25 years. “I’ve never seen a period like this since I’ve been in business, with little rain and constant 100 degree temperatures,” Brad said. “Sure, we’ve had periods of heat drought, usually in August, but we’ve just now entered the time when that usually occurs. That’s what is different about 2011—the drought started much earlier and is more severe.” (more…)
Tags: bermuda grass, drought, drought-tolerant, fertilize, Fescue, Irrigation, LawnAmerica, Oklahoma State University Turf-grass Department, Oklahoma summer watering, ornamentals, St. Augustine, trees & shrubs, watering your lawn
Posted in Drought, Environmental, Fertilization, fescue lawns, Lawncare, Tulsa Lawn Care, Watering Your Lawn | No Comments »
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
We are in the midst of what could turn out to be the hottest and driest summer on record in the Tulsa area. I know that it’s as bad as I’ve seen it in the 25 years I’ve been doing lawncare in Tulsa. Every day, the lawns are turning browner, people (especially our outdoor workers) are getting more tired and frustrated, and water is getting more scarce.
Help! I need water!
We just sent out a special letter and newsletter to our customers with information on proper watering and other things a homeowner can do to help their lawn and landscape survive this summer. Bermuda grass lawns should be fine. With little or no water, they will shut down and go dormant, but should spring back to life when we get rain or if they are irrigated very well. That is—they should spring back to life. The turf will need fertilization before fall dormancy hits, and that is a concern for us. It’s not wise to just quit fertilizing and put the turf under even more stress on top of the drought. LawnAmerica is using mainly an organic fertilizer now, with nutrients that will slowly be released as we get into a more normal weather pattern with some moisture. (more…)
Tags: drought, Irrigation, lawn and landscape, mobile irrigation, organic fertilizer, tree & shrub care tulsa, trees, watering
Posted in Drought, Environmental, Fertilization, Tree & Shrub Care, Tulsa Lawn Care, Watering Your Lawn | No Comments »
Monday, March 7th, 2011
I love to watch NCAA basketball, but this is not the March Madness I’m referring to. It’s lawncare! In Tulsa, March is a wild month when it comes to controlling weeds, adding new customers, and setting the stage for a successful year on the lawns. From a business standpoint, we gain more new customers during March than any other month of the year. I love it when we are growing like a weed, so to speak, with our customer base typically growing about 10% just during one month.
But with the stress and challenge of finishing up our existing customers Early Spring Weed-Control Treatment with applying the pre-emergent before crabgrass begins to germinate in early April, the added pressure of adding all those new customers makes it pretty mad during March. But that’s OK! We still love new customers, and our LawnAmerica staff is up to the task. Show them some extra love though during March, as they are “under the gun,” so to speak. (more…)
Tags: Barricade, Crabgrass, lawn care, LawnAmerica, pre-emergent, Spring Weed-Control Treatment, Tulsa Lawncare, weed-control
Posted in Crabgrass, Fertilization, Lawncare, Tulsa Lawn Care, Watering Your Lawn, Weed Control | No Comments »
Monday, September 20th, 2010
Well here we are again – Labor Day has come and gone, the kids are settling into their routine at school, and college football once again dominates television on Saturdays. Our thoughts are quickly turning to fall and the upcoming holidays, and before long the temperatures will cool to the point that most of us will find our excuses to stay inside.
So what should you be doing for your lawn now that will help set the stage for a beautiful lawn next season? The answer to that depends on the type of grass you have.
Warm season lawns consisting of Bermudagrass or Zoysiagrass should have their last fertilization of the year no later than about the 3rd week of September. This fertilization should be a little lower in nitrogen, but offer a higher rate of potassium than the fertilizers that were used over the summer. The potassium helps promote the overall root health of the plant is especially beneficial as the grass goes dormant over the winter. (more…)
Tags: AT2010, AT2010 Compassionate Journey, fertilization, fescue lawns, preventative fungicide, Spring Dead Spot, Tulsa fescue lawns, tulsa fescue overseeding
Posted in Fertilization, fescue lawns, Fescue Overseeding, Lawn Disease, Weed Control | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Winterkill along a concrete edge, where soil temperatures were colder. Also, too much ice melt could have caused this.
I recently received a memo from Dr. Dennis Martin, Turfgrass Extension/Research Specialist from Oklahoma State University, concerning winter-kill of bermudagrass. Although it looks like the problem is not as severe as he and others believed it would be, there are areas of turf that have been damaged, or are just slow to come out of dormancy. A recent Tulsa World article also had information about winterkill and the effect it was having on local golf courses.
Even during the mildest of winters in Oklahoma, several node and internode segments of the aerial shoot system of bermudagrsss are killed by freezing temperatures. Sunlight then bleaches the dead tissue to a straw colored appearance. Following these events and while temperatures remain too low for sustained regrowth, people refer to the bermudagrass as “being dormant.”
The relatively severe winter of 2009/2010 has resulted in above average winter-kill of bermudagrass across Oklahoma. “Winter-kill” simply means that part or all of the turfgrass plant died during the winter season. Winter-kill can occur from either acute or extended exposure to low temperatures. It can also be due to complications from the interaction of low temperatures and any number of stressing factors such as insuffient or excessive soil moisture, shade, excessive traffic, soil compaction, low mowing height, insufficient or excessive nutrients, or any number of other predisposing stressful physical, chemical, or biological factors. (more…)
Tags: Bermudagrass, Tulsa Lawns, winterkill
Posted in Environmental, Fertilization, Lawncare | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
City budgets are strained these days with the current economic situation. For example, the city of Tulsa is eliminating city police officers, shutting down valuable services, and having to take other painful measures to save money.
Part of our LawnAmerica crew preparing to work at Braden Park
We’re doing our part at LawnAmerica to help out. This past spring, we began treating over 28 acres of turf for free at several city parks. Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Jenks, Owasso, and Sand Springs parks have all been the benefactors of our lawncare servces. We have committed to service eight of these community parks for free, through 2010. The annual value of these services if we charged would be about $28,000, so this is the amount of money these cities are saving with our donation.
Braden Park near 11th & Yale. I grew up playing baseball and fishing at this city park.
Giving back to the communities we serve is part of what we do at LawnAmerica. Our business has been blessed this year, and for the past 11 years, so we’re glad to be able to give back. We love what we do in caring for lawns and landscapes, and feel it’s an important part of our world in many respects. We also love to give, as it helps provide even more meaning and satisfaction from our work.
As we enter the Thanksgiving month of November, I’m indeed thankful for our business, employees, and our cutomers. So if you’re a LawnAmerica customer–Thank You for the opportunity to do what we do. And if you are not a LawnAmerica customer–Why Not? Not only will you save money, compared to doing your own lawncare, your lawn will look better. And if you use a competitor, you will not find a better group of professionals to care for your lawn. And, you’ll be helping to support this comminity we all share, as no other lawncare company comes close to giving back to others as LawnAmerica.
Tags: Community
Posted in Business, Community, Economy, Fertilization, Lawncare, Weed Control | No Comments »
