Everyone that has a lawn probably has a few dandelions growing. They definitely pop up quickly this time of year and can get out of control if you don’t take action. Well, here’s something creative to do when all those yellow flowers take over the lawn. Pick the flowers and try making dandelion wine. You’ll probably be willing to do the hard work picking the flowers if you are rewarded with wine. What does it taste like, you might ask? We have no idea, but our friends will tell us in a few weeks. Santé!

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/dandelion-wine-recipe-zmaz70sozgoe.aspx

Of course there are other ways to get rid of pesky weeds. Some are natural ways and others are not so natural. We specialize in all forms of weed controls. Give us a call to talk about the best solution. If you have a creative solution, we would love to hear from you!

Have you recently planted a tree? Are you worried about drought conditions stressing your trees? We have a solution. Our Tree Root Stimulator is specially formulated to encourage strong root growth. It is full of microorganisms, soil conditioners, and much more. The product is injected in and around the root ball of the tree or we can directly spray the root ball before planting (assuming you give us some advanced notice before planting). Since this product is water based, your trees will also benefit from the deep watering, which can be especially helpful during dry weather.

Prices are generally $30 per large tree and it can be less for smaller trees or multiple trees. This work can be done anytime during the growing season. We apply this product to every tree we plant on our landscaping jobs.

You might have heard about colony collapse disorder..if not, look it up.  There are a couple of good documentaries available online through Netflix.  Basically, the worldwide honey bee population is significantly declining.  We depend upon bees to pollinate our crops and it would be impossible to grow most of our food without them.  The decline in bees, called colony collapse disorder, has been traced back to a specific type of pesticide called neonicotinoids.  Neonicotinoids are a systemic insectide, meaning the plant absorbs the chemical and a bug foraging on the treated plant will die after consuming the treated plant.  Other insectides are not systemic and only remain on the surface of the plant for a short amount of time.

What can you do about it?  Plant some flowers that attract bees, buy more organic food, and limit the use of insecticides.  Note: herbicides that kill weeds are not the same as insecticides that kill insects.  Both can have detrimental environmental effects, but insecticides have generally had much more damaging effects over the decades (think DDT).

http://www.naturalnews.com/030921_EPA_pesticides.html

April is the month start doing some landscape maintenance.  Lawns benefit from aeration and a quality slow release fertilizer.  We have several options of fertilizer that are all safe for pets and people.  Weed control treatments may be needed, but we prefer to handle weed problems when they arise rather than using pre-emergent controls that linger in the soil.  It is also recommended to start watering your plants (see our previous post).  Don’t worry if your lawn currently looks yellow and full of thatch because it will look very different and hopefully quite healthy once you do the basic maintenance.

Spring cleanup can be a time consuming process, especially when you would rather spend your free time hiking, biking, and enjoying the beautiful spring weather.  We have a team of gardeners that can clean up lawns, gardens, and prune your plants.  Our focus is on quality work that meets your tight budget.  Landscaping is an investment in your property and we want to help you grow that investment (pun intended).  Visit our contact page to get in touch with us.

This March will likely be the driest ever recorded.  See the Daily Camera article.  If you decide to turn on your sprinklers, give us a call.  We can start up your system for the season and check the sprinkler heads.  Irrigation systems are usually turned on in April, but sometimes dry weather prompts us to turn on the water sooner.

There still a risk of freezing temperatures that could damage parts of your irrigation system.  Here are a few tips to minimize potential damage: 1) Use hoses with moveable sprinklers to water during the early spring season. 2) Water during the day and avoid watering at night when temperatures are near freezing (this watering schedule only applies during early spring and late fall).  3) Turn off the water supply to your sprinkler system after watering and open up the valves on the backflow preventer and any drains.  Follow these tips and you can rest assured that your early season watering will be trouble free.

Remember to give your landscaping a long, deep soak.  Saturating the soil with water will keep your plants happy in between watering cycles.  With that said, make sure the soil has some time to dry out in between watering.  Keeping the soil constantly saturated will drown plant roots.

Fall is fast approaching and here are some of the services we can offer you.  For lawns, aeration and fertilization or a compost tea application should be done by the end of October.  For landscape installation, perennials should be transplanted by mid-September.  Generally, plants need a month in the ground before the first frost.  Frost can happen as early as mid-September, but it is more likely to be around mid-October.

Be sure to winterize things before the first hard freeze.  Cold snaps can occur around mid-October and it is critical to plan ahead.  Sprinkler systems should be drained starting in October.  Vulnerable plants can be insulated with mounds of mulch.

We are available year-round for engineering and design work.

Most people forget to apply fertilizer to their lawn during the summer months.  A typical bluegrass lawn will require about 4 pounds of nitrogen per year.  We recommend using a time-released fertilizer a few times per year.  Remember to add no more than 1 pound of nitrogen per application to prevent burning the grass.  One way to reduce the amount of fertilizer needed is to mulch  the grass clippings (aka leave the clippings on the lawn).  Leaving the clippings will reduce the amount of fertilizer needed by about 1/3.  For example, you need 2.7 pounds instead of 4 pounds of nitrogen per year.

Contact us about fertilizing your lawn.  We have organic fertilizers, compost tea with fertilizer, and weed & feed products that we can apply for you.  We do not sell any fertilizers in bulk, but we think you will find our services are quite affordable.

Now that summer is heating up, you might notice the sprinklers or drip irrigation are not working as well as you thought.  We do a lot of repair work and installation of new systems for customers.  Repairing old irrigation systems is usually more challenging because it involves troubleshooting and working with the constraints of your existing irrigation system.  If you need some repair work, we can fix just about anything.

Our favorite type of irrigation work is installing new systems.  It is our favorite because we get to design the system and we design it right!  Shoot us an email via our Contact page.  We would love to help get water to your thirsty plants.