Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
- Messages
- 33,305
It's mid-January, not one of the months that one would expect to have much landscaping to so since there's not much that's actively growing right now. However, some of the things we do in January will determine what type of growing season we will have in the coming months.
I'll take any questions you have and answer them all as thoroughly as I can. Fire away.
TOPDRESSING
For example, applying an annual topdressing to your lawn in late January, early February will go far in helping break down the lawn thatch, but more importantly, it puts minerals and nutrients back into the soil. My favorite is dairy cow manure compost but there are several compost mixes that will do just fine.
Why? Soil becomes depleted over time due to the weather conditions, erosion, chlorinated water, etc. It will show in the performance of your lawn through less grass, more weeds, and a less healthy looking turf in general. Applying a compost topdressing will go far in replenishing what's been lost.
How often? Depending on the condition of your turf/soil, I would recommend annually for 2-3 years, then from there apply two years in a row, skipping the third, then repeat.
How does it work? We buy the product and have it delivered to your address. We move and spread the compost all over the lawn. Some customers have us also apply to their beds as well. Once we're finished, you'll see a thin layer of compost on the lawn as much of it will sink right through to the soil surface. Dairy Cow Manure Compost is powder-like. Most of it is usually worked into the soil surface after a couple of weeks.
We're scheduling these topdressings for DFW, Waco, Temple, Austin to do at the end of the month. If you're interested in having your lawn done, shoot me an email at greenthumbtx@verizon.net.
LEAVES AND SPIDER MITES
In DFW and also Austin, we had a late season surge in Spider Mite infestations last year. This is significant as Spider Mites, IMO, are one of the toughest problems to solve in the landscape/insect world.
They love to attack Maples, any type of Maple, but will also go after some other varieties of trees such as Crape Myrtles. I had a Maple in my own landscape last year that I had two different infestations happen last summer.
The problem we have with them is that we can only treat them once with any given chemical. Whatever mites survive a treatment will develop immunities to the chemical and even transmit that immunity to their young.
So, the point of this is to remind those who observed spider mite activity on their property to destroy/dispose of the leaves from that tree(s). DO NOT leave them on the ground. DO NOT ATTEMPT to compost them.
The Spider Mites attach their eggs to the bottom sides of the leaves. They will survive ice, snow, blizzard, whatever and will hatch in spring and begin the whole issue all over again. Collect and bag the leaves and send them to the dump. If you're in the country, you can burn them right after a good soaking rain.
As a general rule, you don't want to allow leaves to collect anywhere near the house. They are a fire hazard aside from being unsightly.
PRE EMERGENT
Those in southern locations will need to apply a pre emergent during the first week of February or last week of January. Those in DFW or points north can wait a week later before applying. I recommend Barricade for this particular treatment as it works better than Dimension against the grassy weeds which we see more often in spring.
If you're one of our customers, we apply this immediately after the topdressing and lay it right on top so that weeds can't germinate in the compost itself.
Pre emergent does not kill weeds. It is used to sterilize the soil to prevent weed seed germination. I recommend this treatment three times a year, the other two coming in August and November. Weed seed normally begins germination around the 3rd week of February.
SPRINKLER CHECK UP
Make sure before the new growing season begins that you inspect your sprinkler system for any problems it might have developed over the winter. Soil moves and shifts during weather changes so it's possible that a line or head could have broken. Also, valve solenoids can sometimes go bad during freezes.
For the do-it-yourselfer, manually turn your system on one zone at a time. While the zone is running, go and observe each of the heads of the zone for proper function and spraying width/distance. Make necessary adjustments. If you have drip lines, allow more time for the water to circulate through the perfed piping.
If you suspect a problem you've found is over your head, call in the calvary.
I'll take any questions you have now. Don't be shy, this is your turn, your time.
I'll take any questions you have and answer them all as thoroughly as I can. Fire away.
TOPDRESSING
For example, applying an annual topdressing to your lawn in late January, early February will go far in helping break down the lawn thatch, but more importantly, it puts minerals and nutrients back into the soil. My favorite is dairy cow manure compost but there are several compost mixes that will do just fine.
Why? Soil becomes depleted over time due to the weather conditions, erosion, chlorinated water, etc. It will show in the performance of your lawn through less grass, more weeds, and a less healthy looking turf in general. Applying a compost topdressing will go far in replenishing what's been lost.
How often? Depending on the condition of your turf/soil, I would recommend annually for 2-3 years, then from there apply two years in a row, skipping the third, then repeat.
How does it work? We buy the product and have it delivered to your address. We move and spread the compost all over the lawn. Some customers have us also apply to their beds as well. Once we're finished, you'll see a thin layer of compost on the lawn as much of it will sink right through to the soil surface. Dairy Cow Manure Compost is powder-like. Most of it is usually worked into the soil surface after a couple of weeks.
We're scheduling these topdressings for DFW, Waco, Temple, Austin to do at the end of the month. If you're interested in having your lawn done, shoot me an email at greenthumbtx@verizon.net.
LEAVES AND SPIDER MITES
In DFW and also Austin, we had a late season surge in Spider Mite infestations last year. This is significant as Spider Mites, IMO, are one of the toughest problems to solve in the landscape/insect world.
They love to attack Maples, any type of Maple, but will also go after some other varieties of trees such as Crape Myrtles. I had a Maple in my own landscape last year that I had two different infestations happen last summer.
The problem we have with them is that we can only treat them once with any given chemical. Whatever mites survive a treatment will develop immunities to the chemical and even transmit that immunity to their young.
So, the point of this is to remind those who observed spider mite activity on their property to destroy/dispose of the leaves from that tree(s). DO NOT leave them on the ground. DO NOT ATTEMPT to compost them.
The Spider Mites attach their eggs to the bottom sides of the leaves. They will survive ice, snow, blizzard, whatever and will hatch in spring and begin the whole issue all over again. Collect and bag the leaves and send them to the dump. If you're in the country, you can burn them right after a good soaking rain.
As a general rule, you don't want to allow leaves to collect anywhere near the house. They are a fire hazard aside from being unsightly.
PRE EMERGENT
Those in southern locations will need to apply a pre emergent during the first week of February or last week of January. Those in DFW or points north can wait a week later before applying. I recommend Barricade for this particular treatment as it works better than Dimension against the grassy weeds which we see more often in spring.
If you're one of our customers, we apply this immediately after the topdressing and lay it right on top so that weeds can't germinate in the compost itself.
Pre emergent does not kill weeds. It is used to sterilize the soil to prevent weed seed germination. I recommend this treatment three times a year, the other two coming in August and November. Weed seed normally begins germination around the 3rd week of February.
SPRINKLER CHECK UP
Make sure before the new growing season begins that you inspect your sprinkler system for any problems it might have developed over the winter. Soil moves and shifts during weather changes so it's possible that a line or head could have broken. Also, valve solenoids can sometimes go bad during freezes.
For the do-it-yourselfer, manually turn your system on one zone at a time. While the zone is running, go and observe each of the heads of the zone for proper function and spraying width/distance. Make necessary adjustments. If you have drip lines, allow more time for the water to circulate through the perfed piping.
If you suspect a problem you've found is over your head, call in the calvary.
I'll take any questions you have now. Don't be shy, this is your turn, your time.
