Etowah Landscape Group

Cranky About Crabgrass?

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:15:04 +0000

Listen, we don’t like it either. Crabgrass often emerges and / or takes over your lawn in the summer months, and unfortunately, it sprouts up and ruins the continuity of your lawn (we’ve posted a photo for quick identification). And it can grow in ANY kind of turfgrass.The best way to prevent crabgrass from ever taking root, is to use a pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn every March. But if you’ve got crabgrass in your turf now, then you’re going to need to apply a post-emergent to control the pesky weed. Dithiopyr, also called Crab-Ex, will kill small, emerged crabgrass seedlings. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for application, and be sure to apply the herbicide when the temperature is fewer than 90 degrees outside, usually before 10 AM.

If we manage your lawn care, we applied the pre-emergent in the spring. But if you think you’ve got crabgrass, call us immediately!

Do you have more questions about crabgrass? Post your question here, and we’ll answer it.

Summer Thunderstorms Make for Happy Lawns

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:07:34 +0000

Many of us tend to worry that our lawns aren’t getting enough water in the summer because it’s so darn hot. The reality though, is that we should let Mother Nature do our watering for us whenever possible. If you follow some simple guidelines and let nature be your guide, you’ll have lush grass all summer… and if you’re lucky, a cheaper water bill.Turf grass will flourish in the warm season with just 1” of rain per week. Lately, we’ve had some great afternoon soakers in Atlanta, which means you may not even need to use your irrigation system. How do you know how much rain you’ve had? Listen to your local news. You can also find out by visiting the National Weather Service’s website (weather.gov) and clicking on Observed Precipitation.

In the event that you do need to water, do any time between midnight and 10 AM to minimize evaporation. It should take roughly an hour to apply 1” of water. If you notice that water is standing for any length of time, you’ve over-watered. Water is a precious resource, so try not to waste it!

If you have an irrigation system, and we are managing it for you, we make the appropriate adjustments based on observed rainfall. But if we don’t, you should make those adjustments on your own.

Was this information helpful? Post your comments, questions and landscaping tips below. We would love to hear from you!

Helpful Tips and Tricks for Summer Care of Azaleas

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:05:45 +0000

Just as the azalea blooms signal the arrival of spring, their disappearance signals the arrival of summer. And they’re easy to forget as we schlep the kids back and forth to the pool, go on vacations and attend barbeques, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need our attention. Here are some easy tips to help you with summer care.

Pruning

You want to finish your pruning by late June, before they begin setting their flower buds in July. To prune them, be sure to use a pair of pruning shears as opposed to hedge clippers. You should cut 12 to 18 inches of growth, and cut only branches thicker than your finger. Cut back all the way to a bud or branch so that stubs won’t be visible. Once you’ve trimmed the shrub all over, it should still be green and leafy.

Pest Control

As for the pests, you’ll be eliminating the threat of lace bugs, a small white fly with transparent wings. You’ll find them on the bottom of leaves, where they feed on sap. If leaves have hard black spots on the bottom and have light spots on the top, you’ve got lace bugs. Aside from aesthetics, it’s important to eliminate them because they can inhibit blooming and cause premature leaf loss.

The good news is that the remedy is simple, fragrance-free and non-toxic! A common horticulture spray, available at any garden store, does the trick. Just be sure to apply it this month because it can damage flower buds as they begin to develop in July.

If you have any questions about pruning or pest control for your azaleas, we’d love to help. Just give us a call at 770.516.2244 or email Julie at Julie@etowahgroup.com. If we handle your lawn and garden maintenance, we will be providing these services as a part of your maintenance plan.

Do you have any questions about your azalea care or other lawn care concerns? Submit your question or comment on this post and one of our experts will get back to you with a quick tip.

Have a Green and Gorgeous Lawn All Summer

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:22:37 +0000

Fertilize

We understand that the competition for Yard of the Month is stiff, which is why we encourage to you fertilize your warm grasses this month. If you have Bermuda, centipede or zoysia grass May and June are the ideal times to fertilize.

If you’re doing it yourself, start by picking up a bag of fertilizer at your favorite garden supply store. Despite there being a plethora of choices, there’s little difference between brands as long as the nutrient numbers are similar. The most important ingredient is nitrogen, and some grasses need more nitrogen than others. You might want to experiment with fertilizers with different nitrogen amounts. More expensive brands often contain slow release nitrogen, which gives grass an extra boost of green. For example, golf courses generally choose fertilizers with high percentages of slow release nitrogen.

As far as amounts, the fertilizer you choose will give you some guidelines listed on the packaging. But for residential lawns, we generally use ½ lb of fertilizer on Bermuda grass and ¼ lb on zoysia and centipede grasses.

Mowing

The key to keeping a gorgeous lawn in the summer is to raise the mower to its tallest setting. Maintaining a taller lawn means mowing more often, but the upshot is that it deters weed growth and encourages the roots to imbed deeper within the soil. A good rule of thumb to remember is not to cut more than 1/3 of your grass in one session.

If you maintain your lawn with fertilizer and frequent mows, we guarantee that you’ll have a lush, green carpet of grass all summer. And who knows, you may end up garnering the Yard of the Month award.

If we handle your lawn maintenance, we’ll be using these best practices to keep your lawn looking great. Give us a call at 770.516.2244 or email Julie at Julie@etowahgroup.com if you have any questions.

Have your own tips for lawn care? If so, we’d love to hear about them. Post a comment.