Horticultural Solutions

The Heat Is On

2010-07-07T16:26:00.004-04:00

Record high temperatures and below average rainfall spells trouble for our landscapes. Not much change in the weather since our last post. Some agronomic practices will have to change if we stay in this pattern. Lawns that do not have irrigation will go into a state of rest( dormancy) which is a natural way to protect itself and not die under most conditions. Please read some of last summers posts because there is often a repeat condition. The order of importance is to water your landscape plants, vegetable gardens, then the turf. Unlike evergreen and deciduos trees that turn brown from lack of water grass will often come back as the weather cools and we receive some rainfall in the Autumn months.

Hot, Hot, Dry

2010-06-28T08:41:00.003-04:00

Summer has just begun and already the lawns look like something you would see in August. The year to date precipitation is significantly below the average. Tall fescue grass and bluegrass are showing signs of stress as we remain in this heat wave. For those that have vegetable gardens concentrate on keeping up with watering and keep and eye out for Japanese beetles in the landscape.

Summer Stress

2010-06-22T15:49:00.002-04:00

Lawns are under severe stress with the heat and disease pressure. Most of the lawns grown in Northern Virgina are cool season turf types in which they suffer during the next couple months. Please raise your mower height too the highest setting and be certain not to cut the grass in the afternoon when the temperatures are exceeding 90 degrees. You may notice that a tractor or heavy commercial mower can damage the turf and leave tire marks when cutting in the heat of the day. I have noticed a lot of Japanese beetles in the landscapes which may result in a high population of grubs this year in the lawns. Please read our watering instructions and mowing instructions on our website.

Preparation for Summer

2010-06-03T14:39:00.001-04:00

Several important tips to remember for your lawn and landscape as summer approaches.

First, raise your mower height to the highest setting 3-4 inches. Do not remove more than one third of the grass blade at one time. Mow often, it's great exercise. We have a chart under Horticultural Tips that will calculate how many calories you burn while cutting the grass.

Second, read and do your best to follow our watering instructions online. Watering instructions are for maintaining a green healthy lawn. If you cannot dedicate your time to proper watering of the lawn, then it is best to do nothing at all. Not watering your lawn during hot and dry periods will cause it to become semi-dormant and turn brown, which is its natural way of preserving itself until cooler weather. Most lawns will bounce back in September for those that do not water.

Third, keep an eye out for Japanese beetles and turf disease.

I hope everyone can take a family vacation this year and get your grills ready for some fine summertime cooking. Remember to have your extra propane tank filled and available so when you’re cooking for friends you don’t run out of gas.

Finally, it feels like Spring time weather

2010-03-13T12:04:00.005-05:00

I have noticed a lot of storm damage to the landscapes. Pruning out broken branches at this time is very important. Many trees have become uprooted and fallen. If tree replacement is needed, you might want to consider choosing a different variety. Many Leyland cypress trees have uprooted. Leylands planted closely together have shallow root systems and are more prone to storm damage. Leylands are often planted closely together to create a screen. Ten years later in many cases, every other tree should be cut down because they are growing into each other. Staggering evergreens is better for airflow and the development of a stronger root system.
You may notice something about your grass that we do not find often in this region -- snow mold. Most cases of snow mold do not require any treatment at this time. Typically, in the northern part of the country individuals spray a fungicide before the first lasting snowfall. Fertilization and cutting the grass is going to encourage new growth this spring and recovery should take place. Crabgrass pre-emergent should begin soon depending on the type of crabgrass control. The old rule of thumb is that when the forsythia is blooming you should apply crabgrass control. There have been many developments in crabgrass control and some pre-emergent applications can be delayed until the crabgrass germinates and has begun its leaf stage. Horticultural Solutions uses Dimension® for crabgrass control for many reasons. We also apply it twice for better control. Dimension® has a pre- and post-emergent effect on crabgrass as well as the lowest use rate, toxicity, and the best control in all university studies. Seeding in the spring is not ideal; however, in shady areas where you do not have to apply crabgrass control, it can be done. As a reminder to everyone, be certain your lawn mower has sharp blades and new gasoline for the season.

What can be done with my lawn during the winter months?

2009-12-29T12:14:00.004-05:00

First, absolutely do not fertilize! One of the most important aspects of creating a healthy lawn is having the soil pH around 6.8 for turf plants. Soil pH is a measure of the number of hydrogen ions (H+) present in a solution. Simply speaking it is a measure of alkalinity and acidity. During the fall or winter months it is a good practice to take a soil pH reading and make any adjustments. There are a number of direct and indirect benefits for the grass plants. First, when the soil pH is 6.5 to 7.0 most nutrients are readily available for uptake by the grass plant. Also, calcium and magnesium though secondary nutrients have been found to have a critical role in grass plant health. At Horticultural Solutions we use a lot of new and improved products such as Solu-Cal , Cal-Turf™ and Mag-Turf™. These products have chelating agents that bind to plant nutrients increasing solubility and availability. Calcium and magnesium play a structural role in chlorophyll, cell formation, cell strength and root hair development. Additionally, they aid in the plants water uptake and evaporation and improve the availability of phosphorus. The direct benefits include turf that is more resistant to disease and stress as well as making fertilizer applications most effective.

Don't think you can wait until spring to apply your winterizer fertilizer

2009-10-18T12:01:00.003-04:00

The term winterizer fertilizer in the marketing world means it is high in nitrogen. The ideal time to fertilize cool season turf with nitrogen is during the Autumn months. It is a good practice to fertilize with a slow release form of nitrogen. During the Autumn months the grass needs fertilizer to build up food storage, carbohydrates and promote root development. Fall fertilizing is essential because with cool season turf you reverse the application in the spring. During the spring months you generally want to apply more potassium and less nitrogen if any at all. Excessive nitrogen in the spring has no benefit for the turfgrass and leads to excessive growth, depletion of reserves and a greater uptake of water weakening the plant before summer stress.

Why does my lawn have a fungus and is there a cure?

2009-08-06T09:18:00.002-04:00

Most of the turf fungus in this region occurs during the hot humid summer months. There are not any known cures that will prevent or stop fungus entirely, but there are ways to control fungus and it's severity. Think in terms of foot fungus when it comes to lawn fungus. There are both mechanical practices, cultural practices and medicines (Fungicides). When and individual gets athletes foot they can use a fungicide and fix the problem, but it may return when conditions are favorable. The same holds true with turf fungus. Some individuals have all the right conditions to get athletes foot and they don't, while others take all the proper care and precautions and they still get athletes foot. As with people, some lawns are more prone to getting fungus than others. Some fungus such as red thread is linked to low nitrogen while other fungus (brown patch) is promoted by excessive nitrogen leading to a complex situation. More information about fungus can be found on our web page under Horticultural Tips, sub heading Disease information.

My lawn is not lush green during the Summer

2009-07-20T17:21:00.000-04:00

The majority of lawns grown in northern Virginia are fescue or bluegrass. Both of these grasses are considered cool season turf grasses. The ideal daytime temperatures for growing these grasses are between 60 – 75 degrees. During June through August our region experiences temperatures that are not favorable for cool season turf. You may notice areas of your lawn that do not receive afternoon sun will look better. Areas of the lawn experiencing sun all day will dry out faster and show more signs of summer stress. Often, you will notice that the grass along the eastern and northern side of the house looks better than the grass exposed to the intense sun all day. We apply potassium to our lawns to better survive the summer months and yield a quicker recovery. Watering is another issue. Our web page has watering instructions for maintaining a healthy lawn appearance; however, for those who do not water it typically does not mean your lawn will die. Cool season turf is hardy and will bounce back in the autumn months. If you think about that picnic on a hot summer day, when you get hot what’s the first thing you want to do? Get in the shade or find the air conditioning and drink a bottle of cold water or better yet, a beer.

Should I use a Bag a Bug Trap?

2009-06-30T21:04:00.004-04:00

Many people use Bag-a-Bug traps to catch Japanese Beetles. Do they work? Should I use them in my landscape? When should I use a trap? These are common questions I get from customers and here is a quick breakdown of my opinion and experience with them. First, they do catch and kill Japanese beetles; however, you are only catching a small percentage of what you are attracting to your landscape and often the beetle lays its eggs in your lawn before they enter the bag. If your landscape is not attracting a lot of beetles do not use these bags because you are going to give them a reason to come into your landscape. The Japanese beetle lays its eggs in the grass so if you decide to use these bags be certain to use them on the perimeter of your landscape and away from desirable plants. Personally, I believe they should only be used along with a preventative treatment of grub control to be certain you are controlling both the adult stage and larvae stage of the Japanese Beetle. Simply because you caught a lot of Beetles in July does not mean you will not have grubs and damage to the lawn in September. I have seen a lot of grub damage in lawns where people have used these traps.

Look out for the Japanese Beetle

2009-06-25T21:30:00.004-04:00

Today, I noticed some Japanese beetles on my rose plants and crape myrtle trees. As these beetles feed on your landscape plants they will lay eggs in your turf and in August, September and October the larvae will feed on the roots of your turf causing considerable damage to your lawn. The best way to protect your lawn if you have Japanese beetles or have had grubs in the past years is by applying a systemic insect control now as a preventative.