March Is the Time To . . .

• Prune hollies, boxwoods, gardenias, spireas, abelias, butterfly bushes, evergreen shrubs, and most summer-blooming shrubs.  
  
• Cut back and fertilize roses (although you can do this as early as Valentine's Day).  Cut hybrid teas back to 18" tall, remove dead canes, and canes that rub. Knockout roses can be pruned back to half their size if necessary. Climbers should be pruned after first flush of blooms.
  
• Fertilize shrubs, trees, and Fescue lawns.
  
• Fertilize blueberries with Cotton Seed Meal.
  
• Get those vegetable seeds started so you can set them out in mid to late April.
  
• Cut back ornamental grasses to 6-10 inches tall.  If they were laying over on you last year, it may be time to divide them as most grasses will need dividing every 4-6 years.
  
• Clean any debris from fountains and ponds, check hoses for cracks, scrub clean with a mild solution of bleach.

Want some help?  Give us a call because we'd love the chance to help get your yard ready for Spring!

It's Time to Prune

This is the time of year that you will look outside and see our crews pruning and cutting back the perennials in your yard.  So don't get upset when you come home and things look tidier, and perhaps a bit smaller -- we're doing what needs to be done to get your yard ready for spring. 

Here is a quick overview of why we do what we do:

Why prune?   

• Reduce plant size,
• Reshape plant
• Remove dead, damaged, diseased wood
• Encourage new growth and more bloom

When?

• If it blooms in spring, prune soon after it finishes blooming - these plants bloom on last year's growth. 
• If it blooms in summer or fall, prune in late winter to early spring - these plants bloom on current year growth.
• Dead and diseased wood can be removed anytime.

How?             

• Use sharp tools, with the cutting edge toward the part that stays on the plant.
• Cut about ¼" above an upward- or outward-facing bud, at a 45˚ angle,

OR

• cut back to a main branch or trunk, not flush, but just to the slightly raised branch collar.

Pruning the plants in your yard is just one more thing that Team Turf does to keep your yard looking its very best.  If you have any questions about specific plant pruning, please feel free to give us a call.

Conditions Are Right for Fall Armyworms

A lot of yards have suffered this summer.  Scorching temperatures, not enough rain, too much rain -- all of these factors have worked together to upset the very delicate balance that nature strives for in order to keep our grasses green and our flowers and plants thriving.  One would think that with Fall creeping ever closer that we'd be in for a bit of reprieve with the promise of cooler temps and the ability of our yards to heal themselves, so to speak.

Enter the Fall Armyworm.  Who, you ask?  Well, apparently these little pests have been becoming more and more active within the United States over the past few years, and their ability to take a thriving, healthy lawn and swiftly and efficiently make it the most unsightly yard in the neighborhood has gained them much notoriety.

Here are some things you should know:

• The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugipeda) are caterpillars that feed on agricultural and turf grasses.
• The larvae feed at night on grass blades while the caterpillars feed on a variety of plants.
• Warm-season grasses such as bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, and some others are commonly attacked.
• Bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, and bentgrass are preferred cool-season turfgrasses.
• Heavy infestations may seriously damage large areas of turf.
• Populations of fall armyworms are typically kept in check by natural means, though population booms can occur, generally after a drought.
• The damage creates a frosted appearance or a brown area (look for this symptom late in the summer or early fall) or in the case of severe infestation, the turf may be completely denuded.

Below is a photo of an adult armyworm.

And this is a photo of a young armyworm.

Heavy infestations of armyworms can seriously damage large areas of turf, so let's hope that we don't run into any of these little critters in our yards.  If you do suspect that some type of pest has taken up residence in your lawn, be sure to look for dew sparkling on the webs in the early morning or at dusk -- a sure sign of armyworms.  Treatment is definitely possible, but catching on early is the key.

Find out more about armyworms.

A Big Dry Spell

I thought I'd share this article from a newsletter I received from Autumn Hill Nursery -- one of our favorite places to shop for great yard additions:

"This current dry spell has crept up on us after we enjoyed a wet spring, and with the soil as dry as it has become, we are fielding more calls than ever about plant problems.

Many of you are calling with dying evergreen trees such as cryptomerias, hollies, cedars and leylands.  Often the damage to these plants is done even before the plant shows signs of stress. While dead branches won't come back, you can often prune these out, bump up the moisture the plant can take up, and recover the lost growth within a year.

If you have stressed plants you may consider using soaker hoses. When the soil is this dry, hand watering with a garden hose is inadequate. The surrounding dry soil quickly wicks away the moisture before the plant can take up what it needs. Think about a paper towel soaking up a spill. Wrapping affected plants with a soaker hose is much more effective. For young trees or shrubs, wrap a soaker hose 3-4 times around the plant, making the radius larger with each circle. Run the soaker hose for 2-3 hours. This will prevent runoff while saturating the surrounding soil. It may be necessary to water 2-3 times per week while this dry spell continues.

Soaker hoses can also be used in the vegetable garden. Weave lengths of hose through the rows, and again let it run for a couple of hours. The ground becomes evenly saturated, and you will avoid fungus problem that can occur with frequent overhead watering.

Under the new outdoor watering guidelines, homeowners and businesses are stilled allowed to water daily between 4pm and 10am. Watering during this time avoids excessive evaporation from the heat from the mid-day sun.

A watering schedule that was sufficient just a month ago, may now be inadequate."

Autumn Hill is located in the Crabapple area of Roswell, and the ladies there are very knowledgeable.  You'll love this nursery, especially if you're shopping for roses!  

Garden Update

Finally!  Here are the pics of the new vegetable beds and surrounding area that we installed in our backyard this spring.  I remember how excited I was to be able to plant even more vegetables this year, and I had some pretty grandiose ideas about corn and watermelon . . . well, let's just say that there's always next year!

Here's what we do have planted and growing (quite well, if I do say so myself):

Cucumbers -- pickling types, of course, since I think they have a better flavor and because we have friends that beg for our pickles each summer

Green, yellow, & red bell peppers -- although I have to say that I struggle with peppers, and I have no idea why

Lima beans -- These are my daughters favorite, so the plant marker reads, "Lilla Kate's Lima Beans."

Squash -- What can I say about squash?  Ridiculously easy to grow, and very yummy.

Strawberries & Blueberries -- the kids' favorites

Several varieties of heirloom tomatoes -- Black Zebra, Chocolate Stripe, Kelloggs Orange, Sunset Gold, Black Cherry, Roma, Brandywine, Green Zebra, Red Zebra, Black Krim . .  . and a few more

Various herbs including a few varieties of basil, sweet marjoram, oregano, rosemary, creeping thyme, and lavender . . .

Oh!  We also have edamame, but that seed tray got mixed up with a tray of hollyhocks, so there are hollyhocks growing next to my squash and the edamame is mixed in the landscape!  Everything is progressing nicely, though.  Tomatoes have been coming in a few at a time for a couple of weeks, and this week has been the beginning of cucumbers. 

So in celebration of the plentiful summer bounty, I invite you all to send me pics of your own home gardens.  I'd love to see what you all are growing and to hear about what's working and what's not.  Just send them to jtucker@teamturflandscapes.com, and I'll publish them in an upcoming post.

Running A Little Behind . . .

So, I know that I've promised you all a study of local vegetable gardens, and I will get to that soon.  What with all the rain we've been having lately, coupled with the very high temperatures, our workload has been a bit stressful to say the least.  Until I can get my veggies in a row (sorry, I can't help myself sometimes), I thought I'd at least give you a few photos to browse through because let's be honest, nothing says summer in the south like a yard full of gorgeous hydrangeas (apart from the humidity and mosquitos, of course)!

These photos were all taken in my backyard . . . where apparently the motto is: "You can never have too many hydrangeas!"

What you should take away from this post is this:  if you're looking for dramatic color in your yard, you cannot go wrong with hydrangeas.  There are so many varieties, and the varieties go so much further than simple blossom color.  There are textures and bloom types that will blow you away! They're easy to care for, so very southern, and they can literally make people say, "Wow!" 

And, folks,  that is something that I think all landscapes should strive to achieve.

New Outdoor Watering "Rules"

So, not that many of us have had to really be concerned with whether our grass, flowers, and gardens have been getting enough water lately -- thank you very much, Mother Nature -- but you should take note of the new outdoor watering regulations that went into effect June 1, 2010.  I want to point out that the new legislation is not a watering ban, but rather it outlines a smarter way to use our resources. 

Outdoor landscape irrigation is now allowed 7 days per week between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Outdoor irrigation is not allowed between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with the exception of the following uses:

• Irrigation of personal food gardens
• Irrigation of new and replanted plant, seed, or turf in landscapes, golf courses, or sports turf fields during installation and for a period of 30 days immediately following the date of in-stallation
• Drip irrigation or irrigation using soaker hoses
• Hand-watering with a hose with automatic cutoff or handheld container
• Irrigation of horticultural crops held for sale, resale, or installation
• Use of water withdrawn from private water wells or surface water
• Irrigation of athletic fields, golf courses, or public turf grass recreational areas
• Installation, maintenance, or calibration of irrigation systems
• Hydro-seeding
• Commercial agricultural operations
• Capture and reuse of cooling system condensation or storm water in compliance with applica-
  ble local ordinances and state guidelines
• Reuse of gray water in compliance with Code
• Use of reclaimed waste water by a designated user from a system permitted by the Environmental Protection Division of the department to provide reclaimed waste water

So the green industry just wants us all to water smart.  Personally, I think it's about time.  My rain barrel overfloweth.


For more information about efficient water use in the landscape, please visit ConserveWaterGeorgia.net.