Turf Times

Common Spring Lawn Issues

Urban Landscaping — 2012-05-05T12:54:10-07:00

In the early part of the growing season, while the grass is just starting to grow and green up again for another year, many lawn issues are more noticeable than at other times of the year. Such things as moss, bare spots, and yellow grass splotches are irritatingly evident and many homeowners would prefer to deal with the issue now so they can enjoy a beautiful lawn all season long.

Moss: Moss is a common problem in lawn areas which experience excessive shade, but moss can occur just as easily in the middle of lawns also. Generally speaking, it enjoys the type of acidic, compacted, moist soil that grass has a difficult time sustaining itself in and therefore it starts taking over the area. Moss is not really a "weed" and therefore does not respond to traditional methods of weed control. However, since moss does not have much in the way of a root system, it is easily raked off the surface of the soil. In doing so, you will be left with bare soil spots that can be topdressed and seeded. Take care to choose a seed that enjoys shade or you will quickly run into the same difficulty of a non-flourishing grass that again gets taken over by moss! One other method of moss eradication is apparently the use of Ultra Dawn liquid dish detergent mixed with water. Although I haven't tried it myself, its effects are supposedly successful by burning/drying up the moss. Approaches to avoid moss are to thin trees in the area causing shade, aerate the soil to reduce soil compaction, and lime the lawn annually to keep the pH of the soil more balanced.

Bare Spots: The reasons for the appearance of bare spots in lawns are many and varied, but there are a few common threads that could lead to this issue. One is old lawn damage from insect activity that might be many years old and if it was never reseeded, the old thatch has finally disappeared and left nothing but bare earth. Another reason could be that the bare spot(s) was once occupied by a dense weed or moss that suffocated the lawn in that area. Once the weed was killed off or removed, it left a blank spot where it once occupied space. The grass did not grow in that area, but it was not as noticeable because the foliage of the weed was green like the surrounding lawn. There may be other reasons that contribute to this phenomena of bare spots on lawns. However, it is rectifiable through either a topdressing and overseeding service or, in more extensive cases, a tilling and lawn renovation service. It is wise to consult a landscape professional to get their experienced opinion on your issue and how to fix it.

Yellow Spots: The reasons for yellowing grass are probably even more extensive than for bare spots on lawns. They can range from dog urine problems to winterkill damage to subsurface insect activity. Dog urine spots, in theory, can be controlled by training your dog to do his/her business in a specific area off the lawn if at all possible. However, as we all know, some dogs listen better than others! If you know your dog has pee'd in a certain spot on your lawn, you can try to dilute the effects of the urea by watering it thoroughly. Some practices also include mixing some sugar in the water before watering. The yellowing effect comes about essentially because of a nitrogen burn. If the burn was not too severe, the grass in that spot might green up considerably instead of turning yellow. A blotchy yellowish area that is larger than a dog urine spot might be winterkill especially in a winter that saw a lot of snow and/or ice buildup. More than likely those winterkill areas will be seen in parts of the lawn that held the snow/ice the longest into the spring. Sliceseeding or overseeding may be needed to reintroduce grass in the damaged area. Finally, yellowish spots that grown in size or number quickly or that other creatures have a great interest in as they pick at the sod could be an indication of insect activity. Grubs are becoming more prevalent each year and chew on the roots of the grass. They are most active in the Spring and Fall of the year and heavy populations should be controlled by a chemical control designed for subsurface insects. If yellow spots appear in the middle of summer in sunny, dry areas of your lawn, it is most likely chinch bug activity. Again, large populations should be controlled with a spray before the majority of your lawn is destroyed!

Most lawn issues can be kept to a minimum with a little bit of vigilance, a little bit of effort and a little bit of patience! If reseeding some problem spots on your lawn is in your future, the ideal time is from mid-August to mid-September. However, if you can't wait that long, then May is also a good time. Just remember to water, water, water. It is the key ingredient to a successful seeding effort!

Benefits of Enriching Your Home's Landscaping

UrbanLandscaping — 2012-03-09T07:52:51-08:00

As Spring quickly approaches and we wave goodbye to winter, many homeowners eagerly await the sight of emerging landscapes so they may once again venture into their yards to dream of how to enrich their outdoor living spaces. For some, the enrichment comes in the form of a new lawn and shrub beds as the final stage of their new home construction project comes to fruition; for others, it is in the form of an existing landscape renovation. Whatever the scope of the project, homeowners today are becoming more keenly aware of the benefits of a well developed landscape surrounding their home.

The benefits of completing and enriching a home's landscape begin with enriching the lives of the individuals who live there. A landscape is meant to provide an extension of the indoor living space and become an expression of one's tastes and decorative style. Just as interior designers capture a homeowner's traditional, contemporary or modern style in furniture, paint and accessory selections, so too can a homeowner's style be captured in the outdoor landscape. Formal styles can be represented with a great deal of symmetry and structure not only in plant material selections and placement, but also with hardscape elements such as patios and walkways. Other "organic' styles may include more unstructured elements such as perennial gardens, water gardens and natural stonework that weaves its way around the property. Many homes lend themselves to a combination approach in landscaping. Consider formalizing the front yard while allowing the backyard to have various elements of whimsy and freedom. Whatever your style, experiment with your landscape to make it truly a unique reflection of the people that live there.

Another more economic reason to consider the development and enrichment of your home's landscape is in the resale value of the property. According to industry experts, a well designed and installed landscape can increase the value of a home by as much as 20%. However, keep in mind that it depends on how well the landscape plan was developed and executed. A landscaped home with drainage issues or improperly placed plant materials or hardscape items such as walkways and patios can provide a negative impression to a potential buyer. They do not see the home as a "turnkey" purchase and that will drag the resale value down. It is important to utilize the expertise of certified, professional landscape designers and contractors who will be able to help you maximize your home's value with proper planning and installation of landscape elements beneficial to your environment. Look for companies which are members of the provincial landscape association and who have landscape industry certified professionals on staff. Spend your money wisely with a company that can help you avoid costly mistakes down the road. It will be well worth it both in the enjoyment of your property now and with the financial gains realized in resale value in the future.

- Lorna Pond, CLP

Urban Landscaping Ltd.

Winter Preparations for Lawn & Garden

UrbanLandscaping — 2011-10-28T13:23:39-07:00

Winter Preparations for Lawns and Gardens

Going into the winter, your lawn should be cut relatively short (about 2" - 2.5"). This is the only time you will be excused from not cutting the grass at least 3" in height! Also, it's a great idea to have at least a couple of fertilizer applications on the lawn to allow nutrients to be stored in the roots for use early in the next season. Leaves should be raked up so they don't smother the lawn over winter and so there is not a breeding ground for mold and fungus activity which can cause damage to the grass.

Have a look at your gardens before the snow flies to see what newly planted evergreen shrubs you have. It is a good idea to protect those new evergreens so that they are not subject to the severity of the winter winds that really dry out the needles. Also, water all your evergreens well so they have enough moisture in their system to handle the drying winter winds.

Hopefully you have planted any bulbs like Daffodils or Crocus that you want to see bloom in Spring. If planting bulbs is still on your to-do list, it's not too late, but hurry!

Perennials in your gardens can be cut down in either the Fall or the Spring. Some perennials such as Sedum have a lovely seedhead on them that is a beautiful accent in the winter with a light dusting of snow on it. Believe it or not, beauty can still be found in gardens even in winter! If you are cutting your perennials back for winter, cut them down to within about an inch of the ground which will leave lots of space for new growth in the Spring.

Good luck with all your fall clean up chores and don't forget that if you run out of either time or desire to finish your fall clean up "to-do's" you can always give us a call at 849-4124 . We're here to help!

Dandelions - Sure Signs of Summer!

UrbanLandscaping — 2011-06-09T06:48:18-07:00

SURE SIGNS OF SUMMER!

As Spring approaches its transition into Summer, we once again enjoy the sights of trees in full leaf, the sounds of green grass being mowed, the feel of warmer temperatures on our skin and the unending vision of DANDELIONS!

I think this year since the bright yellow orb in the sky has been significantly absent most of the Spring, the sunny yellow dandelion faces have felt the need to overcompensate with their abundance of numbers on lawns, roadsides and in gardens! Perhaps it was the appealing agronomic conditions of moisture rich soil last fall combined with a sufficient snowfall to protect the seeds that has allowed their numbers to seemingly increase exponentially this year. Nonetheless, for lawns we have treated with our OrganiCare program over a number of successive years, the dandelion population explosion has not been particularly explosive at all � more like just a rumble!

Although in many eyes dandelions are an eyesore, they are not necessarily one of the most invasive or destructive weeds in existence in lawns. Usually one taproot can produce up to 10 stems, so the removal of each plant can significantly reduce the amount of yellow bloom on your lawn. Also, dandelions are one of the easiest weeds to remove manually from the lawn, even without the aid of an herbicide. A large number of dandelion pulling tools exist in stores, most of which do not even require the homeowner to have to bend down when extracting the weed. The dandelion pullers are quite effective at grasping onto the taproot and pulling all of it out of the ground. The most effective timeframe to extract the dandelion is before the yellow flower goes to seed and blows away since the dandelion is reproduced from seed only.

The most prolific times of the season when dandelions are at their height of growth and

visual prominence is in the May/June timeframe and again in the September time. Seeds which blew away in the spring and successfully germinated are those which appear in the Fall. Alternatively, those seeds which successfully germinate from the Fall crop of dandelions appear in the Spring.

Our OrganiCare program does help in the control of the dandelion population both with our control spray as well as manual help from our customers, but I�m afraid the dandelion will always be a part of the seasonal landscape since the seeds can blow from quite a distance away and stealthily acquire a home on your lawn. With the upkeep of our regular fertilization program, the lawn is generally healthy enough and dense enough to limit the number of dandelion seeds which can successfully germinate. Fertilizing the lawn is one of the most effective ways to aid in dandelion control (before it goes out of control!) since a healthy lawn is usually quite successful in outcompeting most other plant species.

If you have any further questions about dandelions, or other turf related issues, please feel free to talk to your lawn care technician or call the office (849-4124). We�re here to help!

GRUBS!

UrbanLandscaping — 2011-04-30T09:47:10-07:00

Grubs used to be something that was thought of as an issue for the United States or central Canada to have to deal with, but it is quickly becoming an issue for all of us in the greater Saint John area too!

The term "grub" is used to identify any number of ugly worm-like creatures that live in the upper layers of soil just underneath the grass. They are the product of any variety of mating mosquitoes, beetles or moths with the more prevalent ones being from the European Cranefly, European Chafer, or moths of the sod webworm or cutworm. Damage becomes noticeable as areas of the lawn appear to be dry and yellow, but surrounding areas are green. These damaged areas tend to grow in size fairly rapidly and may have crows or skunks digging to get the yummy morsels.

The differentiating factor of these insects versus the chinch bug are that the grubs feeding times tends to be in the Spring or late summer / fall timeframe, whereas the chinch bug becomes active in feeding with the rise in temperature of late June through early September. Also, the damaged lawn from grubs may lift off the soil quite easily whereas the chinch bug damage is not easily lifted.

Control of grubs is not part of our Organicare program, but it can be dealt with once we obtain a government issued permit for each individual case. Once a permit is issued, a wide swath of lawn surrounding the damaged area would be sprayed to try to ensure the control of the feeding population. A larger area of the property would be sprayed than if the issue was chinch bugs because unlike chinch bugs which are surface feeders, grubs are subsurface insects and as such it is very difficult to detect their whereabouts. It would be helpful to have the same type of X-ray vision that the crows and skunks seem to have when it comes to controlling these pesky grubs!

So, as we progress through the Spring feeding time of the newly annointed "grub season" let us know if you see any issues that could be grub related and we'll have one of our trained technicians take a look. Here's hoping your property remains grub free!