Irrigation Winterization

For commercial properties and homeowner associations, winterizing your irrigation system is often neglected until it’s too late. Remembering to properly winterize your irrigation system is one thing that should

not be forgotten. Don’t delay. Landscape Associates can help you winterize your turf and irrigation systems now so that they will remain in tip top shape during their long winter hibernation. Routine maintenance, including winterization, is the best way to keep a system functioning properly. Routine maintenance pays for itself in the long run by avoiding unnecessary and costly repairs to the system. Commercial and neighborhood systems are often large systems with many factors to consider when winterizing.

Commercial irrigation systems are wonderful features for the properties and residents. They are great tools when working properly and can cause many headaches when not properly maintained. Each different season in our region demands different care and regular check ups are a must for these type of systems.

Landscape Associates can take the worry out of maintenance and winterization and ensure your system will be functional come spring. We have programs specifically designed for our commercial clients and neighborhood associations. Call us today to schedule our maintenance services.
 

Can Your Residents Benefit from a Dog Park?

Have you considered adding a dog park to your facility? Dog parks are a very popular way to add benefits to your residents at a relatively low cost.  The benefit of building a dog park is that it will set your property off to those potential new members of your community. According to The Humane Society of the US, 39% of the households in the US own at least one dog. Pet happiness can certainly play a part in the decision of its owner on where to reside.

Building a dog park in your property is a way for your community – both humans and animals to connect. Residents in your neighborhood or community need a place to bring their dogs to socialize with each other. This provides not only canines, but humans as well, with a safe, neutral, environment in which they can interact with each other. Owning your own dog park will also give you status as a contributor to the neighborhood.

A dog park may contribute to your bottom line as well. You don’t have to charge much for entrance to your dog park. Indeed, your entrance fee can be a “voluntary contribution” for your dog park’s upkeep and maintenance costs. The decision to open the park to the public or keep it as a resident benefit will be one factor to consider in whether or not to build a dog park.
 
The benefits of building a dog park in your property are purely social.  Dog parks provide a much needed service for the community, and successful owners of dog parks are looked upon with a certain respect. Neighborhood clout is intangible, but it can pay off in the long run.

Landscape Associates can help you locate and plan your dog park in your community. The amount of space needed will vary with the size of the complex, but we can help you with the area selection. Our experienced associates will walk the area with you and set up a plan for the park. Call us today to schedule an appointment and evaluation of your property.

Landscape Quick Tip:

We are fortunate to live in an area where winter color can be enjoyed year round.  Pansies are a bright, festive source of color. They are a hardy, renewable, plant, which produces bright, cheery, flowers. Best of all, pansies require very little in the way of “green thumb wizardry” to keep them going. Simply observe all of the standard gardening do’s and don’ts, and you will have an excellent flower bed of pansies all winter long.

Adding color to the common areas are a wonderful way to brighten your properties for your residents. If you’d like to add in a bit of strategic variety and contrast, why not ask us to plant some kale for you? Finally, we can consider planting some snapdragons to round off your burst of seasonal color. With all of these three ingredients, your winter garden will be guaranteed to be full of variety, contrast and a sure mention from your residents.

Of course, with the upcoming holiday season and “end of the year” time is precious. We work with property managment companies and homeowner associations to beautify your grounds for the season. Call Landscape Associates and we will be happy to do this for you.

Winterizing Trees: Dormant Season Preparations

Have you winterized your trees yet? Fall is a time of serious change and reorganization within a tree.

Trees sense the changing seasons by the temperature, by a dormancy timer in the leaves, and by the amount of light they receive. The old leaves, buds, and inner bark all have a pigment that reads the seasons of the year. As the days shorten in fall, this pigment called phytochrome, tells the tree to close-down for the winter.

Getting ready for winter in an organized way is called senescence. Within a tree, a message is sent from the tissues with phytochrome which signals senescence. Senescence in trees is an ordered shutting-down of summer growth and the conservation of valuable resources. Senescence brings both the fall colors and leads to renewed spring growth.

Many of the materials a tree collected or manufactured during the growth season are withdrawn from soon-to-be dead leaves. Tree waste materials are left behind. The last bit of tree food is stockpiled in the living cells of the outer annual growth rings. Twigs, branches, and roots become the collection sites and warehouses of materials needed for another season to come.

Within the tree, biological doors and windows are being closed and locked. From the moment last Spring’s green leaved expanded and began to make food, winter dormancy has been designed into the tree system. The process of spring and summer growth reset and started a dormancy timer that now hurries the tree preparations.

Most of the growing points in the tree are protected inside overcoats called buds. Each growing point waits for the correct message to signal a new season of growth. Only then will it be apparent whether the tree has put aside and saved enough resources to respond to the new season of growth.

Winter is a difficult time for trees. Trees must stand in the face of drying and cold winds. Food reserves must be carefully conserved for the coming needs of Spring. Water continues to be lost from the tree. Any creature needing a meal chews and nibbles on the resting buds and twigs. Trees stand alone against all circumstances that the winter season can generate.

What can you do to help your valuable trees? Little things can make your trees more effective and efficient at surviving a long winter. A few small investments now can pay-off in a large way, yielding a healthy and structurally sound tree.

A list of “Helpful Hints” – things you can do to winterize your trees:

1. Remove or correct structural faults and deadwood that are clearly visible. Try to make small pruning cuts that minimize the exposure of the central heartwood core on branches.

2. Properly prune branches that will touch the ground when loaded with rain and snow. Foliage and branches that are in contact with soil can invite undesirable pests and problems.

3. Remove damaged and declining twigs, branches, and bark. Do not leave pests food and shelter for the winter.

4. Remove any new sprouts that have grown at the tree base, or along stems and branches. Pruning should conserve as many living branches as possible with only a few selective cuts.

5. Spread a thin layer of composted organic mulch to blanket the soil. Cover an area at least as large as the branch spread. Mulch is nature’s of recycling valuable materials, but be careful of pests hitching a ride.

6. Properly wrap new trees that have not developed a corky bark and could be easily damaged. Mechanical injury from the environment, including chewing and rubbing by animals, must be prevented.

7. Fertilize with all the essential elements, if they are in short supply within the soil. Be sure to go lightly with nitrogen, especially under large, mature trees and around newly planted trees. It is critical to use slow release nitrogen sources for fall fertilization.

8. Watering may be needed where soils are cool but not frozen, and there has been little precipitation. Winter droughts need treatment with water the same as summer droughts, except it is much easier to over-water in winter.

9. Trees are investments that require a small amount of care. For the sake of your tree’s quality of life and your own, take a few minutes to winterize your tree. Wonderful springs come from well-tended winters.

Landscape Associates can help make sure your tress are well prepared for the upcoming winter. Call us today to schedule an appointment. Ask about winterizing your trees and other fall landscaping options. 888-319-8503

Southern lawns are under attack. Fall armyworms are chewing their way through turf, leaving destruction in their wake.

           Fall Armyworm

Fall armyworms are the larval or caterpillar stage of a nondescript, small gray moth which overwinters in Florida and the tropics. Each year, storms bring the adult moths north. The females lay masses of up to 700 eggs on just about everything. The eggs are cream-colored at first, but turn darker as the tiny caterpillars get ready to hatch.

The first battalion of females lays eggs in the south of the state. Succeeding generations march up the state, traveling on weather fronts and storms. Fall armyworms can’t overwinter in the northern areas of the state. They may survive a mild winter in Florida and extreme south Georgia or Alabama. The caterpillars hatch from eggs in two to four days, depending on the temperature. Eggs develop to fully grown larvae in two to four weeks. The larvae burrow into the soil and form pupae. Moths emerge in about 14 days.

The first sign that enemy armyworms are near might be large clusters of birds on your lawn. Look closer at the grass, and you may see several caterpillars munching on the turf blades. Although birds eat armyworm caterpillars, they are no match for hundreds of them on one lawn. When hundreds or thousands of armyworms are present, however, homeowners may opt to kill worms with an insecticide .

Young armyworms are one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch long. Mature ones are one and a half inches long. They are dark, with several light stripes down the length of the body. The head or “face” has an inverted Y on it. If you suspect your turf is being infiltrated but can’t find the caterpillars on the grass, use a soap flush to bring them to the surface.

Armyworms rarely kill grass, but some lawns may be severely weakened. Feeding damage, coupled with damage from the recent drought, may justify applying insecticides. In turf or pastures, finding five caterpillars per square foot is a signal to start treating for fall armyworms. Carbaryl (Sevin), pyrethroids and other recommended insecticides are effective caterpillar killers.

Products containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) are effective only on little (a half-inch or smaller) worms. Irrigate before treating, to move the caterpillars out of the thatch. Treat in late afternoon, when the caterpillars are likely to begin feeding. If possible, mow before you treat, and then don’t mow for three days after the treatment.

Source(s):  Will Hudson, Extension Entomologist, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

For information on identifying armyworms and other pests or fungi, contact Landscape Associates – 1(888)319-8503. Let us rid your lawn of Armyworms and other pests.

Recipe: Caramel Apple Dessert

60  Vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2 cups)

1/3 cup  butter or margarine, melted

1  pkg. (8 oz.)

Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3-1/4  cups  milk, divided

1  tub (8 oz.)  COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

2 pkgs. Instant Vanilla Pudding

1/2 cup  caramel ice cream topping, divided

1 each red and green apple, chopped

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

Knock Out© Roses

Once upon a time rose gardening was considered by many to be a venture for the devoted hobbyist. Frequent spray schedules and knowledge of pruning were very important for success. Not any longer. Everyone can enjoy beautiful roses with the development of the Knock Out© rose series.

“Easy to grow long-blooming, winter hardy and heat tolerant, and perfect for any landscape, the Knock Out© family of roses has changed the way many people think about this popular type of flower. Knock Outs© don’t require special care, they’re self-cleaning, have stunning flower power, and are the most disease resistant roses on the market. Knock Outs© also thrive in almost every part of the country, so even more people can enjoy the beauty of roses right in their own gardens!”(Conard/Pyle.com)

Just a few tips on care will insure beautiful blooms for months at a time.

Prune the shrub rose to an 18″-24″ height in February to contain the size of the plant and insure new strong growth as it emerges in spring. Knock Out© roses can easily reach 4’x 4′ in just two growing seasons. Fertilization is needed for all shrubs so your roses can be fertilized along with your normal spring application. Step back and watch as your rose produces many clusters of blooms for the next two months. If you like you can deadhead the faded blooms during the summer for a neater appearance but is not necessary for the repeat bloomer. End of summer comes and repeat pruning to control size of the rose going into the fall bloom season. Knock Out© roses will continue with a beautiful fall show of several months until first heavy frost. The disease resistance breeding in the Knock Out© rose has taken most of the difficulty out of using these as a beautiful addition to our palette of plant choices in the south.

The varieties of Knock Out© roses have increased to cover many colors and bloom types. There are red, pink, white, yellow, blush and rainbow selections to choose from. They are available in single or double blooms in some cultivars. Knock Out© roses can be planted alone as a highlight or in mass to create large splashes of color. Easy maintenance, lots of blooms, who can ask for more.

Lawn restoration, maintenance and floriculture are what we do best. Knock Out© roses are a great way to begin beautifying your residential or commercial lawn. Allow us to continue serving you this season. Add shape, color and beauty to your lawn with Knock Out© roses.

One important aim of our newsletter is to bring an awareness of common problems that can affect your landscape and the solutions available to combat these problems.

Grub control

This can be a serious lawn problem especially in the south where grubs can devastate large areas of turf in just two or three insect cycles. Our warm moist soils are a perfect breeding ground for grubs and the subsequent beetles emerging in the spring. The grubs damage your lawn by feeding on the roots. They feed all summer to store fat for their winter dormancy and emerge as beetles (i.e. Japanese Beetles, etc.) in the spring to feed on your shrubs. Large brown patches of wilted or dying grass along with other clues such as birds pecking the lawn or raccoon and armadillo damage can signal an infestation.

Being a cyclical event (remember High School Biology, larvae, pupae, grub, etc.) the control of these pests are best managed at certain times of the year. The damage inflicted on your lawn can mimic other problems such as fungus and drought. Identification is easy and important to treat these stressed areas. Lifting the sod in the affected area can expose the grubs. If you had Japanese Beetles in the spring you will probably have the next insect stage present in your soil. Grubs are common in the soil, but if there are more than three to five grubs per square foot area then treatment is needed for an infestation.

Timing is key and now is the time to interrupt the cycle. Grubs at this time of the year are young and easier to eradicate. If the grubs are able to continue to feed and multiply into the fall months your lawn will enter the winter in a damaged and weakened condition. Preventative measures and good cultural practices can insure your lawn is lovely, green and luscious space for you and your family or business.

Recipe: Mexican Chicken

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon Taco Seasoning
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, chopped

Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with taco seasoning; grill or saute. Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a greased 8×8″ baking dish; season with salt to taste. Add the enchilada sauce and toss to coat the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken and bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Scatter the green onions over the top.

Makes 4 servings. Can be frozen.

Per Serving: 266 Calories; 12g Fat; 33g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Landscaping Quick Tips:

Fall is the absolute best time to improve your Fescue lawn through aeration and seeding. Aeration creates seed pockets for our seed as well as loosening the soil. This helps keep the seed in place during rain and windy conditions.

Fall is also a good time to select and plant trees and shrubs. Fall planting encourages good root development, allowing the plants to get established before spring. If weather is dry, provide water up until the ground freezes. Stop fertilizing your trees and flowering shrubs to allow this years growth to harden off before winter.

Water Consumption

Managing water consumption can radically reduce the amount of water needed to grow and maintain a lawn and allow it to survive under drought conditions.

When watering the lawn, it is best to mimic nature and irrigate deeply and infrequently to simulate natural rainfall. Water should be applied deep and infrequently to simulate natural weather patterns. Long intervals between watering encourage the grass to develop deep, strong root systems which results in increased drought tolerance. Shallow and frequent waterings lead to shallow-rooted grass and a weaker overall plant. One or two deep waterings per week are better than watering a little every day.

The ideal time to water the grass is in the hours between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. If this can’t be done, water as early as possible before the heat of the day. Watering in the evening is acceptable as a last resort, but this can lead to conditions which promote disease. Watering in the middle of the day will cool the turf, but most of the water will be lost to evaporation.

It is a good idea to have older irrigation systems audited by a professional irrigation company. They will ensure devices like back flow prevention valves are in place and check for leaks, drips and other inefficiencies.