Spring / Summer Seasonal Tips

"The Leaves Aren't Quite Green, But We Are Celebrating Spring!"

 Spring Seasonal Tips:

  

Plants are a great source of oxygen. Place several plants throughout your house to help keep the air fresh and clean

  

 Capture the moisture: 

Topdress your planting beds with shredded hardwood mulch. It not only retains the moisture in the ground, it also acts as a weed barrier and gives your planting beds a fresh look for spring.

  

 Spring seeding: 

If you are planning on overseeding in the spring, remember to skip the pre-emergent crabgrass control on your turf. This herbicide will not only keep the crabgrass in check, it will also keep the desirable grasses from germinating.

 April is National Lawn Care Month:

 If is the official "kickoff" of a season where more than 100 million people will collectively spend over a billion hours tending to our nation's lawn -- about 25 million acres. Lawn and turf areas not only provide soothing surroundings, they also provide environmental benefits. A healthy turf area 50'x50' releases enough oxygen to meet the demands of a family of four. It also absorbs smog-produced ozone and sulfur dioxide. In addition to benefiting the environment, studies show that a well maintained lawn and landscape can add as much as 15% to the value of your property.

 Annual Flowers: 

Plants that bloom from May to October and have a "one season" life cycle are called annuals. They are easy to maintain and they grow quickly when they are properly planted and cared for. By selecting the right annuals, you can make any landscape look like a garden paradise. Don't rush the season by planting too soon. A late frost will kill the new seedlings

   

 Watering Turf:

What is the best time of day to water turf? 

If you have a new lawn and it looks wilted, water it right away regardless of the time of day. Under normal conditions, the best time to water is early morning as the sun is coming up. This allows the grass to dry quickly and will discourage certain insects and diseases. The key is to get the water to penetrate the root system. The amount of water per watering should be the equivalent of a one inch rainfall.

 Snow Mold: 

This past winter brought extended periods of snow cover on turf. This may present areas of turf that will be affected by snow mold. You may notice brown patches of turf that will be affected by snow mold. You may also notice brown patches of turf that may have a pink hue to them. These patches are irregular in shape and may blend together to form larger patches. Fortunately, snow mold only affects the leaf of the grass plant and as the turf begins to grow new leaf tissue will replace the damaged tissue. Hand rake the patches to stimulate the crown of the plant.

 Summer Seasonal Tips:

 

 Watering and Plant Stress:

  

Monitor your landscape closely and make adjustments to watering times as needed. Shaded or protected areas may need less water than other zones, and you may even be able to water less frequently than seven days a week. Given the current drought conditions, we are recommending deep root watering of your trees and shrubs that may be showing signs of stress. Set your hose on a slow trickle at several locations under the canopy of the tree.

Schedule all cycles in early morning, so watering is complete by sunrise during the summer months. This avoids water lost to daytime evaporation and afternoon and evening winds. Evening watering cycles are not necessary for lawn health.

Water roses at the base of plants and avoid getting water on leaves to help prevent black spots. 

Use a handheld hose to water brown spots.

Don’t water on windy or rainy days.

Wilting leaves, brown leaf edges, yellowing leaves, and lack of flowers are all signs of plant stress. To reduce the severity, try to do your planting during the spring or fall. Full-sun plants will show less signs of stress if several days of overcast skies follow their installation. Proper watering and soil conditions also make a difference.

For newly planted seed on your lawn, you should water just enough to keep the area moist, but not saturated for about two or three weeks, which is usually how long it takes for the seeds to germinate and get established.

Irrigation Tips:

 The Irrigation Association® offers these water-saving tips to maintain and update automatic irrigation systems:

  

1) Adapt your watering schedule to the weather and the season. Familiarize yourself with the settings on your irrigation controller. Adjust the watering schedule regularly to conform with current weather conditions.

  

2) Schedule each individual zone in your irrigation system. “Scheduling” accounts for the type of sprinkler, sun or shade exposure and the soil type for the specific area. The same watering schedule should almost never apply to all zones in the system.

  

3) Inspect your system monthly. Check for leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems, or engage an irrigation professional to regularly check your system. Clean micro-irrigation filters as needed.

  

4) Adjust sprinkler heads. Correct obstructions that prevent sprinklers from distributing water evenly. Keep water off pavement and structures.

  

5) Get a professional system audit. Hire a professional to conduct an irrigation audit and uniformity test to make sure areas are being watered evenly. This can be especially helpful if you have areas being under-watered or brown spots. The Irrigation Association maintains an online list of IA Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditors.

  

6) Consider “smart” technology. Climate- or soil moisture sensor-based controllers evaluate weather or soil moisture conditions and then calculate and automatically adjust the irrigation schedule to meet the specific needs of your landscape.

  

7) Install a rain shutoff switch…inexpensive and effective. Required by law in many states, these money-saving sensors turn off your system in rainy weather and help to compensate for natural rainfall. The device can be retrofitted to almost any system.

 8) Consider low volume drip irrigation for plant beds. Install micro irrigation for gardens, trees and shrubs. Micro irrigation includes drip (also known as trickle), micro spray jets, micro-sprinklers, or bubbler irrigation to irrigate slowly and minimize evaporation, runoff and overspray.

  9) Water at the optimum time. Water when the sun is low or down, winds are calm and temperatures are cool - between the evening and early morning to reduce evaporation. You can lose as much as 30% of water to evaporation by watering mid-day.

  

10) Water only when needed. Saturate root zones and let the soil dry. Watering too much and too frequently results in shallow roots, weed growth, disease and fungus.

 Irrigation Association® • www.irrigation.org