Getting the Jump on Crabgrass Early Spring

Early Spring
Natural
E nvironmental
R eclamation
C oncepts, Inc.
“SPRING IS NATURE’S
WAY OF SAYING,
‘LET’S PARTY!’”
– ROBIN WILLIAMS
We think Mr. Williams hit
the nail on the head with
that quote! There’s no
doubt about it: After a dull
and dreary winter, the first
signs of spring will put a
bounce in anyone’s step.
Birds are singing, flowers
are blooming, the sun is
shining, and the air just
feels ripe with possibilities.
We’re always excited about
the potential each new
growing season brings, and
we’re especially pleased
to be working with you to
keep your property looking
its best.
We’re here whenever you
need us, so please don’t
hesitate to call anytime
you have a question or
concern. Your satisfaction
is our first priority, and we
hope you’ll let us know if
there’s anything we can do
to improve your experience
with us.
Working together, we
can make your property
more beautiful and more
valuable…while enhancing
the quality of the
environment we all share.
143 W. Main
P.O. Box 70
Hanover, MI 49241
(888) 303-NERC
(517) 563-2898
Fax: (517) 563-2899
[email protected]
Getting the Jump on Crabgrass
Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure.” That applies to lots of things in life,
including your lawn. An important part of getting a lush,
green lawn in the spring is getting the jump on weeds
before they germinate. This is especially true of crabgrass.
Crabgrass spreads quickly during the warm summer
months. Between midsummer and early fall, each plant
produces thousands of seeds. The first frost kills the plants,
but the seeds remain dormant through the winter. When
the ground temperature warms up, the seeds begin to grow.
An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.
Pre-emergent weed control establishes a chemical barrier that will
not kill established plants, but will prevent weeds from successfully
growing. Because the protective barrier breaks down in six to eight
weeks, use of a pre-emergent requires proper timing to be effective.
SOME THINGS TO
REMEMBER ABOUT THE USE
OF PRE-EMERGENTS:
• Timing is essential. Application times depend on your area’s
weather patterns. A warmer than usual winter means you’ll
probably need to apply the herbicide earlier than usual.
• Crabgrass begins to germinate when the soil temperature has
consistently (at least five consecutive nights) stayed above 52-54
degrees. Warm nights and periods of rainfall encourage crabgrass
germination.
• For newly seeded lawns, your lawn should be mowed three times
before the herbicide is applied to avoid harming the new grass
seedlings.
• Proper application of a pre-emergent is important because
crabgrass can get established in one area and then spread
throughout the lawn.
• Do not de-thatch or aerate the lawn after applying the herbicide.
Doing so may break the chemical barrier of the herbicide.
• Wait two to four months to re-seed the lawn after using a preemergent herbicide.
• Do not use a pre-emergent herbicide if crabgrass is already in the
lawn or if you have just installed sod.
Follow ’ol Ben Franklin’s advice; take care of annual grassy weeds like crabgrass early, and enjoy a
healthier lawn.
DORMANT OILS
The time to protect your trees,
plants and shrubs from damaging
insects is during their dormant
period, using horticultural, or
dormant, oils. Dormant oils are
highly refined oils (not motor
oils!) which spread uniformly on
the bark of trees and shrubs to
which the oil is applied, coating
and smothering non-mobile,
dormant insects. Advantages of
oils include safety, effectiveness
and limited effects on beneficial
insects.
Landscaping with Style
So you want to landscape your yard, but where to begin? Ask any landscape professional
and they’ll tell you, one of the most important decisions to make before starting your new
landscape project is selecting a landscape design style from among the many possible styles.
The goal is to choose a style that best matches the look and feel of your home and still
reflects your unique personality. At the same time, the style you choose should match how
you intend to use the space. In this way, unity between your home and garden is achieved,
increasing the visual appeal and functionality of your property.
Some of the more common landscape styles are mentioned here, but a professional
landscaper can help you create the outdoor environment that’s just right for you.
FORMAL
Formal landscape design depends very much
on straight lines and perfect shapes. The
plantings are organized and pruned neatly to
maintain their formal effect.
TROPICAL STYLE
Typically made up of plants with very large
leaves and flowers with intense color, a
properly designed tropical garden can be
beautiful. Lush foliage and dense planting is
key in this style.
ENGLISH GARDEN STYLE
English garden design often is a blend of
formal and informal styles. The practice of
mass layering confined within low hedge
borders is a very common in this landscape
style.
APPLICATION
It is best to spray before buds
begin to swell, although oils can
be applied past this point with
minimal damage to buds; the
benefits of spraying dormant oil
far outweigh the possible risks.
Do not spray trees which are in
full bloom however. In general,
the closer the application is made
to budbreak, the greater the
effectiveness.
Oils pose few risks to people or to
most desirable species, including
beneficial natural enemies of
insect pests. Oils also are easy
to apply with existing spray
equipment and can be mixed
with many other pesticides to
extend their performance. Some
gardeners prefer homemade oils,
however unlike home remedies,
commercial spray oils have an
emulsifier added to allow the oil
to mix with water.
CONTEMPORARY STYLE
Modern landscape design is becoming
extremely popular. Clean lines, bold patterns
and new use of materials all have a part in
this fresh style. Commonly, planting in large
groups and the use of abstract specimens
characterize the contemporary style.
MORE CONSIDERATIONS FOR
SELECTING A LANDSCAPE STYLE
• Consider the design of your home. Is there a strong popular theme that is commonly used
and associated with the type of home you have?
• Take local natural resources and conditions into account. Is there a need to make water
considerations (xeriscaping) or a need for native plants, or a style of landscape design that
makes use of “hardscape” elements rather than lawn and a lot of plants?
• Future maintenance. Are you the type that likes to spend a lot of time working in the yard
or do you simply enjoy seeing and relaxing in it? Some landscaping styles and themes will
work with almost any type of home, but some require a lot of work while some require very
little at all.
Drainage Important Today and Tomorrow
When talking about landscaping, the word drainage conjures
up a host of unpleasant images, or at least elicits a big yawn.
But the fact is, drainage is an important,
if somewhat mundane, part of good
landscaping.
Where land is flat, soils are dense or the
water table is high, a well-designed drainage
system is a priority. Without proper
drainage, water may collect to undermine
foundation structures and drown expensive
plants, turning parts of your new landscape
into perpetually wet, unusable swamps. In
addition, poor drainage can promote an
increase in mosquitos and accompanying
health risks.
Ground water, which is directly related
to rainfall patterns, can also play an important role in drainage.
In the low-lying areas, the water table can be just inches below
the surface. Such conditions create all sorts of problems for
construction and limit planting options.
Rainfall is the catalyst that sets drainage problems in motion.
Heavy downpours can cause poorly drained sites to become
flooded for a short time if drainage structures
are in place, or for extended periods if they are
not. Add heavy rainfall to a high water table and
the potential for damage increases greatly.
For the landscape architect, the risk of potential
damage to structures caused by poor drainage
can be the most important issue. Backyard
drainage may also be overlooked entirely
by a designer poorly trained in grading and
drainage. However, a well-trained designer can
analyze the nature of your yard, and may “shoot
the grades” to establish the exact topography
even on a site that appears flat. Spotting
problem areas is the first step in solving them
through design.
Proper drainage allows you to get the most out of your lawn and
landscape today, and can help you avoid problems that might arise
in the future. Now that you know how important proper drainage
is, try to suppress that yawn.
Year-Round Maintenance Means Peace of Mind
You work hard and arrive home a little late. No time for dinner
however, because you need to take your child to soccer practice.
It will be dark by the time you get home, so doing that little
landscape job in the yard will have to wait for another day. Sound
familiar? Maybe it’s time to think about a full service landscape
maintenance program.
For many reasons landscape maintenance just makes sense. Not
only will it save you time; regular landscape maintenance provides
a holistic approach that ensures your property receives the care
it needs when it needs it. Not piecemeal, not haphazard, but a
balance that will result in stronger plants, trees and shrubs year
after year.
OTHER BENEFITS INCLUDE:
• Caring For Your Initial Investment
After making the initial investment in the landscaping of your
home (or business), it’s important to provide proper care to
ensure your investment keeps its value long-term.
• Less Sweat for You
No more back-breaking labor with questionable results.
Need we say more?
• Communication
In general hiring a landscape maintenance company makes for
good communication because all services are under one roof, so
any specific needs and requests can be addressed quickly
and accurately.
• Budgeting
One of the practical benefits of a full-service landscape
maintenance package is that you can budget landscaping costs.
No surprises means peace of mind for you year-round.
Better for you, better for your landscape – that’s the bottom line,
and the two best reasons to go with a landscape maintenance
package.
The Best of Both Worlds
Everyone knows an heirloom is something passed down from your grandmother, and a hybrid is
something your energy-conscious neighbor drives. But heirloom and hybrid also refer to varieties of
vegetables, tomatoes for instance, with qualities that make them uniquely desirable.
The term heirloom vegetable is used to describe any type of vegetable seed that has been saved and
grown for a period of years, usually in a particular region, and is passed down by the gardener that preserved
it. Like your grandmother’s jewelry, it has a history of sorts.
Hybrid vegetables are the product of cross-breeding. Plant breeders
cross breed compatible types of plants in an effort to create a plant
with the best features of both parents. Many of our modern plants
are the results of these crosses.
Tomatoes are the classic example of heirloom vs. hybrid. Heirlooms
often have superior flavor, color or texture for home garden situations,
but lack the hybrid’s disease resistance or early maturity that make
them commercially viable.
N.E.R.C., Inc.
143 W. Main St.
P.O. Box 70
Hanover, MI 49241
Annuals and Perennials: What’s in a Name?
If you’ve spent any time at all at a garden center, you’ve heard about annual plants and
perennial plants. But what makes annual plants “annual” and perennial plants “perennial?”
It’s all in the life cycle.
As the name implies, an annual is a plant that lives for just one season. Whether you
plant from seed or purchase seedlings to plant, an annual will sprout, flower, seed,
and then die all in the same year. Popular annuals include zinnias, marigolds and
impatiens.
By contrast, perennials live for three or more growing seasons, are generally
more drought-resistant than annuals, and can be planted from bulb or seed.
Roses, peonies, mums, and daylilies are common perennials.
You may have a spot in your flower bed where a perennial displays wonderful color
in spring. Once the spring flowers fade however, something may be needed to fill in the
gap with color. That’s the job of an annual. By combining the benefits of each
– the dependability of perennials with the season-long color of annuals – you
can create a garden that’s a showcase from spring through the fall.
© 2015 Focal Point Communications B1-15