Now is the Time for Overseeding

There are many different factors that can cause damage to your lawn. July was the one of the hottest months in history. That combined with a lack of rain, put many lawns under drought and heat stress.

Other factors such as insects, grubs, and disease have also caused some lawns further stress. If your lawn has not started to recover with the recent favorable weather temperatures and rain you may want to consider overseeding. The end of August through September is the best time for seeding. There are many key factors to consider when seeding such as timing, proper seed selection, watering, fertilization, liming, and many more. 

Whether you choose to do this yourself or need guidance or assistance, your window of time is closing to get that seed down and your lawn thick and green again. As always, feel free to call or email with any lawn care concerns! If you have any questions, we will be happy to assist you!

The Importance of Aeration

It’s amazing what a little fresh air can do!  Autumn is approaching with a new start for a healthy, lavish lawn.  Now is the best time to prepare your lawn for next spring’s growth. 

This is why it’s critical to stress the significance of aeration. Why is it important and how can it help your lawn? For grass to grow in the best conditions it needs to breathe. Oxygen needs to be able to reach the root system. More importantly, moisture and nutrients need to reach these roots through the soil. 

By aerating your lawn, it is allowing air and water to enter the soil to feed the root system and encourage growth. Aerating breaks up the soil and allows the roots to create a stronger and deeper root network. The deeper the network, the easier it is for the grass to absorb water, which is crucial during those hot summer days. 

When your lawn goes long periods without aeration or deep dethatching the thatch layer builds up. Once this layer becomes too thick it limits both water and nutrients from reaching the root zone. It also creates the perfect environment for both insects and disease to find a place to camp out. Once the thatch layer becomes too thick and problems are evident on the surface it can be too late. Aeration along with proper mowing and fertilization can help prevent this from happening.

The aerating process is completed with special equipment that punctures the soil with hollow tines, removing small plugs of soil from the ground. This creates the designed ability for air and water to reach further down the soil and feed the roots and make way for growth.

Fall is the best time to aerate your lawn, so help your grass be healthy for next year’s season!

 

8 Tips for Garden Maintenance

1. Weed Patrol: As you stroll around your garden take the time to pick a few weeds here and there. At this time lookout for problem areas that you can focus on when you have more time. This will cut down on the time you spend weeding in the future as well.

2. Flower Maintenance: Make sure to remove faded, spent blooms and cut down faded foliage of plants that die off in the heat. Also remove any diseased foliage from the garden and dispose of it.

3. Water Wisely: Since most gardens have many types of plants, you should first start by figuring out what each of the plants need for water. Water slowly and deeply in spring months to expand root systems and are able to reach more water.  When the hot days do occur, make sure to be watering based on plant needs. This may mean daily, especially for annuals or anything newly planted.

4. Pest & Disease Patrol: Keep an eye out for signs of disease and insect damage. Being able to spot these problems early can make a huge difference in being able to control pests and diseases before they have a chance to cause major destruction.

5. Pest & Disease Control: If you find that you do have a pest or disease problem, it is important to correctly identify the cause so you can choose the right course of action.

6. Soil Sample: Remember to have your soil tested every few years. This will give you an idea on nutrient needs and soil pH. Different plants will have different needs.

7. Plan Ahead: Be ready and know what bulbs you want to plant. This is also a good time to add any perennials as well.

8. Enjoy: Use these simple tips to help enjoy your garden more!

Summer Annual Bulbs

Are you looking to add some new colors and textures to your gardens this year? Check out some of our favorite annuals that can help you achieve your goal.

Dahlia: Nothing beats a dahlia for summer color. Growing these various colored, spiky flowers can be like having a box of garden crayons at your fingertips. These flowers bloom in mid to late summer and with several different colors. Pinch off the first budding of side flower to encourage larger flowers in peak season. These flowers will bloom until the fall and only stops at first frost, at this time you can dig them up and store them inside for the following year.

Elephant Ears: These big, dramatic, tropical-looking plants are grown for their bold foliage. Many have large triangular leaves that are leathery and uniquely textured. Elephant Ears enjoy the soft, watery soil around water gardens and also like to be grown indoors as house plants. The clumping foliage adds lush effects in the landscape and is especially effective in large containers. The plants sprout from large bulbous roots and achieve maximum growth in warm, humid, summer temperature.

Canna: These beautiful flowers bring tropical splendor to gardens in all regions.  They feature clustered, flag-like blooms in a brilliant array of colors on tall stems.  The Canna foliage is now even showier than the petals with varied leaf combinations of orange, yellow and greens that glow in the summer sun. These flowers can be taken inside during the fall and stored for the following year as well!

Allium:  These could be one of the most carefree bulbs you can grow! Alliums bloom in a wide range of colors, including shades of yellow, white, pink and purple. They bloom in different seasons and different sizes (from 1in wide flowers to flowers the size of volleyballs). They offer an unusual structure and great textural contrast to any garden. Make sure to plant alliums in well-drained soil in full sun during the summer or fall months.

Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to know more about a certain topic by commenting below. Enjoy!

Mushrooms in Your Lawn? Find Out Why!

After all the rain we have seen lately it is no surprise that mushrooms are popping up in yards. The most common reason why there are mushrooms in your yard is simply because we have had prolonged wet weather lately. There may also be a few more reasons why they have popped up in your yard as well. Mushrooms tend to develop from thatch, buried logs, dead roots, stumps or even construction debris. Now the question is, how do you get rid of them?

To begin, there is really no reason to get rid of these mushrooms, other than the fact that they don’t look very appealing. They are completely harmless to grasses, so unless they are bothering you, don’t worry about getting rid of them. Surprisingly, these mushrooms that people dislike so much are unique in their ability to recycle organic matter, thereby releasing nutrients that are then available for plant growth.

If they are bothering you enough to get rid of them, the best way is to simply control hydration if at all possible, keep irrigation turned off if this is the problem. The other action you can take is to remove them as you see them throughout the year. Continual removal will keep the appearance of your yard up to par, but the source of the lawn mushrooms will still be present, which means they will return. 

Once conditions dry up the mushrooms will begin to go away on their own with regular mowing.

If you have any questions or ideas for new posts please feel free to contact us by commenting on this blog, emailing us at info@snowandsons.com or writing on our Facebook wall!

Top 10 Benefits of a Healthy Lawn

1. A 50-foot by 50-foot lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.
2. Eight healthy front lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning, which is enough for 16 average homes.
3. Dense, healthy grass slows water runoff, removing contaminants and trapping soil. Fresh, filtered water returns to the underground water supply.
4. A healthy lawn prevents erosion by water and/or wind and the loss of valuable top soil.
5. A lawn acts like a sponge and absorbs all types of airborne pollutants such as dust and carbon dioxide, as well as noise.
6. A healthy lawn makes for a more comfortable and safer place for children and adults both to play and enjoy.
7. Well maintained lawns and landscapes can add up to 15% to a property's value.
8. The investment recovery rate for a landscaping improvement is 100%-200% and for a deck or patio is 40%-70%.
9. In this tough housing market, a healthy lawn can make a home more marketable which can make or break a sale.
10. Finally, it creates a relaxing space of natural beauty that can be appreciated in different ways throughout the year.

Lawn Mowing- 5 Tips for Healthier Grass

    1.      When mowing avoid removal of more than 1/3 of the grass blade. Letting the lawn get long and then removing large portions of the leaf blades will add stress to the lawn and will decrease the rooting of the plant.

    2.      Make sure that you are always mowing with sharp blades. Mowing with dull blades will tear at the leaf blades instead of making a clean cut. This adds stress to the lawn and offers a path for diseases to enter the leaf blades. The need to sharpen your blades will depend on how often and for how long the mower is used. We sharpen our blades daily!

     3.      Whenever possible, mulching is beneficial for the grass instead of bagging it. By mulching, you are putting nutrients that are in the leaf blades back in to the soil.

     4.      Make sure that you mow at the correct height. The optimum height for most cool season grasses is 2.5-3.5 inches. During hot summer months it is advised to move the mowing heights up to help with drought and heat stress.

     5.      Alternate patterns when you can. On big open lawns you should alternate the pattern that you mow weekly. This will help with the overall cut and appearance of the lawn.