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May 2009
Turf
Round 2 pre-emergence and weed control are nearly complete, and by now you should have a weed free, green lawn. What is white, slimy, & eats grass? If you've lived in Kansas for any period of time, you know the answer to this, GRUBS! These pests can be very destructive to midwest lawns if not treated properly. Luckily for you, we will begin applying our round 3 & 4 turf applications starting around May 15th. This application is more of a preventative treatment as grubs do not start feeding on lawns until late June-early July. Grubs are a C-shaped, white - off white colored larvae (worm) that feeds on the roots of grass plants. Grubs are most easily detected by pulling up the layer of grass. If the area rolls up similar to a rug & reveals grubs, you have a problem. A population of 3 or more grubs per sq. inch warrants curative treatment. If you see this problem in your lawn, consult your applicator or the office immediately.
Fungus is also an early-mid summer problem in lawns, these include: Brown patch, dollar spot, & summer patch. These diseases are favored by warm, moist, humid climates that this area is known for during the summer months. Fungi that cause these diseases live indefinately in the thatch & soil layer. Favorable climates cause these fungi to grow & infect the plants leaves. These diseases are most easily recognized by brown, blighted areas of turf. Upon closer inspection, lesions can be seen on individual blades where the fungus has burned the leaf.
If you notice any of these problems, please contact your applicator or the office immediately.
Design & Build
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! It's not too late too liven up Mom's garden with a little color this spring. Wouldn't Mom love to have that outdoor project done she's been wishing for, but doesn't have the time? We have a beautiful stock of flowering trees & shrubs to liven up your landscape. If you have a bigger project in mind, we also specialize in outdoor kitchens, paver stone patios, & retaining walls.
Drainage solutions are a big part of our business this time of year. During the heavy rains of spring, we start finding water in places we've never had it before. Hopefully, you don't realize it when you find 6" in your basement. Let us know if you are having any drainage issues, we can fix it!
Aspen lights up the night with our low voltage outdoor lighting options. Lighting up your most important investment is not only safe & practical; it also creates an ambience & inviting appeal to your home.
Last call for MULCH! With spring shrub trimming getting ready to begin, we will start shifting our mulch crews into shrub trimming. You've got about 2-3 weeks left to get on our mulch schedule before we quit bringing in mulch for the year. Spring shrub trimming will begin around the middle of May. With the slow start to spring this year, plants haven't fully pushed their spring flush. We're watching closely to make sure we begin trimming when the time is right. Please continue to watch the blog to find out when we will begin trimming. Call today to reserve your spot, it fills up very quickly with summer fast approaching.
Landscape Maintenance
Having problems getting stuff to grow in your garden because it is getting eaten before even standing a chance? Tired of seeing fencing surround all your plants? There are other options in keeping them away. Homeowners can spray deer repellant to deter them from munching on the leaves however the scent will need to be re-applied after every rain. Or you can always get a dog to scare them away! Probably the best bet is to plant material that they won't even be interested in eating. Deer tend to leave thorny, hairy and strongly scented plants alone within the garden. Below are some options for your landscaping-
Sun Perennials
Asters, Coneflower, Creeping Phlox, Garden herbs- thyme, rosemary, sage, Lamb's Ear, Pentstemon
Shade Perennials
Astilbe, Columbine, Bleeding Heart, Ferns, Lily-of-the-Valley
Shrubs & Trees
Barberry, Boxwood, Butterfly Bush, Cotoneaster, Japanese Maple, Lilac, Magnolia, Spirea, Sumac, Viburnum, Yucca
Mowing
The grass is greener on Aspen's side & TALL! I'm sure you've already noticed that your lawn is finally starting to grow over the last couple of weeks. The only problem is...How do you mow when it's raining? We're trying our best to stay on schedule with our weekly mowings, while still striving to provide the best possible quality. Please be patient as we get through this rainy pattern.
Mowing height should stay fairly high this month due to the amount of top growth your lawn is experiencing. Recommended mowing heights range from 3.25-3.5" during the month of May. Mowing high during spring flushes of growth encourages faster recovery time from the stress of cutting extra amounts of tissue off. This also reduces the amount of thatch buildup being deposited back into the soil layer. Thatch can have a negative effect on grass during wet periods because it will smother healthy plants & possibly kill them. If you mow your own lawn, it is recommended to mow twice weekly to keep the grass height down to a manageable & healthy level. Changing directions when you mow during wet periods will prevent the grass from laying over in the same direction & causing damage to the plant. If you would like to try out our "custom mowing" for yourself, please notify the office.
Arborist's Corner
...and the disease of the month is: Pine diseases! May is the most important time to protect your Pines from destructive blight diseases. Two to three preventative sprays timed 10-21 days apart are an effective control to blight diseases of Pines. It is also very important to clean up needles before winter to make sure fungi don't overwinter in the debris. If you've had problems with your Pines in the past; please call immediately to have a disease analysis done. Be aware that there is a limited time window that treatment can be effective. These diseases can be very destructive & even fatal if not treated properly. Check out our previous blogs for information on pine diseases. Round 3- tree & shrub applications will begin around the 15th of May. This application will continue to target problem insects on ornamentals. Our main focus during this round will be targeted at Spider mite control. The "white paper test" is an easy method to test for spider mites. Simply hold the paper under the foliage of the plant & give the plant a shake. If you notice small red insects, you should have it treated immediately. If only a few insects are present, try spraying the bush thourghly with a sharp spray of water, this will usually knock the mites off the plant. Please call the office if you notice any of these symptoms or start seeing leaf damage. **Hint: Spider mites usually affect Burning bush & Dwf. Alberta spruces.
Iron Chlorosis is a major problem for our Pin Oaks in the midwest. Chlorosis is caused from trees deficient or lacking in iron which is an intregal part of the tree's health system. Midwest soils typically have adequate amounts of mineral iron. However, as soil pH rises above 7.0, the mineral iron changes to an insoluble form that many plants have difficulty taking up. Therefore, we have to give the tree synthetic iron supplements to give it the nutrients it needs to maintain vigor. Symptoms of Iron Chlorosis are easily identified by leaves that turn a yellowish color while the leaf veins remain a dark green. Iron is needed for the production of chlorophyll. Therefore, a lack of iron results in a loss of green color in the leaves. In severe cases, leaf color may change from yellow to white to brown. If left untreated twigs and eventually branches may die causing eventual death of the tree.
Symptoms may appear over the entire tree, on one side only, or be limited to individual branches.
Did you know?
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Did you know? you can enroll in our automatic payment system and not worry about the hassle of paying bills? You are now able to register your credit card with us and have an automatic debit at the beginning of each month’s balance. You will still receive a paper copy to be able to review your charges each month & keep for your records. Please call the office for more details.
Irrigation
Don't let the rain fool you! Time is running out to start up your irrigation system for the spring. As always, summer will creep up on us fast! It's important to get any damage from the winter repaired & make needed adjustments to ensure proper coverage. Recommended run times this time of year for Turf areas are:
- Rotors- 3-4 days per week @ 20 minutes per zone
- Sprays- 3-4 days per week @ 10 minutes per zone
Bedding areas are:
- Sprays- 3 days per week @ 5-7 minutes per zone
Our Irrigation maintenance programs are our worry-free options perfect for the homeowner who doesn't have time to worry with watering their lawn. The SILVER program includes: annual start-up, winterization, & 2 maintenance checks during the season to make necessary adjustments and/or repairs. Our GOLD program includes all of the above, plus an in-depth system calibration. This calibration is guaranteed to save you $ on your water bill. Call us for more details or to sign up. Irrigation System Installation Remind us to give you a FREE start up and shut down when your family member or friend has a new Aspen system installed.