Prime's Clippings December 2016

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Prime Landscape

Leaf Clean-Ups and Winter Maintenance

With December upon us the mowing season has come to a close and we have officially entered the Leaf Clean-Up Season! Leaves are particularly heavy this year, some are falling fast and others clinging to the trees, and with rainy conditions our scheduling will be erratic.

This year we are asking all residential customers to call in to request their leaf clean ups.

Due to the additional time it takes for mowing, mulching, raking, and bagging up leaves, we will be charging our hourly rate of $114 per hour for a 3 man crew for ALL lawn services during the winter months.

Of course, there will be no additional charge for our 12 month contract customers for regular contract services.

Please call or email us at your earliest convenience to request leaf clean ups. We will need a one week notice in most cases to get you on the schedule.

Winter Interest in the Garden

Some of us truly love winter, especially the mild type that we usually see here in north Texas. We have ample opportunities to enjoy our outdoor spaces, but with the dormant season it can be challenging to maintain attractive, interesting settings.

Hollies and nandinas are often taken for granted, but in winter they can be big players with glossy green or red foliage and red berries, and of course they are a summer landscape staple as well. Several shrubs will bloom during the winter months. Include a few quince, camellia, mahonia, and winter flowering honeysuckle for periodic flowers. Certainly pansies and violas are the stars of winter, and an over-seeded lawn of lush rye grass really sets off flowers and shrubs. A water feature such as a fountain or waterfall entices the senses year- round, and brings a special excitement during hard freezes when impromptu ice sculptures form.

The outdoor living craze has brought the element of fire back into the landscape in a variety of forms, from fireplaces to fire pits to chimineas. Now is the time to really make use of these accessories.

And don’t forget to hang a few bird feeders for a stream of colorful, busy visitors all winter.  Fill your yard and your life with interest!

Pool Services Available

We offer monthly pool services at competitive prices!

December Chores

• Prune dormant perennials and banana trees

• Clip fresh red berries from hollies, nandina, and pyracantha for winter decorating

• Clean up leaves

• Transplant shrubs and trees

• Insulate outdoor hose bibs

• Plant Spring bulbs

• Wrap palms for winter protection

Prime's Clippings November 2016

Time To Order Bulbs!  

If you want a beautiful spring show of annual tulips, daffodils, paper whites or jonquils, now is the time to order them! Tulips are $90 per 100 bulbs installed, and daffodils are $1.50 each with a minimum of 100 bulbs. We will be picking up our bulb orders this month and start planting after Thanksgiving. Call to place your order today!

Not sure what to plant? Email john@primelandscapeservices.com

Winter Can Wait

I know, I know, it’s November, but- this is Texas! Our fall weather is just getting started! It’s possible we might get our first freeze around Thanksgiving, but in general we can expect more mild weather for the next 2 months.

We haven’t seen a lot of rain this October, but there’s been a few good soaks. In spite of the cooler temperatures overall, it’s remained pretty warm during the day these last couple weeks with temps in the mid-high 80s, but hopefully that is about to change.

This is a great time to get plants in the ground and give their roots a chance to develop through the winter, but keep them well watered until we get more regular rain fall. We have pansies going in all month long, so please call or e-mail us at contactus@primelandscapeservices.com if you’d like to schedule your fall color.

It’s pretty splendid weather for doing outdoor chores, but if you aren’t big on chores, remember that’s what we’re here for! So dig this fall weather and leave the real diggin’ to us.

Pansies and Violas are going in now! 

Call to schedule! 

Residential Mowing Clients - Please Read This!

With lawns growing slowly now and leaves starting to fall, please call us if you’d like to make changes to your mowing schedule!

If you do not want your yard mowed, let us know. We maintain several hundred properties, and they all have different needs. Some folks don’t mind letting leaves gather for a few weeks before cleaning them up and some folks prefer to have their sidewalks blown and leaves mulched up every week.Therefore, we do not let our crews decide which yards can be skipped on their list — all their work orders must come through our office.

Crews are paid for every minute of the day, and gas is expensive.

If you do not call in to cancel by 5:00 PM the day before and our crew comes to your house on your regularly scheduled day, you will be charged—no exceptions. 

AND IF YOU HAVE TREES, PLEASE READ THIS!

Every year we like to remind our clients about how we handle leaf clean ups. Leaves are starting to fall, and mulch mowing them into the lawn is the most cost effective way of dealing with them as long as it is done regularly. Soon there will be some really heavy leaf drops and we may need to spend extra time to clean them up if you have a lot of trees. We appreciate your business, and we will always try to work as quickly as we can to keep the cost reasonable, but please note:

WHEN A CREW HAS TO SPEND MORE TIME THAN THEY WOULD FOR A REGULAR LAWN MOWING, WE WILL BILL YOU HOURLY FOR THE CLEAN UP SERVICE.OUR HOURLY RATE IS $38.00 PER MAN HOUR.

(Not applicable to properties that are on pro-rated 12 month contracts that include leaf removal) 

Daylight Savings Reminders

Don't Forget Your Sprinklers!

We haven't seen a ton of rain coming into November, but the cooler temperatures mean we still don't need to run those sprinklers quite as much as we did a month or two ago. Make sure your new shrubs, trees, rye grass, and pansies are getting watered in adequately, however, be careful not to let your soil become too saturated as roots will actually suffer until they dry out a little.

We've seen quite a few yards this month where sprinklers weren't cut back and soil conditions were perfect for lawn diseases like brown patch. If you notice brown circular areas in your lawn call us for a treatment. If wet conditions persist this fungus will spread and cause serious damage to your turf. 

You may also see signs of Take All Patch in St Augustine. There is no full cure for this devastating disease, but a fungicide treatment and applications of peat moss and sulfur to increase acidity are the recommended controls.

Remember to adjust the clock on your sprinklers and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and sprinkler controller on the weekend that we roll our clocks back for daylight savings time. It's an easy way to remember this simple chore. Note, not all sprinkler controllers have a replaceable battery. If you aren’t sure whether or not yours does, call us for the answer.

Another smart thing to do this time of year is test your rain/freeze sensor. Verify after one of these rains that your red light is on and the controller is inactive. As soon as the temperature drops below 40 the light should also come on to keep the clock from running and creating an ice hazard for cars or pedestrians.

This is especially important for commercial properties due to the high liability they may incur, and rain/freeze sensors are required by law for all sprinkler systems. So if yours is not working properly or if your system is so old that it doesn’t have one call us to schedule a service call.

Fall Water Garden Services

Leaves are dropping regularly and are probably the biggest challenge in maintaining a naturalistic water feature.

It is important to empty the skimmers and keep the leaves scooped out regularly. Clogged skimmers cause a myriad of problems, cutting off flow to the pump, and causing fill valves to run excessively since the water level drops in the skimmer.

Since water plants are starting to go dormant, one solution for shaded ponds is to cover the pond with a leaf net using tubing to suspend the net off the water. We can custom fit a leaf net system to virtually any pond. 

Email spencer@primelandscapeservices.com for more details.

November Chores:

• Mulch mow leaves as they fall
• Treat fire ants with baits
• Mow over-seeded rye lawns weekly
• Apply granular sulfur to buffer our alkaline soils
• Change batteries in smoke detectors and your sprinkler controller when you change your clocks to daylight savings
• Don’t forget to feed the birds!

 

Prime's Clippings October 2016

Fall Weather is Finally Showing Up!

With the big rains and cold front that came through the last week of September it looks like we may finally start having more fall-like weather. We actually dipped into the fifties for a couple nights and the first week of October should stay in the eighties for the highs. Nice!

As soon as we have consistent sweatshirt weather we can start changing out summer flowers to pansies for the winter. If it stays hot they tend to stretch and get aphids. If your summer color still looks good you can enjoy well into November, but it is always good to get pansies in the ground a week or two ahead of our first hard freeze so they have some roots developed.

And when will the first hard freeze occur? It can happen any time from November 20 to February. And if anyone could know that more than a few days in advance, they need to be sitting at a table in Vegas.

Along with milder weather October brings a modest list of gardening chores. Turf still needs to be mowed and leaves mulched up, flowers changed out, fire ants treated with bait products, fall pre-emergents and fertilizer applied, and tired summer perennials tidied up. But outdoor chores are always easier on a pleasant fall day.

Perennials and Shrubs that Shine in Fall

Several flowering plants will put on a last big show for the season. Some of our most notables are the cool lavender blooms of Mexican Bush Sage and Blue Fall Aster. 

The bright yellow of Mexican Mint Marigold is a great companion. There are 3 cultivars of Texas sage that all put on a big purple bloom after rains. A nice plant year-round, but blooms well in fall too.







Salvia greggi are blooming in pinks, reds and many other shades, great forage for migrating humming birds and butterflies.










Mexican Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia gilliessi, is a small tree native to west Texas and can be winter tender here, but the unique blooms make it worth a try in well drained soils.

 

Great North Texas Trees for Fall Color

North Texas will never be mistaken for New England in the fall, but when our conditions are just right we do have several trees that can deliver a nice show of fall foliage. Chlorophyll is the chemical in leaves responsible for photosynthesis and it also give the leaves their green color. Leaves naturally contain other orange and yellow pigments but green dominates during the summer. As daylight shortens and temperatures decrease, photosynthesis slows, the chlorophyll breaks down, and the orange and yellow colors start to dominate. At the same time, other chemical reactions may produce red anthocyanins. All of the colors mix with the chlorophyll residue to form a variety of colors including plain old brown.

Temperature, light, and water supply have an influence on the degree and the duration of fall color. Low temperatures above freezing will favor anthocyanin formation, producing bright reds in maples and red oaks. However, an early frost can weaken the brilliant red color. Rainy and/or overcast days tend to increase the intensity of fall colors.

So although weather is our biggest factor in a fall show, here’s the short list of dependable trees endemic or well suited to our area that have the best potential for color. 

Autumn Blaze maple is one of only a few maples suited for our area. Do not plant silver maples! Although silvers are truly fast growers, they are prone to sunscald, borers, weak wood/storm damage, and relatively short lives.


Other good maples are Shantung and Fire Dragon. Fire Dragon is a cultivar of the shantung. It was developed by a local nurseryman, Keith Johannson and is a Texas A&M Superstar. Shantung is yellow and Fire Dragon is red.







Cedar elm is our native elm and can develop very showy yellow fall foliage. It is a sturdy tree with few problems. If you are into natural gardening, it’s tiny leaves are great for mulching beds.









Gingko biloba is a prehistoric tree that you won’t find on every street corner, but it is a unique tree that turns a beautiful bright yellow in fall. Make sure you purchase a male plant, and normally that is all you will find in nurseries. The females produce copious amounts of messy fruit. Gingkos tend to have a narrow upright growth habit, but many cultivars with a variety of characteristics have been developed.








Chinese pistache grows well here and is a medium sized tree that is well suited to our smaller urban yards. It can become brilliant yellow-orange in the right conditions. Pistache trees have a nice rounded canopy.








Another tree for beautiful yellow-orange hues is our common crape myrtle. Some varieties develop more color than others, and some may turn maroon or red. When selecting a crape myrtle, you should look at a variety of factors—size, shape, bloom, fall color, and mildew/disease resistance.

Last but not least is our native Shumard red oak. There are occasionally unscrupulous nurseries or growers that sell pin oaks or northern red oaks here, both of which are incompatible with our alkaline soils and water. The shumard tends to hold it’s leaves until around January, making for a late season clean up, but it is a tree that will still be here for your great grand children.

October Chores

• Mow less often as the lawn slows down
• Water once—twice a week as needed
• Treat fire ants—bait products work well in Fall
• Overseed rye and fescue grass
• Apply weed pre-emergent and fertilizer
• Sow wildflower seeds for spring

Prime's Clippings September 2016

Fall is on the Horizon

August gets a B this year, with our hot streak taking a rain break around the middle of the month and evenings dipping into the seventies. As the heat begins easing we can get back to enjoying our yards and start our fall gardening projects.

I get as excited about this time of year as I do spring, and it always seems to fly by just as quickly. Get those fall veggies planted, prune out the sun burnt stuff, and get the fall pre-emergent and fertilizers put out. Plant trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and new lawns, but we have to control ourselves and hold off on pansies until no earlier than mid October.

You should have plenty to do as the days get shorter, and soon enough you’ll be able to enjoy a cool evening around your outdoor fire pit.

Wait, you don’t have one of those yet? Hmmm, maybe you better give us a call!

Fall Pre-Emergent and Fertilizer- The Most Important Application

If you are a regular reader you already know this drill, but we have to repeat it for newbies. 

This is an important message!

If you are on our regular lawn application program you will be receiving an application of pre-emergent weed control in September-October. If you are not on our full service program, call today to schedule. This is the most important lawn application of the year! Winter weeds begin germinating in September and October depending on weather conditions and may not be noticeable until spring. But for the best chance of reducing those unsightly weeds you see in March, you must treat the seeds now!

Dandelions, thistles, henbit, chickweed, oxalis, rescue grass, and poa annua are the biggest culprits in our spring gallery of weed problems, and most of these start sprouting when soil temperatures at the surface drop below 70 degrees. It doesn’t take too many days of cool cloudy weather to achieve this, so timing is critical. 

Pre-emergents do not provide 100% control, but they will make a big difference. They work by creating a chemical barrier in the soil that kills the seedling as it starts to emerge. This application may be combined with a broadleaf weed killer to control any that have already sprouted. Heavy rains or wet winters dilute the chemical barrier sometimes reducing effectiveness.

Our fall application also includes fertilizers to get your lawn ready for dormancy. Nitrogen helps thicken the lawn and smother weeds, and potassium builds stronger root systems to help your lawn through hard freezes and promote early green-up in spring.

A Couple Observations

We have recently noticed some early leaf drop, particularly on American elms. A close look reveals fungal leaf spot covering the foliage, likely due to the recent rain events and high humidity. Nothing to be done about it except mulch up the leaves as they fall. 

We have also seen random branches dying back on some big oaks. Squirrels had girdled the limbs chewing the cambium under the bark... guess they’re running low on nuts. Seems nature is always throwing us a curveball. 

Late Summer Lawn Care

Last month we reminded you that grub worms are most vulnerable in August and that is an optimal time to treat. The window is still open for a few more weeks and then the grubs will move deeper into the soil and also become larger and tougher to kill. Call ASAP if you want a grub treatment.

As evenings start to cool in late September and on through November, watch for irregular circular brown spots in St. Augustine during rainy weather. Brown patch is a common fungus that can do severe damage to your lawn going into winter. Take-all patch also becomes active in fall. If you had areas that were stunted and slow to green up in the spring you may have take-all patch. 

Topdressing the lawn with peat moss to increase acidity at the soil surface is an organic remedy for take-all, and there are chemical fungicides for brown patch. 

Spurge is a flat broadleaf weed that sprouts in July-August after a good rain. Fast growing and difficult to control, this is the dominant weed problem we are seeing at this time. Your next application will contain a broadleaf spray to help control this if you have any in your lawn. One reason that late summer weeds like spurge are hard to control is that most herbicides will damage the lawn in hot weather. Celsius or similar sulfonylurea herbicides are about the only option for weed control with minimal turf stress.

Moonflower- A 'Weed' Worth Considering

You may be familiar with the white flowering morning glory called Moonflower vine, Ipomoea alba, which opens at night and may be found in nurseries. And although I’ll give this fine vine a tip of the hat, there is a native shrubby perennial that can be even showier and requires no special care- Datura, aka Jimsonweed, Moonflower, or Thorn–apple.

There are 9 species of Datura, Datura wrightii is the most likely one to find growing wild in our area, but they don’t seem to be common. I found one some 38 years ago growing in a field in south Arlington and still have it’s progeny in various spots in my gardens.

Granted, it seeds prolifically and needs to be contained, and all parts are poisonous, so you might avoid it if you have small children. But it is happy in a well drained soil with virtually no water, and I simply cut my seed pods (the thorn-apples) off periodically before they open to reduce having to weed out unwanted additions. The huge flowers audibly pop open at dusk and are the preferred nectar of the hawk moth. 

Not a plant for everyone, but worth a look for the adventurous. 

Ryegrass and Fescue Season Starts in September

Over-seeding with ryegrass for the winter sets your home or business apart from the crowd. Over-seeded lawns normally have fewer winter weed issues as weed seeds have a difficult time germinating in the thick green cover provided by healthy turf. Typical winter weather usually brings enough rainfall to keep your rye green with little or no supplemental watering once established. And a green winter lawn creates a nice foreground or background for early spring flowers such as daffodils, dogwoods, Mexican plums, azaleas, and spiraeas.

There are 2 primary types of rye seed available, annual and perennial. Annual rye seed is the one most commonly used but will need to be mowed every week in the spring as its rate of growth is quite fast.

Perennial rye is more refined, with a darker green color and slower rate of growth, but sometimes is more difficult to get it to germinate. In our area the term perennial is not accurate in regards to rye, as most burn out by June. In shady areas or if we have prolonged cool, wet weather into the summer, ryegrass may persist longer. 

The normal preparation for over seeding is to mow the lawn a few notches lower and remove the clippings during the last half of September through October. This allows the seed to make better contact with the ground and improves germination. Depending on rainfall, the seed should be watered at least twice a week until it is up and growing. Once it is up, mowing requirements will vary depending on the weather and type of seed used. Mowing once every 14 days is usually the norm until about March. Light fertilizing in December and February will really enhance the appearance, especially if we are having a dry winter.

Call us for a free quote if you would like a lush green  lawn this winter.

Fescue is a northern grass that struggles here in July and August, but there are transitional mixes now that are an option for heavily shaded yards where St. Augustine just will not make it. If you have heavy shade and really prefer a lawn there instead of groundcovers or a shade garden, then fescue may be a fit for you. Like rye, it will germinate now and establish during the winter and spring months. 

As mentioned, it thins out in our hottest months and does need regular watering, but simply reseed each fall to thicken it back up.

September Chores

• Mow weekly and mulch up leaves
• Water weekly
• Treat fire ants
• Overseed rye grass
• Apply weed pre-emergent and fall fertilizer
• Sow wildflower seeds for spring

Prime's Clippings August 2016

August - A Tough Month

When the big faucets in the sky turn off things get hot and dry in a hurry. Luckily the lakes are full and many cities have eased water restrictions, but the next 30 days will likely be the hardest part of our season. Barring hurricane spawned rain events, August is traditionally our hottest, driest month.

So, repeat after me, the Texas gardener’s mantra: Mulch is good, I love my water hose.  In a perfect world we would just skip August in north Texas, but that ain’t happening.

We had a few isolated spots of rain  in July, but keep an eye on tender plants like hydrangeas or newly planted trees and shrubs, and check your sprinklers regularly for clogged nozzles, worn out rotors, low heads, heads blocked by shrubs, etc. It only takes a week or so to do serious damage to lawns and landscapes that are not receiving enough water, so stay alert!

  

Time to Treat for Grub Worms

Don’t forget! August is the time of year to treat for grub worms. Most of our grub damage is brought on by the larva of the June beetle.  Peak flights of the June beetle occur in mid-May to mid-June and eggs hatch about 1 month later. Grubs are easiest to kill at this early stage of their growth due to the fact that they are closer to the soil surface. Not every yard will have a large enough population to cause damage, but if you have had one in the past you may be in a location that is prone to infestation. Lawns close to street lights where June bugs gather are often hit, and ironically they often attack well watered, lush lawns when soil is soft and food (roots) are abundant. They will do serious damage to turf over the next two months, so treat now to avoid losing your lawn.

Prices start at just $24.95 for customers that are already on our 7 step program! 

(up to 5000 sq. ft., prices based on sq. footage of turf, call for a quote)

Planning for Fall Projects

Every year we like to remind customers that Fall is an excellent time for landscape improvements. Everyone gets spring fever and enjoys freshening up their yard in spring, but well informed gardeners know that Fall is really the best season for planting most of our landscape ornamentals.

Trees, shrubs, and perennials that are planted in September through December get to take advantage of our traditionally mild temperatures and regular rains. Plants that go in the ground in the Fall have reduced heat stress now and are better equipped to handle the inevitable dry conditions of next summer. Although most plants will show little or no top growth during the winter, it’s what is going on in the ground that counts. Root systems thrive in our mild Fall weather and grow vigorously all winter, giving you bigger, healthier plants next year.

Use these hot days of August to make plans for your fall landscape projects.

How Sprinkler Heads Get Hit by Mowers

“Your guys hit my sprinkler head with the mower!” 

Believe me, neither one of us wants to hear that.

Our crews mow over 300 acres of lawn each week, passing over thousands of sprinkler heads without a problem. And there is the key- sprinklers are designed and installed as underground systems. A properly installed head should be at or just above grade, and a properly functioning head will retract back into the ground after it waters. In both cases, a lawn mower cannot damage a head that is working properly.

Over time, several factors affect sprinkler head performance and may render the head subject to accidental breakage. The seal around the riser hardens with time and springs wear out preventing retraction.

Soils settle and move, sometimes leaving the head sitting too high. Heads also sink or have dirt build up around them, leaving the head below grade. This is very common and allows dirt to seep into the head around the seal. This grit causes the nozzle to stick in the up position or not retract fully, leaving the nozzle just high enough to be clipped by a mower, but not high enough to be seen.

All of these issues are just routine maintenance and service work that must be performed when the problem occurs, and are not the fault of the equipment operator. Very rarely can you see the head in the tall grass before you hit it with a mower or edger. We will always charge a discounted rate to repair a head that is hit by one of our mowing crews, but please remember that it is not the fault of the mowing service when a sprinkler head is struck.

Tree roots may develop under  a head and as they grow they may push the head up, and eventually it will be high enough to snag a mower deck.

Heads along the sidewalk, curb, or driveway are supposed to be 2-4 inches away from the concrete. Over time they may shift or settle at an angle and touch the concrete leaving no room for the lawn edger blade to pass by.

Prime's Clippings July 2016

Happy 4th of July!

Celebrate Summer

We haven't hit the century mark yet and the floods have helped get our soil moisture and lakes recharged. But rains have been really sporadic now for a few weeks and you need to run and manage your sprinklers wisely from here on out. You can keep most of your landscape looking good with twice a week watering, but it takes a well tuned sprinkler system, a well designed program, and due diligence to make sure everything is working properly. Newly planted shrubs and trees need a deep soaking weekly and some flowers will need water more than twice a week. Remember, a water hose can be your best friend in July and August. It’s relaxing and the best way to assure new plants get what they need. 

Summer Lawn Pests and a Special Offer

With hot dry weather here, conditions are optimum for chinch bugs. Chinch bugs are often the cause of large dry looking areas in sunny St. Augustine lawns, and may also attack Bermuda. If you notice a possible infestation call us immediately! Most of our lawn application programs are set up for every 5-6 weeks, and if chinch bugs start feeding after we have recently been on your property there could be serious damage before we are out for the next application.

Gray leaf spot is a fungal disease that primarily affects St. Augustine in warm humid weather. The result is mottled yellow areas that are most noticeable after fertilizing. The fertilizer will green up unaffected areas making the infected areas paler in comparison. Severe cases should be treated with fungicide.

The grub worm is another nasty pest. It is much more difficult to determine whether or not you will have a problem with grubs because they feed on root systems in the soil, and usually by the time you see the grass turning brown the damage has already been done. The best time to apply chemical control for grubs in our area is from mid July through August.

If you’re already on our chemical program, give us a call during the first two weeks in July and we will include an insecticide treatment for Grub Worms AND Chinch Bugs for just $24.95 when we’re out to do your next regular lawn application (price good for lawns up to 5,000 sq. ft.)

John and Team Install New Landscape at Six Flags

We were honored to be selected for landscaping the newest addition at Six Flags comprised of 3 rides in the Gotham City section. Due to the narrow time frame and constant rainy conditions it was quite a challenge but we were able to beat the deadline. The highlights of the job included a large grove of 14 foot tall Muskogee crape myrtles that will bloom in lavender that matches the color scheme of the rides, and our design of the pedestals for the Catwoman Whip ride. John located gray and charcoal shades of stone to make the perfect match for the dark atmosphere of Gotham City. Pancho and crew executed it beautifully. Be sure and check it out on your next visit, and ride the Riddler Revenge!

Prime's Clippings June 2016

Ratibida Columnaris

Mexican Hat - one of our prominent June wildflowers

Rain, Rain, Rain...

Your back yard rain gauge is a more accurate measure than the averages across the metroplex, but the storms have been widespread enough that most of us are about even in the rainfall race. My April readings were about 5 inches and May is at about 6. That folks, is a lot of rain. Coupled with the fact that we set a record or two for “low high temperatures”, this has been a cool month as well. I personally have enjoyed the cool damp weather, but lots of plants have not.

I noted last month that Indian Hawthorns have been defoliated by fungal leaf spot, and lately I have watched my pretty purple oxalis disappear from rust infestation. Coral honeysuckle, native to east Texas and normally well adapted here, has been victimized by powdery mildew. I caution against planting periwinkles in these conditions and haven’t seen any phytophthora yet, but it will be a miracle if we don’t lose at least some before the sun comes back.

In short, you can expect to see a variety of fungal issues across a variety of plants.

But on the bright side, we haven’t had to worry about watering much of anything just yet! And we all know it will be plenty hot soon enough, so enjoy it while you can.

Sprinkler Systems 101

Thanks to Murphy’s Law, it seems that right when you need your sprinkler system the most is also when it is most likely to break down. Unlike changing the oil in your car, there isn’t a whole lot of preventive maintenance you can perform on your sprinklers, but routine inspections are extremely important.

A typical sprinkler system starts at the backflow device, which is usually in a large box located a few feet from your water meter. There are 2 handles here which are used to turn the water off to the sprinklers without affecting the water to your house. Silt often accumulates around this valve and the handles corrode, making it difficult to turn off the water in an emergency. We recommend cleaning out the silt once a year and replacing your handles with stainless steel handles. Stainless handles will last forever.

Your control valves are located throughout the yard and have an electric solenoid and rubber diaphragm. These parts fail over time, the wire splices may corrode, and fire ants eat the insulation off the wires. If a valve is not coming on it is often an electrical problem. If it sticks on and runs continuously, it is usually a bad diaphragm or debris may have lodged in the valve. In most cases, we rebuild the valve with all new components, or replace the valve entirely if there is internal wear or other issues.

Spray heads are typically used for patterns of 4 ft up to 15 ft, rotors for patterns of 15 ft to 40 ft, drip irrigation for ornamental beds or pots, and bubbler heads for trees, large plants, or large pots. Pop-up sprays and rotors have seals that harden with age and leak or prevent the head from lowering after it pops up. This is the main reason heads get broken by mowers. Properly installed, a head that is working properly cannot be hit by a mower. If you see a lot of water pooling around a head when it is running it may have a bad seal. Spray nozzles also become clogged, and heads settle so that they are crooked, too low, or too high. Drip is notorious for being damaged by digging in beds, and rodents also love to chew on drip. Correcting these issues is all part of routine maintenance. Your controller is the brain of the system, and most of today’s controllers have sophisticated settings that allow you to optimize how and when you apply water. Like any computer, they may be damaged by power surges, lightning, or gremlins. But what is the first thing you always check when your controller isn’t working? The electrical outlet! Plug something else in and make sure you have electricity there. If so, then you can call us to come look for the gremlins.

Core Aeration

Aeration is one of the most beneficial turf management practices, and this is one of the best times of the year to aerate your lawn. Core aeration pulls little plugs of soil out of the ground, loosening compacted soil and allowing water to percolate deeper into the soil. This also increases air in the soil and root growth, giving your lawn the tools it needs to thrive in the long hot summer ahead. Aeration is beneficial almost any time of the year, but improving your yard’s ability to absorb water before the hottest part of summer is particularly helpful. And this year, with our overly saturated soils, the increased air in the soil is particularly helpful. Prices start at just $149.00, so give us a call to get on the schedule.

Not Fun and Hot Fun in the Summertime

Yes, with the official start of summer only 21 days away, the sun will eventually make an appearance and things will start to dry out, and the drying usually happens faster than you expect. One of the phenomena we observed last year when the rain faucets finally shut off was that our trees and other plants had put on growth like they thought the water would never stop. And when it did stop, they dropped leaves, stared browning, or wilted easily in response. We may also see drooping from root damage or root diseases when plants in heavy soils or low areas have been saturated for several weeks. There is not much we can do for plants that suffer root loss, but for our lawns and ornamentals that are addicted to rain we may need to start watering soon after the rains end rather than waiting until the soil really dries out.

Dull, droopy leaves on a stem or plant are often an indication of root damage or root disease. If only a section of the plant is affected, prune it out and the remainder of the plant may recuperate. If the entire plant droops and loses it’s sheen you better make plans to replace it.

With area lakes full many cities have relaxed water restrictions but you still need to check your local ordinances and conserve water when you can.


Once we get into a hot dry weather pattern chinch bugs may make an appearance in your lawn. The lush growth we are having creates an ideal habitat. Chinch bugs are often the cause of large dry looking areas in sunny St. Augustine lawns. Most of the time people just think they have a clogged sprinkler head or aren’t watering enough. If you notice a possible infestation call us immediately.

Gray leaf spot is a fungal disease that primarily affects St. Augustine in warm humid weather. The result is mottled yellow areas that are most noticeable after fertilizing. The fertilizer will green up healthy areas making the infected areas paler in comparison. Severe cases should be treated with fungicide.

You may have noticed that this article is heavy on issues you may expect to see from the abundance of water we have received these last two months, so how the heck do we tie that to the “Hot Fun” in the headline? It is easy for me to dwell on plant problems since folks mostly call when they have a problem to solve and rarely when they are just enjoying a good time in their yard. But for those who would enjoy their yard even more with a pool or water feature, don’t forget that Prime can help you find that path to enjoyment. We currently have 3 big pool projects breaking ground in the next few weeks and Spencer and Josh are taking on more clients for their pool and pond maintenance services. So if you are thinking of a custom pool for next year or need help with the pool or pond that you have now, keep Prime in mind!