Prime's Clippings December 2018

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from all of us at Prime Landscape

Our offices will be closed Tuesday December 25th for Christmas and Tuesday January 1st for New Years. Happy Holidays!
 

And Merry Christmas from all of our other team members who were too shy to take their picture! Thank you for a great 2018! 

Prime's Clippings November 2018

Agalinis spp. False foxglove, an unusual fall wildflower

Pleasant Fall Days? October started with another hot and dry week but then went crazy. More records, but instead of heat we set new record lows for October coupled with record non-stop rains. It rained for seven days in a row, with even more scattered throughout the month! Not exactly the pleasant fall weather we were looking for. Our normal first freeze date is usually around Thanksgiving, and hopefully we can see some nice weather between now and then. I talk about the weather a lot in these newsletters, but it is the most important  factor in what we can do and what we can expect in our gardens. And although we have long considered north Texas a land of extremes, our weird weather events are becoming more extreme and more frequent. I think a good gardening philosophy from here on out would be to hope for the best and expect the unusual.     Happy Thanksgiving! Our offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 22nd and Friday, Nov. 23rd for the Thanksgiving holiday.   Residential Mowing Clients- Please Read This! With lawns growing slowly now and leaves starting to fall, we will mow most properties one—two more times in November and then stop. Please call or email to let us know if you need leaf clean ups or additional mowing in November and December! And with cool weather settling in earlier than normal this year, please let us know when to stop services for the fall. We maintain several hundred properties, and they all have different needs. Some folks don’t have trees or leaves. Some like to wait until most of the leaves are down before cleaning them up. And some folks prefer to have their sidewalks blown and leaves mulched up every week. We do not let our crews decide which yards can be skipped on their list — all their work orders must come through our office. Every year we like to remind our clients about how we handle leaf clean ups. Mulch mowing them into the lawn is the most cost effective way of dealing with them as long as they are mowed regularly and are not too deep. But when there are accumulations and we spend extra time to clean them up we bill hourly. We appreciate your business, and we will always try to work as quickly as we can to keep the cost reasonable, but please note: WE BILL HOURLY FOR LEAF CLEAN-UPS OUR HOURLY RATE IS $38.00 PER MAN, PER HOUR WHEN WE HAVE TO BAG LEAVES WE ONLY USE PLASTIC BAGS IF YOUR CITY DOES NOT PICK UP PLASTIC BAGS THERE WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR HAUL OFF AND DISPOSAL *Not applicable to properties that are on pro-rated 12 month contracts that include leaf removal Daylight Savings Reminders- Don't Forget Your Sprinklers After this crazy rainy spell and with cool weather moving in, turn off the sprinklers! Make sure your new shrubs, trees, rye grass, and pansies get watered in adequately, but lawns will need very little water from now until next summer. Except is the case of a dry spell and hard freezes this winter, I would not water lawns or established shrubs any more. And pansies thrive with minimal water once rooted. Brown patch will be occurring now after all the rain in quite a few St Augustine lawns. Watch for brown circular areas in your lawn. If wet conditions persist this fungus can spread and cause damage to your turf. You may also see signs of Take All root rot in St Augustine. In the fall you will see sporadic yellow patches throughout, and dead patches form from spring into summer. 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. Not all sprinkler controllers have a replaceable battery. If you aren’t sure whether or not yours does, call us for the answer. And if you have landscape lighting, you may need to adjust the timer on that system as well. 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. Unfortunately rain sensors are not always reliable, but they are still better than not having a sensor at all. And except for newly planted shrubs, flowers, or sod, you may turn your sprinklers off until summer.    Bird Feeding in the Fall Fall is a great time in north Texas to enjoy birds at your feeders. The migrations can provide an opportunity to see unique birds that may only be here for a short time. Keeping a feeder or two stocked and a source of water can also help supply the birds with the energy they need for their long and arduous journeys. Suet is a particularly good energy source for the birds, and will keep our year-round residents coming to feed all winter too. There will probably still be hummingbirds moving through, so leave a feeder out for them as well until really cold weather moves in. We have a great assortment of year-round residents that appreciate the extra forage in winter— cardinals, chickadees, wrens, dove, titmice, downy woodpeckers, jays, and red bellied sapsuckers to name a few. But a bird feeder has the potential to attract numerous other species that may only be passing through. Watch for juncos, cedar waxwings, yellow rump warblers, red breasted nuthatches, goldfinches, orange crowned warblers, and more. Be sure your feeders are located in an area convenient for viewing and pick up a good identification guide. Different seed blends can attract different species, and many of our ornamental shrubs provide forage for certain species too—cedar waxwings are famous for lighting on a mahonia in late winter and quickly removing the ripe fruits. A flurry of activity like this adds interest and excitement to any garden. And add a thistle feeder in late winter to attract goldfinches, and watch as they change to a bright yellow as spring approaches. There are many good choices of plants for your landscape that provide forage as well, and it is important to include native plants. Studies have shown that loss of native plants due to development is adversely affecting native bird populations dependent on specific plants. A great source of information on birding can be found at your local Audubon Society, www.FWAS.org

November Chores Mulch mow leaves as they fall Treat fire ants with baits Mow over-seeded rye lawns as needed 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! Patrick Pidgeon Design and Sales Landscape, Maintenance, Pools Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

Prime's Clippings October 2018

Eryngo leavenworthii Leavenworth’s Eryngo Often overlooked, but beautiful summer wildflower

Drought and Bugs, Worms and Floods- Oh My! What a strange end of summer and beginning of fall!  After going through record heat and dry conditions and swarms of chinch bugs attacking our lawns, we only thought we were making a normal transition to fall as temperatures subsided and rains moved in. But then the rains set records and an army of army worms took the metroplex by storm.   After receiving over a foot of rain and making this the wettest September on record, we had a cool front come in on September 26th. That made for some pleasant  temperatures and more scattered rains forecast into the first week of October. Last year we had a fairly hot and dry October. Perhaps that will not be the case this year and we will have a normal fall.  Normal weather in Texas? Just for a month or two?  We’ll see. Along with milder weather October brings a modest list of gardening chores. Turf still needs to be mowed and leaves mulched up, flowers will soon need to be changed out, bait products for fire ants should be applied now, pre-emergents and fertilizer applied, and tired summer perennials tidied up. But outdoor chores are always easier on a pleasant fall day. With all the strange weather and insect infestations there are some additional October chores to consider this year. Read on for more tips and observations. Pansy Time is Approaching It is almost time to start changing out our annual color beds to winter color. We start around mid October as temperatures moderate and should have all our properties planted by mid November. Pansies and ornamental kale or cabbage are the primary choices. They will last through most any of our winters, though cabbage may suffer some burn when we drop below 20 degrees. There are other fall flowers that can be planted now including mums, snapdragons, dianthus, alyssum, and a few others, but only the pansy will bloom throughout winter. Violas are equally hardy and just look like a miniature version of a pansy. They may even have a higher density of flowers than the large blooming pansies but stay more compact. They can also be used as a border. Pansies in particular benefit from fertilizers containing organics like blood meal and bone meal. When first planted and during our crazy winter warm spells, aphids can attack pansies, and some years cutworms may be an issue in the first few weeks. Pansies come in a great variety of colors both with and without a face, and may have two or more colors on each bloom. Please email or call our office if you would like a catalog via email of our winter color choices. Always plan on at least 2 options as growers will run out of certain varieties during the planting season, and place your requests as soon as possible. At War With the Armyworm Every season it seems conditions will be optimal for some pest or disease to flourish. This year we had prolific infestations of chinch bugs in St. Augustine lawns, and then came the army worms in Bermuda. Armyworm infestations have been so widespread that they have even made the local television news reports. There are always a few armyworms in the lawns, but this year there were some lawns hidden in the armyworms. The armyworm is the larvae of a small brown moth that lays eggs at the base of a suitable host plant. When they reach maturity, the worms burrow into the soil to pupate into moths that fly out, mate, and start the cycle again. There are several species of armyworms common to our area but the fall armyworm is the one most likely to damage our turf. They can have several generations at about 28 day intervals, and cool weather may extend the life cycle for several months. High rainfall events in August and September may increase populations. Remember those big rains in early August? For the last month or so they have been feeding voraciously on Bermuda lawns, stripping the leaves and turning them to brown stubble. They may hide in the thatch during the day and snack all night. And they may move on to other plants after finishing off your lawn. In years like this where worms and their damage is abundant, it may be prudent to treat with an appropriate insecticide. And there is also an effective organic control, BT, Bacillus thuringiensis. A second treatment may be necessary whether using organic or a chemical insecticide. Most chemical insecticides are contact poisons, meaning they have to come in contact with the insect to kill them. If another generation of worms emerge a couple weeks after the initial treatment there may not be enough residual chemical to be effective. And the BT product must be ingested by the worm. After a good rain the BT may wash off and a second hatch will not be affected. So watch for reinfestation after an application. This has certainly been an unusual year for this pest. They do not normally require treatment. And worse case scenario, it is unlikely that your Bermuda will suffer permanent damage. We are only a couple months from dormancy. The worms are only eating the blades, not the roots. The side effect though may be increased winter weeds invading your lawn due to the thin cover. And the fact that we normally enjoy another two months of nice green lawns up until our first freeze is another reason to consider treating. Even if you have not noticed the inch to inch and a half mature worms feeding, you may have smaller instars just getting started that are not apparent yet. The smaller worms cannot strip the entire blade. They just chew an outer layer, leaving a frosted appearance to the grass. Considering that there are organic and chemical treatments available, and that there will be detrimental effects from a heavy infestation, it may be wise to consider treating your lawn.   Drainage Solutions The heavy downpours of the last two months have created numerous drainage problems for property owners. If you have incurred drainage problems there may be one or more solutions to consider. The first defense against flooding is simply making sure that your ground or concrete areas slope away from your building. Swales are also used to help create positive flow if you are in a flat area or at a low point. Over time, positive flow and swales may change due to soil movement and erosion and may need to be regraded. The next consideration is to capture roof water in pipes and carry it to the street or a low point where it can exit. Surface drain boxes, or catch basins, may be added to capture pooling water on the surface as well. If there are areas that stay boggy after irrigating or rain, a French drain may be the answer. A French drain consists of perforated pipe in a gravel filled trench that captures water in the soil. French, roof, and surface drains are often combined into one system. These are all called gravity drains, as they are designed to flow downhill. The last option is a sump pump system. These are usually only employed when there is no low point on the property to drain your water to and a gravity drain will not work. The drains are connected to a basin buried in the ground and a pump removes the water.  If you are dealing with drain problems and would like an evaluation and estimate, please let us know.

October Chores Mow less often as the lawn slows down Water once 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 Spencer Young Manager Pool and Water Garden Services Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

Prime's Clippings September 2018

photo courtesy: John Pavelka Silver Nightshade, Solanum eleagnifolium A beautiful late summer 'weed,' blooms even during a drought

Hurry Up Fall- It's Hot! Although we had a nice big rain event in mid August- and one to start September (woohoo!)- this has been a very hot, dry, challenging summer season for north Texas gardeners. I can’t say enough good things about the rain, let's hope we continue to see more. We have been running a rain deficit all year and have had brutally hot temperatures, setting several new records. Any rain is good rain, and that should ring true for the rest of the year or until we finally get some major moisture. Up north, fall dependably begins in September when the kids head back to school. Around here, be prepared for another two months of hot weather. We should catch a break in October, but our lawns and plants don’t know that fall officially begins September 22nd. They just know they haven’t had enough to drink all season. Regardless of the eventual onset of cooler weather, September and October are two very important months for north Texas gardeners. Probably the most important chore coming up is the application of fall pre-emergent weed preventative to our lawns and beds. Equally important is a fall fertilization with a balanced product including potassium for the roots. Some gardening experts will tell you there is a perfect range of days in which to apply pre-emergent, but in truth that range can be quite extensive, and even applications outside of the peak period can be effective. But if you are a do-it-yourselfer, this is the single most important application you can make. Don’t forget to do it! Fall veggie gardens can be a bright spot at the end of this tunnel of heat. There are a number of veggies you can plant from seed and transplants over the next few weeks and then enjoy harvesting when our milder weather finally returns. Check out this easy guide from Texas Agricultural Extension Services: http://dallas-tx.tamu.edu/files/2010/06/Vegetable-Planting-Guide.pdf It is also nearly time to plant shrubs and trees again. So take heart! Next month we will hopefully be talking about fall weather. Winding Down a Challenging Summer This was a record year for temperatures and seemingly for chinch bug damage as well. I have never seen so many chinch bug problems. They will remain active as long as it remains hot, so if you see a dead patch starting in your St Augustine check for a sprinkler problem and then treat immediately if chinch are present. I had 4 different patches of chinch bugs in my own yard and have never had them before. Grub worms can still be treated too and we are starting to see infestations and some damage. Grubs do some of their worst damage in the fall but as soils cool they move deeper into the soil, becoming harder to control. Treat now! We are still several weeks from lawns starting into dormancy so continue to mow weekly and water regularly. See the tips above regarding fall pre-emergent and fertilizing. You may make applications at any time now. Avoid trimming spring blooming plants like azaleas and spiraeas any more this year as you may be removing spring blooms. Also avoid high nitrogen fertilizers on spring bloomers, but you can still use balanced fertilizers and especially iron or acidifiers for chlorotic plants. If we get into a wet spell, watch for lawn diseases like brown patch (later) or gray leaf spot (now), and powdery mildew, fungal leaf spot, and scale insects on shrubs. Treat as needed depending on severity so your lawn and plants go into winter healthy and happy. Rye and Fescue Seeding Time for our annual reminder about over-seeding your lawn with ryegrass. There are two 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. Perennial rye is more refined, with a darker green color and slower rate of growth, is more difficult to germinate. In our area the term perennial is not accurate. Most rye burns 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. The seed should be watered several times a week until it is up and growing. In about two weeks lightly touch up any thin areas. Once it is up, mowing will vary depending on the weather and type of seed used, but once every 2-3 weeks is usually the norm until about March. Light fertilizing in December will enhance the appearance. Pricing: Scalping, over-seeding, and touch up is based on square footage and will run around 8 times the cost of a normal mow. If your mowing is $35, your annual rye installation will be $280. Perennial rye would be $52.50 additional. For larger or commercial properties call or email us to request a quote. 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 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. Fescue does not need to be mowed as often as rye. We have found an excellent way to install fescue is to aerate the area with a core aeration machine and then broadcast the seed. This is especially effective on slopes where seed may wash. We only recommend fescue for shaded areas where you are having trouble growing St. Augustine. The pricing is based on square footage with a minimum of $250.   Upgrade Your Commercial Facility To A Hydrawise Smart Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller and Save $$$ Wi-Fi based sprinkler controllers have been making headway in the residential market for the past few years. The drawbacks have been dependability and a limited amount of zones that could be utilized, making them unsuitable for our typical commercial properties. Now there are finally some good choices for commercial and larger properties. What is the Hydrawise Smart Wi-Fi controller? Hydrawise is a new line of controllers by Hunter, a long-time leader in commercial and residential irrigation products. Hunter is the preferred controller for a large segment of contractors, Licensed Irrigation designers, and Landscape Architects due to their dependability, ease of use, and functionality. Approximately 90% of our properties have Hunter controllers. The new Hydrawise controllers are connected to the internet through your Wi-Fi signal and allows you and your contractor/installer to monitor and program your sprinkler system from a home or office computer, laptop, tablet, or phone anywhere that you have internet access. Additionally, it is connected to local airport or independent weather stations giving it both real-time and predictive weather capabilities. State law currently requires that controllers be equipped with rain and freeze sensors so that they do not run when temperatures are below 40 degrees or there has been a measurable amount of rain. This is of course to reduce water waste and prevent accidents and injuries due to ice forming if it drops below freezing when the sprinklers are going to run. Although this is helpful, using both real weather data from a nearby station and the forecasted temperature and rainfall add another layer of safety and water savings potential, and eliminates the inherent fallibility of sensors. Obviously weather forecasting is also fallible, but you can select a wide parameter of settings for predicted rainfall or temperatures to manage your application. The controller will also let you set programs based on actual weather data rather than just a time based schedule. Using this function or setting good predictive settings can lower your water usage. And this weather based system provides the best security of not having a sprinkler run before freezing weather comes in, reducing your liability for ice related accidents. A flow sensor device is another enhancement available for properties with up to a 2 inch mainline. This can be installed into the plumbing and will alert the controller and the users of a potential leak. On older systems that are prone to frequent breaks or valve failures this can pay for itself in just a season or two. The Hydrawise is suitable for residential as well, capable of working with any system from 1 to 54 zones. For a quote on upgrading your system, email us or call and ask for Mike or John.

September Chores Mow weekly and do not bag clippings Treat fire ants Overseed rye grass Apply weed pre-emergent and fall fertilizer Sow wildflower seeds for spring John Hoover General Manager Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

Prime's Clippings August 2018

How 'bout a cactus flower to "celebrate" this awful summer

The Drought Continues Most of the metroplex had a decent shower July 30th, but it was just the proverbial drop in a bucket. And how many other places celebrate a week when the highs won’t get above 99? Well, we will take whatever blessings we can get this year. We started this summer without our usual rainy May, and high temperatures set in early. We broke several record highs in July, including some record high lows—meaning our plants didn’t get much of a break even at night. This is one of those summers that has been hard on new plants and those that prefer moist conditions. And it is difficult at best to deeply soak new plants using just your sprinkler system. Getting a water hose out to apply some TLC regularly has been the only way to get most new plantings through their first summer this year. Griping about this drought brings up another point to consider: Our best planting season is just a month or two away. I know it is hard for the typical gardener to get spring fever in the fall, but once our hot dry weather breaks we will have several months of ideal planting conditions for most shrubs, trees, and ornamentals. We normally have cooler temperatures and regular rainfall starting in October and lasting through the winter. Although the plant above ground may not show signs of growth, the roots will be growing and establishing, giving the plant a better chance for surviving next year’s dry spell. So enjoy the pool or the lake and keep your hose handy for another month. Then plan ahead for your fall plantings! 114 degrees- not what you want to see at the end of a long day... Time To Treat For Grub Worms 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 lawn when soil is soft and food (roots) are abundant. They can do serious damage to turf over the next two months. Treatments for most residential lawns start at just $48.00 (up to 5000 sq. ft., prices based on sq. footage of turf, call or email us for more information)  This many grubs in 1 square foot of soil is enough to do serious damage... 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. 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. 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.

August Chores Mow weekly and do not bag clippings Hand water newly planted areas & trees Watch for dry spots and chinch bugs in turf Check and adjust sprinkler systems Mulch beds  Treat for grub worms Toby, star of this year's HOT new reality show, "The Dog Days of Summer" Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

Prime's Clippings May 2018

Oenothera speciosa Evening Primrose One of our beautiful local wildflowers

Not many shower, but plenty of May flowers Despite a few heavy rains, April was below average for rainfall across most of the Metroplex, but our roadside wildflowers have still put on a pretty good show. It seems every year a different plant may dominate. This year I noticed some incredible displays of Blue eyed grass and Texas blue star.Blue bonnets and paintbrushes will transition to Indian blankets, verbena, bee balm, and other warm weather flowers in our fields and roadsides. May is a great time for road trips to take in our beautiful wildflower shows.May is historically our rainiest month, but can also be our stormiest with hail and tornados. Lets hope for more rain and less storms. Leave sprinklers off until rains disappear for a week or more, but keep an eye on any new plants. We will be jumping 90 degree afternoons soon, and we have been in a windy pattern that can wilt newly planted flowers in just a day or so.Cool nights and frequent rains can bring on fungal problems like leaf spot on hawthorns and photinias but we should celebrate rain and all the cool weather we can get before summer sets in. May is the month for yard work May may be the busiest month for yard work. As the weather warms and rain normally abounds, lawns finally kick into high gear. Along with weeds, new growth on shrubs and trees, insects, pollen in the air, lions and tigers and bears—Oh My! It can be hard to keep up. Here is a list of some of the chores to get to in the next 30 days: Fertilize lawns now and treat any remaining broadleaf weeds. Mow weekly. Letting grass get too tall between cuttings is hard on the grass and your equipment.  Fertilize spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming. Watch for fungal leaf spot and treat as needed. Trim shrubs, each according to it’s needs. Remove rosette infected rose bushes. Apply baits or season-long controls like Top Choice for fire ants. Trim limbs that have suddenly become too low due to the heavy flush of new growth. Plant summer flowers like pentas, zinnias, etc. It is a little early for periwinkles but we are planting if requested. Cool wet weather can cause fungal problems. Poison Ivy and Other Spring Surprises Poison ivy is abundant in our area, and most folks already know if they are allergic to it. Yes, that is correct. Not everyone reacts to exposure. I personally can rub it on my face with no ill effects, but some folks have to get cortisone shots or may even get a serious skin infection from scratching when they are covered with pustules. If you are not sure of your sensitivity, the best thing to do is avoid it. Poison ivy is a woody vine that may climb trees, fences, or any vertical structure. A mature vine may be several inches thick and can be confused for a small tree. The easiest identifier is the 3 leaves with lobed margins. Poison ivy produces white berries in late season and may turn a vivid red in the fall. Blackberry vines are also similar, but of course have thorns. Pretty well unmistakable. Blackberries may also have 4 and 5 leaves. There are several copycats that are harmless and easy to differentiate with just a little practice. The first and most often mistaken is Virginia creeper. Grows in the same places and with the same habit with one BIG exception—5 leaves! A real trickster is the boxelder tree. Young boxelder seedlings look just like poison ivy except for the green stem and fact that they will grow into trees. Cow itch vine is another to avoid. Just like poison ivy it may cause severe itching but does not affect everyone. It is actually in the grape family whereas poison ivy is in the Sumac family. Notice the three leaves? Much more deeply lobed, but still 3 leaves. This vine has an unpleasant odor when crushed, one more sign telling you to steer clear. Bull nettle may be found in numerous places and you may encounter on a hike or nature walk, but occasionally a bird might plant a seed in your garden. This is a vicious plant which creates a burning inflammation. Like a thistle, you can pretty well determine by appearance that it is not to be messed with. Interestingly though, it produces a tasty nut if you are brave enough to harvest it.  My dad used to take me in the woods with thick leather gloves to pick and clean the nuts. I haven’t eaten one in a long time. There are certainly easier nuts to pick! Now for plants that are commonly planted in the home garden. There is no reason to fear toxic plants, but it is always good to have some knowledge of them. It is rare for a dog or child to consume a poisonous plant but it can happen. Carolina jessamine is a beautiful yellow spring blooming vine, but all parts are poisonous and some folks even have a skin reaction to the sap if they get it on them when trimming. Common shrubs that are poisonous include hydrangeas, with their huge blooms, oleanders, yews, and even our azaleas. Narcissus, daffodil, and hyacinth are all poisonous. Ironically, tulip bulbs are not poisonous and have been eaten during hard times by many different peoples. You should not eat elephant ears or caladiums either, but then surely you have better things to do. Knowledge is power. So before you start thinking about yanking plants you have had for years because you just found out they are poisonous, remember that even the mighty oak and it’s acorns are toxic. Now you can process acorns to make them edible, but again, surely you have better things to do! May Chores Mow weekly Finish planting spring flowers Mulch beds Treat for fireants Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

Prime's Clippings April 2018

Enjoying a Great Spring 

April began with a beautiful spring morning followed by a cold front that dropped us into the low 40s Monday morning. For folks like me that planted tomatoes and peppers this weekend I hope you remembered to cover them!

The heavy rains have got us off to a good start on watering in new plants but that also means the weeds are happy. Remember that most of the weeds you see now will burn out as it warms up, and broadleaf weed killers will control a lot of our problems. But most weed controls do not work overnight as advertisers like to claim. Weed management depends on many factors—temperature, growth stage of plant, etc, and is an on-going process.

Trees are budding and some are making messes dropping their leaves (live oaks), seeds or tassels, spring flowering shrubs are in bloom, and bugs of every denomination are starting to bug everyone. No complaints here though, this is a magical time of year in north Texas.

April is absolutely the busiest month of the year for gardening, so please be patient with us if we can’t always get right to you. We promise to do our best!

Shades of Purple 

You can’t help but notice some of the beautiful lavenders and blues that make their appearance in the spring. Here are a few of my favorites.

Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora 

Native to the hill country, this small tree will grow here if planted with good drainage and a little northern protection. The blooms are sweetly fragrant.

Purple oxalis Oxalis triangularis 

This purple shamrock is a wonderful border for shade gardens.

Chinese wisteria 

If you have the right space and time for an aggressive vine, the reward is a beautiful show in spring.

Iris

So many varieties, so little time to identify each one that a friend has given you. Better to just enjoy. 

Time for Summer Color 

Start making plans now for your summer color. The petunias we recently planted will make a for a big show through May. If you are a petunia person you will need to swap them out for hot weather plants like lantana or periwinkles in early June. But if you just have pansies or nothing at all in your beds then you can start planting many summer flowers now.

So many choices, but low maintenance plants that are not finicky are a big factor for most of us. Few people have the time or inclination to constantly check and treat for insects or diseases, and we need plants that can outlast a long summer season with extreme temperatures. So with this demanding criteria, here are some proven winners.

Full sun or afternoon sun areas: 

Lantana is hands-down the toughest choice for high heat, and the absolute best choice for dryer beds. Some folks think lantana can get a little unruly, but there are new compact dwarf varieties that really perform and grow only to about 12 inches.

For big accents use purple fountain grass, esperanza, sun coleus, or tropical hibiscus.

Scaevola is a great trailing plant in lavender or white, and Blackfoot daisy is a fragrant mounding/trailing plant—both great for rock walls, containers or borders.

Pentas are another heat lover with few problems

Periwinkles love the heat but cannot be planted here until about mid-may due to pythium and rhizoctonia root rot when nights are cool or it is too wet. Dwarf zinnias can have similar issues if planted too early.

Sweet potato vines are another great accent as long as you have the space for them or the time to periodically cut them back, and artemesias such as Dusty Miller or Powis Castle provide silvery foliage. Sunpatiens are a sun tolerant variety of impatiens and perform well with adequate water, but are usually quite a bit pricier.

Other choices for sun include Angelonia, Torenia, Salvia—both perennial and annual types, Blue Daze, Moss Rose, and Purslane. Bronze begonias tolerate sun or shade so are great for those places that go in and out of the sun, but they struggle with uneven moisture, and with twice a week water restrictions it can be hard to keep them looking good in July-August.

Shade areas: 

In the shade, caladiums and begonias are king with impatiens close behind.

Impatiens need a little light to look good all summer. In heavy shade they tend to get leggy in July-August.

Caladiums also need consistent water. You can also use foliage plants like shade coleus, Japanese painted fern, alternanthera, or lamium.

And Dragon wing begonias rule!