Welcome 2018
 We hope everyone enjoyed the end of year festivities and seasonally cold weather for the holidays. Maybe a little hard to enjoy the 16 degree icy start on New Years Eve, but a little winter weather can be a good thing for bugs and weeds.
A freeze like this that lasts for more than a few days will generally damage all zone 9 and some zone 8 plants. We have good soil moisture now so our plants have a good shot at coming through this okay, but there will inevitably be a few broken pipes.
We are always excited about the possibilities a new year brings- except for ice storms! We are adding on to our building and updating equipment in our ongoing effort to provide the best possible service.
We appreciate all of our great clients and welcome your feedback.
You can always reach out to us at contactus@primelandscapeservices.com if there's anything you need.
Our Annual Mulch Special is Here
Mulching your beds is absolutely the best thing you can do for the health of your soil and plants.
Remember: mulch reduces weeds, improves soil structure, conserves moisture, protects plants from extreme cold and summer heat, and gives your beds a neat appearance.
How much do I need? We recommend adding 2” to existing mulch or 3” to un-mulched areas. A 2 cu ft bag will cover about 10 sq ft 2” deep or 7 sq ft 3” deep
Take Advantage Now!
Mention our newsletter for 15% off normal prices.
Prices Include Delivery and Installation!
(extra charges may apply for bed weeding
or leaf clean-ups if needed)
DISCOUNTED PRICES:
Hardwood: $5.50 per 2 cu ft bag
Dark brown, enriches soil as it decomposes
Cedar: $6.00 per 2 cu ft bag
Great cedar smell, lighter color, lasts longer
Red or Black Mulch: $6.00 per bag
For a decorative look
Winter Chores
Leaves: Most of our leaves are down and we should finish the last of our leaf clean ups in early January. Some trees like Shumard oak are still holding their leaves but should finish dropping any day now. Live oaks drop in Feb - March, giving us another round of leaf clean-ups in late winter. If we haven’t gotten to yours and at any time this winter you need a clean up please call to let us know.
 Remember too that we clean gutters! Let us know if we can help you with that!
Weeds: Our first round of Spring pre-emergent weed control will start in January-February. This application and the next one in March also contain a broadleaf weed killer for any dandelions, henbit, or chickweed that have come up over the last few months. Even when they are caught early it still takes two applications to kill them. Please note that grassy winter weeds like wild rye and rescue grass are very difficult to control. They require spot treatments with specialty herbicides which take several weeks to work.
Pruning: Most perennials are dormant now and need to be cut back. Ornamental fountain grasses like Maiden and Muhly grasses look nice for awhile after dormancy but will start to shed and get messy. We will start cutting those back in January as well. Roses should be cut back in February. Winter is also the time to make drastic cuts if you are trying to reduce the size of overgrown shrubs.
Groundcovers: Our liriope and Asian jasmine groundcovers should be cut back before they start to put out new growth in spring. With our unpredictable winters it is hard to pick the best time. We normally wait until the end of January to avoid exposing them to temperatures in the teens.
Transplanting: January and February are good months for transplanting shrubs and dividing most perennials. However, it is not always practical to transplant large shrubs or trees for several reasons: There are often sprinkler pipes or other plants in close proximity, making it difficult to excavate an appropriate root ball. The labor for transplanting may equal or exceed the cost to install a new plant. And there is always a higher mortality with transplants than with container plants.
Tree Trimming: Limb structure is easiest to see when trees are dormant, so winter is a good time to clean up your trees. Remember in Arlington that tree limbs by city code must be kept 14 ft above the street. This is a good idea regardless of where you live, so your limbs are not damaged by delivery trucks and they do not impede emergency vehicles like fire trucks.
Planting: Fall and winter are great seasons for planting new shrubs and trees to avoid moisture stress and get the root systems established before summer! Exceptions would be palms or tender zone 8 plants.
Planning: And if you are a spring gardener, start lining up your improvement plans now! We routinely book out for several weeks starting in March. And if you are a fellow veggie gardener, winter is when we peruse seed catalogs for inspiration and new varieties to try.
 Daffodils- Coming Soon!
Got Ice? We Can Help!
 Don’t let a winter storm shut your business down or create a hazardous situation for people trying to access your home or business!
We aid several of our commercial properties with snow and ice removal, salting, and sanding.
We are ready again should the need arise, and can even help homeowners with ice melt for steep driveways and sidewalks.
But please call us ahead of time and let us know if you would like de-icing or snow removal services for your home or business before the next big storm.
A Word About Crape Myrtle Pruning
Crape myrtles are traditionally pruned in January-February.
The horticulturally correct method is to treat a standard tree-form crape like any other tree. Prune entire branches to allow more sunlight into the canopy and reduce overcrowding, remove low branches that are in the way, remove water sprouts and suckers, and strip the seed pods if their appearance bothers you or cut tips of limbs no larger than a pencil.
However, many properties and some homeowners want their crapes kept within a certain size range and this limit requires “topping” or more drastic cutting of the crowns. Since we have to administer both techniques, be sure to let us know if you have a preference.
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