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 September 2017

Lonestar Gumweed, grindelia adenodonta

Just a weed to most, beautiful when you take the time to look

 We will be closed Monday, September 4th 

 for Labor Day 

How Many Days 'til Fall?

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August began nicely and was overall a fairly mild month. We certainly had our share of blistering humid days, but the scattered rains throughout north Texas have made this a very bearable summer. Up north, fall dependably begins in September when the kids head back to school. Around here, be prepared for another month or more of hot weather. Maybe we will get lucky though.

Regardless of the difficulty in predicting the 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 quite 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!

Some other nice things about this time of year are fall veggie gardens and planting new shrubs, trees, and grass. We are on the tail end of planting fall vegetables, but you can still have some success with crops from seed like lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, radishes, and carrots, and even broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and tomatoes if you can find them potted in the nursery.

Milder weather will start to set in, so get ready to enjoy a great time of year.

Late Summer Lawn and Garden Care

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The time to treat for grub worms is passing, but treatments will still be effective if done in the next few weeks. Grubs do some of their worst damage in the fall but as soils cool they stop feeding and move deeper into the soil, becoming harder to control.

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 and into October.

Roses, if you are lucky enough to have some that have not fallen victim to rosette disease, benefit from a light pruning in late August or early September. We often have a great rose bloom in October.

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.




Time for Rye and Fescue Seeding

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Time for our annual reminder about over-seeding your lawn with ryegrass. A lush green winter lawn creates a nice foreground or background for early spring flowers like azaleas and spiraeas, and 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 watering once established.

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. Depending on rainfall, 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 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 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 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. Fescue does not usually 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.




Plants to Consider

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Sunshine ligustrum: If you like yellow, this is a neat little shrub. It is evergreen, takes pruning and shaping well and doesn’t seem to have many insect or disease issues. It contrasts well with dark green bushes, purple foliage plants, and purple or red flowers. Use in full or part day sun and with moderate watering.




Garden phlox: Speaking of a purple bloom that would look great behind the sunshine Ligustrum, this variety of old timey garden phlox from my yard attracts butterflies all summer. Available in many colors, phlox paniculata grows about 4-5 ft tall and does best in part sun. A dependable perennial, cut to ground in winter.




Cassia alata, or Candlestick tree, has been around forever but is rarely seen around here. It dies to the ground each winter but often returns from the root, or can be planted from seed or a 1 gallon pot if you can find it in a nursery. Mine grow to about 9 ft tall every summer.




Black Diamond crape myrtle: An interesting newer series of crapes with striking foliage. Available in many colors. Plant in full sun, will reach about 12 ft.

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-Prime Landscape Services-
Voted Reader’s Choice Best Landscape Company in Mansfield August 2017
Thanks, Mansfield!

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September Chores

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• 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

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Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products.
Thanks for your business!

---

Greg Hamann
Owner

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 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

Ryegrass Season Starts in September

Over-seeding with ryegrass for the winter is a popular practice that benefits your lawn and sets your home or business apart from the crowd.

Over-seeded lawns have fewer winter weed issues as weed seeds have a difficult time germinating in the thick green cover provided by healthy turf. You might enjoy the fact that winter normally brings enough rainfall to keep your rye green with little or no supplemental watering once established. A green winter lawn also creates a nice foreground or background for early spring flowers such as daffodils, dogwoods, Mexican plums, azaleas, and spiraeas. Even Christmas lighting is more attractive when framed by lush green grass instead of dormant brown lawn.

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 ryegrasses 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 rake or bag 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. 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 winter lawn this year.