Prime's Clippings January 2019

Daffodils- Coming Soon!

Happy New Year! As we put a tumultuous 2018 in our rear-view mirrors, here’s hoping the New Year will bring a fresh start and renewed optimism for a great year.  We appreciate each and every one of our clients and the opportunities you gave us in 2018 and look forward to another great year serving you. The hard freeze we got on the morning of Jan. 1st can be a good thing for reducing bug populations, but overall we have had abnormal rainfall and mild temperatures. Unfortunately this sets us up for a bad winter weed situation with big patches of henbit and winter weeds already growing rampantly along the roadsides (and in our flower beds!) The agenda for January will be finishing leaf clean ups, weeding beds, and starting broadleaf weed applications. Fire ants have been more noticeable too because the saturated soils make them mound at the surface. That will be another spring challenge to look forward to. The bright side? You don’t have to water pansies when we get weekly rains, the wildflower show this spring should be a good one, and area lakes are full. Already lots of things to look forward to in 2019!   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. Some specifics on pruning: Many perennials die back almost to the ground and should be cut very low. You can usually tell—rudbeckias, salvia leucantha, etc. Woody perennials like the popular salvia greggi benefit from a hard pruning of a third or more. Hydrangeas are deciduous, not perennials. Those stems may look brown but do not prune them unless you just want to make them smaller. Doing so will remove next year’s flowers. 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. There is always a higher mortality with transplants than with container plants, and the labor for transplanting may equal or exceed the cost to install a new plant. So in most cases, transplanting trees or shrubs is only practical as a do it yourself chore. 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. The rains this fall will add a lot of growth come spring so plan on having to remove some low limbs this year. 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. In fact, it is time to plant onions now and only a month away from planting cabbage and broccoli seedlings!   Drainage Solutions The past few months have brought numerous flooding events throughout Texas. Many homes and properties that have less than optimal slope can benefit from drainage modifications. The first goal is to create a slope that carries water away from structures or problem areas on the surface. It may involve regrading, retaining walls, or swales. Next is to capture concentrated water from roofs or concrete areas and redirect it, usually using drain pipes. You may also need catch basins connected to pipes in strategic areas to capture more surface water, and lastly a French drain system of perforated pipe in gravel can be used to dry out low areas that tend to stay wet. And if your problem area is lower than the surrounding areas, a sump pump system may be incorporated to move the water. Each situation is unique and may require one or more of these solutions. If you are dealing with drainage problems, give us a call for a free evaluation and estimate.   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.

January Chores Finish leaf clean-ups Mulch beds Trim crape myrtles Make major pruning changes to overgrown shrubs Prune low limbs on trees Prune dormant perennials and fountain grasses Plant and transplant trees and shrubs Apply pre-emergent and broadleaf herbicides Change water and clean water gardens and koi ponds Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

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 February 2018

70 Degrees on January 31... Deja vu! Three years in a row now I have mentioned that January was ending with highs in the seventies! I guess Texas weather is consistent year after year—Ha! But even the freezes have been somewhat similar to last year with two really hard ones and freeze burn on a lot of plants. We are running a rain deficit again too, and that makes it hard on shrubs, flowers, and even St. Augustine when we get these 12-15 degree cold snaps. Winter is nowhere near over, so pay attention and water before the next hard freeze. The dry conditions and cold snaps have kept winter weeds at bay. No, it was not just our great pre-emergent applications - weather is the biggest factor. As soon as we get some rain expect to see henbit and other cool weeds start to show. We are busy putting out our first winter weed application to try and keep the lawns pristine. Our crews are busy cutting back roses, perennials, and grasses, so please let us know if you are not already on a regular schedule for these chores. It is easy to get spring fever in February when we have these balmy afternoons, but don’t get too carried away. There will be more winter yet.    Our Annual Mulch Special Continues Through February 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   A Serious Problem For Crape Myrtles Crape myrtles are a wonderfully versatile shrub or small tree that has been widely planted in north Texas for perhaps as many as a hundred years and with good reasons. They are well suited to the climate and soils of a large part of Texas and have had only minor pest and disease issues. However, there is a type of felt or bark scale that first appeared around 2004 and is doing serious damage to our crapes. Look for a black (sooty mold) coating on the bark of the trunk and on the branches. The insects appear as white, waxy encrustations likely to occur anywhere on the plant. Larger female scales “bleed” a pink liquid when crushed. Careful examination may reveal dozens of pink eggs under some of the larger white scale covers. The best research has found that dormant oil sprayed before the leaves emerge and a systemic insecticide containing imacloprid will need to be applied in spring and possibly 1-2 more times through the season. On small crapes with minor infestations you can also wash and rub the scale off with soapy water. Anytime we are trying to control an undesirable insect pest we must consider the negative impact on beneficial insects, especially honeybees and those that prey on the target pest. This is called IPM, integrated pest management. The twice-stabbed lady beetle is a natural predator of scale insects. A&M found that the dormant oils and systemic insecticides had the least impact on beneficials. And contact insecticides not only kill more beneficials, they also are not as effective after the scale has matured and developed it’s waxy armor. The scale nymphs will begin crawling in early April and then attach and begin feeding. They become covered with a waxy shell and may have up to 4 generations of eggs in a season. After hatching, the tiny crawlers emerge from under the scale and spread out on the same plant, or are windblown or travel on birds to other plants. The scale detracts from the beauty of the crape, diminishes it’s vigor, and reduces blooming. The weakened plants may become stressed enough to die. If you have noticed these symptoms or are concerned that your crapes may become infected, call for an evaluation and treatment plan. We need to apply dormant oil and insecticide within the next two months to be most effective.   Spring Scents Are Just a Few Weeks Away Yes, it is still winter and we don’t need to get ahead of ourselves. But in just a few weeks you may be able to catch the smell of spring in the air. We have several plants that will begin blooming as early as mid-February, and many have a wonderful fragrance. Daffodils, jonquils, hyacinths, and paperwhites will be in bloom soon, and some varieties are heavily scented. Paperwhites are often forced and sold as indoor blooming plants, but several will naturalize here and the perfume is almost overwhelming. Some of our flowering trees will bloom by early March, and our native Mexican Plum is among the earliest and most fragrant. Chaenomeles japonica, or flowering quince, is a rather homely shrub best suited in the back of the bed, but it is covered with beautiful red, pink, or white blooms in February-March with a soft scent. Old fashioned forsythia is a cheerfully yellow harbinger of spring that will also delight your nose. Winter flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, is a deciduous shrub that produces sweetly scented white flowers in February, and Jasminum nudiflorum, winter flowering jasmine, is a durable shrub covered with a mass of tiny yellow flowers around the same time. Ironically, the heavily planted Bradford pear may be beautiful when it blooms, but actually has a scent that has been compared to rotten fish and worse. It is a fairly weak, short-lived tree anyway, so lets avoid that one! February Chores Cut back Asian jasmine, liriope, and roses Treat crape myrtles with dormant oil for bark scale Make major pruning changes to overgrown shrubs Prune low limbs on trees Prune dormant perennials and fountain grasses Plant and transplant trees and shrubs Apply pre-emergent and broadleaf herbicides Change water and clean water gardens and koi ponds   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 June 2017

Centaura Americana - American Basket Flower
An early summer wildflower

Ready for Summer?

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May was a disappointment to much of the metroplex regarding our rain totals. Normally our wettest month, it seems most of the storms split north and south of Fort Worth. There have been blisteringly hot days and a few blissfully cool days as well, but it is a sure bet that hot weather will start to dominate.

We have already had to start supplemental watering in between the scattered rains, and pay close attention to newly planted flowers, shrubs, and trees  to make sure they are not allowed to dry out. Remember, those root zones remain the same size as the pot they were in for several weeks or even months. Many plants will recover from wilting but it always slows their growth.

So here is my early summer checklist:

• Weed beds and mulch everything
• Fertilize lawns and beds
• Spot spray weeds in the lawn
• Check sprinklers and adjust heads
• Hand water new plants
• Plant the last warm season vegetables—it’s a little late, but cantaloupes and a few others can still go in
• Start enjoying the tomatoes, peppers, squash and other garden goodies that are already producing (side note: wage war on squash bugs!)
• Get outdoors and enjoy the last crops of wildflowers

And when it gets too hot, head for the lake or the pool. Welcome summer!

What to watch for as we heat up...

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Surprisingly, we haven’t observed too many insect issues yet in spite of our warm winter. Mosquitoes are starting to show up but have not been a big problem. We have been monitoring for bagworms on one of our properties that has hundreds of cypress trees, and they have not shown up yet. We are nearing the time for tent caterpillars as well, so we may start seeing both of these critters pop up in June.

Fire ants of course are ever-present and make new mounds after every rain. And that’s possibly the key to why we haven’t had big problems with any of these pests — we haven’t had a lot of rain just yet.

Aphids and azalea bark scale are a constant problem on crape myrtles, and a systemic insecticide is the most effective weapon against the bark scale.

Conditions were optimal this winter for some blight and canker on Italian cypress and similar trees. There is no control, so if you have dead patches in your cypress or junipers prune it out or remove the tree. Some crapes had severe freeze damage, treatment is the same. Most fungal diseases should decrease as it gets hot, but gray leaf spot and chinch bugs are potential summer problems for St. Augustine.

gray leaf spot

chinch bugs

Prime landscapes new ride at Six Flags!

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We were honored to work on a new attraction at Six Flags again this year, helping them usher in The Joker. This is an exciting ride for the true thrill seeker. And it is exciting for us to get to work with the skilled and dedicated team at Six Flags and observe how they meet all the challenges in bringing these world-class attractions to the public.  Be sure and include a trip to Six Flags in your summer plans!

June Chores

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• Mow Weekly
• Finish planting spring flowers
• Mulch beds
• Treat for fire ants, mosquitoes, and caterpillars 

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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!

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Greg Hamann, Owner

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 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!