South Bend Landscaping

Mulch Volcanoes = Declining Trees

The flare of a tree or shrub is the point where the above ground trunk becomes the root system thru which water and nutrients enter the tree.  It is vitally important that the trunk not have soil or mulch covering the bark as this traps moisture and will lead to bark decay.  Repeated application of dyed pallet based wood chips can cause this over the course of several years as the material does not decay as rapidly as bark mulch.

If you see mulch volcanoes surrounding your trees, you (or your landscaper) should pull all mulch and soil away from the trunk.   

Also, be aware that some balled and burlapped trees come from the nursery with excess soil on the top of the ball.  You (or your landscaper) must cut this excess off the top of the ball during installation.  Unfortunately, the tree will not usually die during the typical one year warranty period provided by most landscape contractors, so be sure to check planting depth if there is no flare visible at grade.  The following image is typical of a tree planted or mulched too deep.

For more tips on landscape care, visit our website:
http://www.foegleylandscape.com/Landscaping.html

 

Annual Flowers - a couple of thoughts

Mothers day is next weekend and usually it is safe to begin planting annual flowers. 
(See previous post for our process)   Annual flowers can be rather particular regarding exactly where they are planted, so be sure to do some research on the environment and pick your annuals accordingly. 

We have found planting directly beneath trees and certain large shrubs can be somewhat difficult as the larger plants hog nutrients and water.  You also have to cut and remove feeder roots from the beds every year.  In some cases this can be difficult. 

One simple solution is to use above ground containers to display your annuals in those difficult areas.  The clean soil used in planters can also reduce weeding requirements.  We usually add drip irrigation to our containers and fertilizer on a frequent basis to promote flowering.   And of course containers full of annuals add interest to any deck, patio or other location where a planting bed is impractical.

The following photo has a mix of annual flowers vines and foilage tropical plants.

For more photos of containers and flower gardens, visit our web site.

http://www.foegleylandscape.com/landscape%20new%20photos%20comments.html

 

 

 

 

Wild Garlic Mustard

Wild Garlic Mustard is quickly taking over our natural areas and should be a major concern to any home or business owner who enjoys seeing wildflowers and native plants in woodlands or meadows.  This invasive plant is even taking over roadsides in some areas!

"Garlic mustard poses a severe threat to native plants and animals in forest communities in much of the eastern and midwestern U.S. Many native widlflowers that complete their life cycles in the springtime (e.g., spring beauty, wild ginger, bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, hepatica, toothworts, and trilliums) occur in the same habitat as garlic mustard. Once introduced to an area, garlic mustard outcompetes native plants by aggressively monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Wildlife species that depend on these early plants for their foliage, pollen, nectar, fruits, seeds and roots, are deprived of these essential food sources when garlic mustard replaces them. Humans are also deprived of the vibrant display of beautiful spring wildflowers." The primary management objective in infested sites is to prevent seed production. Cutting flowerstalks is effective in small populations. Fire and herbicide may be useful for larger populations but both have potential side effects. No method provides 100% control.Courtesy of DCNR web site.

Check out the following links for more information on control methods

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/garlic_mustard_M_C.htm

 

Thank You Veterans

To all family, friends and business associates who have served our country in the military:

Thank you for all you have done to keep our country free - and to help other countries around the world.

You have made the world a better place.

Great annual flower beds!

Greetings all!

Here are a few tricks to get your annual flowers to really thrive this summer!

Plant early, but after the last frost.  While it's hard to predict the exact date of last frost, Mothers day is a good rule of thumb.  This season has been a bit cool after our early warmup, so we're waiting an extra week or so to begin our planting.

Amend your flower bed with compost & make sure you have good drainage.  Annuals like a rich fertile, well drained soil.  If your flower bed has poor sandy, gravely soil or holds standing water after a rain, your flowers won't do as well.  You can sometimes mound the bed to create sufficient drainage when needed.

Select the proper annual for your location.  There are a multitude of annuals out there, but here are a few guidelines:  Petunias like full sun and heat and can tolerate some dryness.  Impatients like partial shade.  Begonias are a good general conditions annual.  Buy from a reputable garden center and read the label for your choices.  Buy flats that contain vigorus, healthy plants.  Avoid "leggy" plants that appear too big for their container.

Give plants room to grow.  While dense plantings will give a good initial appearance, the plants won't mature properly if planted too close together.  Spacing will depend on variety and can vary between 6" and 9" on center.

Cultivate the bed prior to planting  It is easier for the new plants to root into loose fluffy soil.  We also find adding some slow release fertilizer at this stage provides continual nutrition to the flowers during the season.  If possible, avoid planting on hot dry days. 

Give them a boost by watering in with Rapid Gro or other liquid fertilizer.  The planting process is somewhat stressful to the flowers, so giving them a shot of quick absorbing water based fertilizer helps them get established quicker.  Be sure to follow the directions for your fertilizer.

Avoid mulching annual flower beds.  It takes nutrients to break down the mulch, which robs nutirents from the flowers.  We suggest using Preen for weed control.  Avoid other stronger weed control products.  Be sure to read the label, or hand weed beds as needed.

Don't let your flower bed dry out and keep them on a regularly scheduled fertilizer program.  We use a "blossom boosting" water based fertilizer.   A little TLC during the season and your flowers will be the best in the neighborhood. 

Don't have time for all this?  Give us a call. We'll be glad to help.  For more info visit http:\\www.foegleylandscape.com

Mugho Pine Pest

If you have mugho pines in your landscape, be on the lookout for sawfly larva.  Our crews started seeing them this week.  They can strip a mugho pine in short order, so an inspection is in order The following excerpt is from the University of Illinois extension:

"The European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer) is found in large numbers and "waves" in mass as a means of scaring off predators. It feeds on mugo pines as well as many other pines. This sawfly larva feeds for about six weeks. They feed on older mature leaves, leaving the emerging needle alone.

Failure to control the European Pine Sawfly insect is not usually fatal to the plant. However, a more sparse plant will be the result. However, redheaded and white pine sawflies can kill branches or the entire tree if numerous. If an insecticide is applied, it is best done when larvae are hatching or very small to minimize damage. Time to treat often corresponds to saucer magnolia petal drop. Control as soon after egg hatch as possible."

We find this pest easily controled with insecticides available at most garden centers.  Be sure to follow the directions for the product you select.

For more information about your landscape, visit our website at http://www.foegleylandscape.com/

Landscape Tip #1 if you're building a new home.

Great homes deserve great landscaping.  Spectatular landscapes integrate the natural environment, architecture of the home and liftstyle of the family, so it it necessary to consider these three elements very early in the homebuilding process.  Even if you plan on doing a large portion of the acutal landscape yourself, it will be important to consider the following before you begin construction.

Our number one suggestion is to contact an experienced landscape architect before construction begins. Master gardeners and other landscape "designers" will usually have a more limited skill set and knowledge base.  We also suggest you interview several landscape architects before you blindly accept the landscape contractor suggested by your homebuilder.  Ask about their education and experience and ask to see photographs of their work, reference letters and testimonials as evidence of their ability to design a superior landscape.

A degreed landscape architect has the education and experience to set a home properly so good views are taken advantage of and poor views are screened.  Setting the home at the proper elevation can save thousands in excavation costs and establish good drainage away from the home.  A landscape architect can also be invaluable when working with irrigation, paving and other subcontractors involved with the construction of your home.

A landscape architect will usually allocate space for play areas if the family has children and entertaining space if that is a favorite past time of the homeowners.  These outdoor spaces must be planned BEFORE home construction begins so they take advantage of the best locations on the property.

If you'd like to see the results of spectacular landscape design and installation, visit our website at http://www.foegleylandscape.com/

Next week, we'll discuss selecting landscape contractors.

Eastern Tent Caterpillars - spring webs in trees

We've started seeing Eastern Tent Caterpillars this week.  They form webs in the crotches of trees and shrubs in spring to early summer.  If reachable and small in size,  in the morning take the web and contents of squirmy worms down and step on them - (a simple method that avoids chemicals). If you prefer to spray them, the following process is a good one - courtesy of Penn State University.  We use Sevin to spray in our nursery

...apply registered formulations to the nests (we try and get the spray inside the nest when possible) and about one foot of the surrounding branches or trunk. Apply the spray before the nests are three inches in diameter. If possible, make applications early in the morning when the caterpillars are generally inside their nests. Follow all label directions for specific information on host plant label clearance, phytotoxicity information, safety precautions, and dosage information.

For more information on maintenance related topics visit the owners manual section at www.foegleylandscape.com

Think Spring!

John

Weed Control Methods

As soil tempreatures warm, seeds that have been lying dormant all winter will begin to sprout and grow. To save youself a lot of work this year, get landscape bed weeds under control now.  In another week, you'll have more weeds to pull or spray. 

Our weed control program begins early when we apply Snapshot, Preen or other appropriate weed control chemicals to create a barrier thru which most seeds cannot grow.  Once the chemical control is applied, we apply bark mulch to seal the chemical in and prevent sunlight from reaching the seeds.

Perennial weeds grow from roots, so pre-emergent chemicals are ineffective. The root systems of perennials are tough, so hand weeding is often ineffective.  Applying Roundup or a similar product is the best way to control perennial weeds, but be careful.  Roundup will kill most plants you spray it on.  You can hand apply with a rubber glove and rag to protect your sensitive plants.

A few of other cautions would  be:

Always read the label and follow the instructions

Don't apply stronger pre-emergent weed controls to annual flower beds.  The flowers will be stunted or may even die.

Do not walk thru areas you have sprayed with roundup.  Your shoes will pick up the chemical and may track thru your yard, killing the grass where you walk.

For more info on maintenace issues, visit our website at http://www.foegleylandscape.com/Landscaping.html

Think Spring!

John

Starting up your irrigation system

Recent spring rains and warming temps have the grass turning green and many ornamental trees starting to flower. It is now time to turn on your irrigation system so repairs can be made BEFORE things get dry and crunchy. Here's the checklist our technicians use to start up systems for our clients

http://www.foegleylandscape.com/Irrigation%20spring%20startup.htm

If you have any irrigation system problems that you can't deal with, give us a call. We're ready and able to help.

Spring update
Greetings everyone. Our crews are out cleaning up homes and businesses this week. Here is a short list of spring cleanup things you might want to do at your own home or business so your landscape will get off to a great start as the weather warms.
Remove winter debris & vac entire lawn
Power Rake/Dethatch
Core Aerate
Edge walks, drives, curbs
Slit Seed thin and/or shade areas

Next Blog - weed control and mulch to keep your landscape beds looking great without so much work!

For more info visit out website at www.foegleylandscape.com