Disease damaged dead spots are ideal for slice-seeding repair

Unfortunately, most people don’t think about seeding their lawns in the fall after drought, disease and insect damaged areas have been created throughout the summer growing season. Instead, most people think about spring lawn seeding which is much less than the ideal time to seed. The only other worst timing for seeding would be mid-summer in the extreme heat or late fall when the seed might germinate only to be killed by freezing temperatures.   

Thin lawn areas are renewed with slice-seeding

Does my lawn need to be completely torn out and start over? 

Depending on the condition of your lawn, there are a variety of ways to make your lawn one in which you can be proud. If your lawn is thin or has some smaller bare areas, you should consider slice seeding or overseeding. This can be done by a commercial contractor that has this specialty type of equipment or you can rent slice-seeders from select locations. If your lawn is a complete mess and you want to fix it immediately, perhaps sodding is your best option. If you want to choose the exact type of turf seed that will be called your future lawn, maybe a complete lawn renovation is in order for your more discerning turf palette. For spotty, minor lawn problems, spot seeding with a little topsoil might be your solution. No matter which option you choose to repair your lawn, your decision should be based upon its current condition, your desired quality of your lawn and your patience, the availability of irrigation and of course, your budget. Lawn sodding is much more expensive than lawn seeding.   

Slice-seeding in action. Note no damage to existing turf.

Why or why not use sod? 

 
Sod is an instant lawn. Adding sod to your home lawn is like going to the hospital to pick up your newborn baby without having had nine months of gestation and prenatal care. Instant lawn….instant baby!  Lawn sodding eliminates or at least minimizes any initial weed problems and reduces or eliminates erosion on slopes. Sod comes in different blends of grasses. The most common sod that you will encounter in the Midwest is grown from a blend of Kentucky bluegrasses. You should ask your sod supplier for the seed mix or blend from which your sod was grown. The downside to sodding is that you are not establishing the plant in the native soil from which it was grown. When you install sod, you are bringing in soil that is different than the native soil. This results in the root system wanting to stay in the soil from the sod and not move into your native soil. Many times, sodded lawns decline over five years due to the differences in soil types.   

Vertical trenches allow seed to make solid contact with soil.

Core aeration and overseeding
Don’t confuse core aeration with slice seeding or overseeding. Core aeration is the process of mechanically pulling up plugs of soil and thatch from your lawn. This technique reduces soil compaction, minimizes thatch accumulation, and will give you an overall healthier lawn. Core aeration combined with overseeding is an alternative to slice seeding because it combines aeration with the benefit of adding a select seed variety to your lawn. Core aeration combined with overseeding however will not produce the same results as a true slice seeding machine. 

Fall is the time for turf. Kentucky bluegrass especially loves the warm days and cooler evenings of the fall season. With proper care and the right seed mix, you can have your lawn looking its best by late fall. A thick, dark green lawn is a beautiful canvas to fallen gold and red leaves of October.

Summer is in full swing and hopefully you have planted or are in the process of planting your annual flowers.  Nothing accentuates the landscape more than a nicely placed, healthy grouping of annual flower color.  The question is, does your annual flower display explode with vibrant colors or does your flower display merely sit in your landscape and meekly exist without much notice whatsoever?

So what’s the secret to growing vibrant, healthy, explosive annual flowers? The answer is not as simple as you might think.  For any plant, annual flower or otherwise, location, location, location is the primary consideration.  How much sun, wind, reflective heat, shade, soil condition, slope and soil condition are all important elements to take into account before choosing your seasonal plants for color.

Never let your infant annuals dry out….ever!

First of all, annual flowers are grown in very small pots with a very small root system.  Allowing them to dry out can cause quick demise or at best, a stressful set back from which they may never completely recover.  Annual flowers dry out QUICKLY!  This is probably one of the top reasons why folks have mediocre flower displays in their landscape.

Know your Location

Be sure to choose the right type of annual flowers for the right locations.  Some plants such as the ever popular geranium require as much sun as you can provide during the day.   As more sun is available to the geraniums the flowers become more compact and full of bloom.   Some plants like begonias and impatiens can tolerate a wide range of conditions, thus their popularity.  Certain taller accent plants like large caladiums (elephant ears) or banana trees will be torn to shreds if placed in a windy location.  For an aesthetically pleasing annual display, make sure you plant in the correct environmental conditions.    

Prepare your soil

Spending extra time to prepare your planting soil will pay you in explosive dividends with any plant, especially when dealing with annual flowers.  Annuals prefer a rich, well drained soil.  Adding peat moss, comtil or any other organic compost material will loosen as well as enrich the soil with much needed nutrients.  Planting in heavy clay soil is a no win proposition.  Your annuals will have no chance to thrive or possibly live at all in such undesirable conditions. 

Clear out the old mulch

Another common problem that we see is that individuals don’t plant their new annuals properly.  Annuals need to be planted down into the soil level.  Plant beds over the years can develop a thick layer of mulch.  Many times the unsuspecting flower planter will diligently trowel out their planting holes but the annuals are planted high up in this thick layer of mulch and they never reach the soil. Again, this technique will cause an annual flower to fizzle at best.  In many cases, these annuals will die.

More is better!

Don’t let your annuals be lonely.  It is a waste of time and energy to plant solitary annual flowers spaced many feet apart.  This is the equivalent to painting a few lines on your walls inside your home.  Perhaps a better analogy would be to place a shrub spaced ten to twenty feet apart along the front of your home.  You just won’t get the impact that a grouping will provide.  Be sure to plant your flowers in groupings large enough to make a statement.  You may certainly mix varieties but still keep the grouping theme in mind. 

Annual flowers in mass

Feed your flowers!

The final key to success in having an excellent explosion of annual flower color is fertilizer.  Be sure to feed your annual flowers!  They grow fast and they require nutrients to do this.  There are several popular brands from which to choose from and just as many ways to deliver the nutrients as well.  We like to use granular slow release products when our annuals are first planted and then follow up in two to three weeks with a liquid fertilizer. Don’t forget to feed again in about another month to keep the fireworks going.  The granular slow release fertilizer will keep feeding them throughout the season while the liquid fertilizers can provide for quick explosive bursts of energy and bloom. 

The beauty and simplicity of annual color can bring any landscape to life.  Just a little splash of color can turn that pumpkin of a home or business in to an elegant and attractive chariot overnight.  By preparing your beds, correctly planting your annuals and by watering and fertilizing, you will have that beautiful summer oasis of which you have always dreamed.

First of all, lawn waste bags are an unnecessary waste of paper.  We may have to cut the grass, but we shouldn’t have to cut down trees to use for hauling away those clippings! Grass clippings are made mostly of moisture and nitrogen. You pay good money, in the form of fertilizers, to put nitrogen on your lawn to make it grow, be lush, and have a healthy green color. Why haul away all the fertilizer that you’ve paid for? Don’t waste more of your own money by bagging your lawn clippings which is a completely unnecessary process.  Leave it on your lawn and not at the local landfill.

The most common misconception that leads to homeowners bagging grass clippings is the thought that clippings contribute to lawn thatch. This could not be any more incorrect. Lawn clippings contribute less than 3% to a lawns thatch layer. The thatch layer is primarily made up of un-decomposed dead stems and roots that become matted. So what causes thatch you might ask? Stressing the lawn is the number one reason for lawn thatch build up. Ok, great you say, so, what stresses the lawn? The primary stressors are cutting your lawn too short or cutting more than one-third of the total height at any one cutting. Our turf lawns are not putting greens. Turf type lawns should be cut around two and one-half inches to three inches in height. Other stressors are too much water, too little water, too much nitrogen fertilizer or too much compaction, all of which can all lead to an unhealthy lawn.  Raising the height at which your mower cuts will make your lawn healthier by encouraging deeper roots which, in turn, make your lawn require less water and be more drought resistant. You’ll save water by cutting your turf higher!

Grass clippings are high in nitrogen and mulching them right back into your lawn makes great sense. You can save yourself the back-breaking effort of bagging, you can save the landfills from unnecessary yard waste and you can put those hard earned nutrients right back into your soil. The only time you will need to remove excess clippings is when you let the lawn go uncut and it gets too tall. Bagging your lawn clippings, on average, can add up to 30 percent more time to an already tedious chore. Often the lawn mower is left running while filling the yard waste bags. This adds fuel to the list of items you are wasting…in addition to time, money, paper, etc. etc. If you feel that you must bag your clippings, consider making a compost pile somewhere on your premises.

Yard waste makes up around 20 percent of all waste material at landfills. Also, bagged grass consumes far more energy by the need of large trucks to haul this unnecessary yard waste to the dumps.  You can be the envy of your neighbors by being a better educated and responsible steward of your lawn. Your overall lawn will be healthier, your lawn will remain greener longer and you won’t need to work as hard. All of these benefits and you’ll be helping our environment all at the same time. Dump the bag!

The biggest thing to do right now is simply take some time to look over and evaluate your lawn and landscape.  Because we had extended periods of low temperatures and excessive amounts of snow covering our landscapes, homeowners may start to notice damage to their turf and plants as the snow starts to melt away.  One such damage that may be noticeable to lawns may come in the form of snow mold.

Snow Mold is a fungal disease that can be caused by excess snow and ice build up on grass, which appears as circular, straw colored patches in your lawn.  Cultural controls are the best option for lawn recovery if such damaged occurs.  This can be done by raking injured areas with a hard rake or a leaf rake.  This not only helps promote air circulation, but will help allow sunlight to penetrate down into the canopy and encourage new growth in the spring.  If the damage is severe, seeding or sodding may become an option.

Although snow mold is a fungal disease, fungicides are not recommended are a curative approach.  Fungicides can be costly and your grass may recover with natural, cultural practices as the weather changes.  Preventatively applying a fungicide application in the early winter season will save you headaches as well as reduce your lawns’ probability of developing this disease.  If you’re not sure of what is wrong with your lawn, calling a professional is recommended. 

As you walk around your property, you may start to notice that your lawn was not the only thing that incurred damaged from the harsh winter.  Shrubs and trees may also have been injured from the excess snow.  As snow accumulates without time to melt, plants may droop or fall over and branches may break from the heavy weight of the snow.  Broken and damaged branches should be pruned to help speed up the recovery process.  This will also help prevent diseases and insects from attacking your plants later.  Even though you may have a broken branch in the middle of your shrub or an unsightly looking plant now, it may recover as the growing season returns.  So don’t fret yet.  If you’re unsure of what to prune or you’re not sure how to prune a particular plant, call a landscape professional.  Also, it is not recommended to try and prune broken branches high in trees.  You may injure yourself or someone around you.  You should call a professional arborist to assess your situation.

If you have assessed your plants and lawn closely without any noticeable damage, then you are one of the few!  In that rare case, making sure your plants and lawn are prepared is the next thing to do.  Apply a fertilizer with a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn to help control crabgrass and other unwanted weeds.  March 15 – April 15 are the approximate dates for pre-emergent herbicide applications in central Ohio.  You want to make sure the herbicide moves to the zone of weed seed germination, which is accomplished by rainfall or irrigation.  Weeds not only take away necessary nutrients and water but they deter you from having a healthy lawn.  It is almost impossible and naturally undesirable to have 100% weed control, but preventative treatments go a long way to having a healthy, visually aesthetic lawn in the spring.

Your plants and trees need nutrients as well.  Fertilizer is not plant food. Plants use water, carbon dioxide, elements from fertilizer, and energy from the sun to produce their own food. Synthetic (manufactured) and natural (sometimes incorrectly called organic) fertilizers provide nutrients for plant growth.   A balanced fertilizer applied in the spring will help encourage new growth and have your landscape healthy and ready for the upcoming season.

Studies have shown that morale increases in office environments where the outward appearances look attractive, implying pride and success. An unkempt and dingy outside appearance could actually turn away potential customers and highly motivated workers.

Have a landscape design professional evaluate your home or office. Many times simple landscape maintenance techniques will spring new life into an existing landscape. At times, however, some minor changes in plant placement or the removal of an overgrown shrub or tree with be necessary to give a home or office an updated and appealing new look.

Landscapes that have some age, and especially those that have not received proper maintenance over the years may require complete landscape renovation. If you find yourself in this predicament, this is a great opportunity to hire a competent landscape design professional to make the absolute best that your structure and site have to offer. Be the envy of your community with that all important first impression!

There are 3 primary ways that your home may gain or lose heat: 1) air infiltration, 2) heat conduction, and 3) solar radiation.  A carefully designed landscape that takes these things into account can help reduce home heating and cooling costs by 25%.  This could mean hundreds of dollars in energy savings each year!  In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy recently released a study showing that with even as few as 3 well positioned trees, you could see savings of $100 to $250 annually.  Following some additional simple guidelines, you can make changes to your landscape that will leave you with even more green in your pocket.

In the winter, your home may be losing 20% to 30% of its heat due to air infiltration.  One way to reduce that heat loss is by setting up windbreaks in your landscaping.  By positioning evergreen trees and shrubs along the north and northwest sides of your property (the direction of Ohio’s prevailing winter winds), you may be able to reduce heating costs anywhere from 25% to 40%.  Ideally your windbreak should be located 2 to 5 times as

evergreen windbreak

far away from your house as the mature height of your trees.  For example, if you are planting a double row of spruce trees that will reach a mature height of 30’, you should try to locate them 60’ to 150’ away from your house.  While this is the optimal range, the size of your property may require you to plant a little bit closer than that.  On the other hand, if you have a very large property, studies have shown that windbreaks are able to achieve noticeable results even when they are located as far away as 30 times the mature height of the plantings!

Unfortunately, the end of winter does not mean the end of utility bills!  During summer, when you are trying to cool your home, you may be fighting the effects of solar radiation and heat conduction though your windows and walls.  The best way to help keep your house cool is by shading it.  In the same way that you seek out shade to cool off on a hot summer day, your home can be kept cooler by shading the roof and sun facing walls (primarily south and west) with trees and shrubs.  The shade from your trees and shrubs can actually cool the surrounding air by as much as 9 degrees.  This can dramatically reduce your air conditioning costs; possibly by as much as 50%.  Just think of how many ice-cold lemonades that would buy!  By planting deciduous shade trees on the south and west sides of your house, you can cool your home in the summer and still allow sunlight to shine through in the winter when you actually want to take advantage of the

Summer shield from Sun

solar radiation heating your home. Well positioned shrubs can also “insulate” your walls without inhibiting air flow.  And don’t forget to shade your air conditioning unit.  In addition to the aesthetic benefits of screening the air conditioner, a shaded unit can operate 10% more efficiently than one exposed to the hot summer sun.

When it comes to reducing your energy bills, landscaping can do more than just slow the wind and provide shade.  Areas of lawn or groundcover can be up to 25 degrees cooler than asphalt in the summer so maximize the amount of planted area on your property and minimize pavement.  While structures such as pergolas and trellises are helpful in providing shade to your home, you will not get the added cooling benefits of plant transpiration and

Directing cooling winds

evaporation.  Tree filled neighborhoods have been shown to have air temperatures that are 3 to 6 degrees cooler than surrounding open neighborhoods due to the combination of shade and the cooling effects of evaporation.  If your home is not air conditioned, you can actually use plant material to direct summer winds toward your windows.  (If you do have central air conditioning however you are actually better off not directing summer winds toward your home.  Studies have shown that directing these warm winds toward your house is actually a detriment to keeping energy bills low when you are using air conditioning.)

There are numerous possibilities for how to use your landscape to reduce energy costs.  The savings you could achieve may even pay for the landscape renovations within just 8 years!  Contact Buck & Sons today to consult with a landscape designer and find out how you can use your landscaping to make your home more energy efficient.  Don’t spend another winter lamenting huge utility bills!  This year go green and save some green in the process!                      by Pete Marsh, Lead Designer – Buck & Sons Landscape

Winter Pruning

Winter can be a dull and boring time of year. Most of us manage to get a few things accomplished indoors that we had put off during the summer months but seem to leave our out-of-doors “out in the cold”. Yeah… maybe we raked a few leaves but that’s the extent of the care that our greatest outdoor investment gets for the season.

Certain trees and shrubs should not be pruned in the winter months. Trees such as Maple and Birch sap excessively when pruned anytime from late December through early June. Wait until the appropriate time of the year for pruning these tree ‘bleeders’. Spring flowering shrubs such as Lilac, Forsythia, Rhododendron, Azalea and Viburnum set buds in the preceding growing season for flowers the following spring. Your much anticipated blooming plants could easily be ruined for another year if you prune off all of the flower buds. A good rule of thumb is to prune spring flowering shrubs shortly after they have finished blooming. In central Ohio, we try not to prune spring flowering shrubs any later than the end of June. This timing may vary for your region of the country as well as any seasonal or climactic changes during the growing season.

To apply wound dressing or not to apply wound dressing?  This is a perennial topic of discussion (sometimes heated) among arborists, nursery growers, landscapers and gardeners. The current “Green Industry” standard and recommendation today is to not apply wound dressing. University and industry studies have indicated that wound dressings can actually hinder the healing process after a pruning wound is sealed with a common dressing. It seems that the outer, active growth ring, also known as the vascular cambium layer becomes obstructed making the healing process more difficult for your tree or shrub. If you absolutely do feel you need to apply a wound dressing, try to apply inside of this outer growth ring. For the most part however, your efforts are simply cosmetic in nature and it may be best to use your money for a new tree, shrub or perennial if any damage or extensive pruning is required.

So…pick out a nice, pleasant winter day and grab your sharpened and cleaned pruning tools. Proper pruning techniques will add beauty and longevity to your plants. Your plants will increase in their beauty and functionality as well as increasing the value of your property. If you are unsure as to proper pruning techniques, there are several books available or garden clubs you could join. You of course can always contact professional landscape service firms that have experienced horticulturists that are Ohio Certified Landscape Technicians. Be sure to ask if they have these technicians employed.

Plan Now for your Spring Landscape Projects!

The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are getting colder, and the first winter snows are upon us. If you are like most people, spring seems like a long way off and landscaping is just about the last thing on your mind. Winter though is actually a great time to start planning for new springtime patio and landscape projects. It may also be a good time to dust off that set of plans you have in the closet that took a back seat to other home improvement projects this past summer. Often times the planning process is the most time consuming aspect of a project. If you wait until warm weather arrives in early spring to begin, your project may not be completed until mid summer. By starting to think about your landscape projects now, you will have plenty of time to work out all of the details of your plan with your landscape designer. When the weather breaks, you will be ready to go on the installation and you will have the entire summer to enjoy your new patio and landscaping!

Look for Plants That Stand Out in the Winter

When you think of winter, you think of Pine trees, Spruce trees, and Holly shrubs. While these plants, and other evergreens, are “the old stand-bys” for winter interest, there are many other plants that can really liven up your winter landscape. One such plant that is gaining in popularity is the Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus alba). Some cultivars of this plant have spring flowers, variegated foliage, and good fall color; but it is winter when they truly stand out! As the weather gets colder you will notice the brown stems beginning to turn red, with the newest stems having the most vibrant color. Another interesting selection is the Red Twig Dogwood’s cousin, the Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea ‘Silver & Gold’). Plants that maintain their berries through the winter provide a splash of color and also are attractive to many birds hunting for scarce winter food. The familiar Blue Holly (Ilex x meservae) has a deciduous relative, Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata), that maintains bright red berries on its bare branches throughout the winter. The Winter King Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’) is a great ornamental tree that also has red berries during the winter. The berries can be especially striking when viewed with a backdrop of Spruce trees!

Finish those Fall Clean-Ups

With the exception of some Oak trees and Pear trees, most deciduous trees have dropped there leaves. If you have not already, be sure to get rake all your leaves off the lawn or at least mulch them into the lawn with your lawn mower. Leaves can smother your lawn if left on through the entire winter and make it more susceptible to disease problems in the spring. A little work and preparation now and through the winter months can make a big impact on your landscape come spring. And if you are considering any patio or landscape projects for 2009, start planning for that now. Before you know it, you will be able to replace that hot chocolate in the house with a tall glass of iced tea on your new patio!

Composting Your Organic Waste.

What is Composting?

Composting is simply a natural biological process that occurs in nature daily. Naturally occurring microorganisms, bacteria, fungi and insects break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings and certain kitchen scraps into a soil-like product called compost. It is a form of recycling, a natural way of returning needed nutrients to the soil.

What are the Benefits of Compost?

By utilizing compost in your lawn and plant beds, you are returning lost organic matter and nutrients to the soil that was most likely scrapped off your lot when the home was built. Compost is a rich organic soil-like material that improves the soil profile making nutrients readily useable to plants. Adding organic matter to soils improves plant growth by helping to break heavy clay soils into a better texture, by adding water and nutrient-holding capacity to sandy soils, and by adding essential nutrients to any soil. Improving your soil is the first step toward improving the health of your plants. Healthy plants help clean our air and conserve our soil. If you have a garden, a lawn, shrubs, or even planter boxes, you have a use for compost.

But, Why Hassle With Composting?

Yard waste makes up around 20 percent of all waste material in landfills. Also, bagged grass consumes far more energy by the need of large trucks hauling this unnecessary yard waste to the dump. By composting kitchen scraps and yard trimmings at your home, you are conserving not only valuable landfill space but the fuel that is used to haul it to the landfill. Home composting can reduce the volume of garbage generated by as much as 25%! Composting is practical, convenient and can be easier and less expensive than bagging these wastes and taking them to the landfill. At a minimum, you are one step closer to becoming a responsible environmentally sustainable citizen. At a maximum, your home and garden will flourish with renewed vigor with recycling the black earth gold produced through your composting efforts.

How Do I Make Compost?

Composting is easy. You can compost in your yard by saving yard trimmings (leaves, grass clippings, and garden debris) and certain kitchen and meal scraps by preparing them properly and placing them in a compost pile. Choose a place in your lawn that might not be too aesthetically unpleasing to you or neighbors. It doesn’t really matter if it is in the sun or shade, but a place that receives a little of both during the day would be ideal. Then, decide how you wish to compost. There are many different ways to prepare a compost pile, and it’s really personal preference which one you choose. The easiest method is to just make a pile of your composting materials with no formal enclosure, keeping the composting materials in a dense heap. You can also get creative and build your own recycle bin. There are numerous plans available online. Many of the home improvement stores sell premade composting bins that you might wish to purchase as well.

You can make a ton of compost at home in an area as small as four square feet. If you don’t have a backyard, you can make smaller amounts of compost in plastic garbage bags. Backyard composting not only reduces the expense of buying fertilizers for gardens, landscaping and potted plants, it reduces municipal collection and disposal costs. Since many foods can be composted, including coffee grounds and eggshells, home composting can reduce food wastes as well as yard wastes.

Tips: Buy some fishing earthworms and placing them on your compost pile to give it a head start. Cutting or shredding your composting ingredients into small pieces will help them decompose faster. Although shredding leaves is not necessary, it will shorten the time it takes for them to compost. The same is true for kitchen scraps and garden waste.

Not Everything Organic is Compostable?

Anything that was once alive will compost, but not everything belongs in a compost pile. In general, do not compost foods containing animal fats (such as meat, bones, cheese, grease and oils); plants infected with disease, invasive weeds, weeds that have gone to seed, or dog and cat feces.

What to Compost

Table scraps such as: apple cores, citrus rinds, bananas peels, avocado peels, fruits, vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee and tea grounds, nut shells.
Yard waste such as: tree bark, leaves, grass clippings, tree & shrub clippings, small stems, vines, weeds, dead annuals/perennial flowers, left over hardwood mulch, bed edgings.

What Not to Compost

Meats of any kind, bones of any kind, dairy products, diseased plants/portions, weeds that have seed heads, dog or cat feces, vegetable oils, nothing else inorganic.