Have a question? Ask the expert!
Tall Fescue Lawn Care
A reader sent in this latest question about his Tall Fescue grass not looking its best. Harold gives him some great advice on how to care for Tall Fescue, a common transition zone grass type. “Harold, I have a tall fescue grass in southern California, and cannot get it to stay a deep green. I have a few dead spots that even reseeding won’t cure, and my entire lawn is starting to turn a light brown. Any suggestions on getting my lawn normal? I water once a day for 4 min, also. Thanks!”
Deep Root Feeding Your Trees and Shrubs in Fall
We often forget that our landscape plants need to be fed the same as our lawns. Why? Because, like grass, trees and shrubs are plants – living organisms – that require food in order to live and thrive. This is why a comprehensive maintenance program will include tree and shrub care in addition to scheduled lawn care visits. To make sure the plants will continue to grow and prosper, they need dee
Feeding Birds in Winter: Tips to Feed Our Feathered Friends
If you live in the plains states or upper Midwest, you probably spent most of the weekend digging out of up to 16 inches of snow. I live about 15 miles straight west of Chicago’s O’Hare airport, and we ended up with around 11 plus inches of heavy, wet snow. Once I cleared my driveway and my sidewalks, I thought about all the birds that no longer had a good source for food, and the importance of feeding birds in winter. Many of their food sources a
All About Ash Flower Gall Mites
I received a picture the other day from our lawn care franchise owner in Fulton, IL , Don McLuckie. Don asked if what he was seeing was normal to see on an ash tree. I had seen these on ash trees in my neighborhood. I always thought the fuzzy-looking balls were some type of seed pod. That was the answer that I sent to Don, but I wasn’t 100% sure. After doing some investigating on the Internet, I discovered that my diagnosis was incorrect. What I was seeing on the picture that Don sent in was the result of an Ash Flower Gall Mite.
All about Army Cutworms (Miller Moths)
I have heard of army worms, I have heard of cutworms, but I have never heard of army cutworms, until our lawn care franchise owner in Olympia, WA , Mike Bell, sent me a picture of a caterpillar he had not seen before. There are several turf damaging caterpillars, such as sod webworm , army worms and cutworms, but they are generally not a serious pest problem in the Pacific Northwest. I told Mike that it looked like an army worm as it has the characteristic “inverted-Y” on its head. What Is an Army Cutworm? Mike did some further checking on his own and sent me an article on the army cutworm, which was news to me. I guess that is what ma
Winter Weed Control in the South
While the northern parts of the US are in the process of hunkering down for the winter, the milder temperatures of the southern states are providing the ideal temperatures to control many troublesome weeds in what soon will be dormant lawns. Even though these lawns may be dormant, many weeds are just starting to become active in the fall. These weeds are known as winter weeds. They can be annual, biennial or perennial in regards to life cycles, and these winter weeds can be very difficult to control.
How and When to Separate Hostas and Other Perennials
In keeping with the recent theme of fall gardening projects, now is a good time to divide perennials if you haven’t done so in several years. Most flowering perennials benefit from being divided or thinned out to allow for more room for the roots to grow and better develop. This is a practice that should be done every three or four years, depending on the plant. If the plant flowers in the spring or summer, fall is the best time to divide them. Conversely, if the plant flowers in the fall, y
Fall Yard Chores: Get a Head Start on the Spring
Yes, it seems crazy to think about the spring already while we're still enjoying the fall season, but now is a great time to get ahead and prepare for next year. For those planners and do-ers out there, here's our list of chores, tips and tricks to do now to be ready for the springtime: If you have a sprinkler system in your yard and haven’t had it winterized yet, now is the
Sometimes You Have To Take Advantage of Nice Weather When You Can
We are enjoying some terrific weather this fall throughout the Midwest. This fall, there’s only been one day that I actually saw any frost on the grass. Even then, it only occurred in a few low spots. In fact, this entire week has been close to or above 70 degrees, which is great, but definitely not the norm for northern Illinois in the first week of November. I was able to take advantage of the great weather when I took a vacation day. I started pulling up all of the annual flowers I planted earlier this year and cut back the perennials for the winter. The plants still looked great, but there comes a time when you have to get the work done while the weather is still good. It’s sort of sad to pull out healthy plants, but it has to be done.
Why You Should Call the Pros to Winterize Your Sprinkler System
There are fall tasks that everyone needs to complete, such as raking leaves and stowing outdoor furniture. If you own a sprinkler system and live in an area where the ground freezes, you need to get the water blown out of the pipes. This process is often referred to as winterizing your sprinkler system. It is already the end of October, so this task needs to go to the top of the list. Why Can’t I Do It Mysel