Think Green and Plant a Tree

Posted on January 3, 2012 by admin

Think GREEN and plant a tree today!  Did you know that the winter time is one of the best times of the year for planting trees and conifers.  Dormant trees and conifers transplant with virtually no stress and will be ready to spring to life when the weather warms.  Little or no watering will be required after the initial watering when planted.

Another huge benefit to winter planting is that you are getting the freshest trees possible since nurseries are currently digging to fill their lots for spring inventory.

Call or visit our website today if you would like more information.

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Lawn Renovation

Posted on August 22, 2011 by admin

The long hot summer has wrecked havoc on many shrubs, trees and numerous lawns in our area.   Even those folks who were watering regularly throughout the extreme heat spell have experienced areas in the lawn that are simply dead.   No doubt lawn fungus has also contributed to lawn issues via a weakened condition.  If you have a lawn sprinkler system, now is the time to get started with any planned lawn renovation.   You will be able to acheive heightened germination quickly and take advantage of a longer fall growing season.  Non-irrigated lawns should wait until after the Labor Day weekend and have all seeding completed by the end of September.  We recommend dwarf turf type fescues for our area.  Please visit our website if you would like further information or need help with renovation or aerating your lawn.

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Diplodia Tip Blight

Posted on May 5, 2011 by admin

By now you have undoubtedly heard of or have seen the disease called Diplodia Tip Blight that is affecting mostly the Austrian Pine and Scotch Pine in the Kansas City area. However, no Pinus species is immune including Douglass Fir, White Pine, Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Vanderwolf Pine. While this disease is not confined to our area alone, the Kansas City Metro is already seeing many dead pines and will continue to see the devastating effects of this disease for many years to come. Fungicide applications can slow down the inevitable demise of these species but applications must be timed properly at two different intervals in the spring when the new candles are forming to be effective.

Helpful tips: Prune and remove affected branches, rake up all blighted needles, twigs, and especially cones which harbor the fungus and destroy or discard them. Call a professional for fungicide treatment plan or removal.

If you would like more information or have one of these pines in your yard that needs help or complete removal please contact me to discuss.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photos provided by Dr. George W. Hudler, Cornell University) 

                                                                                 

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Deciduous Shrub Pruning

Posted on March 8, 2011 by admin

Spring is in the air and its time to get your shrubs ready for the growing season. 

The three main objectives for winter and early spring shrub pruning are to:
  1) Thins excess or unsightly branching
  2) Reduce overall height or to promote compactness
  3) Rejuvenate multi-stem shrubs with too many old branches by cutting all stems
      to a height of 3-6″.

A general rule of thumb:   Do not trim spring flowering shrubs until after flowering is complete.   If needed, you can go ahead and trim without injury to the shrub but the spring flower display may be greatly reduced for this spring season.  Examples of shrubs in this category are Forsythia, Lilac and Mock Orange.  Spireas which flower in the summer should be trimmed to a height of 3″-6″ every two to three years to reshape the shrub, remove any winter dieback and promote dense branching.

Red Twig Dogwood, Variegated Dogwood and Purple Leaf Plum also can benefit from an occasional sever pruning since these varieties can lanky growth patterns.   Barberries can also withstand and benefit from an occasional hard pruning to reduce their size and promote compactness.

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Snow Molds

Posted on March 1, 2011 by rixstuff

I have fielded several questions recently about snow mold and would like to shed a little light on the subject.  The two “snow mold” diseases are called gray snow mold (Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (sometimes called Microdochium Patch or Fusarium Patch). Snow molds are most likely to occur when snow falls on ground that has not yet frozen, and remains for weeks or months. The lush turf under the snow is an excellent nutrient source for the fungi.  Snow mold is typically not found on home lawns but more likely to found on golf courses. More information on this subject may be found on the Kansas State Research and Extension website.
  
Becks Recommendations:
 
Fungicides are not recommended for home lawns except in extreme situations. Though symptoms look dramatic, the turf will recover eventually.  You may over seed the affected areas now, but care must be taken when selecting a turf pre-emergent for spring application. Use cultural practices described below.

Rake lawns to air out the turf and promote drying. This must be done prior to the application of any turf pre-emergent chemicals.

Eliminate poor drainage areas in your lawn by incorporating changes to the grade, installing downspout drains to re-direct roof water or a French Drain system to remove water from low spots.
 
Core-aerating can also be helpful in promoting better drainage and relieving compaction.

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