Saturday, June 6, 2009
Bye Lee Anne
We are going to miss one of our talented designers. Lee Anne and her family are relocating to North Carolina. It's been great having her on our design team. We wish her and her family the best!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Our Mascot
We lost our mascot Major on June 5, 2008. He lived a long spoiled life. He was loved and cared for just like a child. Every member of the Absolutely Bushed family got to know Major very well. Often times taking him out for walks, bathing, and feeding him. He belonged originally to Mac until Macs untimely death. Jimmie told his father he would continue caring for his dog and promised the best care for Major. So this was a hard loss on all of us. It has took us this long to even be able to type about Major's passing. He is missed everyday. We still can't find it in our hearts to replace Major. He was one of a kind. He was the most loyal, smart, sweet doberman we have ever encountered. He loved every one he met. We all miss him dearly. Major was a rescue from the Doberman Rescue of North Texas. Absolutely Bushed continued to send contributions since the passing of Mac Gibson in 2001. We will continue to support them in memory of Major. When our hearts have healed we plan to adopt another doberman. Please visit the Doberman Rescue of North Texas and make a homeless dog a new family member.
Meeting Local Celebrities at the Fair
Look Who We Ran Into at the Fair!
The family of Absolutely Bushed are big sports fans. We listen to the Ticket Sports Radio and can call ourselves P1's. Our wives, husbands, and kids listen to the the Ticket. We were even more thrilled to have run into Gordon Keith at the midway.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Landscaping on a Budget
5 Tips for Landscaping on a Budget
Landscaping on a budget doesn't mean settling for a shabby yard. From plants to patios, from window boxes to water features learn how to save money while designing an attractive yard from the resources below for landscaping on a budget.
1. Landscaping on a Budget: Lawns
Many homeowners obsess over lawn weeds, and their obsession drives them to spend money unnecessarily on weed killers. If they're successful in these witch-hunts against weeds, the result is a monoculture. But the experts, counsel us to accept a certain percentage of weeds in the lawn. Their argument is that lawns with some diversity remain healthier than lawns reduced to a monoculture.
This argument goes doubly when the "weed" in question is clover. Clover is a nitrogen-fixer, sharing this ability with other cover crops in the pea family. Clover will fertilize your lawn for free.
2. Landscaping on a Budget: Hardscape
Water features needn't cost much but make a big splash in your landscape design. Modern pumps and pond liners are easy for do-it-yourselfers to install. Add some stones and an extra bit of effort, and you can even build small waterfalls. Scrounge around for free stones at construction sites (obtain permission) or on the property of your country cousin.
Not only water features but other hardscape projects can be easier than beginners at first imagine. It's just a matter of choosing the path of least resistance. For instance, brick patios laid in sand are easier to build for do-it-yourselfers than those laid in concrete. By planning properly, it is also possible in many cases to avoid having to cut any of the bricks, a task daunting enough to drive many a homeowner into paying someone else to lay a patio for them. Similarly, bypass the pricey pros and lay your own stone walkways in sand.
Next, we'll take a look at some more tips for landscaping on a budget, including whether or not to buy scraggly-looking plants on the cheap........
Obtaining cheap plants requires an adjustment in our attitudes. Many of us grew up buying plants from sources that specialize in the gardening trade. Such plants are high-quality, but that quality comes at a price. When shopping for cheap plants at sources that do not specialize in the gardening trade, you must resist the temptation to compare "apples to oranges."
3. Landscaping on a Budget: Cheap Plants
For instance, plants on sale at supermarkets will, in many cases, be of a quality inferior to that of the same plants found at your local nursery. But they'll be less expensive, too, so the comparison is rather unfair. What you have to ask yourself is,
1. "Do I have the time to sift through the cheap plants, in order to select acceptable specimens?"
2. "Do I have the time to give these cheap plants some extra TLC once I've planted them?"
3. "Is the time expended in #1 and #2 above justified by the money that I save?"
If you answered these questions with a "Yes," then you're well on your way to success in landscaping on a budget. Like the tips for saving money (see above) purchasing cheap plants can result in a yard that looks like a million bucks but costs you relatively little. But there are two caveats in buying cheap plants:
1. If you don't know what to look for to determine a plant's health, bring along someone who does. At the very least, inspect plants to see if they have any bugs on them. If they do, then they're not worth bringing home even if they're free!
2. Once your cheap plants are in the ground, practice proper plant care. Of course, this is always sound advice, even for high-quality plants. But in the case of cheap plants, a little extra TLC may be in order. For instance, if the plants have been stressed at the store, you may have to be extra-meticulous about watering them properly.
Supermarkets are only one example. Perhaps the online equivalent is eBay. You may be able to obtain 10 plants for the price of one by bidding on them via eBay. Sure, 8 of the 10 may end up dying on you. But that still puts you one plant ahead. Again, it's a matter of adjusting your attitude. A good online source for trees is the National Arbor Day Foundation (arborday.org), which often runs specials whereby, if you purchase such-and-such an amount, they'll throw in something for free.
You can supplement your early shopping for annuals with the annuals that go on sale at nurseries in July and August. This is an inexpensive way to extend the time period during which your yard can be graced with colorful blooms. Also, some supermarkets put shrubs and perennials on sale at the end of the summer, to avoid being stuck with inventory that they can't take care of during the winter.
4. Landscaping on a Budget: Water Conservation
But landscaping on a budget goes beyond obtaining cheap plants. Some plants require more water than others, and water is an increasingly precious commodity. Drought-tolerant plants are better than most at fending for themselves, which lowers your water bill. Selecting drought-tolerant plants is one part of an overall water-conversation approach known as "xeriscaping." You can also save money on watering by installing automatic irrigation systems and by applying garden mulch.
5. Landscaping on a Budget: Containers and Fertilizer
Container-gardening makes a lot of sense if space in your yard is limited. The idea makes even more sense if you can obtain inexpensive containers and plant them yourself. Inexpensive containers, including cemetery logs (which can serve as window boxes) can sometimes be purchased at yard sales. Just be careful to scour them out well, in case they harbor any plant diseases.
Whether planting in the ground or in containers, you'll need to fertilize your plants. But why spend more than you need to on fertilizers when you can feed your plants for free? If you're serious about landscaping on a budget, then one of your first projects should be to build a compost bin. Then just place kitchen scraps, raked leaves, etc. into the compost bin, watering and mixing occasionally, and you'll have a ready source of soil amendments -- for free. If that sounds like too much work, some cities offer free compost at designated locations on a first-come-first-served basis. This compost is produced from vegetation removed by city work crews. Three cheers for waste recycling!
Landscaping on a budget doesn't mean settling for a shabby yard. From plants to patios, from window boxes to water features learn how to save money while designing an attractive yard from the resources below for landscaping on a budget.
1. Landscaping on a Budget: Lawns
Many homeowners obsess over lawn weeds, and their obsession drives them to spend money unnecessarily on weed killers. If they're successful in these witch-hunts against weeds, the result is a monoculture. But the experts, counsel us to accept a certain percentage of weeds in the lawn. Their argument is that lawns with some diversity remain healthier than lawns reduced to a monoculture.
This argument goes doubly when the "weed" in question is clover. Clover is a nitrogen-fixer, sharing this ability with other cover crops in the pea family. Clover will fertilize your lawn for free.
2. Landscaping on a Budget: Hardscape
Water features needn't cost much but make a big splash in your landscape design. Modern pumps and pond liners are easy for do-it-yourselfers to install. Add some stones and an extra bit of effort, and you can even build small waterfalls. Scrounge around for free stones at construction sites (obtain permission) or on the property of your country cousin.
Not only water features but other hardscape projects can be easier than beginners at first imagine. It's just a matter of choosing the path of least resistance. For instance, brick patios laid in sand are easier to build for do-it-yourselfers than those laid in concrete. By planning properly, it is also possible in many cases to avoid having to cut any of the bricks, a task daunting enough to drive many a homeowner into paying someone else to lay a patio for them. Similarly, bypass the pricey pros and lay your own stone walkways in sand.
Next, we'll take a look at some more tips for landscaping on a budget, including whether or not to buy scraggly-looking plants on the cheap........
Obtaining cheap plants requires an adjustment in our attitudes. Many of us grew up buying plants from sources that specialize in the gardening trade. Such plants are high-quality, but that quality comes at a price. When shopping for cheap plants at sources that do not specialize in the gardening trade, you must resist the temptation to compare "apples to oranges."
3. Landscaping on a Budget: Cheap Plants
For instance, plants on sale at supermarkets will, in many cases, be of a quality inferior to that of the same plants found at your local nursery. But they'll be less expensive, too, so the comparison is rather unfair. What you have to ask yourself is,
1. "Do I have the time to sift through the cheap plants, in order to select acceptable specimens?"
2. "Do I have the time to give these cheap plants some extra TLC once I've planted them?"
3. "Is the time expended in #1 and #2 above justified by the money that I save?"
If you answered these questions with a "Yes," then you're well on your way to success in landscaping on a budget. Like the tips for saving money (see above) purchasing cheap plants can result in a yard that looks like a million bucks but costs you relatively little. But there are two caveats in buying cheap plants:
1. If you don't know what to look for to determine a plant's health, bring along someone who does. At the very least, inspect plants to see if they have any bugs on them. If they do, then they're not worth bringing home even if they're free!
2. Once your cheap plants are in the ground, practice proper plant care. Of course, this is always sound advice, even for high-quality plants. But in the case of cheap plants, a little extra TLC may be in order. For instance, if the plants have been stressed at the store, you may have to be extra-meticulous about watering them properly.
Supermarkets are only one example. Perhaps the online equivalent is eBay. You may be able to obtain 10 plants for the price of one by bidding on them via eBay. Sure, 8 of the 10 may end up dying on you. But that still puts you one plant ahead. Again, it's a matter of adjusting your attitude. A good online source for trees is the National Arbor Day Foundation (arborday.org), which often runs specials whereby, if you purchase such-and-such an amount, they'll throw in something for free.
You can supplement your early shopping for annuals with the annuals that go on sale at nurseries in July and August. This is an inexpensive way to extend the time period during which your yard can be graced with colorful blooms. Also, some supermarkets put shrubs and perennials on sale at the end of the summer, to avoid being stuck with inventory that they can't take care of during the winter.
4. Landscaping on a Budget: Water Conservation
But landscaping on a budget goes beyond obtaining cheap plants. Some plants require more water than others, and water is an increasingly precious commodity. Drought-tolerant plants are better than most at fending for themselves, which lowers your water bill. Selecting drought-tolerant plants is one part of an overall water-conversation approach known as "xeriscaping." You can also save money on watering by installing automatic irrigation systems and by applying garden mulch.
5. Landscaping on a Budget: Containers and Fertilizer
Container-gardening makes a lot of sense if space in your yard is limited. The idea makes even more sense if you can obtain inexpensive containers and plant them yourself. Inexpensive containers, including cemetery logs (which can serve as window boxes) can sometimes be purchased at yard sales. Just be careful to scour them out well, in case they harbor any plant diseases.
Whether planting in the ground or in containers, you'll need to fertilize your plants. But why spend more than you need to on fertilizers when you can feed your plants for free? If you're serious about landscaping on a budget, then one of your first projects should be to build a compost bin. Then just place kitchen scraps, raked leaves, etc. into the compost bin, watering and mixing occasionally, and you'll have a ready source of soil amendments -- for free. If that sounds like too much work, some cities offer free compost at designated locations on a first-come-first-served basis. This compost is produced from vegetation removed by city work crews. Three cheers for waste recycling!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Hot Tips
Top 10 Tips for Do-It-Yourself Landscaping
"In a nutshell, what is the best way to go about beautifying my yard?" I am sometimes asked this rather broad question, and it's a tough one to answer. There are so many variables in do-it-yourself landscaping, such as budget, skills, the climate of your region, your personal design tastes, how you'll be using your yard, etc. But there are some steps you can take in do-it-yourself landscaping that are so sound that they readily suggest themselves as answers to this question.
1) Make it interesting year round.
Here's a can't-miss tip for beautifying your yard: make sure you're providing something of interest in each of the four seasons. Do-it-yourself landscaping for 4-season interest begins with a well researched plant-selection plan. The goal is to have flowering trees and/or shrubs throughout spring and summer, fall foliage in autumn and good structure in winter. This article describes how to achieve that goal.
2) Try layering
Layer your planting beds in 3 rows: a back row (facing north, preferably) with the tallest plants, a middle row with the next tallest, and a front row composed of your shortest plants. Use repetition, both in the planting bed and elsewhere in your yard, to provide unity.
3) Evergreens
Do-it-yourself landscaping tip #1 above focuses on decidous trees and shrubs. But don't forget evergreens. The deciduous specimens provide more color and variety, while the evergreens will provide continuity and “structure” for winter interest.
4) Annuals to Supplement
Perennial flowers are wonderful for your planting beds, but they bloom for only so long. You may have perennials blooming in your bed in May, then nothing until July. Incorporating annuals into a do-it-yourself landscaping plan will "plug the gaps," giving you continuous color in the yard. Use my picture gallery on my site to find ideas for your color schemes. The gallery is preceded by an introduction to employing color in landscape design.
5) Hardscaping brings it all together
Don't restrict your do-it-yourself landscaping to plants. Include hardscape features, too. Like evergreens, they provide structure in winter, and much more than that. Walls and fences make an essential design statement, as they frame your property. When I’m driving around the countryside, I’m constantly struck by how much more “finished” the properties with fences look decks and arbors are other important hardscape features. Patios and decks provide transitions from indoors to outdoors.
6) Don't be scared to try water features
Good landscape designs are anchored by focal points. One of the hottest trends is to use water features as focal points. This is one trend with "sound" reasoning behind it: water features are not only visually appealing, but emit soothing sounds. Using pre-formed rigid plastic liners, durable pumps, flexible tubing and cheap fountains, they're also a lot easier to install than you think. Once you've experimented with ponds, you may even decide to advance to the next level: simple waterfalls.
7) Foliage!
Flowers are great, but don't forget the characteristics of a plant's foliage. In landscape design, varying foliage textures and colors are used to spice up the yard with diversity. Evergreen conifers, while lacking flowers altogether, nonetheless have foliage that offers a myriad of different textures and colors. That's right, colors, too. For not all evergreens are green! While browsing these do-it-yourself landscaping tips, you'll discover many ways to enhance the beauty of your yard.
8) Low Maintenance
You can follow all the above do-it-yourself landscaping tips and still not be happy with your yard. For, besides giving your yard a pleasing appearance, you must also be sensible in planning for its maintenance. Beautiful or not, you'll resent your yard if it causes you too much work. Unless you don't mind spending hours each weekend on upkeep, plan your design for low maintenance.
9) Drought Tolerant
Many novices at do-it-yourself landscaping start out with high hopes in spring, only to have them dashed in summer. Why? Because the summer heat wilts all of that promising spring perkiness out of their plants! The answer? Select drought-tolerant plants to grow, instead.
10) Flower Types
Carefully matching the types of flowers you'll be growing with the space where they'll be growing is a fundamental policy to follow in do-it-yourself landscaping. Light and soil requirements should always be considered before deciding which types of flowers to buy for your yard.
"In a nutshell, what is the best way to go about beautifying my yard?" I am sometimes asked this rather broad question, and it's a tough one to answer. There are so many variables in do-it-yourself landscaping, such as budget, skills, the climate of your region, your personal design tastes, how you'll be using your yard, etc. But there are some steps you can take in do-it-yourself landscaping that are so sound that they readily suggest themselves as answers to this question.
1) Make it interesting year round.
Here's a can't-miss tip for beautifying your yard: make sure you're providing something of interest in each of the four seasons. Do-it-yourself landscaping for 4-season interest begins with a well researched plant-selection plan. The goal is to have flowering trees and/or shrubs throughout spring and summer, fall foliage in autumn and good structure in winter. This article describes how to achieve that goal.
2) Try layering
Layer your planting beds in 3 rows: a back row (facing north, preferably) with the tallest plants, a middle row with the next tallest, and a front row composed of your shortest plants. Use repetition, both in the planting bed and elsewhere in your yard, to provide unity.
3) Evergreens
Do-it-yourself landscaping tip #1 above focuses on decidous trees and shrubs. But don't forget evergreens. The deciduous specimens provide more color and variety, while the evergreens will provide continuity and “structure” for winter interest.
4) Annuals to Supplement
Perennial flowers are wonderful for your planting beds, but they bloom for only so long. You may have perennials blooming in your bed in May, then nothing until July. Incorporating annuals into a do-it-yourself landscaping plan will "plug the gaps," giving you continuous color in the yard. Use my picture gallery on my site to find ideas for your color schemes. The gallery is preceded by an introduction to employing color in landscape design.
5) Hardscaping brings it all together
Don't restrict your do-it-yourself landscaping to plants. Include hardscape features, too. Like evergreens, they provide structure in winter, and much more than that. Walls and fences make an essential design statement, as they frame your property. When I’m driving around the countryside, I’m constantly struck by how much more “finished” the properties with fences look decks and arbors are other important hardscape features. Patios and decks provide transitions from indoors to outdoors.
6) Don't be scared to try water features
Good landscape designs are anchored by focal points. One of the hottest trends is to use water features as focal points. This is one trend with "sound" reasoning behind it: water features are not only visually appealing, but emit soothing sounds. Using pre-formed rigid plastic liners, durable pumps, flexible tubing and cheap fountains, they're also a lot easier to install than you think. Once you've experimented with ponds, you may even decide to advance to the next level: simple waterfalls.
7) Foliage!
Flowers are great, but don't forget the characteristics of a plant's foliage. In landscape design, varying foliage textures and colors are used to spice up the yard with diversity. Evergreen conifers, while lacking flowers altogether, nonetheless have foliage that offers a myriad of different textures and colors. That's right, colors, too. For not all evergreens are green! While browsing these do-it-yourself landscaping tips, you'll discover many ways to enhance the beauty of your yard.
8) Low Maintenance
You can follow all the above do-it-yourself landscaping tips and still not be happy with your yard. For, besides giving your yard a pleasing appearance, you must also be sensible in planning for its maintenance. Beautiful or not, you'll resent your yard if it causes you too much work. Unless you don't mind spending hours each weekend on upkeep, plan your design for low maintenance.
9) Drought Tolerant
Many novices at do-it-yourself landscaping start out with high hopes in spring, only to have them dashed in summer. Why? Because the summer heat wilts all of that promising spring perkiness out of their plants! The answer? Select drought-tolerant plants to grow, instead.
10) Flower Types
Carefully matching the types of flowers you'll be growing with the space where they'll be growing is a fundamental policy to follow in do-it-yourself landscaping. Light and soil requirements should always be considered before deciding which types of flowers to buy for your yard.
Small Space Gardening
Sometimes gardening isn’t limited by space, but by time and interest. If you love the idea of being surrounded by a garden, but you can’t see yourself spending countless hours with a pruner in your hands, a wonderful option is to create a garden paradise on your patio or terrace. You could still incorporate beds and containers, but you have the added element of hardscaping. They haven’t invented a stone yet that doesn’t look even better next to a plant. Even concrete looks more interesting when softened with plants. Of course, the patio or terraces should be constructed first which is considered your hardscape. Once you have your hardscape, planting it is the enjoyable part.
Here I’ll talk about framing, softening the edges, creating paths and maximizing your patio’s potential.
Here I’ll talk about framing, softening the edges, creating paths and maximizing your patio’s potential.
Planting a Patio or Terrace
The main purpose of a patio or terrace is to have a place to relax and entertain. Surrounding yourself with the beauty of plants will make it that much easier. Even non-gardeners now consider their patios an extension of their homes - a room without walls. Rather than just providing a view, interior design is carried from the inside out.
Framing
Creating a distinction between your patio or terrace and your lawn is how you turn this outdoor space into an outdoor room. You can accomplish this by outlining the patio with a border, by building raised planters around the edge or by creating an edge with containers.
Borders
Having a border around your terrace is enjoying the best of both worlds. You have a true garden to putter in and you never have to leave the comfort of your living area. The border will probably be somewhat narrow, 2-4 feet, but a lot can be accomplished in this space. In addition to plants that spill onto the patio, like lady’s mantle and geraniums, you can create clusters of height with grasses or small shrubs. If the border runs between the house and the patio, you might want to try your hand at espalier, or growing a fruit tree trained to lay flat against the house wall. The heat of the house and the openness of the branches produce a considerable yield in a small space.
Built-ins: Many patio designs have built-in flower boxes along the perimeter. They delineate the space and provide additional seating. But more importantly, they provide an eye level garden. You have all the advantages and control of container gardening as well as the root insulation provided by brick or stone. Many plants will do well in these circumstances, but it’s especially nice to have scented plants: roses, heliotrope, gardenias, jasmine and sweet peas.
Containers
If you don’t have an edge border or built-in boxes, you can always create the effect with containers. Either an entire row of matched containers, simulating built-ins, or clusters of different sizes and shapes, filled with a variety of plant material.
Any of these options will create a distinction between your living space and the openness of the rest of your property.
Softening Hard Edges
Stone is beautiful, but on its own it can look cold, hard and uninviting. Two types of plants will be especially useful in turning your patio or terrace into a welcoming retreat.
Spillers
Plants that flow out onto the stone will automatically soften the hard edges. Light, airy foliage is especially good for this. Lady’s mantle (Alchemila mollis), Love-In-A-Mist (Nigella damascena), coreopsis, lavender and ferns are good examples. Just be sure to suit your plants to your sun exposure, because proximity to stone is going to intensify the heat.
Creepers
Unless your patio or terrace is paved, there are bound to be spaces between your stones. You’ll learn soon enough that weeds will readily grow there. So why not use the spaces to grow something more attractive? Thyme, sedum, scotch moss and creeping jenny are often used for this purpose. Don’t try to fill every crack. Plants can become slippery when squished or wet and you should use care that heavy traffic areas are safe. But a few selected spots will give your terrace a touch of Tuscany and a well lived in feel. You’ll be surprised how quickly these plants will acclimate and find their own way around the patio.
Creating Seating Areas and Privacy Sitting Areas
The major point about using plants around sitting areas is to be sure you leave enough space to get to them. You’ll want at least 3 feet on every side of a table, to get into your chairs. And use some judgment when choosing plants. Consider their rate of growth and their mature size. Some plants can be trimmed back, but small trees get larger and plants with thorns should be kept away from seating areas and paths.
Privacy & Creating Height
Privacy on your patio or terrace can easily be accomplished with well situated raised planters and containers, as discussed above. You should also consider creating some height in your plantings.
Vines & Climbers
A trellis or lattice work used as an open fencing makes an ideal spot for a climber or vine.
Clematis, trumpet vine, honeysuckle, morning glories, even cucumbers can be used to create an open wall that allows a passage but not prying eyes.
If your terrace is too sunny or warm, you also might want to consider some sort of pergola across at least part of it, which give you one more place to plant. Climbing hydrangea, Jasmine, Magnolias, Camellias, and Wisteria are good examples.
Planting on a patio or terrace can be an ends to a means, a garden for enjoyment and not toiling, or it can be a work of art that’s within reach. Linking your home and yard with a patio garden can really be the best of small space gardening because it will allow your garden to suit your gardening aspirations. Until next time…Happy Gardening!!!
Keys to A Successful Lawn
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENSURE HEALTHY TURF
1. MOWING
Timely mowing will have a big impact on health, weed control and thickness of your lawn. The general rule of thumb to go by is to remove not more than one-third of the leaf blade at any one time. For some turf grass varieties, this could actually mean mowing every 3-5 days during summer when growth is most active.
2. WATERING
Water as deeply and infrequently as possible during dry spells, ideally 1 to 1-1/2 inches per week, depending on soil type. Watering every 3 to 5 days, even in the hottest days of summer, should be sufficient if you water deeply.
3. AERATING
Aerating is a mechanical method that pulls cores of soil from the lawn to allow better penetration of air and water. The best time of year to aerate is from mid-May through June, although July and August are also acceptable months as well.
4. VERTICUTTING
Also known as vertical mowing, this process thins and rejuvenates the lawn. When used on warm-season turf grasses, verticutting functions as a different form of aeration. Verticutting is used with cool-season turf grasses when overseeding in the fall. It thins the turf and allows the seed to fall through the grass and make contact with the soil. Thus improving your seed germination.
5. FERTILIZING
Most of our lawns in North Texas are best fertilized using a 3-1-2-ratio fertilizer. An example would be 15-5-10 or 24-8-16. The first number on the bag is Nitrogen. You can apply the fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks. To prolong the greening between applications, use a fertilizer product that has its nitrogen in a slow release form. An organic method is to apply ½ inch of well-decomposed compost evenly across the lawn twice a year.
6. PRE-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL
Pre-emergents disrupt seeding development, so the timing of your treatments is crucial. Spring applications of Balan, Betasan, Team or other labeled products should be applied around March 1st and again around June 1st for summer annual grassy weeds. Your fall treatments should be applied around September 10th using two different pre-emergent products on the same day. The first is for grassy winter annual weeds, using any of the previously named products. The second is to apply Portrait or Gallery next to prevent winter annual broadleaf weeds.
7. POST-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL
Broadleaf weeds are controlled with an herbicide containing 2,4-d. Use a dedicated sprayer and apply at the labeled rate according to turf type when temperatures are between 55 and 85 F. In Bermuda grass lawns only, grassy weeds are controlled with DSMA or MSMA between May and September. Nutgrass can be reduced over several seasons by applying Image or Manage between May and mid-September.
8. TREATING DISEASES
For brown patch in St. Augustine, treat the area around affected patches with Terraclor or Bayleton in late spring and especially early fall. Leaf spot diseases in turf grasses are controlled with Daconil, Banner, or Mancozeb. Avoid fertilizing when a disease is present in your yard.
9. CONTROLLING INSECTS
Generally found in hot, sunny areas of St. Augustine lawns, chinch bugs have an irregular feeding pattern from June through August. Water before and after treatment with a granular Talstar or synthetic pyrethroid product. Grub worm activity usually starts in early August and continues until early November. If discolored areas of turf pull up easily and 4 to 6 grub worms are present in a 1-square-foot area, treat with a granular Mach II, Merit or a pyrethroid product and water into soil.
Prior to making any pesticide application to your lawn, please be responsible by correctly identifying the problem you have. Pesticide labels are frequently amended, added or deleted for specific crops or pests. Therefore carefully examine the actual label of the pesticide product before use. Please read and follow all label directions.
1. MOWING
Timely mowing will have a big impact on health, weed control and thickness of your lawn. The general rule of thumb to go by is to remove not more than one-third of the leaf blade at any one time. For some turf grass varieties, this could actually mean mowing every 3-5 days during summer when growth is most active.
2. WATERING
Water as deeply and infrequently as possible during dry spells, ideally 1 to 1-1/2 inches per week, depending on soil type. Watering every 3 to 5 days, even in the hottest days of summer, should be sufficient if you water deeply.
3. AERATING
Aerating is a mechanical method that pulls cores of soil from the lawn to allow better penetration of air and water. The best time of year to aerate is from mid-May through June, although July and August are also acceptable months as well.
4. VERTICUTTING
Also known as vertical mowing, this process thins and rejuvenates the lawn. When used on warm-season turf grasses, verticutting functions as a different form of aeration. Verticutting is used with cool-season turf grasses when overseeding in the fall. It thins the turf and allows the seed to fall through the grass and make contact with the soil. Thus improving your seed germination.
5. FERTILIZING
Most of our lawns in North Texas are best fertilized using a 3-1-2-ratio fertilizer. An example would be 15-5-10 or 24-8-16. The first number on the bag is Nitrogen. You can apply the fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks. To prolong the greening between applications, use a fertilizer product that has its nitrogen in a slow release form. An organic method is to apply ½ inch of well-decomposed compost evenly across the lawn twice a year.
6. PRE-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL
Pre-emergents disrupt seeding development, so the timing of your treatments is crucial. Spring applications of Balan, Betasan, Team or other labeled products should be applied around March 1st and again around June 1st for summer annual grassy weeds. Your fall treatments should be applied around September 10th using two different pre-emergent products on the same day. The first is for grassy winter annual weeds, using any of the previously named products. The second is to apply Portrait or Gallery next to prevent winter annual broadleaf weeds.
7. POST-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL
Broadleaf weeds are controlled with an herbicide containing 2,4-d. Use a dedicated sprayer and apply at the labeled rate according to turf type when temperatures are between 55 and 85 F. In Bermuda grass lawns only, grassy weeds are controlled with DSMA or MSMA between May and September. Nutgrass can be reduced over several seasons by applying Image or Manage between May and mid-September.
8. TREATING DISEASES
For brown patch in St. Augustine, treat the area around affected patches with Terraclor or Bayleton in late spring and especially early fall. Leaf spot diseases in turf grasses are controlled with Daconil, Banner, or Mancozeb. Avoid fertilizing when a disease is present in your yard.
9. CONTROLLING INSECTS
Generally found in hot, sunny areas of St. Augustine lawns, chinch bugs have an irregular feeding pattern from June through August. Water before and after treatment with a granular Talstar or synthetic pyrethroid product. Grub worm activity usually starts in early August and continues until early November. If discolored areas of turf pull up easily and 4 to 6 grub worms are present in a 1-square-foot area, treat with a granular Mach II, Merit or a pyrethroid product and water into soil.
Prior to making any pesticide application to your lawn, please be responsible by correctly identifying the problem you have. Pesticide labels are frequently amended, added or deleted for specific crops or pests. Therefore carefully examine the actual label of the pesticide product before use. Please read and follow all label directions.
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