April on Long Island will bring some beautiful spring weather but also spring rains. Make sure your soil is well drained before cultivating and tilling. Working wet soil can ruin soil structure. This is a very busy month for gardening on Long Island. It’s time to uncover those roses and give them their first pruning. Complete your winter pruning and if needed Horticultural oils should be sprayed now. Check guide wires on your trees. They should be removed after one year. If the tree still needs support you may need to reset the wire as the tree grows. Do not let the wire choke the trunk or branches. This is a good time to feed your trees and shrubs. A small amount of fertilizer on the lawn now (Ľ to ˝ rate) Will help the lawn green up and help to prevent Red Thread Fungus Disease.
Crabgrass Pre-Emergent is usually applied during the second half of April in our area. When the Forsythia is in full bloom or just past peak is a good indicator. Lawn Core Aeration can be done now. This will help drainage and with thatch reduction. Start cutting grass as needed. Try to get your spring clean up done before the grass grows. It is easier to move leaves and debris when the grass is not tall. Some spring flowering plants in containers can brighten up your front door entrance and patio or deck. Cut back Loriope foliage now and also most of your ornamental grasses if you haven’t already done so.
Early spring vegetables like broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower and strawberries can be planted now. As spring flowers fade, leave the foliage until it fades this will feed the bulb.
Planting and transplanting can start in fall swing now. Irrigation systems can be turned on and inspected but refrain from watering for a while. Landscape lighting should be inspected and adjusted as needed. Things that need to be checked are bulbs, check to be sure wires to tree lighting is not pinched. Check all mounting brackets. Adjust timers on irrigation and lighting controllers for day light savings time.
June is a good time to fertilize your lawn. If you see pinkish red circular areas it is probably red thread disease. A little fertilizer may be all that is needed to keep it in check. As the weather gets warmer and drier you will have to step up your watering schedules. Remember to water deeply and infrequently. This is a good time to treat broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelions and plantain before it gets too hot for treatments, which could burn foliage of the turf.
Things to look for and do:
• Treat nutsedge late June.
• Long term / seasonal grub control can be done this month.
• Treat for boxwood leaf minor now and last call for Holly and Birch Leaf Minors.
• Mulch beds for weed control and to conserve moisture.
• Prune pines to keep them thick. Cut back 1/3 to ˝ of the new “candle” growth.
• Deadhead spring flowering bulb plants and let the leaves turn yellow to enrich the bulbs. Fertilize annuals and vegetables.
• Check for aphids and inchworms on roses and many other plants.
• Spray for Deerticks this month.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs now.
Perennial Ryegrass will show straw colored seed stalks at this time of year and is a natural function of the plant.
If you have any questions please give me a call.
Sincerely,
Dave Greene
631-283-8085
Q: August Tips & Notes from Dave Greene
Lawns and landscapes are showing signs of stress from the prolonged heat and humidity. Trees that are wilting and shedding leaves should get a very thorough soaking.
Our cool season grasses in our lawns cannot grow well in prolonged stretches of heat and humidity. POA Annua, (Annual Bluegrass) is shallow rooted and especially susceptible to this weather. Fungicides are helpful but will not work as well under such severe disease pressure.
Cut your lawn a bit taller and this will help it out tremendously. Most lawns will need some seeding and repairs as we approach late summer. Plan now!! Call to get on our lawn seeding schedule, don’t forget aeration and fertilizer.
The benefits of overseeding--Many older lawns were established with common type turf grasses not suited for the needs of today's homeowner. They're often more disease and insect prone, requiring more fertilizer and water.
Overseeding newer turf grass varieties into an older lawn can help it better withstand insects, disease, drought, shady conditions and heavy traffic. The investment in overseeding pays off by reducing the amount of fertilizer, water and pesticides required. Most importantly, a renovated lawn stays greener and looks thicker and healthier!
Slice seeding - or verti-cut seeding - solves many lawn problems quickly, easily, and with very little mess or bother. When lawn renovation is needed, slice seeding actually plants new seed into the soil without stripping the existing sod or tilling the yard.
Now through the fall is a good time to scout for grubs as well as moles. The presence of mole tunnels does not automatically mean you have grubs. Moles largely eat earthworms. We have “Talpirid”, the new mole bait.
Some lawns are showing a lot of straw-like color in patches or areas. Very often we are finding this to be decaying seed stalks turning brown. We seem to see more of this where we have a short and early hot spell when the grass is not ready for the summer heat. Sending up seed stems is a natural reaction by the grass plant. Usually the lawn is not in bad health, but the color is not very desirable. Eventually the lawn will grow out of this, but it will take many weeks.
In the short term, a couple of remedies can be done:
1) Let the lawn grow taller which will help disguise the straw-colored seed stems
or
2) Cut the lawn a little lower to remove some of the seed stalks. (This can be a bit stressful to the lawn in the summer heat.) Then let the lawn grow back up to the original cutting height or slightly higher.
For information on these or other services we can help you with call our office at: 283-8085. You can also get more information off of our website:
www.dgec.net.
If you have any questions please give me a call.
Sincerely,
Dave Greene
Q: September Notes from Dave Greene
After a long, hot summer, lawns will need some repair work to some degree. This is the best time of year to plant new lawns and overseed existing lawns. This is also an important time to fertilize your lawn. We want to enhance root growth. Strong roots will make for strong top growth. Soil testing and soil amendments should be considered now. Traditionally after Labor Day we can also start up again with lawn core aeration and post emergent weed control.
Water as needed. Reduce watering as more frequent rain visits our area with the change in seasons.
Keep an eye out for increase mole activity in the fall also look for grubs. Birds or raccoons picking at the turf may be a sign of grubs.
With cooler and dewy evenings and less day light hours some lawn diseases may pop up. Dollar spot, red thread and rust are common in the fall. If detected early on a dose of fertilizer may keep them from getting out of hand.
Continue to mow as needed. Never cut more than on third of the leaf blade off in any one mowing and keep blades sharp.
Inspect trees and shrubs for pruning needs. The winter months can be a very good time to prune many plants. Proper pruning will improve plant health and flowering. This is often a neglected chore in the landscape but it is important. You should also check to be sure branches are not rubbing up against your house which can ruin shingles and house trim. Flowers in containers may be a bit worse for wear after a long hot summer. Consider finishing the season with fall flowering plants such as mums, Montauk daisies and fall flowering asters.
Is it time to consider a new irrigation system? You may want to after trying to keep up with watering this year. If you already have an irrigation system how well did it water? Did you have weak areas? Our experience shows that 90% of the existing irrigation systems we come across are not designed very well. This was a good summer to make that evaluation. We can inspect your system and make it more efficient in most instances. An irrigation system can be 80% efficient at best but most are much less. This is a hidden cost and a hidden waste of water. An inefficient system will give you larger water bills and/or larger electric bills. It makes sense to do it right the first time with an irrigation company that also knows how to grow plants. Give us a call we can help!!
Q: October Notes from Dave Greene
Lawn Tips
· Core aerate now to reduce compaction and improve drainage.
· Make soil pH adjustments.
· Watch for grubs
· Crabgrass will die off in October.
· Finish lawn seeding as soon as possible.
· Sod can be put down into November.
· Is the lawn weak in shade areas? Use shade tolerant seed mixes in these areas.
· Reduce lawn watering now. Lawns will harden off for winter better if they get a bit dry between waterings.
· Continue mowing as needed.
· Watch for fall lawn diseases such as: Dollar spot and rust.
· Remove leaves off of lawn as needed. Collect, or finely shred, leaves from the lawn to minimize mold and prevent grass suffocation. Use finely shredded leaves as a mulch under Rhododendrons and similar plants.
· October is the best month for broadleaf weed control.
Pruning Needs
· Look over your property for pruning needs which can be done this winter.
· Prune-off only dead and broken branches from trees and shrubs.
Planting Tips
· Consider planting spring flowering bulbs now.
· Divide certain perennials now.
· Let roses go to seed and give a bit of potassium to help with winter hardiness.
· Still time to plant evergreens.
Disease / Mole Tips
· Look out for powdery mildews on Lilacs this time of the year.
· Moles tend to be very active in the fall. Sometimes this is an indication of grubs in the lawn but most of the time they are looking for earthworms. We are using “Talpirid” mole bait with good success. Call our office if you need this service.
Winter Protection Care
· Start planning for any winter plant protection that may be needed.
· Wind screens, burlap or antidessicant sprays can help.
· Irrigation winterization will be done around November 1st.
· Get those houseplants indoors.
Enjoy the fall colors!!
Q: November Notes from Dave Greene
Continue lawn cutting as needed. Cut a bit lower the last couple of cuttings to allow leaves to blow away and to help prevent turf foliage from matting over the winter.
Aerate lawns if you have not done so this fall. Make nutrient and limestone adjustments according to soil test results.
Fertilize lawns in late November. This will enhance root growth and allow for an earlier spring green up. Regularly blow/remove leaves from the lawn. Accumulated leaves will smother and kill the grass.
Winterize your irrigation system now.
Remove perennial leaves after frost.
There is still time to plant spring flowering bulbs.
Evergreens should go into the winter well watered. There leaves will transpire water throughout the winter. Lack of water in the plant’s system can cause winter desiccation. Consider spraying broadleaf evergreens with an Anti-transparent to conserve moisture and help prevent winter desiccation. Root feeding trees and shrubs can be done at this time. Assess your trees and shrubs in your landscape to see if pruning and cabling may be needed. Deciduous trees can be transplanted when they become dormant. Some trees do not like to be moved in the fall, such as Oaks and Hollies. Wait until spring for these.
Also consider privet hedge renovation for this winter.
Q: December Notes from Dave Greene
Apply fertilizer to your lawn now (late fall fertilization) to promote root growth and early spring green up.
Roots will continue to grow as long as the soil temperature is 40 degrees F or higher.
Fungicide treatments at this time can reduce snow mold disease on your lawn or putting green.
Keep leaves from piling up and smothering turf.
Try to keep foot traffic, etc. on your lawn to a minimum when it is frozen or covered with frost.
Mark your driveways to protect from snow plowing damage.
Keep your gutters free and clear.
Anti-desiccant sprays can help protect your broadleaf evergreens from winter burn.
Evergreens will transpire moisture through their leaves which cannot always be replaced by the frozen roots. Anti-desiccant sprays can slow this moisture loss process.
As the leaves fall from the trees this becomes a good time to assess pruning needs.
Schedule Winter pruning of trees and shrubs now.
Deciduous trees which are now dormant can be transplanted now until the spring.
Evergreens if planted now will be a much higher risk.
Roses should be hilled up as the ground freezes
If you have any questions please give us a call @ 631-283-8085 Sincerely, Dave Greene
Q: January Notes from Dave Greene
Lots of pruning and tree/shrub evaluation can be done now through the remainder of the winter months. Keep gutters clean and clear. The amount of daylight hours is slowly increasing. By the end of the month it will increase enough to signal your houseplants to start active growth. This can be a good time to repot those pot bound plants and to start slowly increasing water and fertilizer. A little pruning now may also be in order. When salting and ice melting walkways and driveways be careful not to burn vegetation. Knock heavy snow off of landscape plants with a soft broom. Most mis-shapened shrubs from heavy snow will bounce back in the spring. When snow plowing and snow blowing it is normal to have some gravel stick to the snow and end up on the lawn and landscape areas. Periodic raking and blowing will remove it in short order. Excessive amounts should be removed quickly. It’s a good time to read a book, a gardening magazine, feed the birds and evaluate your landscape. Sincerely, Dave Greene
Q: February Notes from Dave Greene
ź Stay off frozen turf as much as possible.
ź Check winter mulches.
ź Start/continue winter pruning. “Bleeder” trees such as Maple, beech, dogwood, elm, sycamore and Styrax are best pruned after leaf out in spring. If you do prune those trees now and they bleed it is not too big a deal.
ź Some stand out winter plants to enjoy now: Ilex (Holly); Glabra and most hollies; Ilex verticillata (winterberry) loses its leaves but has lots of bright red berries; Callacarpa (beauty berry) bright purple berries; Red and yellow twig dogwoods; Hamamelis – witch hazel; Dried ornamental grasses; Birch Trees.
ź Feed the birds and give them water daily.
ź Prune flowering shrubs and selected trees.
ź Remove overgrown privet hedges.
ź Monitor your hemlocks for hemlock wooly adelgid.
ź Remove cankers on rose plants.
ź Look for leaf drops on houseplants.
ź Check for tan Gypsy Moth egg masses on tree trunks and branches. Scrape off and destroy if possible.
ź Select pest resistant cultivars when selecting plants for your garden and yard.
ź Remove unwanted vines from trees, shrubs and hedges.
Q: March Notes from Dave Greene
ź Cut down ornamental grasses if it has not already been done.
ź Now is a good time to fertilize shade trees and evergreens if not done last fall.
ź Remove dead foliage from perennials as needed.
ź Cut down Loriope leaves.
ź Continue off season pruning.
ź Transplant dormant shrubs and other woody plants.
ź Spray horticultural oils on deciduous trees before bud break and after the danger of freezing nights. Some trees such as Cryptomeria will get foliage burn from dormant oils. Check labels carefully.
ź Repot houseplants and fertilize regularly.
ź Start spring clean ups. Don’t rush to work the soil until all frost is gone and soil has drained. If it is too wet you can ruin soil structure.
ź Spot seed as soon as soil permits to get some early season lawn growth before Crabgrass Pre-Emergents go down in late April.
ź Inspect trees to see if cabling is needed.
ź Have gutters cleaned to prepare for spring rain.
ź Be on the watch for swarming termites and carpenter ants.
ź Late March is a great time to plant pansies to brighten up the end of the Winter.
ź Start planning now for Spring plants and container plants.
ź Overgrown shrubbery? If so, consider hard pruning or replacement ASAP.
Give us a call if you have any questions!! 631-283-8085
