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Q: April Tips & Notes from Dave Greene
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 (¼ to ½ 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. There has been quite a bit of snow mold fungus noticed on lawns this year. Rake out infected areas then you need to spot seed and fertilize as needed. Moles may become active now, we have a new mole bait on the market and it looks very promising so far!! Call our office if you need mole control.
Q: May Tips & Notes from Dave Greene
May Notes
The many seed heads you see in your lawn this time of year is the POA Annua Grass. A native weed grass. Difficult to control, however there are some products on the market to suppress and/or eradicate this species. Culturally there are some measures you can take.
Cut your lawn at the proper height. 2 ½ to 3 for most home lawn grasses. The lower you cut the better chance for POA Annua to thrive.
Back off on the water. Water deeply and infrequently. Watering everyday and sometimes every other day will promote the shallow rooted POA Annua. If you do not have a rain sensor on your irrigation system - You Should
Bag the seedheads when mowing and dispose of them properly. This will remove the seed heads from your lawn.
Some spring lawn diseases could appear at this time. “Red Thread” is common in the spring especially on perennial ryegrasses. Only use lawn fungicides if this disease becomes wide-spread. In the early stages of red thread disease a dose of fertilizer will most often help a lot to control this disease. Keep your mower blades sharp.
chatting sites, use and.
If you have not done so yet you can still aerate your lawn to help reduce thatch and increase oxygen to the soil/root zone area. If you have Sycamore trees that get anthracnose fungus disease every year this is the time to treat for it.
Treat for Apple Scale disease this month. Scale insects, holly leaf minors and birch leaf minors are common insects to control this month.
Spring Check List:
Check your peonies for staking.
Pinch Chrysanthemums and Montauk Daisies.
Plant vegetables and flowers in containers as risk of frost lessens.
Divide early flowering perennials after they bloom.
Fertilize your lawn around memorial day.
Fertilize trees, shrubs and flowers.
Clean out shrub beds of weeds and apply mulch.
Never put soil or mulch on tree trunks.
Return grass clippings to your lawn (grass cycling) This puts nutrients back into your lawn. If you are bothered by grass clippings try cutting the lawn more often. Never cut more than one third of the leaf blade off and it is easier to cut a lawn that is not too tall rather than to gather and dispose of clippings.
Q: June Tips & Notes from Dave Greene
June Notes
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 ½ 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.
• June is strawberry month.....Enjoy!!
Q: July Tips & Notes from Dave Greene
JULY NOTES:
Grub treatment can be done now. Use a product with long term control and you should be good for the rest of the season.
Army worms and cut worms can be very active at this time of the year. These are surface feeders and control is slightly different.
Chinch bugs could be a problem on lawns with the hot dry weather. Usually the drier lawn areas will sometimes have chinch bugs.
POA Annua (Annual Bluegrass) will struggle during hot and dry weather. It may need extra water if you want to cater to it.
Our cool season lawn grasses are showing signs of stress as we have not had any appreciable rain in sometime as of this writing. Irrigation certainly helps but after 3 or 4 weeks with no rain lawns do suffer. Many grasses will put out seed stalks now.
Watch for summer fungus problems and treat as needed.
Scouting for nut sedge weeds continues.
Watch out for deer ticks. You may want to treat your property at this time.
Check Honey Locust, Birch and other trees for Aphids, Leaf hoppers and other sucking insects.
This is a good time to check your irrigation system to make sure it is working properly. Weak/dry areas may show up now. Perhaps some minor modifications are in order.
We get a lot of calls about mushrooms in lawns. These are usually harmless and are showing signs of ample moisture and organic matter that is breaking down. The exception would be if the mushrooms are in a large circle pattern. This could be a fungus disease called Fairy Ring and should be looked at by a lawn professional.
If you have any questions please give me a call.
Sincerely,
Dave Greene
631-283-8085
Q: August Tips & Notes from Dave Greene
August 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. 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.
Are deer ruining your landscape? We are now installing the Deer Tech 880 Deer Repellant System from Nature Technologies.
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
631-283-8085
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:
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.
Pruning Needs
Look over your property for pruning needs which can be done this winter.
Thin trees as needed
Planting Tips
Consider planting spring flowering bulbs now.
Let roses go to seed and give a bit of potassium to help with winter hardiness.
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
Q: November Notes from Dave Greene
November Notes
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.
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Dave Greene Estate Care, Inc.
37 Ocean View Parkway - Southampton, NY 11968
phone (631)283-8085 - fax (631)287-8741 - info@dgec.net
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