WINTER DOWN TIME? NO SUCH THING
Winter is one of the most important treatment times for lawns, shrubs, and pest control.
Winter is often perceived as being a slow, down time for the lawn and pest industry. This is a huge misconception. In fact, the winter treatments for lawns, shrubs, and indoor pests are some of the most important treatments done throughout
the year.
Lawns have a completely different group of weeds that appear during the winter months. The pre-emergent treatments we apply during the fall and winter help to greatly reduce these weed populations in lawns during the spring. Even though bermuda and zoysia lawns are dormant, the lime and root developing fertilizers we apply during this season dictate how healthy the lawns will be in the spring.
The dormant oil treatment applied to ornamental trees and shrubs in the colder months is a key factor in minimizing damage in the spring. By eliminating the over-wintering eggs from the summer insects, we can severely curtail early season insect populations that will begin to feed on plant foliage when the temperatures begin to increase. We also fertilize trees and shrubs during the winter months. Our pressurized, deep-root method of tree and shrub fertilization gives woody ornamentals the nutrients they will need for vigorous spring and summer growth. The pressurized injection method aerates the root zones allowing for better root growth and development. The deeper and stronger a plant’s roots are, the less damage it will receive from freezes, wind chill, and summer heat.
Many varieties of insects enter your home during the winter in search of warm nesting areas. These insects would often not choose to colonize inside your home, but are forced inside in search of warmth. The perimeter barrier we maintain around the foundation, windows and doors of your home effectively minimizes the number of insects that successfully enter the home and make their nests inside your walls.
It is a common misconception that nothing needs to be done when the grass is brown, the leaves have fallen and the temperature has dropped. In actuality, the treatments we apply to your lawn, shrubs and home are extremely important to insuring good effective control of weeds and insects not only in the winter, but during the spring and summer months as well.
Winter Weeds
Facts, control, expectations
The onset of colder temperatures usher in a whole new crop of weeds in your lawn. These are the winter annuals and cool season weeds. They thrive in temperatures below 65 degrees. Due to the lack of color in dormant bermuda and zoysia lawns in the winter, weeds tend to stand out far more. This makes controlling them much more important. There a
re 2 particular weeds that present a large control challenge during the winter months: Poa annua and wild onion.
Poa annua, or annual bluegrass, is an annual grass that appears in small clumps during the winter. It can appear in all types of turf grass, but is most evident in bermuda and zoysia lawns because poa annua is green during the winter while the turf grass is brown and dormant. The best way to control it is through the use of pre-emergent treatments in the fall to stop the seeds from germinating when the temperatures drop. Poa annua most often shows up in thin lawns, because the pre-emergent designed to stop its germination is less effective in thin turf.
Wild onion (or wild garlic) is a perennial winter weed that is particularly difficult to control. Most of the weed grows underground in the form of bulbs. The thin green hollow tubes that project from the bulbs out of the ground have a waxy coating that makes it difficult for herbicides to cling to. Wild onions tend to grow in clumps. If the bulbs are not killed during the winter, they will go dormant during the summer and begin producing more top growth the next winter. In order to control wild onions, we must use a systemic product that will attack the weed at the bulb. This often requires repeated treatments throughout the winter in order to achieve effective control.
The level of weed infestation, and the current density of the turf are the 2 main factors that dictate how effectively we can control certain winter weeds in the lawn. Both grassy and broadleaf weed controls are included in the Top Turf Program. Grassy weeds may take multiple treatments to control.
Avoid Winter Problems
Raise your mowing height
Weeds are most visible in bermuda and zoysia lawns in the winter because the grass is dormant and the weeds are green. One major cause of the increased weed populations in bermuda and zoysia lawns during the winter is they were mowed too short during the fall.
Image via Wikipedia
The best way to control weeds is through the use of a pre-emergent herbicide. Pre-emergent herbicides stop the germination of annual weed seeds and prevent them from growing in your lawn. The density of your lawn is directly related to how well the preventive treatments work. Warm season grasses respond well to being mowed low and often during the summer. This is one of the best ways to insure good density. But leaving the mowing height low going into the dormant season opens the lawn to many potential problems. One of these problems is the premature breakdown of the pre-emergent designed to stop winter weeds.
“Uninsulated and unprotected roots and crowns can freeze over the winter, causing large areas of the lawn to die.”
Another problem caused by allowing bermuda and zoysia lawns to go dormant too short is the potential for damage to the roots by freezes, frosts, and wind chill. Unisulated and unprotected roots and crowns can freeze over the winter, causing large areas of the lawn to die. When warm season lawns go dormant, all of the leaf blade material that turns brown dies, but it serves a valuable purpose over the winter. It acts as insulation for the roots and protects them from the harsh winter conditions.
You should maintain your bermuda or zoysia lawn at no more than 1 1/2 inches high during the growing season; lower if you can mow it more than once per week. To protect the roots and crowns during the winter you should raise the height to 2-2 1/2 inches before the lawn goes dormant.
Caring for Your New Fescue Lawn
How to keep your investment healthy
Many of y
ou have recently had your fescue lawns core aerated and seeded. The fertilizers we apply at this time of year are specifically designed to help the new grass develop properly. Germination should be evident, and the new grass should be well on its way to growing to maturity. Keep in mind, however, that the grass is very young and immature currently. There are several things you should be doing in order to protect your investment.
Falling leaves should be kept off the new grass. In order for the fescue to continue to develop, it needs sunlight. Allowing leaves to cover newly seeded lawns for even a short period of time can cause severe damage to the new grass. You should avoid raking the leaves if possible because raking can damage the underdeveloped root systems. Blow the leaves with a blower, or try to pick them up with your mower if you have a bagging attachment.
You should mow your new fescue at a height of 2-2 1/2 inches for the first few mowings. You can then raise the mowing height to between 3-4 inches. Be sure to use a very sharp blade to avoid causing damage to the new grass. A dull blade will pull at the new grass, damaging the roots similar to the damage caused by raking.
Weeds will be present in your new lawn. This is unavoidable because the new fescue cannot withstand the effects of the weed controls. As a general rule, the weeds can be treated soon as the new grass has been mowed 3 or 4 times. The new grass must be mature enough that the weed controls will not kill it.
The drought is officially over!
This morning while listening to AM750 on my way to work, I heard that “after three years we are out of the drought”. We have received over 7″ of rain for the month of March and we are expecting more rain today.
The recent rainfall will strengthen your lawn’s root system and is great for the overall health and vigor of the grass. For the past three years we have not had significant weed pressure due to the drought. With all of the recent rain, weeds are now popping up everywhere. The wet conditions provide a prime environment for the proliferation of broad-leaf weeds in your lawn. These weeds grow vertically much faster than your grass and become very unsightly in your lawn. Broad-leaf weeds are easily controlled with a post-emergent weed control. The only way to eliminate these weeds is to treat them after they have germinated. That is one reason why our lawn care service is a ongoing service. If you notice weeds popping up in between your regular scheduled service, please contact our office and we will be happy to re-visit your property and take care of them. Nobody does weed control better than we do! That’s why we are called “Your Neighborhood Weed Control Experts”.
Prepare your lawn for spring
The cold snap and snow resulted in a couple of tough days in the lawn care business. As you probably guessed, we do not treat lawns in the snow or when there is snow on the ground. The first two applications of the year, we apply a liquid application. Liquid applications allow better coverage of the pre-emergent and we are able to mix fertilizer into the tank. With one swipe of the lawn you get crabgrass preventer and fertilizer. We believe so strongly that a liquid application is better for our customer’s lawns, that we invest around $50,000 per vehicle. It would be cheaper to buy vans and spread all granular applications like some of our friendly competitors. However, we believe that if we provide the best quality products and service, our customer’s lawns will reflect it and Top Turf will be rewarded by having our happy clients refer their friends and neighbors. You may find a cheaper price, but I am confident you will not find a greater value in lawn care. The challenge comes when the temperatures drop well below freezing and the liquid in the hoses freezes up. We must wait for the temperatures to warm up before we are able to service the lawns.
Pre-emergent forms a barrier at the soil line to prevent summer grassy weeds from invading your lawn. The most notorious and by far the most important of which is crabgrass. The only effective way to stop crabgrass is before it comes up. If you do not stop it before it starts to germinate you will be fighting a losing battle all summer long. Post-emergent products are made to control existing crabgrass plants, however, one crabgrass plant can emit 10,000 seeds. As fast as you can knock one plant out, another one is popping up in it’s place. So get your crabgrass barrier down now. Here at Top Turf our clients receive pre-emergent with the first two applications of the year. The fertilizer is important to help promote a dense, healthy root system, which will also help to minimize weeds in the lawn. Be sure to water in your application. Please refer to watering section of our website for up to date watering information.
As you know you reap what you sow, so our clients will have great looking lawns this year!
Kevin
Frozen Bermuda Turf
I routinely hit the road to visit our clients and insure our company is providing metro Atlanta with the ultimate lawn care service. I look at weed populations, turf density, color of the turf and the overall quality of the turf. On Tuesday, 2/17 I spent the day in the Southern Atlanta suburbs. I was particularly troubled by one Bermuda lawn that I visited in Fayetteville. As I pulled up to the lawn I noticed that the Bermuda was a very dull brown color. Healthy dormant Bermuda is usually more of a golden color. The grass was mowed much too low for this time of the year. The turf was thin and there was a layer of thatch about a half inch thick covering the ground. Keep in mind that we provide the nutrition / fertilizer, weed control, lime and insecticide to the lawn. We do not provide any landscaping services including mowing. As I stepped onto the lawn the grass felt brittle and crunchy under my feet. Not a good sign. I noticed that the Bermuda on the sides of the home was much higher than the low cut Bermuda in the front of the House. There was a distinct line caused by the difference in the height of the turf. The Bermuda on the sides displayed the usual golden color and it was soft and pliable under my feet. Why was the Bermuda in the front of the house in such poor shape? The lawn was scalped and the mulch was not bagged. A hard freeze hit and the Bermuda did not have it’s winter coat on. The Bermuda was freeze dried. This lawn definitely has winter kill. The lawn is severely damaged and it will take a lot of work to get it green this summer. The thick layer of thatch will provide a perfect breeding environment for the germination of an array of pesky, broad leaf weeds.
The recommended mowing height for Bermuda during the GROWING SEASON is 1 inch to 1.5 inches. As winter approaches, Bermuda should be allowed to grow to a height of at least two inches. This height should be maintained throughout the winter months. The average last freeze date in Atlanta is around March 25th and has occurred as late as April 6th. Please DO NOT make the mistake of attempting to bring Bermuda out of dormancy too quick! If you want to ensure your Bermuda or Zoysia will be healthy this year and free of winter damage, wait until about April 1st to scalp it. Your neighbors may be scalping their lawns in early March. They may get lucky and have a bright green lawn before you mow for the first time of the year… but the odds are in your favor. And, don’t listen to the superintendent at the golf course. You have a residential lawn not a putting green. Follow the mowing and watering instructions under the “Tips” section of our website, have us provide your lawn care for the year and you will have a lawn you will be proud of. Guaranteed!
Kevin Bryan
Where it all began
It was 1991 when the first discussion came up, between my brother (Scott) and I, about starting Top Turf lawn care service. Scott had worked for a couple of lawn care companies and we both wanted to be in business for ourselves. It is cliche to say as a company we wanted to provide the highest quality fertilizers and exceptional lawn care service. Specifically we set out to do the best weed contol in the city. That meant treating all the weeds every time. If the lawn needs additional care between the paid applications then we will revisit the property and provide that extra service at no charge. A truely proactive service. We waited until 1993 to start the business because Scott got married in 1991 and had his first child in 1992. And, yes, it was more than 9 months later.
In September 1993 we set up office in the shed behin Scott’s father in laws house. The structure had enough storage space to park a vehicle in it and enough office space to squeeze two desks into. The building had electricity running to it but that was about it. We had no heating, no air conditioning and no plumbing. Most every winter night that year we were there until 10pm making phone calls to prospective clients and tending to all of the other issues that come along with starting a business. A space heater and some warm clothing were all the tools we needed to get us through those sub freezing nights.
Have a good week!