Arbor & Turf, Inc. Landscape Services

(404) 806-6263 www.arborandturf.net

TURF TALK

This application can be watered in anytime 2 hours after the application time

Fescue Lawns:

Today’s treatment was an application of pre-emergent weed control to prevent the germination of spring and summer weeds. This application also included weed control for existing broadleaf weeds and fertilizer to promote health and color.

Bermuda/Zoysia Lawns:

These turf grasses received an application of pre-emergent weed control to prevent the germination of spring and summer weeds. This application also included weed control for existing broadleaf weeds.

Leaves:

A moderate amount of leaves will not affect the application.

Children and Pets:

Please keep children and pets off the turf for 2 hours after the application.

Our services include:

· Full service property maintenance programs – mowing, blowing, edging, flowers, etc.

· Lawn Care & Tree/Shrub health treatment programs

· Landscape design & installation

· Pond and waterfall design, installation, and repair

· Irrigation system inspections, repairs and installations

· Aeration & Over-seeding

· Patio, Retaining Wall, and Walkway Stonework

CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE FOR ANY OF THESE SERVICES

Please refer a friend or neighbor below that would like a FREE estimate of our services. If they become a customer, your next lawn treatment will be $10 off!

Please detach and mail with your payment…

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Arbor & Turf Inc. (404) 806-6263 “BIG DAVE” cell: 404.557.3456

]]> http://arborandturf.net/landscape-services/lawncare/round-2-turf-talk-2010/feed/ 0 http://arborandturf.net/landscape-services/lawncare/atlanta-lawn-care-3/ http://arborandturf.net/landscape-services/lawncare/atlanta-lawn-care-3/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:59:47 +0000 admin http://arborandturf.net/landscape-services/lawncare/atlanta-lawn-care-3/ Spring time in Atlanta is just around the corner and this season we are in a completely different situation then we were a year ago.  We have an abundance of rain this year as opposed to coming off a level 4 drought last year.  Things have changed dramatically.  The lake is up, we have had a 500 year flood and the rains are still coming.  Atlanta lawn care has taken on yet another set of problems. 

This year is going to start off with weed issues much more intense then the typical problems of spring weed groups of this region.  They will be bigger and more of them.  This was evident last fall when there were more winter weeds emerging then ever before. 

With this in mind it is vital to get your pre-emergence down and start to control the post emerged weeds as soon as possible.  The problem is we have remained in the low temperatures.  Weed control is not very effective when the plants are shut down because it is too cold out.  Our program this year is starting off with a good application of pre-emergence to make sure we have a good barrier in place for any weeds that will start to germinate in the early spring.  As soon as the temperatures reach a good consistent reading we will be hammering the post emerged weeds as fast as we can. 

The one weed that will be difficult this year will be the same one as always at this time of the year -  you guessed it – Poa Annua.  The one thing it has going for it is its not that ugly of a weed.  The real problem is you have to use some pretty aggressive weed control to get it under control once it is emerged.  We would suggest leaving it to run its course and not spend a bunch of time and weed control trying to control something that will die off in the early summer anyway.   The reason is, due to the heavy rains we have had this winter the pre-emergence from the fall is compromised and when you attack the Poa Annua with the post emerged weed control you run the risk of damaging the grass. 

Trust us, it is better to keep the grass healthy and ready to ride whatever mother nature gives us this year then to worry about cleaning up a Poa Annua patch in the midst of transitioning Bermuda or Zoysia.  The roots are going to be in need of repair after drought and excessive rains so you don’t want to compromise their health this spring. 

What is Clay Soil?

Clay soil is defined as soil that is composed of mostly clay particles. Soil that consists of over 50% clay particles is referred to as “heavy clay.” To determine whether you have clay soil or not, you can do a simple soil test. Most likely, you probably already know if you have clay soil. If your soil sticks to shoes and garden tools like glue, forms big clods that aren’t easy to separate, and crusts over and cracks in dry weather, you have clay.

Positives of Clay Soil

Even clay soil has some good qualities. Clay, because of its density, retains moisture well. It also tends to be more nutrient-rich than other soil types. The reason for this is that the particles that make up clay soil are negatively charged. They attract and pick up positively charged particles, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Negatives of Clay Soil

In addition to the drawbacks mentioned above, clay also has the following negative qualities:

• Slow draining
• Slow to warm in the spring
• Compacts easily, making it difficult for plant roots to grow
• Tendency to heave in winter
• Tendency to be alkaline

Improving Clay Soil

Improving your clay soil will take a bit of work, but the good news is that the work you do will instantly improve the structure of your soil and make it easier to work with. Most of the work is done up front, with some annual chores to continue improving your soil.

It is best to improve an entire planting area all at once. I often see advice about just improving individual planting holes as you go along, but I don’t recommend this practice. When you dig a planting hole in clay soil, then plop in a plant and nicely amend only the soil you use to backfill, your plant will be happy for a little while. But what you’ve essentially done is make the planting-hole equivalent of a flower pot. Eventually, the plant will start sending out roots, but when they reach the limits of the nicely amended soil you backfilled with, they will have a hard time expanding into the hard clay around them, and will start circling around in the planting hole instead. You’ll end up with a perfectly root bound plant, and it won’t grow as large or as healthy as it should.

Decide how much area you want for your new garden. If you are improving an existing bed, you’ll just have to dig out any plants you want to keep, and then you can get started. If you are preparing a brand new bed, there are a few more steps to consider

To improve your soil, you’ll need to add six to eight inches of organic matter to the entire bed. You can add any organic matter you can get your hands on. Grass clippings (as long as they haven’t been treated with chemicals), shredded leaves, rotted manure, and compost are all perfect choices. Spread your organic matter on top of the soil. Here’s where the manual labor comes in. The organic matter needs to be mixed into the top six to twelve inches of soil. Digging it in and mixing it with a shovel is a great way to do this, as it moves a lot of earth without pulverizing the soil particles the way tilling can. However, if digging is just too hard on your back, using a tiller is a fine method.

When you’re finished, your garden bed will be several inches higher than it was originally. It will settle some over the course of a season, but the soil structure will keep improving as microorganisms in the soil work to break down all of the organic matter you’ve added. The bed can be planted immediately, however. You’ll be adding more organic matter on the top of the bed once or twice a year. This will continue the process of improving the soil’s structure and offset any settling that happens.

Testing for Fertility and Adding Fertilizers

After a season or so, it’s a good idea to collect a soil sample and have it tested to see if you have any nutrient deficiencies or pH issues. The report you get back will offer suggestions for how to improve the garden further. Add any organic fertilizers or soil amendments outlined in your report, and your bed will be perfect for growing healthy plants.

It’s a bit of work. But you can be secure in the knowledge that you won’t have to waste time struggling with clay soil again.

#1 -  Lettuce does not take a lot of space to grow.

One of the great things about growing lettuce is that it won’t take up a lot of space in your home garden so it is perfect for small plots.  Your rows should be at least 10 inches wide with 20 inches between the rows. 

It is important to to thin out the lettuce as it grows.  Most types of lettuce need between 8 and 14 inches between the plants.  For instance Butterleaf and Romaine need about eight inches where Crisp lettuce needs between 12 – 14 inches.

#2 – You can grow lettuce from seed or transplant.

Most varieties of lettuce can be planted directly in the ground from seed.  However leaf lettuce is a bit easier to grow from seed then head lettuce.  The better way to grow the head lettuce would be from transplants since growing from seed during the spring has a high rate of failure. 

To plant lettuce from seeds you will place them shallow in the soil.  Cover the seeds with about 1/2 inch of soil and give them a good watering.  

#3 -  There are a wide variety and types of lettuces to grow.

Another great thing about growing lettuce is the many varieties and types there are to grow.  There are also variations in colors to give your garden an attractive look as your harvest is maturing.  Have fun with the textures, colors and varieties and mix them together for an outstanding looking garden and salad.

#4 – It is possible to get two crops – depending on your region.

It is possible to get two crops of lettuce.  The fall crop needs to be started about 3 months before the first fall freeze.  Lettuce needs a good amount of water so if you are planting in warm, early fall temperatures make sure to maintain a good watering schedule. 

If you are in a climate that would allow for an early spring crop, you can plant your seeds or transplants as early as January.  In colder areas, you will need to make sure you are past the last heavy freeze, usually sometime after March.  The young, tender lettuce plants are sensitive to freezing, but can handle a light freeze. 

#5 -  Growing lettuce keeps your garden producing – even in the colder months

The ability to keep your garden producing during the colder months is a rewarding experience and one that keeps some food coming to the table throughout the year.  Have fun with this, experiment and hone your gardening skills. 

If you have any questions or this video helped you, please leave a comment, they are most appreciated.

You may want a small one that’s suited to up-close viewing in an outdoor seating area, or perhaps a large-scale model that visually anchors the landscape and looks striking even when viewed from a distance.  Some freestanding fountains are designed as adjuncts to a pool or pond, while others are water features unto themselves, working well on a deck, patio, lawn, or tucked into a flower bed.

The great thing about these fountain structures is that they are independent garden elements, and they don’t require a pond for a water source.  Instead they have a bottom bowl or reservoir that holds the water, and for convenience they are often fitted with a built-in pump.

In considering any water feature there are some important decisions to make.  Some decisions about the type of water feature will be determined based on some parameters of your particular situation. 

*  What type of features are you looking for in terms of sight and sound?

Would you like the water to spray, trickle, bubble or cascade?  Another consideration is the water’s sound.  The larger the fountain the greater the noise.  Do you want an exciting roar or soft babbling?

*  How large is the space available?

A small yard can be easily overpowered by a large piece.  Likewise, a large landscape can swallow up a small, delicate unit.  Therefore the fountain should be in scale with its surroundings.

*  What is the existing style of your yard?

Choose a fountain in keeping with the overall look of your garden and home.  It’s likely that a formal statuary fountain will look out of place in a simple country garden, and sleek, modernist piece will clash too much with a natural setting.

*  Where are you going to put the fountain?

Most people have the idea of where they want the fountain but they do not have the necessary outlets and access to water available in those “ideal” spots in the garden.  Most water features require at least one electric outlet, and it must be a weatherproof GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) type.  If you don’t have it, have a professional install one.   Water access is important as well as the water feature will need to have water added to it from time to time.  Depending on where you put the water feature will determine the rate of evaporation.  In the sun, more evaporation than in the shade.   Dragging a hose out all the time can get cumbersome.  Setting up a water access close by will help with the overall enjoyment of your water feature, believe me.

A water feature is also a rather permanent structure and addition to your landscape. A poorly designed water feature can detract as much if not more than a well designed water feature. The materials you make it with and the components you use to make it all work will either add to or take away from the charm of this incredible piece of your landscape.

One of the first decisions to make is the location. Once you have decided on the location the next decision is the liner or the container you will use to hold the water. Here we take a look at the options, their pros and cons and applications to help you decide what will work best for your particular situation. Choose well as the choice you make will be one you will need to live with for a good bit of time.

The Pond Liner or Container:

There are basically 4 choices when deciding what your are going to use to hold the water for your pond.

1. Preformed – These are made from fiberglass or PVC. The pros are they

thick and not easily punctured and come in a variety of shapes and

sizes. They are the easiest of the 4 to build a waterfall pond with. The drawbacks are you are limited to the available shapes and sizes of the preformed liners and hiding these liners are a bit more difficult then the liners. If you are looking for a quick and easy waterfall pond – this is your choice.

2. Rubber Pond Liner Sheets – There are a large variety of choices here but over the last 5- 10 years these have become much more sophisticated. The good ones thick and come with a 20 year warranty, UVC protected to prolong the liner’s life, fish safe and give you much more flexibility in creating your pond. They also allow you the ability to create a stream to feed into your pond which I highly recommend. Its easy to do and adds so much to your water feature you will be grateful many times over that you went the extra distance and included a stream with your water feature. You will need to be careful during construction to make sure you don’t puncture the liner. One of the ways I have insured this from happening is to cut a small piece of liner, put that piece under a stepping stone you position at some access point where you are getting in and out of the pond during construction and do not use any other access point to enter or exit the pond. That way you don’t have a but after its in it is very secure as long as kids and dogs aren’t running through the pond.

3. Cement – I don’t recommend this option as it is not fish safe but there are still ponds created this way today. It is more work and once you create the pond, if you ever want to make changes down the road it is near impossible to do without tearing out and re-pouring your new design. It is the most durable though and if you pour it correctly and strengthen the concrete with chicken wire and rebar it will be a rather permanent structure for generations to come.

4. Containers – This would provide you with the easiest of choices as they are typically some form of container you might have laying around. Old bathtubs or large barrels, anything that can hold water and be incorporated into the landscape attractively. They typically do not have pump systems and are more or less a holding container for water and some water plants.

There are many other components to decide on in the construction of a waterfall pond.  It is important to get the right materials to make sure your pond performs at its optimum level.  Over the years of pond constructing I have found the best way to insure your components fit and work together is to get them from one place and make sure it is a place that specializes in pond supplies.  This will guarantee you are getting quality products designed for the construction of ponds and streams.  You can find everything you will need to put together whatever pond you are installing here.  Pond Construction Supplies.

The Atlanta landscape starts to take shape with the installation of some plant material. This video spans two days of plantings and the concepts behind some placement. Some of the larger plant material includes Nellie R Stevens, Crepe Myrtle and a variety of smaller plant material including loropetalum, gold mop cypress and some knockout roses. Boulders are positioned to enhance the plant material and the combination of colors and textures really start to give a feel for what the end result of the landscape will be.

Here is the final walk through of the project. At the end of the video is a clip of the before and a fade into the after. Please leave any comments below, they are greatly appreciated.

We Do Things Differently

- We Utilize Special Products To Handle Weeds Effectively & Keep Them Under Control.

- Our technicians are paid a salary so they are not pressured to get on and off your lawn

so they can hit their quota for the day.  They take their time and do the job right.

- We are “hands on” owners and continuously monitor the operations of our business

- We have a proven track record for producing results in our customers lawns.

- Our Motto is “Kill Em With Service” – Which is exactly what we aim to do.

- We take a soil sample during our first application to test the pH level in the soil.

- Our fertilizers are organically based and we utilize reclaimed water in our spray tanks

We fully guarantee our work.  If for any reason we need to retreat or if you are not happy we will service your property until we take care of the problem at no extra cost.

Remember the special price mentioned above. If this is your first correspondence with our company

Fill out our free online estimate form and become a customer

We will also very competitive with our pricing and can meet or beat any price you currently have – within reason of course.  We have been doing this for a long time and all companies are within a few dollars of each other – unless someone miss measures your lawn.

We Want Your Business – Give Us A Shot.

The project consists of taking the existing garden design and upgrading it with easier to manage pathways, a more garden desirable irrigation system and finishing off the greenhouse with a more stable concrete slab floor.  The greenhouse was flown in from London and is a centerpiece of the garden grounds but has not been used since brought to the states a couple of years ago.  The garden will be finished off with formal hedge plantings and perennials to add interest and color. 

The garden club will then take control and bring the garden alive with their exciting plans for vegetables and flowering plant life.

As the landscape project continues we got lucky and found the dedicated water lines to the garden. Once we tied into the water line we layed out 6 drip zones to efficiently water the garden areas. Once the drip irrigation lines were in we were ready to move forward with the paverstone path system being installed in the middle area of the garden. A red paverstone is used to bring out some of the color of the stones used to build the base of the greenhouse.

Here we see the final stages of the project coming together and the final walk through. We installed needlepoint hollies around the edges of the garden and korean boxwoods around the edges of the small formal planting squares inside of the garden. It gives it a very formal, English garden feel and with the perennials we chose the colors and textures bring the garden to life. Some great before and after pictures are shown at the end of the video.