Tip of the Month

How To Transition Your Lawn

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:04:00 GMT

April and into early May is a great time to begin the transition of your winter lawn to your summer lawn. Bermuda grass becomes active when the nighttime temperatures are in the 60’s. Over the last few years we have heard many homeowners having problems with Bermuda grass growing very thin with many bare areas. This is usually attributed to the fact that homeowners let their rye grass die naturally with the heat of the summer rather than killing it off early. If you allow your rye grass to grow well into the latter half of May and June you are not allowing the Bermuda grass enough time to reach its peak performance before you over seed again in September. Doing this year after year can cause your summer lawn to become very thin, for it has to compete with the rye.

The best time to make the transition is once we have consistent 90 degree temperatures. When making the transition, it is best to mow the lawn set at the mowers’ lowest setting and turn off your sprinkler system for up to two weeks. The lawn will look rough for a few weeks but remember, it is only two to three weeks and it’s what is best to get a great looking lawn. After a couple weeks, fertilize the Bermuda with ammonium phosphate or Turf Royale then water thoroughly.

When reseeding Bermuda grass, it is important to wait until nighttime temperatures reach the mid-60’s. We carry both Blackjack Bermuda seed and Common Bermuda seed. If you are trying to match an existing lawn that was originally laid as sod, then Blackjack will be the best match to the color and texture. We recommend a rate of 3 pounds per 1000 square feet for both varieties.

Starting Your Own Home Garden

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:39:00 GMT

There is no better time than now to start your own garden at home. Raised bed gardening is a great and simple way to garden. We offer a couple different sizes and styles of raised bed gardens that will fit the exact space you have. We also carry premixed soils to fill the garden, helping take the guess work out of what type of soil to use. We proudly carry Bonnie Plants, which offer you the widest selection of herbs and vegetables to fill your garden. Come in now to get started!

Cutting Back on Water Usage

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:22:00 GMT

As the temperatures continue to cool down, it is crucial to cut back how often you water your trees and shrubs. Still continue to water deeply, but do it less often. For example, a citrus tree normally watered once a week can now be watered once every two weeks deeply.

Overseeding with Perennial Rye Grass

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:53:00 GMT

Starting at the end of September and into October is the ideal time to over seed in the Phoenix area. If you plan on over seeding in the fall, you need to begin reducing the frequency of how often you water the lawn and stop fertilizing. Less food and water will help the lawn go into dormancy quicker. Mow your lawn to ½ inch high when you are ready to over seed. Next, spread the seed evenly over the lawn. Immediately after spreading the seed, apply Fertilome™ New Lawn Starter on top of the seed to increase the germination rate and provide the seed with a strong root base. Once the seed and starter fertilizer are down, the final step is covering with a mulch dressing. Start watering the seed immediately 3 to 5 times a day for a few minutes at a time. Avoid standing water. The key is to not let the seed dry out after water hits it the first time. Dry seed is dead seed.

When choosing a grass to over seed with in the fall you will find there are mainly two options available. The most common options are Annual and Perennial Ryegrass. Annual rye grass is a coarse, wide bladed grass. It is less expensive to buy but you get what you pay for. Annual rye grass is not heat tolerant, often dying out before your summer lawn comes out of dormancy in the spring. Annual is very wet, sticks to mower blades, and will stain easily. Perennial rye grass has great color, a much finer blade than annual, and is heat tolerant. We carry a mixed blend of three Perennial varieties. By blending varieties we are able to take advantage of the best characteristics of each. If you have always planted Annual and never tried perennial, we urge you to give it a try, you will never go back.

Monsoon Activity

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:42:00 GMT

Fast growing trees can act as a sail in the wind during the monsoon and usually blow over. This can be prevented by thinning out the interior canopy of the tree. Doing so will take a lot of weight out of the tree. Also, properly staking your trees, i.e. double staking, when they are young will greatly benefit the tree during wind storms and also aid in the development of the tree.

There are many options when staking trees. We carry many different sizes of tree stakes and Duckbill wiring systems depending on the size of the tree.

Take advantage of the rain by turning off your watering system for up to a few days or more, depending on how much rain you receive.

Citrus Fruit Drop

Tue, 24 May 2011 23:07:00 GMT

Citrus trees will drop some young fruit as the temperatures continue to rise. There is no need to worry because the tree is naturally thinning itself out. Also, don’t forget to protect the trunk of younger trees from sunburn. Be sure protect the trunk long enough for the tree to shade its' own trunk. Do not be alarmed if the new growth on your citrus shows signs of deformed or curled leaves. This is the result of an insect known as thrip. The damage is purely aesthetics and does not affect the health of the tree.

When fertilizing citrus we recommend using our Treeland All-Purpose Fertilizer along with gypsum as a supplement. The calcium contained in Gypsum aids in the fruit quality and development of the fruit. After applying both, follow with a deep watering.

Insects and Disease

Tue, 10 May 2011 02:55:00 GMT

Organic insecticides are safe alternatives to chemical options for controlling troublesome bugs. Organic controls include Neem Oil and Spinosad. Neem Oil can be used as long as temperatures are below 85 degrees or else it can burn the plant. Spinosad is a very unique insecticide. Discovered in a rum distillery, Spinosad is a naturally occurring bacterium effectively killing a wide range of bugs and is safe for humans and pets. We sell Spinosad under the catchy name of Bonide® Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew. Captains Jack’s is safe to use on veggies, fruits, roses, and ornamentals.

A white fuzzy substance on the foliage of roses will start to appear, known as Powdery Mildew. Use Bonide™ Liquid Copper Fungicide at the first signs of the mildew appearing.

Pruning Frost Damaged Plants

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:04:00 GMT

With the possibility of a potential frost finally passing us by, you may now prune back all of the damaged wood of your plants and trees. As rough as your plants may look, you may be surprised at how much live wood is still there. Start from the top of the plant and prune your way down to where you start to see green wood. Once you reach live green wood you will know the plant will leaf back out to that point. Depending on where you live in the valley will determine how much frost damage your plants suffered.

After pruning we recommend using Treeland Premium All-Purpose Fertilizer on all of your trees and shrubs to give them a good jump start into spring. It is specially formulated for Arizona’s soils and will supply your plants with the nutrients they want. Our fertilizer promotes green leaves, healthy roots, strong branches, and delicious fruit and citrus.

Fertilizing Citrus

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:17:00 GMT

Valentine’s Day marks the first feeding of the New Year for all varieties of citrus. We recommend using Treeland Premium All-Purpose Fertilizer in combination with Gypsum. Our All-Purpose Fertilizer is based off of a citrus blend and will work for most landscape trees and shrubs. Gypsum acts as a soil conditioner but more importantly adds calcium to the soil which the citrus tree uses for growth and fruit development.

February is also a great time to plant any new citrus trees in your yard. In the past year citrus trees have become very difficult to find. However, we have a source and we just received a new shipment of all of the popular varieties in both dwarf and standard forms. We will continue to receive shipments throughout the spring.

Watering

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:47:00 GMT

Now is a great time to adjust your drip system settings from your summer program to your fall and winter program. We talk to people every day who water their plants every day to every other day for only 15 to 30 minutes at a time, which is not ideal. It is best to think of running your drip system more in terms of hours as opposed to only minutes. Drippers will generally water anywhere from 1 gallon to 6 gallons per hour. Most shrubs require 6-8 gallons of water at each watering depending on size and most trees will require anywhere from 25-50 gallons of water or more at each watering depending on size. Be sure to water no more than every 10-14 days through the winter on most trees and shrubs. If you are not sure how much your plants need please feel free to contact us.