Enjoying Nature in the Winter – Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens offer a chance to reconnect with nature. Like bears, it sometimes feels that we spend the majority of winter inside hibernating. There is no reason for this. Even in winter, there is much to appreciate in a southern garden – berries, bark, structure, and even flowers. Botanical gardens allow you to enjoy the beauty of nature even in these colder months. In an effort to help us appreciate what Mother Nature provides us, I thought I'd list several of the gardens in the Charlotte region:

• The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens on the banks of Lake Wylie is featuring its Orchid Spectacular through March 14, 2011. While the orchids are on display at the conservatory, there is also an exhibit of Jamie Kirkells paintings, Jewels on Silk through March 5th. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.dsbg.org/
  
  
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical Gardens (McMillan Greenhouse) features nature trails, a large rhododendron collection, a winter garden, and a greenhouse with an orchid collection. On February 27, 2011, they will hold a Winter Walk and Plant Sale. And it's free. For more information, see below or access their website at http://gardens.uncc.edu/.
  
  
• The Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary off Ridgewood Avenue in Charlotte was initially the private gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence and Eddie and Elizabeth Clarkson. Together they made Ridgewood Avenue one of the most famous addresses in Southern garden history. Wing Haven features three acres of formal gardens and controlled natural areas with focus on attracting birds; roses, wildflowers, herbs, ferns, and a woodland garden. For more information, see the website at http://www.winghavengardens.com/.
  
  
• The Hezekiah Alexander Homesite
  features a period 18th century-style herb and weavers gardens on the grounds of the Revolutionary War era home that is Mecklenburg County's oldest surviving structure. http://www.charlottemuseum.org/
  
  
• The Historic Mill Hill Plantain Gardens are another group of period-style gardens in Concord featuring a formal garden, a white garden, a secret garden, an Anglo-Chinese garden, and a historic plantation home. For more information, call 704-786-3990. It is located at 7117 Stirewalt Road (Hwy. 136) in Concord.
  

Even if plants are not your passion, it is still nice to take the time to decompress and relax among the tranquility (and beauty) that nature can afford us. Keep in mind that these gardens are more than just flowers. Most offer exhibits, events and workshops guaranteed to enrich the lives of budding horticulturists everywhere. So don't let winter keep you inside. Check out these gardens. You never know, maybe it will inspire us for spring! It's just around the corner!

 

Thanks,

 

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Crabgrass Makes Me Crabby

Crabgrass

  As I write this there is a forecast of light snow tonight, so it's hard to think about spring. The truth is, though, that March 20^{th (}the official start date of spring) is just around the corner. It will not be long before the fescue grass begins its optimal growing season, especially as we add fertilizer. That is just what we are looking forward to… a fresh cut green lawn. But we also need to consider what else is starting to happen in the lawn.
 Warm season weeds in the turf area are starting to germinate. In March and April we will spray the winter weeds (as well as other weeds that may be visible in the turf) and eliminate those. Now, however, we are beginning to take a pro-active step to stop the warm season weeds by applying a pre-emergent to fescue turf. Pre-emergent is exactly what the name implies, a pre-treatment to stop the weeds from emerging. How does it work? It's really quite simple. The pre-emergent product can be applied either as a spray type product or in a granular form. They both perform the same task; they create a barrier on the surface in the soil. As seeds germinate and weeds start to emerge, the small shoots of the plant absorb the product and die. Pre-emergents stop the weeds from growing so that the established grass can spread.
 This barrier under normal weather conditions can last through the month of August. This is exactly the timeframe that we want because as September approaches, we start preparing for the fall overseeding process. Since the pre-emergent barrier not only stops the bad plants, but also the good plants, if it is still around in the fall it will affect the germination of the new grass seed as we overseed. So timing is crucial. We will be putting down our pre-emergents starting in February, to make sure we get the early sprouts, but also to make sure the barrier breaks down in time.
 One thing to keep mind is that weather can affect how long the barrier lasts. Excessive amounts of rain will break the barrier down early which can cause weed issues late in the summer. They can be controlled with a post-emergent spray, but that is a subject for another blog. The last thing to mention (and maybe the most important) is that the main culprit that we are trying to eliminate in our area is crabgrass. Almost all lawns have crabgrass seeds in the ground from last summer. Each crabgrass plant drops thousands of seeds and it reproduces rapidly. One season without pre-emergent control and you could very well end up with a total crabgrass lawn. That would really make me crabby...
 Okay I know when to stop. Get the pre-emergent down, following the instructions, and control that crabgrass. Thanks,
 The AA Tex Lawn Team

Fire Ants: Where did they come from and why won’t they leave??

     If you are outside at all, you have had it happen. In a matter of seconds, out of nowhere, you come under attack. It happens fast and it's painful. Those little red ants are all over you. Some time ago I was out measuring beds and looking at plant material on a landscape. I stooped down to look at an irrigation head. I had stepped in a ant mound not realizing it. Within seconds my right leg was covered. It seems like an eternity when you are trying to get them off. For me causes discomfort and some swelling. For others it can be much worse. So what's up with fire ants?

     Did you realize they were not always here? Depending on what sources you are reading, fire ants came to the United States from South America sometime around the 1920's. There was a ship (or ships) that were carrying soil as ballast from that country that was contaminated with the ants. The ships arrived in Mobile Alabama. From that point the ants have migrated into 11 southern states, and are in 71 of the 100 counties in North Carolina. Some sources say they are as far north as Maryland. In North Carolina the 71 counties are considered under quarantine by the USDA and the NCDA&CS. That basically means that certain items, such as nursery stock, sod, used earth moving equipment, straw, etc. are under restrictions for export to other areas. There are certain regulations they have to follow to make sure human beings are not helping with the migration. Interestingly enough, it seems that South America's problem with fire ants is not as severe as ours. Even though they originated there, they have natural predators that we don't have here that keep the population under control. No wonder the ants like it here so much!

     What to do… How do we get rid of the fire ants? Truth be told, we will never completely rid ourselves of fire ants. They are here to stay. The ants are spreading into other areas aided by mild winters and their rapid reproductive rate. What we can do is protect ourselves in areas where they are a nuisance to humans, animals, and plant material. We use 2 methods to treat fire ants. One is a mound treatment with a bait type product. Local stores carry these and they are simple to use. They are a mixture of an insecticide and food that attracts the ants. If you are doing this yourself, make sure you read the directions on the bag. It tells the best time to treat and some simple rules. Baits are not to be placed on the mound, but around it. The ants forage for food so they go to the area around the mound. The second method we use is a broadcast treatment. This method is similar to putting out turf fertilizer and is applied with a spreader. Some of these products not only kill mounds, but are also a preventive. Products such as Top Choice have a life of up to one year if applied correctly and at the right time. While somewhat expensive, this is the best idea for high traffic areas, such as large yards or parks. We can help you with these 2 solutions so please don't hesitate to ask. (One note here, if the ants are heading indoors, or are close to your house, call an exterminator. They are better equipped to handle that situation.)

     So there you have it. A small story about a small but aggressive pest called the fire ant. They aren't going anywhere, but we can defend ourselves.

Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team

Winter Pruning of Ornamental Grasses

     During the growing season your ornamental grasses thrive and can grow quite large. The winter months are a perfect time to prune back ornamental grasses. Pruning ornamental grasses helps keep the plant size under control and keeps the tender foliage from being burned by the cold winter temperatures.

     Typically a pair of sharp hand shears or gas powered hedge trimmers will be adequate. We'd recommend wearing gloves as some of the blades of grass can be quite sharp. Cut the ornamental grass at the crown of the plant. Ornamental grasses are hardy and will do fine being cut back so severe. Once you have completed the cutting, remove and dispose of the resulting debris. For aesthetic purposes, mulch around the base of the plant. (For small grasses like liriope, you can cut them back to the ground and completely cover them with a light coating of mulch or pine needles during the winter months if you want. Then when spring rolls around, simply remove the mulch to let the grass start to grow back.)

     Usually, this is all the pruning that will be required. However if the grass starts to grow larger than you want simply prune it back to the size you desire.

Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team

Winter Weeds in the Turf

Now is the time we start to notice weeds growing in our turf. The seeds have sat since last season waiting on the cooler soil temps to germinate and start showing up in late fall and early winter.


Long term, the most effective way to control weeds in turf is to nurture a healthy, dense lawn by following correct cultural practices. An abundance of lawn weeds in winter or summer is a sign of poor turf health, which could be caused by compacted soil, low nutrition, pH imbalances, or poor drainage. The first line of defense is a soil sample to get a benchmark for where the location is today.  Once we have done that we can recommend the proper solutions to work toward that healthy dense lawn. 


Our second line of defense is to treat weeds with selective herbicides that target certain non desirable weeds and do not harm the fescue.  The best time to spray the winter annual weeds is in December but with our newly seeded lawns from the fall we are unable to spray herbicides until the new grass is mature. This is why we start spraying in February and run through the end of March after the new seed has begun to get a healthy root system.


Our third line of defense is to work to stop new weeds from germinating through the growing season. We typically apply 2 applications of fertilizer and pre-emergent in the spring to form a barrier that will prevent the summer annual weeds from doing so.


The reason for eliminating the winter weeds is to keep the competition down going into spring when we get the rapid growth on our lawns. We typically apply 2 applications of fertilizer and pre-emergent in the spring to form a barrier for the summer annual weeds. The fertilizer and the warmer temps really start the turf out well and if you have an abundance of weeds they seem to take the nutrients and hold back the fescue. This is why we like to get our first herbicide application completed prior to spring fertilization.


With the above steps we are continually working healthily weed free lawns. While the fact remains we are dealing with nature and that can present some challenges, (colder or warmer than normal temperatures, too little or too much rain), consistent  management and timing are the key to success when creating that weed free, healthly, green dense lawn.
 
If you are curious about the weeds you are seeing in the lawn, identifying the weeds you have has never been easier than it is now with the internet. You can access many charts with pictures by doing a simple search for winter or summer weeds in turf and receive many pictures to help figure out what you have. If you know what you have, it's easier to get rid of it.


Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team

A Flurry of Snow Activity

Many Charlotte area residents had an unexpected holiday this week. Snow and ice on roadways made driving treacherous and left many people stranded in their homes. The AA Tex Lawn crews were busy plowing snow and de-icing for the businesses and neighborhoods that have snow contracts with us. Here is a link to a video of one of our trucks in action captured by the WCNC Newschannel 36 cameras…

http://www.wcnc.com/video/featured-videos/Snow-plows-hit-the-road-113354114.html


You may also view this video from our website at http://www.aatexlawn.com/.

In the South, snow and ice always brings warnings to stay off the roads, if possible. If you had to go out, hopefully we were able to make your commute a little safer. Hopefully many of you were able to relax at home and enjoy the beauty that snowfall brings to the landscape. As Mark Washburn of the Charlotte Observer stated, "the snow siesta is just another benefit of living here."

Happy Winter!
The AA Tex Lawn Team

Rejuvenating an Old Shrub

    Even the best shrubs can lose their luster after years of growth. Sometimes they overgrow their space or start to look gangly. Sometimes bad pruning practices are the culprit. What do you do with it? Rip it out by the roots and plant a small, fledgling shrub in its place? Pay more money to put in a more mature shrub so that the size difference is not as great? Don't give up on the shrub yet. Rejuvenate it!

    Rejuvenation pruning is an excellent way to restore a shrub to its former glory. It will not happen overnight, but can work wonders to provide airflow and sunlight to the inner branches of a shrub. The tools needed will be a pair of hand pruners or bypass loppers. Going below the shrub growth, cut into the branch at a 45 degree angle. Be sure to make pruning cuts nice and clean. Hand pruners work best because with gas or electric shears, too many branch cuts will occur and all the new growth will be to the top of the plant, leaving the bottom half bare and sticky looking. Your goal is to get rid of any broken or diseased branches, get rid of any laterals or branches that cross the center line of the shrub, and remove any suckers or sprouts from the main trunk.

Cutting it back to the size you want and giving the air room to circulate may require that you cut off a significant portion of the foliage. That is OK. Generally this won't hurt the health of the shrub. However this type of pruning will require a bit of patience. The shrub will look very bare until new leaves flush out. It may take several growing seasons before this happens. As the new leaves come in, it can work wonders to give new life to an old shrub.

 

Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team