Solu-Cal: Right for your Lawn

    The difference between having a lawn that struggles to survive and one that thrives can be the soil. For your turf to flourish, you must start with the right soil composition. Because we have such heavy, clay soils in the piedmont of North Carolina, getting the right growing environment usually involves amending the soil to make it less acidic. To put it simply, acid locks up the nutrients in the soil. Neutralizing the soil PH unlocks the nutrients so that you can more effectively use what is already in the soil, as well as get the most out of any fertilization that you do in the future.

    At AA Tex Lawn, we've moved from the standard lime that we used in the past to neutralize the ph in the soil to a product called Solu-Cal. It's a water soluble calcium that works faster and more effectively than lime. Some of the benefits are:

• Solu-Cal is 4 times more effective than regular lime. If using a ton of lime per acre, you can use 500 pounds of Solu-Cal to do the same job.
• Solu-Cal works faster. Lime takes as long as 6 months to move through the soil, whereas Solu-Cal works in 6 to 8 weeks.

We don't mean to sound like a commercial for Solu-cal, but it's a product we believe in. We have included the application of Solu-cal as part of our annual 7 Step program because if you don't have the right base, you're not going to get the best results. For more information on soil PH and why it's important, see our blog at http://aatexlawn.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-is-soil-ph-important.html or feel free to call our office. We're happy to help.

Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Bulbs: Spring Beauties that Require Fall Planning

It seems strange to be thinking about spring when we are just getting over the heat of summer. But in our gardens like everything else in life, a little planning can go a long way. One thing I love about the spring is seeing those first flushes of color from tulips, hyacinths, crocus' and daffodils. If you want to experience that wonderful sight in your own landscape, now is the time to prepare.

The optimal time to plant bulbs is when soil temperatures reach around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. For those of us who aren't in the habit of sticking a thermometer in the soil to determine temperature, for the Charlotte area, that is usually in the late October/early November timeframe when the average night temperatures drop to around 50 degrees for a sustained period of 2 weeks or so.) If you're planting in a prepped flower bed, pocket planting is as simple as digging a small hole and inserting the bulb to the CORRECT DEPTH. Notice that correct depth is in capitals. It's important. Not planting your bulbs deep enough can cause your flowers to bloom too early. Planting the bulbs too deep may prevent them from coming up at all. The bulbs you buy should have planting instructions on the package. Just follow the directions. If you want to plant bulbs in an area where the soil hasn't been prepped, your bulbs may grow, but it's not ideal. You may want to follow the bed prep tips at: http://aatexlawn.blogspot.com/2011/05/planting-annual-flower-beds.html

Things to remember:

• Fertilize at installation.
• Water at installation but after that, the bulbs really take care of themselves barring any extreme rain conditions.
• As I mentioned before, depth is important. Follow the planting instructions or ask your nursery.
• Plant bulbs at the back of winter pansy and viola beds to provide height in the spring.



Hyacinths



When we plant bulbs for our clients, we treat them as annual flowers. We pull them before we till the soil to prep it for the summer annual flower installation. Although some varieties are perennial, in a commercial environment, it's hard to guarantee the same results year after year. When planting at your home, though, if the variety you choose is a perennial you'll want to deadhead the flowers (you can just take scissors or hand pruners and remove the flower organs after flower petals fade or fall off) but need to leave the foliage until it turns brown or 6 weeks after blooming – so that the bulb gets the nutrients it needs for the next growing season. For that reason, you may want to overplant with summer annuals in the spring to camouflage the foliage of your bulbs as the leaves start to turn brown.

Daffodils in pansy bed

 

 

 

 

As to what to plant, there are a lot of different choices. When we plant tulips for our clients, we like to use varieties that bloom at different times (some will bloom earlier in the spring, whereas other varieties flower later in the spring.) Since these wonderful flowers can be short-lived, planting different varieties will allow you to enjoy the blooms for longer.

 



Tulips in pansy bed



With all the choices available, you can really give yourself a beautiful spring landscape. What a way to welcome the warmer weather! But as we enjoy the fall showing, it's the time to think ahead to give yourself a beautiful spring treat. We love bulbs. Let us know if we can help.

 

Thanks,

 

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Tree Banding Grants Available

In the Charlotte metro area, most of us have heard of cankerworms. If not, you've probably wondered what those black wraps are around the trees heading up Providence Road. This pest feeds on deciduous trees. In our area, the population of cankerworms is growing. According to Charlotte Mecklenburg's website, last year, more than 73,000 acres in Charlotte were infested with cankerworms (more than 40%). The City did a preventative aerial spraying in 2008 and recommends banding trees in the fall to keep the cankerworm population down. Banding prevents the female cankerworm from climbing the tree, thereby preventing her from laying eggs on the branches. The hatchling caterpillars feed on the leaves and can defoliate a large tree.

The good news is that the efforts seem to be working. Previously as many as 3000 female cankerworms could be found on a single willow oak in the Charlotte area and now those numbers average less than 100. As an incentive to support tree banding, the city of Charlotte is offering neighborhood matching grants to communities in locations identified as within or adjacent to the Cankerworm Infestation Area to assist with the cost of banding trees. This includes trees located on private property. Charlotte has recognized that "it takes a village" to make an impact on cankerworms.

For more information on these grants, see the Charlotte Mecklenburg website at: http://www.charmeck.org/city/charlotte/nbs/communitycommerce/Pages/TreeBanding.aspx
For more information on the importance of tree banding, see our blog at: http://aatexlawn.blogspot.com/2010/11/protecting-city-of-trees-canker-worms.html

We'll be sending out tree banding proposals to our clients soon. With the possibility of a matching grant from the city of Charlotte, there is more incentive than ever to add this service. Applications for a Neighborhood Matching Grant need to be submitted by October 21^st, so time is of the essence. Let us know if we can help.

Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team