Thanksgiving Wisdoms...

As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take the time to share a few quotations.  Hope you enjoy:

• Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. ~Native American Saying
•  Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser
• Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt
• He who thanks but with the lips
  Thanks but in part;
  The full, the true Thanksgiving
  Comes from the heart.~J.A. Shedd
• The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~Henry Ward Beecher

And last but not least...

 

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

~Author Unknown

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

The AA Tex Lawn Team

 

Jack Frost is coming… Is your irrigation system ready?

The winter cold can wreak havoc on irrigation systems. Water remaining in your system can freeze, expand, and crack the piping or damage the backflow assembly. A particular concern for the relatively mild winters in the Charlotte, NC area is the backflow assembly as it sits above ground and is more subject to freeze than the pipes buried below ground. Replacing or repairing a backflow that has broken due to frozen water can be an expensive endeavor at the spring system startup.

If you have a sprinkler system at your home, protect your investment by winterizing your system before the first frost. To winterize, drain any remaining water out of the system and empty the backflow. You'll want to get this done prior to the cold weather (usually, by the first week of December).  

An irrigation system can definitely increase the curb appeal as well as the value of your property. But it's an investment that you need to protect. Every system is different. If you'd like to have professional help with the winterization process, just give us a call at 704-821-0708 or visit our website at http://www.aatexlawn.com/.


Thanks,


The AA Tex Lawn Team

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

Drab Winter? Not if you add cool season annuals to your landscape!

 As the heat of summer winds down, it doesn't mean that we have to resign ourselves to drab landscapes during the winter months. The begonias, impatiens, and other summer annuals have done their job, but they can't handle winter's cold. So now it's time for a change.

There are beautiful annual flowers that do very well in our mild winters here in the south. Some that we particularly like are violas and pansies. Kales and cabbages can also be added as accents for texture in your beds. You can use snapdragons for height. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what's available:


Sorbet Purple Duet Violas

 

Penny Citrus Mix Violas


 

Monet Mix Pansy



Blueberry Thrill Pansy



Penny White Violas



Red Russian Kale

 

Winterboor Kale



Snapdragons


With the multitude of varieties available, you can really give yourself a nice winter look. In the fall beds we prepare for our clients, we rely on violas and pansies as our mainstays because of their hardiness. With hundreds of varieties available, the possibilities are endless. This is just a sampling of the cool season flowers that are available in our area. Check your local greenhouses for availability. For more information on the services we offer, give us a call at 704-821-0708. We're happy to help.

We do recommend that you apply a systemic fungicide and systemic insecticide at planting. You also will want to fertilize multiple times during the growing season for maximum blooms. We use an organic fertilizer and a granular type at installation. Then we also add a liquid bloom producing fertilizer similar to the type you find at your home improvement stores. For more tips on bed prep, check out: http://aatexlawn.blogspot.com/2010/11/add-color-to-your-landscape-during.html

As an added note, it is almost time to plant bulbs for that burst of early spring color! Depending on weather, bulbs can be planted in the October/November timeframe when the soil temperatures start to fall. Who doesn't love to welcome spring with beautiful tulips, lilies, and crocuses!


Happy Planting,

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Composting: A good use of our resources and a rockin’ bon-fire

At AA Tex Lawn, we try to be good stewards with our resources. We look for ways we can keep our operating costs down, as well as help our planet. One way we do this is by contracting with a local tree company to recycle our landscape waste in mulch and compost. Not only does this keep the tree branches, dirt, leaves, etc from going to the landfill, but turns this waste material into something usable. The tub grinder is an impressive piece of equipment. Check out the video of the tub grinder at work on our pile of debris:

After a couple of months this compost is a rich soil amendment or mulch to put in plant beds. Here's how composting works:

Composting is a way to speed up the decomposition (or break down) of organic matter. By putting carbon rich materials like fallen leaves, wood chips and straw in a pile with nitrogen rich materials like fresh grass clippings and vegetable and plant waste, you create a mix of materials that bacteria and other microorganisms will feed upon. These organisms break down these materials into rich mulching and soil amendments much quicker than they would decompose naturally. The process creates heat which also helps with the break-down process (and also kills any weed seeds that may be left from the grass clippings).

Composting needs several things to work efficiently. You need the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen. The materials you put in the compost pile need to be small to provide more surface area to help the material break down quicker. Because of the energy produced by the microorganisms, the compost pile needs to be turned and watered frequently to keep the heat from building up. Watering also facilitates the break-down process.

A compost pile can spontaneously combust when materials self heat to a temperature high enough to cause them to ignite. As strange as this sounds, we actually had this happen to our pile this summer. There is nothing like walking out to a huge smoking mound of (what looks like) dirt! This is not something that usually affects a home compost pile as they are smaller, allowing more airflow with less dry pockets in the pile. Spontaneous combustion is more prevalent in larger piles that are not turned often. We turn ours every 1 to 2 months now. To be safe, if you are thinking of starting a compost bin at your house, locate it away from buildings and flammable structures. (It will also help control critters that are attracted to the organic material.) Be sure to turn it periodically to accelerate the decomposition process and let air into the pile. Also water it to encourage break down.

In a relatively short time, your compost will be ready to use and great for your soil! Although the grinding process is not cheap, we're excited to have this organic material to add to our plant beds and sell at our facility. And we get the added bonus of knowing we're doing something good for our Earth.

Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team