Lawn Maintenance

Healthy Soil For Healthy Yards - Lawn Service Springfield MO

Healthy Soil For Healthy Yards – Lawn Service Springfield MO

The relationship between soil and plant is one of our top concerns as the quality of your soil directly determines the development and growth of every species of plant. Proper knowledge about soil is imperative for the ideal management of your yard and landscaping.

Plants are sensitive to soil conditions. Their growth and development directly depends upon the texture and quality of your soil. Hence, to get desired results for your yard, we need to know the quality of the soil in your yard before anything else. This will help us select specific types of plants best suited for the soil of your yard.

What Is Soil Exactly?

The top part of the ground directly beneath the surface is what we refer to as soil. It consists of three main mineral particles: sand, silt and clay. Of all these, clay is generally found in greater proportion followed by silt and sand. The mixture of these three mineral particles determines the texture of your soil. If all of these three mineral particles are found in equal proportion then it is regarded as the best quality of soil. This type of soil is called loam.

Soil also consists of other various things like water, micro nutrients in the form of organic matter, air, minerals and microorganisms. Soil affects plant roots and serves as the nutrient storehouse which will help in the growth of plants.

The Benefits of Soil Testing

Soil testing is an essential part of your lawn service because the growth and development of your plants directly depends on the quality of your soil. It is the preliminary task of landscape design as it helps us determine which species of plants to choose for your yard. If landscaping is being planted for the first time, then soil testing is a must.

Soil testing also informs us about the minerals lacking in your yard, which we can add to enhance the quality of your soil. This will be done before we start the planting for your landscape:

  • Soil should be re-tested every three to five years.
  • We analyze the progress of your soil compared with last test.
  • We take our sample of the soil when the ground is not frozen, during spring or late fall.
  • We take soil samples with the use of soil probe.
  • We gather a composite sample of the soil for the entire yard by sampling from different areas.

Improving Soil Quality By Adding Organic Matter

Organic matter goes on your yard to decay and form humus. Humus is the most important part of the soil. It is effective in enhancing the quality of the tilth which makes it easier for plants to grow.

Humus can be incorporated in various ways in the soil. It can be added in the form of manure, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat moss and many more.

Humus produces spongy texture which is helpful in:

  • Enhancing your soil water holding capacity.
  • Regulating the soil temperature.
  • Releasing nitrogen in the ideal proportion.
  • Enhancing your soil’s capacity to hold and release nutrients.
  • Helping in the growth of microorganisms. They are essential in conditioning the soil.
  • Opening up necessary pore space for air passage and many more.

Proper soil management is the key to success for every yard. It can improve results in a relatively small time frame. Our dedication and awareness to soil management will help make your yard beautiful.

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Plan Your Pre Emergent Treatment and Fertilizer Early - Lawn Applications Springfield MO

Plan Your Pre Emergent Treatment and Fertilizer Early – Lawn Applications Springfield MO

The health and longevity of your lawn is highly dependent on planning ahead. The use of pre-emergent lawn treatments, including fertilizers and herbicides, is crucial in maintaining a gorgeous green lawn throughout spring and summer.

Timing, above all else is the most important factor in using pre-emergent treatments. Waiting too late to treat your lawn properly will still result in crab grasses and other weeds infiltrating their way into your grass despite the amount treatment you apply to abate this.

Following a few simple tips about using the right treatment at the right time will ensure that your lawn is properly nourished all summer long.

Lawn and garden enthusiasts often labor over treating their lawns correctly and still bemoan the fact that crab grasses seem to prevail in the war against weeds. Although it seems logical to begin treating your lawn with pre-emergent fertilizers and herbicides at the start of spring, this is actually too late in the weed-germination process to make a difference.

Spring coincides with the ability to work outside with greater warmth and longer days without having to endure a harsh winter chill. It’s when we start thinking about our lawn, but you need to begin treating your lawn in the final weeks of winter before the ground has warmed up in anticipation of spring.

This will likely have you planning effective lawn treatments as early as the final week in February before crab grass and other weeds are allowed to germinate. Try not to wait longer than the first week of April to start using pre-emergent treatments.

Laying down your pre-emergent weed fighting techniques early on before the soil temperatures exceed 50-55 degrees will ensure that new weeds are prevented promptly and efficiently. Herbicides work with the ground soil by constructing a vapor obstruction below ground, effectively cutting off the energy catalyst with unwanted weed seeds.

The importance in using an effective pre-emergent treatment is that it will halt these unwanted seeds from continuing to grow and take over your lawn. After you apply your lawn treatments, make sure to leave the area alone for at least a week. This means no mowing, pickup football games, or any other activities that may disturb or aerate the soil.

Moreover, ensure that you are familiar with the herbicide or fertilizer used on your lawn. Some treatments include chemicals and other ingredients that should be avoided immediately after application. Discuss the product labels with the experts at Gabris Landscaping so that you are familiar with how to maximize its potential.

Homeowners and lawn-care aficionados often struggle with weed control because of a simple lack of knowledge on pre-emergent treatments. The latest scientific evidence shows that scheduling your lawn applications early and effectively with the right treatment will produce the weed-free, perfectly green lawn you have always desired.

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Benefits of Over-seeding Your Lawn - Grass Overseeding Springfield MO

Benefits of Over-seeding Your Lawn – Grass Overseeding Springfield MO

Most people only consider overseeding their lawn when their yard is bare or filled with large brown patches. But did you know that you can also spread grass seed over your entire lawn (even if it’s not bare or patchy) to make it fuller, denser, and healthier? This process is known as grass overseeding and it can greatly improve your lawn’s health and appearance, especially if you combine it with aeration and fertilization. To learn more about the benefits of overseeding, check out our tips for overseeding.

Tips for Overseeding Your Lawn

DO overseed your lawn in the fall. Hot, harsh summers often damage lawns, so autumn is a great time to give your grass some extra love and attention. Aim to plant in late summer or early fall, to give your new grass seed time to grow before the first frost of winter arrives. By overseeding in the fall, you’ll also give your grass plenty of time to mature before the following year’s summer.

DON’T just throw down the seeds. This is one of the biggest mistakes made by the do it yourselfers. If you want to give your grass seeds the best chance at success, help them penetrate the soil. So you’ll first need to aerate the soil to loosen it up and remove excess thatch. It’s important that the seeds come into contact with the soil instead of simply sitting on top of the grass blades. If possible, it’s also best to mow your grass a bit shorter than usual and use a commercial seed planter.

DO use quality grass seeds. For best results, you need to use high-quality grass seeds that have been selected and grown for the area we live in. Quality seeds will produce quality grass. That’s why we’ll only use a grass seed that is either (1) the same type as your grass or (2) compatible with your type of grass.

DON’T let the seeds dry up. After overseeding, you’ll need to make sure that the seeds stay wet for a couple of weeks, giving them plenty of water with which to germinate. After those initial two weeks, you can taper off your watering until the first frost of the season occurs.

DO hire a professional. With our carefully selected grass seeds, years of experience, and expert knowledge, our lawn care professionals can help you get the most out of your lawn through overseeding. We can also come back for a lawn “check-up,” to ensure that the overseeding process was successful and the grass is healthy and beautiful.

Mature grass has a slower reproduction rate, so overseeding (which brings in young seeds) will help keep your lawn lively and vibrant. After overseeding, your lawn will be thicker and any thin spots should be filled in with grass. Your yard should appear fuller, lusher, and generally more beautiful. What’s not to love?

If you’re planning to overseed your lawn, give Gabris Landscaping a call. Our overseeding program includes aerating the soil, removing thatch, and using a commercial seed planter to work the seeds into the soil. Additionally, we only use high-quality seeds, selected and grown for the southwest Missouri area. We look forward to making your lawn the best that it can be.

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Benefits of Mulching During Leaf Removal Springfield MO

Benefits of Mulching During Leaf Removal Springfield MO

Once Fall arrives and the leaves begin to cover your yard, we get lots of phone calls for leaf removal. People often ask us: Should you remove the leaves? What can you do besides removal? And, what do those leaves do to the soil if they are not removed?

If you want quality turf in the spring and your home has a lot of leaves in your yard, then you need to do something about those leaves. Turf needs sunlight to thrive. Turfgrass leaves must be exposed to sunlight to assist in the process of photosynthesis. One thing to consider is removing all the leaves entirely.

We can’t perform our other lawn and landscape winterization services (dethatching, fertilizing, aerating, bed mulching, etc.) if you have a serious layer of leaves in your yard.

Another course of action is chopping up or “mulching” those leaves. If you have a fairly deep or thick layer of fallen leaves, having them all chopped up does not necessarily alleviate the sunlight exposure issue. But providing organic material to your lawn, ornamental beds and soil is a good thing. Having a good amount of organic material in your soil increases aeration and soil tilth. Mulching leaves certainly assists in accomplishing that mission.

There are other considerations too. Certain leaves, from certain cultivars of trees, can alter the pH of your soil. Oak trees make the soil acidic just by being there – and the leaves make the soil even more acidic and below what is desired for most turfgrass soil. Pine needles, for example, can also increase the acidity of soil.

That’s why we do a combination of leaf removal with mulching during our leaf removal services by putting mulching blades on our mowers. Mulching mowers chop up leaves (turfgrass clippings, just about everything) more finely. It basically holds things inside the mower deck longer and chops the stuff up more. It saves you additional fertilizer applications, improves soil tilth and reduces thatch. It allows your grass clippings to decompose faster.

When you want those leaves removed but still want to consider that is best for your lawn, consider a combination of leaf mulching and leaf removal.

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Fall Care For Healthy Spring Lawns - Grass Over-seeding and Lawn Aeration Springfield MO

Fall Care For Healthy Spring Lawns – Grass Over-seeding and Lawn Aeration Springfield MO

Chances are, most people who care about their lawn already regularly invest time, resources and money to keep it greener, thicker and healthier. Mowing regularly with blades set at least 3 inches or higher is one important aspect an owner can easily provide towards achieving desirable beauty and health, but other aspects are often better left to an expert. As fall approaches, core lawn aeration and grass over-seeding are two other important actions that are often overlooked, yet two of the best chemical-free ways to improve the overall health and appearance of your lawn.

Core lawn aeration is the process of removing small plugs of soil and thatch from the lawn area. A stronger root system with more nutrient storage capacity translates into a greener and healthier lawn, including natural weed control and pest prevention. Two important reasons for regular core aeration are thatch decomposition and soil compaction relief.

Thatch is the decaying area of material between the soil and the green part of your grass. Some thatch area is normal and good; however, half an inch or more is not! It prevents light, water, air and vital nutrients from getting deeper to the root area of your lawn. Some problems created by excess thatch are shallow roots, increased susceptibility to disease and insect-related problems, more frequent need of water, and less tolerance to heat and drought. Simply put, core aeration promotes the breakdown of the thatch layer.

Soil compaction is the natural process of settling that occurs in soil. This is a particular problem when soil is clay based, as it generally is in many areas of Missouri. Compaction also is compounded in lawn areas that endure heavy usage or foot traffic by people, pets, vehicles or machinery, and in times of low moisture or drought. Many lawns suffer from compaction and heavy thatch following drought.

When soil is compacted, water runs off the top more easily, air and nutrients are unable to reach into the soil as deeply, and it is a difficult environment for turf roots to expand and strengthen. Fall core aeration provides an enhanced opportunity for root development during the time of year when lawns are instinctively working to establish a more vigorous root system. The holes created through core aeration allow turf roots to more easily expand during this stage of root development.

Grass over-seeding is simply the spreading of new seed over the lawn area after core aerating. As the plugs of soil on the lawn’s surface break down, they come in contact with and protect the new seed. Other seed finds a safe place in the empty plugholes and, in a few weeks, you have new grass establishing itself in your lawn. It is important to overseed evenly to avoid a patchwork quilt appearance of varied colors or turf varieties. Spring and fall provide the best environment for seed due to favorable temperatures and moisture, which are important for germination.

Most lawns benefit from annual core lawn aeration. Spring and fall are both ideal times to core aerate and overseed. In spring, we recommend aerating between March and May. In fall, we aerate between September and November. Core aeration before or at the time of late-season fertilization enhances root growth and improves spring green up.

After aeration, your lawn should also be able to go longer between moisture without showing signs of wilt. With repeat aerations over time, your lawn will show enhanced heat and drought stress tolerance. Lawns that receive annual core aerations will be healthier, more vigorous, easier to maintain and less susceptible to pest problems.

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Treating Brown Spots in Your Yard - Lawn Applications Springfield MO

Treating Brown Spots in Your Yard – Lawn Applications Springfield MO

Treating Brown Spots in Your Yard

You have brown patches of dead grass in your lawn. Is it the common lawn disease known as “brown patch” or is it something else? The answer is important: if it is brown patch you probably need to spray with a fungicide. If it is not, you’ll waste your money on lawn applications that won’t really solve the problem.

DISEASE vs ENVIRONMENT – While brown patch does cause patches of dead grass, other things can cause the same symptoms. If the area is poorly drained and water stands on a spot for more than 24 hours, the grass roots will rot, causing a dead patch. If you have a sodded lawn less than one year old, it is possible the soil underneath the sod was never plowed to relieve compaction. Where the sod has rooted poorly, brown patches will develop as dry weather sets in. If one part of the lawn was once used as a baseball home plate or a soccer goalie area, the earth beneath is almost as hard as concrete. It’s easy to see why green grass would turn brown there.

BROWN PATCH SYMPTOMS – If you eliminate environmental causes of the brown patch, what are the true symptoms of the disease? True brown patch spots are small to begin with but in warm weather they can enlarge rapidly. Seen from above, the patch will look like a doughnut – a ring of tan grass having a patch of green grass in the center. Individual grass blades will be brown down to the crown – where the blade emerges from the ground – but the crown will be green. Early in the morning during hot, damp weather you might see a white fungal web at the edge of the dead grass patch.

KEEP GRASS HEALTHY – Remember that the fungus that causes brown patch is constantly present. It can not be eliminated. Your grass gets sick because it is weak and becomes susceptible to the disease. You can help keep the grass strong by fertilizing only when the grass needs it: during the cool months for fescue and during the warm months for Bermuda Grass.

WATERING – Never water in the evening. The best time to water is in early morning. Fescue is much more susceptible when it has lush, green growth plus warm nighttime temperatures. Warmth at night can not be avoided but lush growth can be moderated. The second step is to water at the right time. Since brown patch needs 14-16 hours of wet leaf surface to reproduce itself, water only after the dew has dried in the morning. An alternative is to water after nightfall. Since the grass is wet with dew anyway, watering in the dark does not unnecessarily extend the wet period.

FERTILIZER – Fertilizer applied in late spring and summer causes rapid growth (which must be mowed!) and drought stress. It is best to fertilize fescue only in fall, winter and spring. Nitrogen fertilizer in June, July and August increases the severity of brown patch fungus on all cultivars except Kentucky 31 fescue. The disease is worse at mowing heights less than two inches and more than three inches. Fungicides to control brown patch are available but they must be applied regularly. To avoid the expense, change the cultural conditions before reaching for the fungicide.

FUNGICIDES – If you are absolutely sure you have brown patch, the disease can be controlled with fungicides with our lawn applications. Several are labeled for brown patch control.

If you have brown spots in your lawn and aren’t sure what’s causing them, contact Gabris Landscaping to get a professional diagnosis and proper treatment to take care of the problem.

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Spider Mite Treatment - Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

Spider Mite Treatment – Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

Identifying Spider Mites on Houseplants and Outdoor Plants

As a leader in local landscape and lawn care, part of our yard pest control task involves removing spider mites from plants. Initially, spider mite damage will appear as small yellow or brown spots on the leaves of the plant. If the plant is badly infested, the plant’s health will suffer and it may develop completely yellow leaves and may stop growing.

Spider mite damage may also include a telltale spider web type webbing on the plant. Spider mites are arachnids and are related to spiders. They produce webs in order to protect themselves and their eggs. It is very difficult to see spider mites on houseplants and outdoor plants with the naked eye because they are so small, but if you suspect that your plant has spider mites, you can hold a piece of paper under the leaves of the plant and shake them gently. If it is spider mites, specks will fall on the paper that looks similar to pepper.

Effective Yard Pest Control to Kill Spider Mites

One natural spider mite remedy is to simply spray down the plant with a nozzled hose. The force of the stream of water is enough to knock most of the spider mites off of the plant.

Another natural spider mite remedy is to release natural predators of spider mites around the plants. These can include Ladybugs, Lacewing, Minute pirate bugs, and Predatory mites. If the infestation is too extensive or you do not have the time or products to treat your yard pest control, call us right away.

Also, an effective spider mite treatment that we provide is to use an insecticidal oil, like neem oil, a horticultural oil or a dormant oil. You can also try using a miticide, a substance made specifically to kill mites. Yard pest control can be a tedious task, but it is important that the proper precautions are being made. You should not try to use a normal pesticide for spider mite treatment as they are resistant to pesticides. Using a pesticide will only kill off the beneficial bugs that eat spider mites, which will only make the spider mite infestation worse. Spider mites on houseplants and garden plants is annoying and unsightly, but you do not have to let spider mite damage kill your plants. Knowing what spider mite treatment works means that you can kill spider mites quickly and easily.

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Lawn Mowing Techniques - Lawn Aeration Springfield MO

Lawn Mowing Techniques – Lawn Aeration Springfield MO

While there can be a numerous amount of things that can affect your lawn, the three most common influences are the weather, the soil and lawn care and mowing techniques. Since the weather and soil can be quite difficult to control, proper lawn care and mowing techniques are a manageable variable that can show a big difference.

Proper lawn aeration, care and mowing techniques are vital to having a healthy lawn and landscape and usually cost a minimal amount. Coming up with lawn care and mowing techniques can never happen too early or soon. Some tips for healthy lawn care and mowing techniques are:

High Mowing

The higher the grass, the healthier your lawn will be. With the height of the grass and the depth of the roots, there is a one to one relationship, which means if you mow at two inches, your roots will have a depth of two inches. The one-third rule states that you should never remove more than one third of the high of the grass in one clipping, because it leaves the grass more prone to diseases. High mowing will add root mass and will make your lawn more disease and drought-resistant.

Variation of Mowing Pattern

Mowing pattern variation makes sure that the wheels of the mower are not running over the same areas every time. This can cause bald spots in the grass and can eventually weaken it.

Sharp Mower Blade

A good thing to remember is to keep the blade on your mower sharp. Cutting with a dull blade will leave the grass jagged, which will brown the grass quickly and will leave the grass prone to disease.

 Mulch Clippings

When people bag clippings, they are losing a lot of nitrogen they are applying when fertilizing. Leaving the clippings on your yard will help maintain soil activity. One environmental positive of not bagging mowing clippings is the landfills are not being filled with good healthy nitrogen.

Water Dry Grass

Especially during the summer months, grass needs at least one inch of water per week. Watering deeply in the morning to reduce the possibility of disease once a week is a good technique.

The frequency of watering isn’t the most important issue anymore, the amount of moisture and the timing is what matters the most.

Aerate

Aeration reduces compaction, which makes root development easier. This also pulls microorganisms to the surface, which helps break down thatch and other organisms.

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How to Pick a Healthy Plant

How to Pick a Healthy Plant – Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

Before going out and finding the perfect plant for you, it is good to know that, since plants can be expensive and temperamental, some plants might not work for your landscape or they might not be in season yet. Even the fully developed plants can develop problems quickly, such a yard pest control problems, diseases and damages done, but knowing how to tell if a plant is healthy may solve future problems.

Selecting A Healthy Plant

The first step before selecting a plant for your landscape, is understanding the signs of a healthy and unhealthy plant. Looking at all of the plants parts will tell you if there are any problems, and you should start with looking at the leaves. Next you should look at the growth of foliage, then disease and pests issues and finally with the roots. Here at Gabris Landscaping we can help you with any of your landscaping needs, anywhere from starting from scratch with a new house, to a yard pest control problem, to planting a new tree or shrub.

Growth of Foliage

Healthy plant growth will indicate a healthy plant. Most plants, with some exceptions including plants with multi-colored leaves, should have green leaves with even color. It is recommend not buying a plant with pale leaves. Also, it is a recommendation to avoid dry leave edges and yellowing or brown leaves on plants. Full, bright colored growth is a sign of a healthy plant. Instead of long plants, it is recommended to choose sturdy plants. If a plant looks to be pruned, this could indicate a damaged stem has been removed because it was diseased or damaged in process of growth or movement.

Disease and Pests

After looking at the leaves and growth of a plant, it is recommended to look at symptoms of diseases and possibly pests. When looking for diseases and pests, you should check underneath the leaves and where the stem attaches to leaves. At Gabris Landscaping we can help you with any problems you may encounter with your landscape with our yard pest control service. This is the location some pests stay, such as: Spider mites, Aphids, and Scale Mealybugs.

Roots

Other signs of a healthy plant are good sturdy roots. However, because roots are difficult to see when a plant is in a pot, most of the time you can tell if the plant is rootbound. you notice roots growing through the hole of the pot, the plant has been in that pot too long. When the roots are growing on top of the potting soil mix, it is a sign of a rootbound problem.

Rootbound plants are not necessarily an unhealthy plant, because it shows that the plant is growing, but it is recommended to repot a rootbound plant as soon as you can.

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Cicadas are Back in 2015 - Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

Cicadas are Back in 2015 – Yard Pest Control Springfield MO

Well folks, I’ll keep it short and sweet… the cicadas (sometimes also known as “locusts”) are back in 2015.  We actually have 2 populations emerging this year near Springfield, Missouri.  Typically they emerge in early May.  There is a 17-year cycle that will emerge on the west side of the state near Kansas City, as well as a 13 year population that will emerge on the east side of the state closer to Arkansas.  It is rare that we have two cycles emerging at the same time so expect to see quite a few flying around this year.

What does this mean for your plants and trees?  Well, basically the main thing you will notice is insect shells all over the place, but you may also find ovi-positing slits in branches from egg-laying and possible some branch flagging.  In most cases, this should not be a major concern for the trees or plants but we specialize in yard pest control even though there’s not a lot to do with cicadas.  In extreme cases, there is potential for some damage and extra stress to affected plants, but the damage from cicadas is usually not a big deal.  The phenomenon itself is just interesting to be aware of.

Some things we can expect after cicada emergence is an increase in mammal populations the following 1-2 years.  You can also expect an increase in ticks and other mammal feeding insects 2-3 years following emergence.

For more on the periodical cicadas visit: www.magicicada.org and www.indiana.edu/~preserve/cicada/CicadasPres/slide14.html

I would like to give thanks to Rob Lawrence, Forest Entomologist at the Missouri Department of Conservation, for the information above.  All of this information was presented by Rob during the 2015 Tree Insect and Disease Update in Springfield, Missouri.

 

Jeffrey R. Gabris, MBA

ISA Certified Arborist – MW5363A

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