All Blog Entries by John Penton

Fall leaves!

Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 3:46pm. 39 Views, 0 Comments.

A recent Michigan State University study has found that mulching leaves into established turfgrass as a leaf litter disposal method will result in an increased spring green up and contribute to the overall reduction of the common dandelion population.

What does this mean for you?  It means that it is not necessary to bag up and dispose of all the leaves on your lawn.  These leaves are beneficial for the overall health of the lawn.

An effective method would be to continue mowing and mulching the leaves back into the lawn through the fall.  It's only necessary to remove them if accumulations are heavy.  By mulching the leaves back into the lawn you are benefiting the turf and reducing unnecessary landfill…

Aeration

Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 8:32pm. 38 Views, 0 Comments.

Due to the high clay content in Nebraska soils aeration is one of the most important steps in maintaining a beautiful and healthy lawn.

Aerating helps prevent soils from becoming compact thereby allowing vital nutrients, water, and air to penetrate the soil and reach the root zone. The roots then penetrate deeper into the soil, which enables the grass to become more drought resistant. Aeration accelerates the natural breakdown of thatch and in most cases eliminates the needs for costly power raking services.

The role aeration plays in establishing a healthy lawn:

White Grub Damage

Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 4:56pm. 56 Views, 0 Comments.

White Grub damage is showing up in Nebraska.

The white grub larvae feeds on turfgrass roots causing lawn areas to turn brown and sometimes die if grubs damage a large percentage of the roots. The majority of white grub eggs have hatched and reports by the University of Nebraska is showing numbers similar to past years.

However, here in eastern Nebraska the growing conditions have been conducive to Kentucky bluegrass and it is likely preventing or delaying damage. Turfgrass should continue to be inspected for white grubs. If birds are feeding in a lawn, areas torn up overnight from raccoons or skunks, or browning occurs, roll or pull the sod back to look for c-shaped, cream colored, red headed larvae.

If eight (8) white grubs are found per square foot, an…

Fall Landscapes

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 12:57pm. 37 Views, 0 Comments.

Fall Landscapes

When is the best time of the year to plant trees, shrubs and perennials? Should we wait until spring to install our landscape?

These are the most frequently asked questions that we hear during the fall of the year.

One of the best times to consider new landscaping is from September through November; in some years December plantings will have great success as long as the ground is not frozen.

In the fall, days are cooler, rain is more frequent and plants are headed into their dormant or hibernation period putting a lot of their energy into their root system. We can plant successfully any time of the year as long as the ground is not frozen.

Here are some tips to ensure late season survivability:

1 - Water frequently and deeply this time of year…

Grubs...Grubs...nasty Grubs.

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 4:14pm. 80 Views, 2 Comments.

This is the time of year when many of you are spending time in the lawn, landscape, and garden digging around in the soil.  Inevitably you will likely run across white grubs.  If you've never seen a white grub you likely will find yourself asking the following questions:

What are these little nasty white creatures?

Will they harm my lawn, landscape, or plants in the garden?

Here is an excellent article regarding white grubs from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension:

http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1619/build/g1619.pdf

p.s.  They do make great fish bait!

Evergreens Turning Brown?

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 at 10:20pm. 688 Views, 0 Comments.

Every spring we seem to always find dead, brown foliage on evergreen plants including pine, boxwood, spruce, fir, juniper, arborvitae and yew. The extent of the symptoms can vary from brown needle tips on one side of the plant, to one or two branches, to the whole tree or shrub. This brown foliage found on evergreens is a symptom of winter desiccation.

Winter desiccation occurs when the amount of water lost by the foliage exceeds the amount picked up by the roots causing the leaves and needles to dry out and die. During winter months, photosynthetic processes are slowed, but evergreens continue to lose water at a higher rate than deciduous trees. Often you will notice that evergreen leaves and needles will hold their green color after the injury until warm…

Mowing the Lawn

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 at 10:19pm. 89 Views, 0 Comments.

The height at which grass is mowed plays a vital role on the overall health of the plant. MOW HIGH!!!

This puts less stress on the plant, shades the crown, and reduces evaporation of water. Chances are that in Nebraska you have either a bluegrass or fescue variety of lawn. A mowing height of 3 inches is ideal, yet no less than 2.5 inches is recommended.

It is essential to always maintain sharp blades on your lawn mower. Dull blades can make the plant susceptible to disease. If you notice that your lawn mower is leaving a frayed or ripped end on the turf it’s definitely time to sharpen those blades.

It is also unnecessary to bag grass and doing such will remove vital nutrients that the grass has moved from the soil and roots to the leaf of the plant. By…

Watering the Lawn

Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 10:26pm. 77 Views, 0 Comments.

Maintaining a consistent watering schedule is key to thick, beautiful and healthy grass. It will prevent heat stress that breaks down the pre-emergent weed and crabgrass barrier that are established with the first two fertilizer applications in April and late May / early June. Signs of a lack of water include thin turf, browning turf, and graying turf. Weeds and crabgrass will break through if water is not consistently applied to the grass!

Ideally you will want to water 3 times per week for a total of 1 inch (during spring and fall) to 1.5 inches (during summer and extended periods of drought) per week. Remember to adjust watering frequency and amounts with what mother nature provides; i.e. don't water the day after a 2 inch rainfall. Avoid light daily…

Crabgrass

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 at 4:32pm. 98 Views, 3 Comments.

It seems as if every store you venture into at this of year you'll notice crabgrass preventers. These are pre-emergence herbicides. Crabgrass preventers will only work when the crabgrass seeds are beginning to germinate at which time these seeds are absorbing lots of soil moisture. Thus if that moisture from the soil contains pre-emergence herbicide, seedlings will die.

Crabgrass is a warm season annual grass which mean it grows from seed each year. For crabgrass to begin to germinate it must have a soil temperature in the range 50 to 55 degrees - most crabgrass seed germinates at higher soil temperatures.

In eastern Nebraska, it is ideal to apply one application of a crabgrass preventer with fertilizer in early to mid-April and follow up with a second…

The Value of Plants and Landscaping

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 at 7:07pm. 494 Views, 0 Comments.

A for sale home with a well maintained landscape and lawn can make a substantial difference with attracting prospective buyers.  Here are some interesting facts regarding the value of well maintained and designed landscapes.

• Landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home's value. Source: The Gallup Organization.
• Homes with "excellent" landscaping can expect a sale price about 6 to 7 percent higher than equivalent houses with "good" landscaping, while improving landscaping from "average" to "good" can result in a 4 to 5 percent increase. Source: Clemson University.
• Landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100 to 200 percent at selling time. Kitchen remodeling brings a 75 to 125 percent recovery rate, bathroom remodeling a 20 to 120 percent recovery…