Dandelions are pretty but not in your lawn.

Finally, the landscape is finally awash with color. But not all the color is welcome. Dandelions are popping up everywhere. A customer called this week and was concerned that our first treatment didn’t work. I assured her it had done exactly what it was meant to do- fertilize her lawn but that also means it helped along anything that was hungry for food and warm temperatures which didn’t make an appearance until well into April. Our spring lawn treatment contains a pre-emergent crab grass control. This product only stops the germination of crabgrass. Broadleaf weeds, like dandelions are not treated until they are actively growing. This method allows us to spot spray only where it is needed and not blanket your lawn with product. If you are a customer seeing a sea of gold in your yard- and it’s not loose change from a leprechaun’s pot, give us a call. Customers know, service calls are always free!

every year- that is ten times as many as previously reported. Some medical professionals fear this epidemic is more widespread than AIDS and without greater awareness, more destructive.

Lyme disease is not easily diagnosed.  Most people assume that without an attached tick or bullseye rash, Lyme does not exist.  Below is a link to a series of short essays written by a doctor who is victim of late stage, undiagnosed Lyme disease.

Dr. Jon Sterngold Late Stage Lyme Diagnosis

The best way to beat Lyme and other tick borne illnesses is prevention.  Here are some tips:

1. Tall grass is a great hiding spot for small animals that carry deer ticks.  These animals travel through leaf litter and carry deer ticks to your yard.  Keep grass around foundations, trees, fences and structures trimmed.

2. Clean up debris from around your property.  Leaf litter is a haven for ticks.

3. Tick checks-often times ticks hitch a ride into your home on your pet.  They fall off and often times a person becomes the new host.

4. The Greenskeeper offers a variety of solutions for tick control.  Tick control is a great way to diminish tick populations and help to make your home safer for your pets and family.

Call today for pricing.

How can you not like the look of lichens?

Do you like lichens?
We recently received a phone call from a customer that her tree was being invaded by some wild fuzzy creatures. She said, My tree looks like it is from outerspace with hairy green appendages all over it.’ What was growing on her trees were lichen. Lichen, are an unusual pair. Yes, pair. One part fungus  one part algae  the two live in harmony, each doing a job to keep the organism alive. The alga, a microscopic green plant, makes food for the pair while the fungus, a non green plant supports and provides moisture.  Lichen do not harm trees. They are squatters, hanging onto the branches and trunks of trees for support. Lichen are good indicators of air quality. They can withstand extreme heat and cold but perish in polluted conditions. They also work as air filters. Like other green plants, they use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Beside being air purifiers, lichen are used for a number of other purposes such as dyes, medicine and food. They are also sold for decorative purposes. For $12 you can buy a bag of them at Pottery Barn and use them as a vase filler. Or save yourself the $12 and pick them yourself. There seems to be an abundance of them all over Cape Cod and the South Shore.
Remember, healthy trees make for healthy air. If you have trees or shrubs that you would like to preserve the health and longevity of, call your Greenskeeper for a free consultation.

Last year many areas were spared from Winter Moth Caterpillars. According to UMass Extension, the numbers could be significantly higher than last year. It is unclear how the extreme cold temperatures will affect the numbers that hatch. While winter moth are historically cold tolerant, temperatures this year were extreme and may help to keep the numbers down. Regardless, your Greenskeeper is ready for them. If you see the start of activity in your area, give us a call. These pests are unpredictable and in recent years we have seen activity in very specific pockets. One neighborhood could be inundated while a few streets over there was no activity.

Who has spring fever?

Last week’s storm was Mother Nature’s wake up call to us all. Here at the Greenskeeper, we had enough. The day before the storm was spent raking, cleaning up branches and burning. Sure we knew that the lawn would be covered again but that little bit of warm weather had given us spring fever.

If you are itching to get out, here are a few things you can do to get ready for spring.

1. Lightly rake your lawn to remove twigs and debris and fluff up the turf to promote growth. Don’t rake too vigorously or you run the risk of pulling out viable dormant grass.

2. Remove any brown perennial foliage from garden plants that you were not able to remove last fall.

3. Trim back ornamental grasses.

4. Edge borders.

5. Look for emerging bulbs!

6. Cut some forsythia and bring it in and force it. Springtime in a vase!

Whatever gets you through the final days of March, go for it. Your Greenskeeper will see you soon!

Tree/Shrub Insect Disease Control: Insects are still active and fungal diseases are a problem this time of year. A treatment in fall will make for healthier plants in spring.

Fall Dormant Oil: Smothers egg masses to prevent insects from hatching in spring. This is especially helpful for insects like winter moths.

Antidessicants: Cold biting winds dry out landscape plants. Antidessicants form a barrier to prevent wind burn on landscape plants.

Deep Root Fertilization: We recommend 2 deep root feedings per year. The spring feeding will promote new growth. A fall deep root feeding benefits root development and the overall health of your plants.

We also get asked quite often about pruning. It is not a service we offer but a good rule of thumb is to wait until your deciduous trees and shrubs (those that lose foliage in winter) are dormant until you do any pruning. In fall these plants are very susceptible to fungal diseases and slow healing wounds are excellent entrance points for those diseases. Also pruning when plants aren’t dormant promotes growth and the new growth will not survive cold winter temperatures.