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!

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.

Spring is finally here!  And so are the weeds.  We have been receiving numerous phone calls about  a weed creeping into beds and lawns.  It’s pretty, but it just doesn’t belong there is a typical comment.  The offending weed is common chickweed.  This mat forming winter annual is found through out North America.  Common chickweed has a shallow root system so it is easily pulled out.  Unfortunately, the entire plant must be pulled out in order to prevent it from popping up again.   Common chickweed can be controlled with vegetation control sprays and a pre- emergent weed control.  A 1′ thick layer of mulch or wood chips will help to prevent break through.  If you prefer an organic approach, ordinary household vinegar works wonders.  Just as with non-organic products, be careful not to spray other plant material as they too, will be killed off or damaged from the overspray.

The climate in Massachusetts never ceases to amaze me.  Since living on Cape Cod we have had instances when the kids were let out of school early because of a snow emergency.  While that’s not an unusual occurrence, it is when the school is reporting 3 inches of snow on the ground with no sign of it letting up and it’s raining at our house, only 4 miles away.

On April 23rd I had business on the South Shore.  Driving through Weymouth, I was shocked to see just how far ahead the foliage and flowers on trees and shrubs were in comparison to Cape Cod.  While our maples are just budding, those in South Weymouth were covered with brilliant chartreuse leaves waving in the wind.  Azaleas, cherries, dogwoods and wisteria vines were in full bloom on sunny side streets.  I think the South Shore skipped the month of April and went straight into May.  The Cape is at least 2 weeks behind.

What struck me most was the lack of tell tale holes in the tender leaves.  On the South Shoreat least, it is possible that some of the vulnerable trees leafed out before the Winter Moth Caterpillar  matured.  It’s also possible that they are there, but are not active because of the recent cold wet weather. We are urging customers to be vigilant and let us know what they are seeing. Early reports were that Winter Moth would be invasive in pockets.  With the warm winter and then record warmth in April, UMASS Extension was reporting that the flora in Massachusetts was ahead of schedule but the Winter Moth appeared unaffected by the temperatures and maturation was just on schedule.

We were getting the same mixed reports from our Greenskeepers in the field.  They knew in late April the caterpillars were out  out there but were small and not eating.   As of today, May 3, we are seeing more activity and have been getting calls to spray all over the south shore.

On a walk this weekend, I got further evidence of how even a small distance can make a difference in winter moth activity.

This is a birch leaf from a tree in my yard.  This tree is usually the favorite snack for winter moth.

A perfect birch leaf, spared the ravages of a wintermoth.

This is  a photo from a  tree not far from my house.

Winter Moth activity 4/10 of a mile from the birch tree that is usually a winter moth favorite.

Whatever the case may be in your own neighborhood, your Greenskeeper is here to help.  If you see any Winter Moth activity we would appreciate an email.  Your Greenskeepers are on the South Shore everyday but just as in my own neighborhood, a short distance can mean a big difference in activity.

We are currently scheduling tree spraying on days that are predicted to be dry.    Please call if you would like to get on the list.

For more information  check out the UMASS Extension website.  http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/message/lm-62012