by admin | Jan 24, 2019 | Fertilize Treatments Rockwall, Gardening Tips, Lawn Aeration Rockwall, Lawn Care Royse City, overseeding ryegrass rockwall, Pre emergent Service Fate TX, Shrub Trimming Caddo Mills, Weed Control Fate, Weed Control Royse City, Winterizing, Winterizing Your Lawn
Here are 8 Things To Do Right Now For Your Winter Lawn. Texas’s warm humid climate and rich soil, is ideal for plant life. Gardens here show evidence of that.
With the first official day of Spring still over a month away, your attention may be focused mostly indoors. Even in the cold winter months, however, our lawns and gardens have specific needs. What may look dead and brown but is teeming with life just underneath the surface.
In order to reduce pests and ensure that your plants and grasses will thrive as the weather warms up, your Texas winter gardening regimen should include these essential steps.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL TEXAS WINTER GARDENING.
Apply Pre-emergents
Now is the time to apply your pre-emergent on lawns and grasses to prevent the germination of weed seeds. The window of opportunity is open right now. Corn gluten meal is a great organic approach, but other herbicides can be purchased at your local nursery or home improvement store. Pre-emergent is a small step that yields BIG dividends in spring and summer.
Fertilize
If you haven’t done so already, fertilize all established trees and shrubs (except azaleas and camellias), and feed perennial bulbs. This can be done simultaneously with the pre-emergent. Your compost pile is perfect for this use, or check with your local garden center for recommendations.
Watch the weather
Historically, the coldest days of the year fall in the month of February. This does not come as great news to those of us yearning for the warmer weather, but gardeners should be on watch for a potential freeze all the way into the month of March. Make sure to water the roots well, and cover plants if temperatures fall below 32 degrees.
Pruning
This is the best time to prune shrubs, trees, and roses, but wait to prune spring flowering trees until after they bloom. Crepe Myrtles are the exception to this rule. Experts advise that crepe myrtles should never be pruned or can be pruned very gently.
Mowing
Mow your lawn once this month. This will allow the sun to reach the roots.
Clean up
Rake any fallen leaves, for the same reason. Grass roots need sunlight to germinate and begin the new growth cycle. Be sure to remove all debris and other encumbrances to growth. These leaves and other lawn debris can be put into the compost bin for later use as fertilizer.
Weeding
Dig weeds out by hand. There may only be a few, but soon they will become legion. Tackle the small job now, to avoid a larger one later.
Plant bulbs
Now is the time to plant later blooming bulbs and tubers such as dahlias, elephant ears, caladiums, and calla lilies. This is also the perfect time to plant strawberries.
Yes, it is cold outside. But if you want to have a beautiful landscape when spring comes, the time to begin is now.
Questions? Contact First Response Lawn Care by clicking the link below to ask about our expert services in all these areas!
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by admin | Jan 18, 2019 | Lawn Care Royse City, Winterizing, Winterizing Your Lawn
Winter is upon us and freezing protection of plants this time of year should be a concern for light snowfall seasons. One day it’s 60° and mild, the next 30°F with snow on the ground. You know what they say about Texas, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around because it will change by tomorrow”.
Frost, freezing and root damage are cause for concern in January. When frost is predicted, you can prepare for it. It’s also a good idea to periodically check the temperature at ground level near your plants to see how cold it is for them and whether or not you need to take precautions.
The primary concern being frost and light snow right now means that there are several things you might want to think about this month.
- If you’re going to cover up your plants before a frost, do so before sunset. If you wait until darkness falls, most of the stored heat in your garden will have dissipated.
- No matter what type of cover you use, make sure that it extends down to the soil on each side.
- Do not leave any openings for warmth to escape. If you can, it’s also helpful to use stakes to keep material, especially plastic, from touching the plant itself.
- In the morning, after frost has thawed, remove covers. Not doing so could cause the plant to come out of dormancy and start growing which makes more susceptible to frost damage in the future.
A few ideas for items you can use to cover plants:
- bed sheets or blankets
- drop cloths
- an inverted flower pot or bucket
- milk jugs with the bottom cut out
- frost cloths (These can protect some plants to temperatures as low as 20°F.)
- garden blankets from your local hardware store
Remember that covers don’t have to be costly to be effective and a little bit of caution goes a long way in protecting your plants against winter weather.
Contact First Response Lawn Care Today! and ask about our expert advice and services.
by admin | Jan 11, 2019 | Irrigation Rockwall, Lawn Care Royse City, Winterizing Your Lawn
Wintertime can be hard on your sprinkler system. In Texas, winter weather related damage, can have a lasting effect on watering systems. The freeze/thaw cycle in the winter months can damage pipes and create leakage issues you might not know are there until your next water bill.
Follow these easy steps to help minimize the chance for winter lawn irrigation problems in the coming Spring.
- Turn off the water main to the irrigation system itself.
- Set your irrigation controller to the “rain” or “off” setting.
- Turn on each valve manually to release pressure in the pipes.
- Drain water out of irrigation components that might freeze. (This is usually done at the lowest elevation point or sprinkler head of the system.)
Above ground piping will need additional TLC such as insulation of the system components that are susceptible to to freezing. Using heat trace tape designed to keep the pipes warm during colder temperatures can keep these parts free of problems later on.
Questions? Contact First Response Lawn Care irrigation specialists by clicking the link below to ask about our expert irrigation services.
Contact First Response Lawn Care Today!
by admin | Jan 4, 2019 | Lawn Maintenance Rockwall, Pre emergent Service Fate TX, Winterizing Your Lawn
Pre-Emergent herbicides work by preventing seed germination. They don’t do much good after the weeds bloom. They’re best used as a preventative treatment in winter or summer dormant seasons.
Winter pre-emergent weed control makes warmer, heavy growth seasons manageable. During the Spring and Summer months, weeds thrive in warmer climate of these seasons. Getting a head start in the winter can keep things easy to maintain later in the season when grass is struggling to compete with weeds for water and minerals in the soil. When it comes to weed control, timing is everything. Winter pre-emergent weed control treatments are best applied before the ground temperatures rise past 50 degrees.
Professional-quality pre-emergent herbicides control target grasses and broad-leaf weeds on turf, and landscaping, Pre-emergent herbicides are weed killers that are perfect for Winter application. First Response Lawn Care has professional grade products that aren’t found at do-it-yourself outlets and retail stores.
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by admin | Dec 14, 2018 | Pre emergent Service Fate TX, Weed Control Royse City
A PreEmergent lawn care product eliminates weeds at the earliest stage of growth — before you even see them. Several key factors are important to consider if you want to use this type of weed killer effectively.
Have you hesitated to use a pre emergent herbicide because you didn’t understand what it does? Did you try to apply a pre emergent yourself and have poor results?
THE BENEFITS Of A PRE EMERGENT
Have you repetitively sprayed weed killers? Have you spent countless hours pulling weeds? If you answered yes to either or both, you need a good pre emergent program. Pre emergents are one of the most important weapons in your pursuit of a beautiful healthy lawn.
Typical applications occur in early spring before warm season weeds appear and in autumn for cool season weeds. These preventative herbicides actually can be helpful throughout the majority of the growing season. Various weeds germinate at different times, so repeated applications of the correct chemical can eliminate the majority of the weeds in any lawn or yard.
The benefits of a consistent pre emergent program are:
- The weed is eliminated permanently, because the seed is allowed to germinate, and the young tender sprout is killed. A PreEmergent is activated in the top layer of soil, where the weed seeds sprout, and by design it stops the plant from growing. This is one key advantage over just putting down new soil or mulch to bury the seeds. Weed seeds remain viable many years, waiting for a chance to pop up. Pre-emergents break the cycle of constant regrowth of new weeds.
- A minimal amount of labor is involved in applying either a granular or a liquid version. The chemical is activated by applying water, usually within a couple of days, sufficient to soak it into the ground. It can remain effective in the soil for several weeks up to several months, depending on the ingredient used and the concentration of it. This benefit comes right at the time when there are so many other gardening tasks to which you want or need to give your attention.
- Deal more easily with any remaining weeds that manage to escape a treatment. Wiping out those straggler weeds and knocking down any remaining population of weeds before they go to seed is critical. Without relying on a preemergent to reduce the infestation, it always seems to be a losing battle to try to kill every weed before it reproduces.
- Each successive season the need to spray a post-emergent weed killer is lessened. The ideal status of completely eliminating weeds would also require that you take other measures to get your lawn healthy, thick and strong. In many yards, due to outside infestations, the need to continue with this herbicide will continue.
A pre-emergent is NOT effective once the weeds are showing. The chemical must be situated in place prior to the weed seed starting to germinate. If you wait, you lose. Call First Response Lawn Care (214) 701-7622 today to sign up for our effective 7-step program to feed your lawn and control your weeds! We are happy to provide a free estimate! Be sure to check for any current promos before calling.
