South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

Lawn care requires a reasonably high amount of attention. While not the single most labor- or time-intensive aspect of the landscapes around our homes, lawn care does require some attention to detail. Regimes concerning lawn mowing, fertilizing and watering face us all with the necessity to try and wrestle with something usually enjoyable, yet often challenging, time wise. I know that from the perspective of one who installs entire lawn and garden systems, from grass to irrigation, seeing my product taken good care of means I will have a sense of pride and design ownership for long years

Generally, I install places and then leave. I acquaint clients with the systems of course and generally leave a sheet with instructions and tips. I also recommend certain lawn care professionals. For me, I generally recommend Tru Green – who have provided great services for me over a long period of years. I realize the actual amount of time couples and families have for the work. Installing the landscape itself is a chore some folks take on by themselves. Obviously, I make my living with those who are reluctant to take on such high-energy, high labor tasks, especially in newer homes. In this day and age when everyone is necessarily busy making a living, it can be a delight watching someone else provide your lawn care services at reasonable rates.

And, before I pound the lawn notion into the ground, businesses who provide lawn care also provide analyses of tree and plant issues. Being the professionals they are, they have a professional interest in seeing every growing thing in a landscape do well. It is not only a reflection on them, it is just good business. These lawn care pros can analyze issues such as diseases, pests, and over- or under-watering issues in the midst of their daily routines and recommend some easy cures.

My interest is in seeing a home owner’s investment pay off in beauty and natural enjoyment of their landscapes. Lawn care and what good attention to detail and progress can provide is the real secret behind good-looking and long-lasting landscapes.

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• For a Healthy Lawn, Go Organic!

Research says that chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides used in lawns can be carcinogenic, and increase the presence of harmful nitrates in drinking water wells. An easier healthy alternative is to go organic.

To get the lushest lawn possible, research well on the varieties of grasses that do well in your climate before planting the lawn, and select the right mixture of grasses. Also figure out the watering time required, so that the roots are strong and less vulnerable to disease. Aerate the lawn so that compacted soil is loosened and water does not run off, but soaks into the ground, this will eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers.

Ensure that you do not have a layer of clippings and dead grass more than an inch thick by regular but controlled de-thatching, so that you do not get fungus, and the water reaches the roots. Apply organic fertilizer containing bonemeal, fish emulsion and manure early in summer so that the grass gets time to harden for winter.

Make sure you mow properly using a sharp blade, because dull blades tear the grass leaving them vulnerable to disease, and do not mow down to less than 3 inches in summer. Let the occasional weed hang in there, because going for bust will mean using chemicals.

Use weed control products containing corn gluten meal to prevent weeds. In short, going organic is all about growing wiser, trying to prevent damage before it happens, and growing a healthy lawn without risking family health.

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Your Wife & Your Lawn

By Allyn Paul,

Did you know that wives and lawns are one-in-the-same? I do because I’ve got an ex-wife, and ex-lawn; and a wonderful current wife and wonderful current lawn!
Let’s talk about the “ex’s” first

My ex lawn: when I got it, it was in horrible shape. It had never been cared for or fed or watered. It was riddled with weeds and flattened out.
Same with my ex wife! (no more needs to be said LOL)
I worked hard on my ex-lawn. I talked to it, cuddled it, watered it and nourished it until it was plump and prissy and the envy of the neighbors!
Same with my ex wife! (no more needs to be said LOL)
However, there came a time when I began to neglect my ex-lawn and it headed on the down-turn … fast! So I sold my ex-lawn and it has a new owner. My ex-lawn still looks terrible and got what it deserved. It’s old and weathered and in bad shape physically.
Same with my ex-wife … ‘nuff said! (It cost me a lot to get rid of her, lemme tell ya! LOL)

My current lawn: I love it. It is always beautiful and stands at attention when I walk by.
My current wife: I love her. She is always beautiful and gets down on her knees when I am around … she says, “Come out from under that bed and face me like a man you bum!” LOL
She takes no crap from me!

On the serious side, lawns are a lot like wives.
Generally speaking, your lawn will tell you when it needs your attention, but you have to pick up on the signs. If you have not fed and watered it properly, it will crunch and lay flat when you walk on it … it will take on a dull gray color that says, “If you don’t get me what I need quick, I’m gonna go dormant on you.”
Your (my) wife is the same way. She needs love and attention. She needs her feet rubbed at night before bed. She needs to know you care. If you, as the husband, don’t put in the time and effort required to make your marriage work, your wife will clam up and go “dormant” on you. You have to learn to pick up on the subtle hints too.
Just last week, my wife said, “I’m busy working, so the laundry is gonna get done on Tuesday instead of today, ok?”
I missed the sign that day. It was up to me to figure out that I should throw a couple loads in Sunday during the Bears game. I missed the hint and she went “dormant” on me for a couple days. It’s my fault, really…I know better! LOL
I know you’re thinking, “This sounds like some heavy, dripping, drivel, from a bad episode of the Dr. Phil Show,” …but it is true. Just ask a guy who has an ex-wife, ex-lawn and a current wife and current lawn!

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Now that we are 100% in the full swing of weed season in most of the country, I figure I’ll share with you one of the misconceptions that a lot of my lawn treatment customers seem to have. (my new customers who don’t read this website anyway!)

That misconception being that lawn weeds can be prevented. Let’s look at this for a moment.

Can Lawn Weeds Be Prevented

The answer is “to an extent.” How is that for dancing around an answer eh? In reality, weeds cannot be prevented, there just isn’t a product available that can do that without also harming your turf. Now, don’t get me wrong, we can use products like Barricade and Dimension to stop crab grass, but not your typical broad leaf weeds.

This is because many of the more common ones like Dandelions, for example, start growing beneath the ground almost as soon as the snow melts. It is just not physically possible to get anything down in time for this. Other weeds, such as creeping charlie and clover have very shallow, surface type root systems, meaning that a chemical burrier would be ineffective anyway.

For the most part, only post-emergent herbicides can be use to actually stop existing weeds, not prevent them.

What Can We Do To Reduce Lawn Weeds?

This is where the prevention can actually take place, and that is in the thickness of your existing grass. Thick turf is the best way to keep weeds from invading. Weeds will attempt to compete with your thick lawn, but they will lose in most cases! Remember, a thick, healthy lawn is the very best way to prevent broad leaf and vine-like weeds in your lawn.

So next time you fertilize your lawn, and weeds pop up a few weeks later, don’t blame your lawn care guy — he didn’t “fertilize your weeds” like you think. Just call him or her back to do a touch up spray and you will be all good!

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Winter is the time to carry out some much needed lawn maintenance. Below are five tips you can think about as the big cold envelops your garden and lawn.

Maintenance Tip #1

As winter approaches, gradually lower the mowing height of your mower. Winter should begin without any young, tender growth that makes your lawn more appealing to winter diseases.

Besides, new growth on the lawn is vulnerable to dry out after the first winter winds come through, which will give you a brown winter lawn. So for the sake of lawn maintenance, as winter approaches, begin to gradually reduce the cutting height on your mower, until you are almost, but not quite, shaving the lawn. However, be sure to do this in several steps to avoid suddenly removing all the green leaf tissue and damaging the turf.

Winter Lawn Maintenance Tip #2

In late fall, be sure to give your lawn a final fertilization. Inactive during winter, your lawn won’t use the fertilizers immediately. Much like mammals bulking up for the cold, your lawn will store these nutrients in its root system and take full advantage of them at the first signs of spring.

Winter Lawn Maintenance Tip #3

Clear your lawn of any debris like logs, toys, or gardening equipment. Once snow comes, these objects can smother your grass, damage your turf, and leave your lawn more vulnerable to diseases.

Winter Lawn Maintenance Tip #4

Be sure to aerate your lawn before the first freeze. Thatch will only get worse with the affects of winter. A good aeration, along with a round of fertilization, will set the stage for bountiful spring growth.

Winter Lawn Maintenance Tip #5

Winter is a great time to learn more about your garden and your lawn in particular. Take this time to buy some lawn maintenance books and research the Internet for tips on how to keep a beautiful lawn and garden.

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It is an unfortunate situation that every year thousands of tradesman all over the country have their work vans broken into and all their tools stolen. These tools are often specialized and are very expensive, causing the tradesman to have to spend money on new tools and also lose trade in the mean time as they cannot do their work.Lets look at the top ways to keep your tools safe?

Remove the tools. Taking your tools out of your truck or van and into your house is the only way you can make certain they will not get taken. This of course may not stop your van being broken into but will stop you losing valuable items. However, people often stalk out a van for a while before they decide whether or not to break into it, so if you are seen to be taking your tools out every evening, there is less chance you will be a victim. However, for some people and trades this is just not a viable options and they need to use other tactics.

Sticker. Probably the cheapest way to deter criminals is to put a ‘no tools in this van’ sticker somewhere prominent. Most van leasing vans come with these on them already and they have much fewer cases of burglary. If you introduce all element of doubt into a thieves mind they are much less likely to risk a break in, opting for better odds elsewhere instead. In order for this to work however, you will need to hide your tools from view well

High security. Finding a van with good security is another great method. Citroen van leasing vans are well known for their security so these are a good choice. Tool thieves are well aware of which types of van just pop open and which require more time and skill. 99% of the time a thief will opt for the easiest target

For Citroen or Volkswagen Van Leasing please visit Crusader Vans

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Why buy Led lights for my truck or car? Well. led lights are semiconductors, just like a computer chip in you r computer . When voltage is passed through them, they emit energy in the form of light. They are made with certain chemicals, that determine their light color. leds convert the majority of voltage passed through them to light, as opposed to other incandescent bulbs that produce light by energy heating them. But led can be up to 90% more efficient than traditional truck filament light bulbs

What s the cost to you? They can be more expensive than the traditional truck bulbs. But if you shop online you can get them for a fair price. The led light last a lot longer and use less voltage from the batteries. But most of all they are far more reliable then the old style filament bulbs. They run cooler and use less energy to work. They generally are sealed units so you do have to take tem apart and clean the sockets like you do some times with filament bulbs. I guess you can say it means less down time. When you are trucking time is money you do not want any down time.

Led rating: originally when LED bulbs came out there were no real standards, manufacturers would claim lifetimes of 100,000 hours with no real testing. Since then the standard has been to scale back to 50,000 hours so as not to over-state claims. (Beware of bulbs that are rated at 100,000 hours unless they state specifically Why they are rated at so high I would be wary of trusting this rating).Many of the manufacturers producing their 3rd generation LED bulbs are now starting to be more conservative and rating their bulbs at 35,000 hours, having gotten test results back from 1-2 years of testing. Rated at 35,000 hours, you can rest assured the manufacturer is not overstating their claims. Anything more than 50,000 hours… buyer beware or it could be BS.

The led lifespan led bulb may continue to be useful for several thousand hours past its stated lifetime. Unlike old-fashioned light bulbs, it is extremely rare for an led light to simply burn out. Rather, it will gradually fade over time, as the little diode start to fade ,but your truck light is still visible to on coming cars unlike filament bulbs that just quit.

How do you compare the led bulbs to each other? There are quite a few websites like our “Edgeolite.com” online that you can buy led bulbs. The problem is “how do you compare one bulb to another?” A quick way to do this is to calculate the lumens/watt, or , the total amount of light you get from the amount of electricity you put in. This is done by simply dividing the bulbs wattage by the stated number of lumens. Anything over 50 lumens/watt is good at the moment. 75 lumens/watt is very good while 100 lumens/watt is excellent. Keep in mind this is just a general comparison – some bulbs may be rated as brighter or dimmer than this.

At least this article gives you an idea of the measurement used for led lights. The other measurement I would use is the quality of the led light you buy. Is it designed to withstand the vast changes in the weather from being in the cold and wet to being extremely hot and dry. The quality of the lenses of the outer led is also something to consider and also the ability to mount it on your truck.

If you are interested in more information on this topic or would like to see the Edgeolite led lights simply click here. http://www.edgeolite.com/led-trucklights.html

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Be sure to keep walkways, driveways, rooftops clear

BY CHARLES DAVIS
cedavis@greenbaypressgazette.com

Children aren’t the only ones hoping to get on a good list for the holidays. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you should expect a visit from an area snow remover.

Signing up early for services can get you preferred treatment when your driveway starts to look like the frozen tundra. And if you dare take on Mother Nature by yourself, here are a few tips to keep you safe.

Early bird

Homeowners can sign up for one-time snow removal or seasonal service, said Matthew Kispert, owner of Sawyer’s Tree Service in De Pere. Seasonal subscribers can get Kispert to come out every time it snows at least one inch. They also can get a 10 percent discount, which can save $5 to $10 each time it snows.

“The best thing to do is plan ahead and get on our list before the snow storm,” he said.

Those on the seasonal list also get served before those who call the day of the storm.

Clear the path

Kispert comes equipped with snowblowers, and he shovels off driveways and sidewalks leading up to the home. He even takes care of edges leading to garages and can shovel off your porch.

“Salt is optional, but even the ones that don’t want it, if there’s bad spots, we put it in for free,” he said. A bad spot consists of ice patches on the sidewalk.

“Once in a while, people will have us clear a path for a dog,” he said.

Snow stretch

If the snow isn’t bad enough to call out professionals, be equipped for some taxing activity, said Jason Pienta, owner of Heartland Construction & Services in Green Bay.

“Just stretch out before you go shovel,” he said. “If you can’t grab your toes standing up, I don’t think you should be shoveling snow.”

Necessary tools include at least one good shovel, a snowblower if you can afford it and rock salt, Kispert said.

Each year, people report heart attacks while shoveling, so take breaks if you do it yourself. “We’re prepared to stand the wet, the cold, the windy conditions,” Kispert said. “We have the right equipment for it.”

Call of duty

You don’t have to be a lazy bum to call on snow removers. Many customers simply didn’t plan ahead or couldn’t “get the kids out of bed to shovel snow,” Kispert said. Other clients live out of town or aren’t physically able to do it.

Up on the rooftop

Refusing to remove the snow at all will have you feeling ho-hum during the holidays, Pienta said. Snow left on the roof can create ice in the gutters — known as ice dams — and work its way back into your shingles. When the ice melts, it can rain inside your home. “It’s a pretty big thing,” he said.

It’s also not a good idea to let snow pack down in your driveway. “It can damage the underside of your car if you drive it through snow,” Kispert said.

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That load of snow in your driveway may be getting to you, but before you put your snowblower into action, make sure you’re really using it properly and safely. You probably have a healthy respect for your lawn mower and weed-whacker, and their ability to do real harm. Don’t think that your snowblower is more innocuous just because it throws the fluffy stuff around instead of slicing plants
away from the earth.

First rule: Don’t drink alcohol and operate a snowblower. Any time you dull your reaction time and impair your judgment, the last thing you want to do is operate any kind of machinery that could severely injure you or someone else.

Second, be careful where you aim that thing. If the snow is shooting toward your house, you could be looking at damage to your siding and windows. If you aren’t exactly sure where Patches the Cat ran off to, get her into the house first, unless you want to risk stunning her and burying her under a bunch of snow. Remember, not all snow is light and fluffy. Also, if there are heavier objects in the snow, like rocks or ice chunks, they will be flung farther, and perhaps faster, than snow. So, thoroughly inspect the area before you get out the snowblower. In fact, if you can survey the area before the snow covers the ground, so much the better.

Third, watch your fingers and other important parts you might need later. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that several thousand people are treated each year in emergency rooms thanks to incidents with snowblowers and snowthrowers. Two-thirds of snowblower injuries involve the fingers, and of all the various consumer home and yard products, snowblowers are one of the top causes of finger amputations. Most injuries occur when operators attempt to clear the auger or the discharge chute with their hands. Use a stick or broom handle to clear away debris in the machine. Remember that the impeller blades may still be rotating for a time even after the machine is turned off. You should wait AT LEAST five seconds after turning the machine off before trying to clear any jams, even though you’ll be using a stick. You don’t want spinning blades to grab onto something you’re holding tightly.

Fourth, make sure you leave all the safety devices, like shields, guards and switches, on the machine. Customize your car, not your snowblower. For that matter, protect your own body by wearing gloves, long pants, goggles and boots. For one thing, it’s cold out there. For another, you want to keep your body parts intact, remember?

Fifth, if you have a gas-powered snowblower, fuel it up before you start using it. Never add fuel while it’s running or still hot from recent use. If it’s an electrical snowblower, make sure the cord doesn’t get tangled or snagged in any moving parts; electrocution is dangerous, not invigorating. Don’t touch the engine cowling while it’s still hot.

Sixth, keep the kids away from the snowblower. Around the age of 15, it’s probably OK to start introducing them to safe use of a snowblower. And make sure you supervise them until you’re sure they know what they are doing.

Seventh, don’t leave the machine unattended without shutting it off first. You don’t want the snowblower going off on its own, and you don’t want kids or pets to get caught up in it when you’re out of sight or out of earshot.

Finally (and maybe this should have been rule number one, but it should be obvious), read the user’s manual for your snowblower before you use it. No one’s going to respect you more because you figured it out on your own, particularly if the result is a couple missing fingers and a family pet that’s still reeling from that hunk of ice you flung at it.

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Proper Leaf Cleanup

Trees are beautiful because of their leaves, but it is inevitable that leaves fall. Historically, homeowners have raked up the leaves, bagged them and thrown them out with the garbage. Now, that is no longer possible.

We need to remember that eons ago, no one raked leaves. Before people stepped in. leaves fell to the forest floor where they mixed with the twigs and were stirred up by small animals. They provided natural mulch in the winter and then broke down, enriching the soil and fertilizing the trees the rest of the year. We need to take a cue from nature and use leaves in our yards as much as possible.

Different parts of your landscape have different needs. You can use leaves all over your yard, but there are some inappropriate places to put them as well.

If you are trying to grow grass on your lawn, allowing the leaves to remain where they fall is not practical. The weight of the wet leaves can suffocate grass and moisture will build up under the leaves and cause a host of fungal diseases. If you have a mulching lawn mower, use it to cut the grass and chop the leaves at the same time. But, if you end up with more than one-fourth to three-eights inch on your lawn, it’s time to go to Plan B.

Put the bagger on your lawn mower and collect the chopped leaves and grass clippings. Then, place them around your shrubs for winterizing mulch. In the past, I didn’t like to recommend using leaves as mulch because they tended to compress and mat down, but when they’re chopped, they tend to loft up slightly. This allows air circulation and prevents them from compacting as quickly into an imperious layer that limits water and air from reaching plant roots. Chopped leaves will also biodegrade more rapidly.

If you mulch your shrubs and still have leaves left, put a four inch layer over your garden and spade it under. This will provide nutrients for next growing season. You can do the same in flowerbeds.

For areas of ground cover, don’t try to remove all leaves. Allowing some to work down into the soil will add nutrients to the soil in these beds as well. Now, don’t allow the entire tree to shed all its leaves on one bed of ground cover. The plants may suffocate and dies. For these areas, I like to use an electric or gas powered vacuum-type leaf remover and take most of the leaves from the bed without having to continually stomp through it or damage plants with a rake.

If you still have some leaves left, add them to your compost pile. Don’t forget to turn it. If you have children, you might want to leave one big pile of leaves in the yard until it really gets cold. Leaf piles, as you may remember, are great for jumping in, throwing around and just generally having a lot of fun with.

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