With the hotter temperatures, Chinch bugs are becoming more and more active and you want to keep them happy! These bugs can do some serious damage to a lawn within a matter of DAYS! Chinch bugs live and reproduce down in the cooler layer of the grass. If a lawn’s soil becomes too dry, the bugs begin to travel to the surface and feed on the blades of grass. When Chinch bugs feed, they inject poison into the grass and eventually suck the nutrients from the grass blade.

If gone untreated, this will quickly result in unsightly large dead patches throughout. Active infestations can be treated with an insecticide (Something like Bifenthrin). This will eliminate them quickly. Keep in mind this will not fix the damage that has already been done. Chinch bugs can very well be prevented with a proper watering schedule. Just remember when you’re water– Deeply, but infrequently! Only you can prevent Chinch bug damage.

There are two types of scale.. Aphids that attach themselves to the crape myrtle leaves and armored scale that attach themselves to the bark. Once these insects attach themselves they remain immobile and never move again. These attached insects are female and continue to lay eggs under the established armor. Armored scale needs to be treated with an insecticide and the crape myrtle needs to be covered from top to bottom. We recommend using Zylam, but depending on the maturity there is another product called Acephate.  Before treating, it is beneficial to remove any excess bark to ensure you cover all areas. You can also scrub the branches and remove some of the insects. Below we have attached a link for Zylam.  Let us know if you have any questions!

https://www.amazon.com/Gordons-Liquid-Systemic-Insecticide-Dinotefuran/dp/B00JGAEPJW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=zylam&qid=1596232808&sr=8-1

Heads up!
As we sweat our way into August don’t forget… It’s time to trim roses! Roses need to be trimmed two times a year, once in January/February and again in August. During the month of August, you will need to take them back about half size. While in January/February you would perform a more aggressive trim. When a rose bush is trimmed, this promotes new growth for the next blooming cycle.
Right now, your roses may have yellowing leaves, dead blooms, and showing signs of decline. This is completely normal– It’s time for them to be trimmed! Before trimming, this would be a great time to examine your roses for possible rose rosette. Let us know if you have any questions! Have a great day!

Does your lawn sit on a hill or slope? If so, when watering your lawn this is something to be mindful of. When you’re watering your lawn, if the soil is compacted or has a thatch issue the water is going to run down the hill or slope. Meaning less water is being absorbed and the root system is unable to thrive. Resulting in thin unhealthy grass. To avoid this you will want to consider breaking up your irrigation run times and watering in sections. Most irrigation systems have the option to run zones for different amounts of time.

The Bald Cypress tree can be identified by its soft and featherly like foliage. This tree is commonly placed along fences for privacy, border driveways, along bodies of water, and to provide a light shade. These trees can tolerate extremely moist conditions as well as drought conditions such as dry compacted soil.
They can grow 1-2 feet per year, but grow fastest in moist well drained soil and full sun. They do not require maintenance, but it is suggested to prune off the dead wood and unwanted branches.

With Summer approaching and little rain.. How long should someone water their lawn? It’s hard to give a concrete answer to this because there are multiple variables that go into it. Does your yard have any slopes? Run offs? Do you have spray nozzles or rotors? Are your nozzles spraying in a full circle or back and forth?

Like a person, every yard is different in its own way.

A lawn typically needs 1-2 inches of water a week. We recommend watering twice a week for longer periods of time vs watering everyday for a short time. Watering for longer allows water to saturate the grass and forces the roots to go deeper as it begins to dry out.
You can’t have an answer without getting to know your own system!
Place small bowls around the lawn and run the system for 30 minutes.. Let’s say the bowls collect a quarter of an inch of water.. This shows your system needs to run for a full hour to receive half an inch. At the end of the day the goal is to give the yard a full soak. Let us know if you have any questions!

Crabgrass is commonly mistaken for Dalis grass, but there are a few key features to look out for when identifying the two. Crabgrass is soft and sponge like, while Dalis grass has a coarse texture and grows as a solid, circular clump. When taking a closer look, crabgrass has tiny hairs growing along the stem. Crabgrass can be prevented with a pre emergent in the Winter and treated with a herbicide. Prevention is key! Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any questions.