If you don’t have SAGO PALMS I’m sure you know where some are and I’m sure they look like these. Typically speaking, they can handle out winter time temperatures with out any issues. This last winter was anything but typically though! When they are subjected to extreme temperatures and/or snow and ice, the fronds (palms) will turn brown or yellow. This doesn’t mean the plant is dead but the palm will need to be trimmed. Once they turn color, they will never turn green again. They need to be trimmed all the way to the base like the one in the video. This summer when it starts to get hot again they will fill back out and be as beautiful as ever. When you do trim them, make sure to wear gloves because they can be very sharp! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

Why Now Is The Time

Pre Emergents are super important to lawn care and now is the time to apply them.  It happens every year to us.  We preach the importance of Pre Emergents in Shreveport / Bossier City lawn care.  Some listen and act soon.  Others wait until April and May to start their lawn care.  Why?  Because by this time their lawn is full of weeds from all the rain and warm temperatures.  The reaction is usually to put out some weed & feed or call a lawn care company.  The problem is by this point the weeds have already germinated and are ready to grow.  Lawn care and fertilization is something you have to be pro active about.  Even after you first get started you have patience.  Steps you take will be for the benefit of your lawn months from now.  Applying pre emergents back in the fall is what would have stopped weeds from being a issue today.  Applying pre emergents now is what will stop the weeds from being an issue this summer.

Not only is timing super important but also make sure you are using the correct products.  When it comes to pre emergents in the grass for the Shreveport / Bossier area, liquid is what works the best.  When you go this route you are able to get the barrier down to the soil right away and dont have to worry about the granular getting washed away.  The say this is try with you are using insecticides and herbicides.  Liquid is just a far more accurate and effective route to take.  The other thing most people are surprised by is that its often just as cheap to have the service provided for you.  By the time you pay homeowners prices for products and then purchase and maintain the equipment needed to apply, we can do it for the same price.

If you need help with picking out a provider, feel free to email us are info@matthewslandscpae.com.  We can help make suggestions about products.  If you need help buy a product, Do My Own Pest Control is a great source to have items shipped right to your door step!

When it comes to lawn care and weeds you have to be ProActive…not ReActive.  Timing is everything with pre emergents.  If you wait until the weeds get to germinate then it is to late.  You get to spend the next 6 months killing weeds instead of enjoying your lawn.  The seeds are already in the grass and there is nothing you or I can do about that.  What you can do is prevent them from ever growing.  When you do this there are not any weeds to drop more seeds and continue the circle!  Don’t kill your weeds…Prevent them.  Apply your pre emergents before it is to late.

For more information, click here!

This winter has been brutal in the south. We’ve had consistent below freezing temperatures that are not normal for our area. Many plants we have in the south are planted because we typically have warmer weather.  Being that we have many warm temperature plants we’ve have had several plants that have taken a beating this winter. One is the Sago Palm and you may have noticed that the fronds are brown. Everything that is brown on your Sago Palm fronds has been damaged by the cold. What do you do now? Go to the base of the plant and trim off what is brown. Although the fronds are brown, the plant is not dead!! If you have any questions, let us know. Have a great day!

For more information on Sago Palms, click here. 

You Deserve Exceptional Lawn Care Service with The Most Powerful Lawn Care Guarantee in Louisiana! If you aren’t satisfied with our lawn care or landscape services we will come repeat the work free of charge.  Still not happy?  Then you owe nothing.  It can’t get any easier than that. Our business plan is simple.  You want a beautiful yard without any hassle and you do not want to worry about how, when and why things need to get done.  That’s where we come in.  We aren’t just making a bunch of empty promises.  We are saying that we love lawn and landscapes and know how to care of them.  Exceptionally reliable, worry free, quality lawn care…guaranteed.

Winter is here.  December 21st this year marks the first day of winter solstice.  What is Winter Solstice you ask?  Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year here in Earth’s northern hemisphere. The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words sol sistere, which means “sun standing still.” On the December solstice, the sun’s daily southward movement in the sky appears to pause. The time and date of the solstice changes every year, but this year’s solstice will occurs at 11:28 a.m. (ET) on December 21st, 2017. The solstice marks the exact moment when the sun’s most direct rays reach their southernmost point of the equator.  The exact times of sunrise and sunset depend on two things: your latitude and geographic location within your time zone. As much as every hears “first day of winter” and frets because of the weather ahead of us, just know we are inching out way to spring! 

For more information on the Winter Solstice, click here!

Every year when I was little we would always go to the local tree farm and pick out the perfect family tree.  Being I had siblings, we always fought over the biggest or fluffiest or the one that just had that smell… the smell of pine and the woods…  the smell of Christmas.  We would get to rotate every year who would get to choose.  Some years we even felt sorry for the “imperfect” trees and would get them. Sure they leaned over a little and weren’t perfect… but those are the trees I remember the most.

If you are venturing out this holiday season to purchase your own Christmas tree, here are a few things to remember.  When selecting a tree, slightly pull on some stems.  If the needles fall off, move on to the next tree.  You want to find a tree that has no needles falling off.  Once you get the tree home you want to cut about 1/2 inch off the bottom.  This will allow the water to absorb into the tree.  Speaking of water… you need to water your tree everyday!!!  Christmas trees can absorb up to a gallon of water a day!  They are thirsty, so don’t forget to water them.  You want to pick a spot in your house away from any heat sources.  We all remember the movie the Christmas Vacation and you don’t want your Christmas tree to go POOF like theirs.  After Christmas is over with what do you do with your tree????  Here in Louisiana, we like to take our trees to our favorite fishing hole!  The fish will use the christmas tree as cover and come spring, you’ll know exactly where to find them! If you have any questions about Christmas Tree care, let us know.  Have a great Holiday Season!!

Finally it is starting to feel like Christmas outside and lately we have had some temperatures that have dipped below freezing. What happens when it freezes to your plants….  well…. the water inside a plant freezes causing damage to the cells of the plant. What does that mean for your tropicals??? That means a lot! They need to be covered as best they can.  All home improvement store in town sell material blankets. They are perfect for protecting your plants from frost. They are lightweight and easy to put on and take off.  If you have potted plants you need to bring them inside if possible.  Even if you just store them under you covered porch or garage. Getting them out of the elements will help tremendously. Let just say you forgot.  The weather dipped below freezing and frost has already got to your plants…   you can bring them back but it’s best to wait until the spring.  Keep your plants slightly wet and use some fertilizer after the frost has is gone. If you have any questions about plants during the winter, let us know.  Have a great day!

For more information, visit this website for some great tips on winter care for your plants!

When it comes to hanging Christmas lights on your roofline, people usually use staples.  Staples are notorious for leaving damage to your roofline.  We wanted to share a little tip with you.  When you are hanging your Christmas lights, try using a shingle tab. A shingle tab is a plastic piece that you can screw light bulbs into that will slide under the shingles of your house. Using a shingle tab not only helps with keeping your lights lined up but it is also less impactful to your roofline. You can buy these online or in town. They aren’t that expensive but they do provide you with a cleaner look for your home. If you have any questions, let us know. Have a great day!

Matthews Landscape has been in the Christmas Lights Installation business since 2008. Our focus has always been on making the installation and maintenance of your lights a stress free part of your holiday celebration. To make sure you receive the best experience available we have made sure every installer goes through a series of training and safety classes to help them become the best they can be.  We provide all the custom fit materials to our clients for the install. During the Christmas season we service the lights in the event bulbs burn out or other issues arise. After the holidays, we then come back and remove the lights, box them up and then store them in our warehouse free of charge!

For more information, visit our youtube channel.

The Christmas season is about family and joy and Christmas lights!!  It’s always been a favorite childhood memory of mine to hop in the car and drive around looking at all the different Christmas light display.  Now that I am a adult it’s fun to spruce up my yard with that same joy I had when I was a kid.  Fast forward to today, Christmas light displays have changed… drastically.  At any given time you can drive down your street and find lights not only on the roofline but lights around the columns, lights on the fence, lights around the front door and every window, lamp post etc….  you might even see a 6ft Mickey Mouse blow up decoration as well.  It’s safe to say this isn’t your grandmas light idea anymore.

This year we wanted to bring you a few more ideas to add some flare to your yard.  Everyone knows lights on the house give it that extra glow but have you considered adding lights to your tree trunks?  Yes, tree trunks!  It’s so simple and will add so much “wow” to your landscape.   First you want to get some string lights and you want to wrap the tree trunk (or limbs).  You want to make sure the spacing is about 2 – 4 inches apart.  Every so often, add a few staples just to make sure you keep those stings in place.  At night, this will give your yard an even better glow.

If you have any questions about Christmas light install, please give us a call.  Matthews Landscape has been in the Christmas Lights Installation business since 2008. Our focus has always been on making the installation and maintenance of your lights a stress free part of your holiday celebration. To make sure you receive the best experience available we have made sure every installer goes through a series of training and safety classes to help them become the best they can be.  We provide all the custom fit materials to our clients for the install. During the Christmas season we service the lights in the event bulbs burn out or other issues arise. After the holidays, we then come back and remove the lights, box them up and then store them in our warehouse free of charge!

For more information on Christmas lights, click here to visit our youtube page.