News

 May 2024 by  Kim Goyette, ECOSystems Landscape Services

Mulch

Now that leaf and pollen drop season is done it is time to start mulching your plants if you have not done so already. Avoid piling mulch up the trunk of a tree. This will invite insect and disease damage. Just pull it away from the trunk a couple of inches. The best design is a simple flat disc of mulch. A Volcano or Doughnut shape is not easy to maintain.

Irrigation

Trying to get your plants established before the heat of summer is important. Deep, infrequent watering will get that done. Be sure to do a full "walk-thru" of your irrigation system. Turn on each station from the clock and inspect each head individually. Check for clogged nozzles, geysers, misaligned heads, underground leaks, valves that don't fully shut down (slow leaks) and poor coverage. Using an empty tuna can, you can measure the "inches per hour" of your system. During the heat of summer, it's recommended that you apply 3/4 to 1 ½ inches of water per week for turf (depends on soil depth and quality). This can be next to impossible if you can only water one day per week. No matter what your days are, using the run-soak-run system is best and prevents run off. Instead of watering a station 1 time per night, run it 3 times for 1/3 of the time. This improves water penetration and deeper roots.

Turf

As it gets warmer, remember that St. Augustine should be mowed no shorter than 3 inches. The longer the blades, the more shade is applied to the soil surface and the root structure is at or just below the soil surface. This acts as mulch in the sense that is keeps the right amount of moisture and allows the roots and rhizomes to be protected from direct sun.  Bermuda and Zoysia can be successfully maintained at a lower height, but keep in mind that if the height is taken too low too soon, the turf could brown out and going into the summer it may be difficult to reestablish.

Beds

Pay attention to water and light requirements; most native perennials require full sunlight and very little water once established. If you have not done so yet complete your cutbacks in order to get more blooms. Remember to plant according to shade and soils conditions.

Fertilizer and Weed Control

Finish up your post emergent weed control applications. Remember once it gets too hot the temperatures can cause the turf to stress and die back. Follow the label on all materials. Go ahead and apply a balanced fertilizer if you have not done so already. Get the grass, and shrubs, ready for the summer heat.