Dec122011
More Mulch Madness
We’ve been installing a lot of mulch lately. And doing a lot of fall cleanups, too.
I’ve been really negligent about bringing my camera to jobs. I got some photos on this job but I really wish I had gotten some better before photos – the bushes were 30 feet high and a lot of the drip cap, brick molding and window sills had rotted out.
We replaced them with pvc so they’ll never rot.
This is the only before photo I can find at the moment. It was taken while we were staining the deck.
Here we are installing landscape fabric and triple shred hardwood mulch. We had spent the previous 3 days with chainsaws and loppers removing overgrown vegetation and pruning trees. Whew! That’s a lot of work!
I hope I can find a before photo of this side. This is where the bushes were so high that they were completely obscuring the second story windows, rotting them out. We cut them down to knee-high last summer, replaced the rotted wood, and completely repainted the house. The bushes have filled back out.
Here’s that side after installing mulch today. There was a pile of dead brush up against the fence over 10 feet high! You wouldn’t even have known that there was a fence. It was all overgrown with vines and all manner of stuff.
We also installed 3 tons of stone. Under the trellis was an enormous gulley; it was three feet deep. So we fixed the drain pipe and installed this stone. That stuff is heavy! We also pruned and trained the Wisteria. It was growing into the crepe myrtle and all the other trees around it.
It really looks much better now.
We also picked up trash and removed piles and piles of dead brush.
Our clients are thrilled. We’ll install new plants in the spring. I can’t wait to see how it looks!
Nov042011
It’s Mulch Season
We’ve been installing a lot of mulch lately. On this particular job, we installed 20 yards of triple shredded hardwood mulch from Daniel’s in Fuquay-Varina (they grind it right there, and do a great job!,) as well as 160 bales of long leaf pine straw.
7:00 am – 15 yards of triple shredded hardwood arrives:
the first barrowful:
some before photos:
We applied it 4″ deep. It’s cheaper in the long run!
The longleaf pinestraw shows up – 160 bales:
Water break:
Making a dent in it!
Mark, our Intrepid Homeowner:
It’s getting warm out!
Installing pine straw:
All snug in their beds!
Another 5 yards of triple shred arrives:
A much deserved break:
The back yard was all mud a month ago, till we aerated and overseeded:
Back to work!
My sons Jeremy and Daniel:
Dad and sons Daniel and Jeremy. I couldn’t run this company without them!
All done,, 5:30 pm.
Mark’s nephew Will was regaling us with all the words he knows how to spell. He’s a smart little kid!
The day is over and these young men are ready to go home. They sure earned it today!
Mark is thrilled, and we are proud of another job well done.
Oct182011
The sincerest form of flattery…
I arrived at a client’s home today, to do an aeration, but I noticed that his lawn had already been aerated and seeded. I rang the doorbell to find out why he decided to go with another company.
He said, “Hey, you all did a great job, let me get you your check.”
I said, “Huh?”
Well we finally figured out that what happened was that someone named Doug arrived about an hour before I did and said that he was from the organic lawn care company, so my client assumed that it was someone from our company. Doug talked him into spreading seed also (our client previously told me that he only wanted aeration) and would do it all for $200.
I told our client that the important thing was that Doug did a good job, so it was not a problem.
Our client was a little miffed, however, when he found out that we are running a sale right now – $173 gets you aeration, overseeding, AND starter fertilizer (which he did not get for his $200.)
So if a guy named Doug shows up at your home before our appointment, please give us a call! We’d like to talk to him.
Here are our employees – there’s Jon, the owner:
Jon the organic lawn guy
Jon’s son Daniel:
Comfy
And Jon’s son Jeremy:
Jeremy pounding sand
And that’s the whole crew!
Sep262011
It’s time to Aerate and Overseed Fescue Lawns here in Raleigh
Benefits of Soil Aeration
* Promotes a thicker, healthier, & greener lawn
* Reduces watering costs
* Stimulates deep root development
* Improves air exchange between the soil and atmosphere.
* Enhances soil water uptake.
* Improves fertilizer uptake and use.
* Reduces water runoff and puddling.
* Improves turf grass rooting.
* Reduces soil compaction.
* Enhances heat and drought stress tolerance.
* Improves resiliency and cushioning.
* Enhances thatch breakdown
* Improves Soil Structure
Healthy Soil grows Healthy Lawns!
It all starts with healthy soil!
What is Soil Aeration?
Soil, or core, aeration is the process of removing small plugs of soil and thatch from your lawn. Our clay soils here in the Triangle are easily compacted. Most lawns have been compacted by the building process, as well as by mowing, walking, and playing on. Even rainfall and irrigation compacts our clay soils!
Compaction decreases your soils ability to provide nutrients, water, and oxygen to your turf’s roots, and eventually makes it difficult for the roots themselves to grow. Compact soils increase thatch buildup. With less nutrients to feed on and a harder ground to break into, grass roots can’t grow, and the ultimate result is thin, brown turf.
Golf Courses Aerate
Golf Courses aerate several times a year. And they are turf experts. Their livelihood depends on the condition of their turf.
Core aeration creates holes in the soil, relieving compaction, enabling your soil to hold more moisture and nutrients, reducing runoff, and giving your turf’s roots the ability to grow strong and deep. It’s that deep root system that gives your lawn the ability to grow thick, resist weeds and pests, and survive heat and drought.
Properly aerated and conditioned lawns cost less to maintain – they need fewer mowings, less water (in many cases 50% less,) and decrease or eliminate the need for toxic pesticides and herbicides.
Aeration is one of the best things you can do to maintain high quality, healthy turf!
Adding our Kelp-based soil conditioner immediately after aeration gets the nutrients and micronutrients right down to the roots where they are needed. Our soil conditioner releases nutrients from the soil, acts as a chelating agent, aids in foliar and root uptake, and stimulates soil biological activity.
Aeration and Kelp. The one-two punch for your healthy lawn!
Sep252011
Organic Lawn Care and Compost Tea
Daniel Spraying Compost Tea
Organic lawn care is revolutionizing the lawn care industry. Concern for the safety of their children and pets, as well as environmental concern, is increasingly causing people to use organic lawn care practices. Municipal mandates banning the use of toxic chemicals on soccer and baseball fields are forcing municipal managers to use non-toxic, natural fertilizers and soil conditioners on municipal property.
Instead of using toxic chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, the use of Compost Tea on lawns is becoming increasingly popular. As seen on “This Old House,” Harvard University has been using Compost Tea on Harvard Yard instead of chemical fertilizers and has much healthier and better quality turf on Harvard Yard as a result.
Compost Tea – What is it?
Compost Tea contains the micro biology needed for your lawn to thrive. Compost is suspended in water filled drums, where oxygen and nutrients are added, so that the beneficial microorganisms are extracted and multiply in huge numbers. Those beneficial bacteria, protozoa, and fungi in Compost Tea are the necessary biology that builds soil structure and improves tillage.
Beneficial microorganisms in the ecosystem are negatively impacted by chemical based pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Plant nutrition is increased by Compost Tea making nutrients more available to the root system. Those nutrients are available through microbial interactions at exactly the correct amount, time, and place.
With a Compost Tea program, your lawn will develop a deeper and stronger root system. Your lawn will be more heat and drought resistant, and better able to use the available nutrients and oxygen from the soil. You lawn will grow more laterally instead of vertically, needing less frequent mowing, and growing thicker to crowd out weeds.
Lawns organically maintained:
* Need less frequent watering
* Need to be cut less often
* Crowd out weeds
* Resist pests
Which adds up to savings for you, and a safe and healthy lawn for your children and pets!
Learn more about Compost Tea. Stop by Carolina Organic Lawns where you can find out all about Organic Lawn Care and what it can do for your lawn.
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Sep232011
Turf Alert from NC State:
I received the following “Turf Alert” email from NC State’s Grady Miller:
Fall is the best time for renovation and seeding of cool-season lawns. And with rainfall and cooler weather expected for this week in September, it makes for an ideal time for fall renovation.
Remember that spring-established tall fescue is more susceptible to drought, heat, fungal diseases, and weed encroachment. With normal summer weather patterns, spring seeding is not likely to result in a year-long stand of healthy tall fescue. So do not delay, seed in the fall!
Optimum air temperatures for tall fescue germination are 68 to 77°F and soil temperatures greater than 60°F. If tall fescue is seeded in under less than ideal conditions (too cool or no soil moisture), you may experience a thin turf stand going into the winter. With the need for both moisture and moderate temperatures, it is better to seed a little early just in case we experience a cool and dry fall.
It is best to choose cultivars from the turffiles website (http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu). Our “Carolina Lawns” publication has a list of cultivars. If you buy a tall fescue blend, try to find one with at least one of the cultivars from the list of recommended cultivars. These grasses were chosen because they produce a high quality turf in North Carolina and have been shown to be less susceptible to brown patch. Some like to mix in a little Kentucky bluegrass (darker color and finer texture) or fine fescue (for shady areas). Do NOT add ryegrass to the mix. A typical tall fescue seeding rate is 5 to 6 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet. Germination will normally be in 10 to 21 days with soil moisture and suitable soil temperatures.
Before seeding core aerification is recommended to reduce compacted areas. With rain expected over much of NC the first week of September, the soil should be more accepting to the core cultivation tines. Getting good soil to seed contact is paramount to maximize available soil moisture. The core aerification holes will capture seed and hold moisture so the tall fescue seedlings often come up as a tuft of turf from the aerification holes.
Follow normal tall fescue fertilization practices as outlined in Carolina Lawns available on the www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website for free. The suggested yearly nitrogen application is about 1.0 pound of nitrogen fertilizer per 1000 square at seeding.
If irrigation is available, set your controller within current water restrictions for your area. Irrigate early in the morning to reduce water loss due to evaporation. In the fall, ¼ to ½ inch water per week of water (via rainfall or irrigation) is generally sufficient to meet the turf’s water needs. To dial in your irrigation settings based on turfgrass needs for your location, use the TIMS website available at http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/tims.
It is very important that tall fescue be maintained at the proper mowing height to allow it to mature before winter and to minimize weed incidence. Studies have shown that a 3½ mowing height provides the best growth condition while minimizing disease incidence and weed encroachment.
Fall is the best time for renovation and seeding of cool-season lawns. And with rainfall and cooler weather expected for this week in September, it makes for an ideal time for fall renovation.
Sep062011
Life’s a Beach
Our client Stacey has three beautiful golden retrievers who love to swim in their pond.
It’s a beautiful pond, but like most ponds, it has that squishy red clay around it’s edge. That means that the dogs are always a mess after swimming.
Stacey's Pond
So Stacey had us put in a beach! We used 5 tons of smooth river stone; easy on paws, but won’t disappear into the mud like sand would.
Stacey's Beach
We will be installing Zeon Zoysia this friday along the pond bank this Friday. I’ll post some photos when it’s done!
Sep022011
Why I Love My Job
Only have a moment for a post…
I’ve been crushed with work, running around doing estimates.
Which is actually my favorite part of my job. I get to meet lots of fascinating people. From systems programmers to organic gardeners.
The other day I met with a couple who have a horse farm, but what really interested me was their passive solar home that they built themselves!
Very cool.
Gotta go!
