*ROSE TIPS*

Your roses have been planted and nurtured and have exploded into full bloom. Now what? What about midsummer maintenance? Here are a few tips for keeping the blooms coming all summer long!!!

PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL:
The main summer pest are thrips, spider mites and in the eastern and southern United States, Japanese beetles. Whatever spray you use for pest and disease control, alway...s be sure to follow the directions on the label! This applies to organics as well as chemical sprays.

FERTILIZING:
You can choose from granular, liquid, organic or slow release fertilizers, BUT keep in mind that roses prefer a fairly balanced fertilizer where the N-P-K ratios are pretty even (i.e. 15-15-15 or 5-10-5).

WATERING:
Roses like a good, deep soak to promote deep rooting and will actually develop drought tolerance if established this way. Watering slowly with soaker hoses or drip irrigation allows the water to soak in rather than run off, keeps water off the foliage, and reduces puddling.

TOOL TIP:
Remember to keep your tools sharp, and clean them before storing, in order to prevent rust from developing.

Hope these tips were helpful for you all!!
Please contact us with ANY of your landscaping needs!

Summertime Irrigation Tips 

 

When it comes to the water bill, your lawn outside is probably using the majority of H20 that you are paying for.  This is especially true during the summer months when it is hotter outside and the water evaporates quicker. Here is a list of some of the easy and effective ways to help maximize your savings, and also use less water which is good for water conservation.

Grow your roots deeper

It is possible to train your lawn to make it stronger and require less water.  The key to training your lawn is to help it establish deeper roots.  By watering every day during, your lawn is more likely to grow shallower roots.  Instead, spread out the watering to only a few days a week.  The key is to water longer and deeper, which will help the water get deeper into the soil, and promote deeper roots.

Cut your grass taller

Try to minimize how short you mow your grass.  The taller your grass gets on the top, the longer the roots will be in the soil.  Cutting too much at once, puts stress on the grass and takes away nutrients that it will need more water to get back.  Also, after cutting the grass, recycle the grass clippings and leave them on the lawn.  The grass clippings provide your lawn with the same nutrients it has already created, and makes for a good fertilizer that will strengthen your lawn.

Check your irrigation system for leaks

Before the summer months start, check your irrigation system for leaks.  By detecting an outdoor leak, you will make sure that your water meter is correctly measuring your water usage.  This can be a very easy task, but will guarantee that you are not paying any extra money than what you absolutely need to be paying.  To start, simply turn off all the water to your home.  This test only works if you are certain you do not have an indoor leak as well, so that you can narrow the leak to the outside irrigation system.  Now that the water is turned off, check your water meter to see if any water continues to flow through the meter.  If the meter is showing that water is flowing, you have a leak and should get it fixed before the summer months.