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Spring Clean-Up 2005
It's that time of year again, and we would like to offer a few spring pointers to revive your lawn and get it jump-started for the summer:
- One of the best things you can do right now is to gently rake the lawn. This will "fluff-up" matted down grass so that sunlight and rainfall can penetrate to aid in spring green-up. This also helps to remove accumulated winter debris.
- If you have some bare areas, now is a very good time to do a little spot seeding, because the spring rain is a natural boost for germination.
- Shrubs should be pruned now if they weren't done in the fall. Perennials also need to be cut back.
- As the spring temperatures continue to warm up, insect activity increases. Japanese Beetles and sod webworm are common insects that make their appearance in this area. See our tree and shrub care page for more
information about Pine Saw Fly and other insect and disease related tree and shrub problems.
Japanese Beetle Information
First detected in the United States in 1916, having been introduced from Japan. The adult beetles eat the leaves and flowers of over 300 plants by eating the tissue between the veins, a type of feeding called skeletonizing.
The larvae, called white grubs, feed on plant roots and orgnanic matter in the soil, especially under turfgrass. This feeding may result in dead patches of turf that can be picked up like a loose carpet.
The adult beetles normally emerge during the last week of June through July. As they feed, they attract additional adults. They lay their eggs usually by mid-August, and the larvae dig into the soil for protection through the winter. The larvae return to the surface in mid-April.
Some of the ways to control these pests include hand picking to drop into soapy water, growing plants that do not attract the beetles, trapping, or spraying with an insecticide. We do offer a grub control for your lawn, and later an insecticide spray for the beetles when they are mature.
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If you would like to have us take care of your yard work, please call us for a free quote.
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