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questions &
answers:
Q. How long do we need to stay off the
grass after you apply a treatment?
A. We generally advise our customers to stay off the
lawn for about an hour, until the application is dry.
Q. How long until our pets can go out on the lawn?
A. About an hour, until it dries.
Q. Are these products safe?
A. Our products, when applied by our technicians are
practically non-toxic. In fact, the benefits from these
products far outweigh any concerns associated with their
use.
Q. What's better? Dry fertilizer or liquid?
A. Whether we use liquid or dry fertilizer, the results
are the same. Many people think that because they can
see the granules until they are watered in, that the
product lasts longer, when in fact, it just means that
it hasn't gone into the soil yet.
Q. Why do you apply a treatment in the summer when it's
so hot and dry? What good does it do?
A. Summer is a stressful time for lawns. Nutrients need
to be replenished. Also, many turf damaging insects and
summer weeds encroach. Your technician needs to be on
your lawn at 5-7 week intervals, to guarantee your lawn
doesn't suffer from potential damage that could occur in
his absence.
Q. If it rains, is my lawn application going to work on
the weeds?
A. If it rains heavily for an extended period of time
right after an application, you may see reduced
effectiveness of weed control. This can be taken care of
by a weed control "service call", which would be
provided as part of your full service program. We
usually ask that you wait fourteen days, and we will
come to your lawn to check for weed control response. If
it appears the weeds aren't responding, we will reapply
at no charge.
Q. It seems like the technician finishes my lawn
treatment very quickly. Am I getting a good application
if he's walking fast?
A. Our technicians are trained to apply the products at
the proper rate. The spreaders and sprayers are all
calibrated to apply the units according to your
technician's walking speed.
Q. I had some leaves on my lawn when it was treated.
Will this keep the product from getting to the turf?
A. Leaves are porous and usually will not adversely
effect an application, but generally we will not put a
treatment down over heavy leaf coverage.
Q. It's April 15th. and I haven't had my crabgrass
control applied. Isn't it too late?
A. Crabgrass control can be applied effectively until
mid May, with excellent results.
Q. The moles are tearing up my lawn. Does this mean I
have grubs?
A. Not necessarily. Moles do feed on grubs, but they
also feed on earthworms, beetles and their larvae,
centipedes, seed pods or husks, spiders, crickets, etc.
If you are concerned that you have a grub problem, call
Lawn Doctor for a free lawn analysis.
Q. When is the best time to aerate? Spring or Fall?
A. Anytime that there is sufficient moisture to pull a
good soil core is a good time to aerate.
Shrubs:
Q. I've had a French lilac for a number of years and it
has yet to bloom. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong?
A. There are several things that might be causing the
lack of bloom. Sometimes, it can take as long as 3-4
years before lilacs will bloom. If the plant is in a
very shady spot that might be the problem. They require
at least 6 hours of sun. Is the plant near a lawn?
Fertilizing lawns with high nitrogen fertilizers affects
plants in or bordering the lawn. The high nitrogen
causes plants to form leaves more than blooms. Have you
been pruning the lilac into a shape? If so you may be
cutting off this year's wood on which next year's
flowers will be borne. Prune lilacs just after they
finish blooming and at no other time of the year.
Q. My aim is to have a yard with color the year round.
Even in the winter! I may sound crazy, I know, but can
you help me by offering some advice on what types of
plants can provide some color in the drab winter months?
A. I surely can. There are many trees and shrubs that
can add a bit of color to the stark white yard in
winter. 2 Favorites in this area are the redtwig and
yellowtwig dogwoods ( Cornus alba and Cornus stolonifera
var.). These shrubs offer bright red and yellow colored
twigs that stand out sharply against the snow. The Amur
chokecherry ( Prunus maackii) has a beautiful coppery,
polished bark that peels from the trunk in layers. This
offers not only an area of striking color interest but
of texture as well. American Mountain ash (Sorbus
americana) offers brilliant red berry clusters during
the winter that are the favorite of many birds as well
as being decorative. Coralberry ( Symphoricarpus
orbiculatus ) has purple-red berries from the fall
through the winter. The winged burning bush (Euonymus
alatus) has ridged, corky bark that catches the snow
creating a beautiful display. Last but not least in my
abbreviated suggestion list is Winterberry (Ilex
verticillata 'winter red'). This deciduous holly is
covered with masses of bright red berries well into the
winter. It is truly spectacular in a winter landscape.
The only problem is that it is rated at zone 3 for
hardiness but should do well in a sheltered location.
Q. I really love the look and smell of lilacs. My
problem is I live in a condominium and have a very tiny
yard. I remember as a child, the huge lilac bushes in my
parents yard, is there a variety of lilacs that would
not take over my little yard?
A. There are indeed! One of my favorite plants is the
Dwarf Korean Lilac, Syringa velutina or Syringa
palibiana, a lovely little gem for any garden. They grow
to a height of 1.5-2 m with an equal spread, but stay at
a height of 1 m for many years. They bloom in mid-spring
and are covered in masses of rich, deep purple blossoms.
The blossoms are roughly 1/5 the size of a normal lilac
blossom but they are extremely fragrant. The entire yard
will be filled with the heady fragrance. If you
carefully prune off all spent flower heads, you will be
treated to another bloom later in the summer, usually
August. The second bloom is less spectacular than the
first but I always find it a bonus to have a second
round of lilacs blooming. I have trained mine into a
perfect ball shape. You can easily prune these after
they finish flowering, do not prune in the spring since
lilacs flower on last season's wood.
Q. I need to prune my silver poplar and was wondering
when the best time to do this would be?
A. Unlike most poplars that are pruned in late winter or
early spring the silver poplar needs to be pruned in the
late summer or fall. The reason for this is to avoid sap
bleeding.
Q. I recently cut down a large maple tree. I'm left with
the unsightly stump that I'd like to get rid of but
don't want to pay what a stump remover contractor is
charging. Is there any way I can get rid of it myself
without a lot of back breaking work?
A. You can destroy stumps by using a brush-killing
product such as sulfur chlorate, 2,4-D+dicamba or
ammonium sulphamate. Drill a 1 in (2.5 cm) hole for each
6 in (15 cm) of trunk diameter. Pour in the solution and
plug the holes with modeling clay or staple a plastic
cover over the holes to stop birds from drinking and to
help reduce evaporation of the solution. You can also
check with local garden centers to see if any carry
bacterial or fungal inoculants which will slowly destroy
the wood.
Q. I have a forsythia bush that bloomed very nicely last
year but this year only the bottom half of the bush
bloomed. What happened? Is it a disease?
A. Forsythias are not completely hardy for our zone, not
the plants but the flower buds. If the buds are not
protected from cold winter winds they will not open. It
is important to cover the plants with snow if they are
exposed during the winter. The best location for a
forsythia is one that is protected from winter winds; a
south or southwest exposure is the best.
Q. My currant bushes do not bear fruit as well as they
used to. What should I do?
A. Currants fruit best on 1-3 year old wood. Prune out
the older canes and any weak, diseased or weak shoots.
Thin the remaining growth so the bush is left with 3-4
of the 1,2 and 3 year old canes. Try to prune the oldest
canes each year leaving only enough new shoots to
replace the pruned ones. For best yield currants prefer
cool, moist soil that is rich in nitrogen. Try
top-dressing the soil with 2.5 cm of manure or compost
each spring. Mulching the plants and keeping them moist
will make them happier as well.
Q. My currant bushes are not doing well. The leaves are
curling up and the plants just look sick. Do you have
any idea why this is happening?
A. My guess is that you may have an aphid infestation.
The currant aphid (Cryptomyzus ribis) is a small yellow
aphid that overwinters in the egg stage on the plant's
new growth. As soon as the leaves begin to emerge the
aphids hatch. They feed on the undersides of the leaves.
Telltale signs are puffed red and yellow blisters on the
upper surface of the leaves. In severe cases the leaves
may drop prematurely and the plant may lose vigor. You
will also notice honeydew ( clear sticky fluid) on the
fruit. The aphids attack red, black, golden currants and
occasionally gooseberries. You can spray with malathion
insecticide. When spraying direct the spray towards the
undersides of the leaves and ensure that you follow all
precautions as directed by the insecticide's
manufacturer. Ideally you should apply insecticides
prior to blossoming for control if infestations were a
problem the previous year. |
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