Landscape Pros

· February 16, 2011 · 1:14 am · Employees, Lawn care, , , , , , , , ,

Meet our Landscape Professionals!

Curt Watson and Jesse Ragan

Our Landscaping Division Offers:

Full Service Maintenance

Turf Programs

Leaf Removal

Installation of Trees and Shrubs

Mulching

And Landscaping Enhancements

Frost Damage & Turf Care

· February 15, 2011 · 2:09 pm · Lawn care, , , , , ,

Frost Damage & Turf Care…

By:  Jeff Stokes

Jeff Stokes

What happens to your lawn when we get a hard freeze during the winter months?

First of all like most plants, turf grass (fescue) is made up of a large portion of water.  So when we get sub 32 degree temperatures, the plant cells inside the grass freeze or crystallize.  This is what causes the fescue to turn brown during the cold months.  It is not dead!  DO NOT WORRY!!!…It may look completely brown, but once we get some warmer soil temperatures, it will grow out of this condition.  The early fertilizer applications will aid in this process.

Have you noticed footprints in the lawn?  This is simply where the lawn has been walked across while the grass is frozen;  the plant cells are broken when stepped on thus leaving footprints…Again do not worry!  The turf grass will grow out of this and recover nicely.Frost Damage

Icky, sticky, gooey stuff…

· August 18, 2010 · 11:14 pm · Lawn care, Misc., Pests, , , , , , , , , , ,

Icky, sticky, gooey stuff...

Did you experience a clear sticky substance or black mold on your deck, lawn furniture or car last summer? If you did, you may be experienc-ing the symptoms of the Asian woolly hackberry aphid, Shivaphis celti. Middle Tennessee hackberry trees experienced severe infestations during the summers of 2003 through 2006.   The aphids mysteriously vanished during the summers of 2006 and 2007 and reappeared again in 2008.

Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis and sugarberry, Celtis laevigata are the host plants for this aphid. The aphids are small, about 2—2.5 millimeters long and are conspicuous due to the large amount of bluish white wax secretion from their abdomen. See Photo. The adults are winged and give the appearance of small pieces of cotton on the undersides of leaves.
Overwintering eggs hatch into females that, without fertilization, give birth to living females. The ability of females to reproduce without mating is termed parthenogensis. This ability allows young to be brought forth throughout the summer, accounting for rapid increases in population. The largest populations usually occur in late July or early August in our area. In late fall, males and females are born. After mating, the female deposits overwintering eggs, and the cycle contin-ues the following year.
During severe infestation the aphids excrete large amounts of honeydew, which coats the lower leaves and drips onto objects below the tree. The honeydew attracts ants, bees and other insects and serves as a medium for the growth of sooty mold fungus. In most cases little injury occurs to the trees; however, staining of wood, painted surfaces or fabric may occur from prolonged exposure to sooty mold.
If you are experiencing staining of decks, lawn furniture or other valuable items, you may want to consider treatment for this pest.
Prevention can be obtained by soil treatment in April or May with a systemic insecticide, such as imidicloprid. Reduction of populations can be obtained by spraying small trees with a contact insecticide or microinjection of larger trees in July through September.

The Long Race of Summer!

· August 5, 2010 · 3:16 pm · Lawn care, Misc., Tree care, , , , ,

Imagine if you will, a group of racehorses
pacing in a field. They look eager for the
run; it has been a long off-season. You
can see the restlessness in their eyes, the
anxiousness in their body movements.
You can almost see them speaking with
one another, conversing about the challengesQuality Tree Surgery, Inc.
to come and the obstacles to hurdle
over. As they gallop in the field and
spring around the practice track, you can
tell that they are driven beyond something
of duty, they are driven by a passion. Isn’t
this what makes them great and why they
are so quick and efficient on the track?
That love of the race?
They are no different than us, the workers of Quality Tree, Turf
and Landscape. When the long season ended last year and the
days became shorter and cooler we were relieved and enjoyed the
lighter, shorter work weeks! But not anymore. With spring comes
that anxiousness, that drive to once again put our skills and performance
to work. Yes, you can see it in our eyes; that push. Yes,
like an eager racehorse we have begun to pace. And why not?
This is what we love, this is our passion. You may see us during
our race in your yard, looking tired and exhausted, but also you will
see a deep satisfaction. You will see smiling faces streaked with
dirt and sweat and maybe even a thankfulness to do a job so rewarding.
For once again we are in our element – going the distance.
We are now beating our hooves on the ground waiting for the gunshot
to ring out so we may once more run the long race of spring
and summer.

By Joe Giansante

What is Going on With My Lawn?

· December 19, 2009 · 10:54 am · Lawn care, , , ,

Even our most faithful turf management customers have problems with their lawns dur-ing this time of year. You may recognize some of the follow-ing most asked questions dur-ing July and August:
What are all those little brown dead looking circles all over my lawn?
There is a fungus among us—Brown Patch—and it‟s the reason for those little brown dead looking circles all over your lawn. This fungus thrives in steamy, moist environments that are brought about in our area by afternoon thunder-showers or supplemental wa-tering late in the day. This late afternoon rainfall/watering causes the fungus to spread like wildfire. Brown Patch can be treated both preventatively and curatively, but it is expen-sive and requires three applica-tions of fungicide.
Why is my lawn brown and dead looking?
The answer to this question is our harsh summer climate. Middle Tennessee is directly in the center of the area referred to as the transition zone. The transition zone refers to the northern most growing limits for warm season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, versus the southern most growing limits for cool season grasses, such as Tall Fescue and Ken-tucky Bluegrass. Most home-owners are objectionable to Bermuda grass and Zoysia be-cause they turn brown in the
early winter. Most homeown-ers choose Tall Fescue which is a cool season grass. By defi-nition a “cool season grass” is a turfgrass species adapted to favorable growth during cooler weather (60-75). Cool sea-son grasses may become dor-mant or injured during hot weather. In the dormant state, Tall Fescue looks brown and dead. The grass goes into sur-vival mode where the plant sacrifices shoot growth above ground and focuses all of its energy to maintain life in the root system below ground. Some of the grass will recover in the fall when the heat sub-sides, however a portion of the lawn will die each summer.
So what’s the magic solu-tion?
Unfortunately, there is no „magic solution.‟ However, you can lessen the problems by following these simple steps:
1) Replenish—(September/October) Overseed yearly to replace grass that died during the harsh summer months. Use the best possible Tall Fescue Seed Blend you can find—Not all Fescue is created equal! 2) Fertilize—Timing is critical! Too much nitrogen late in the season can make brown patch fungus worse. 3) Water—Regularly! Lawns need an average of 1″ per week to survive. Mornings are best. 4) Spray—To eliminate weeds
competing with your grass for nutrients and water, and to control diseases like Brown Patch.
Remember, Tall Fescue is the most popular choice because it will give you good results for three (Fall, Winter & Spring) of the four seasons. It will always struggle during our Summer months. This is simply the nature of our Middle Tennessee climate here in the transition zone.
Bottom line is if you are looking for a nice Fescue lawn, it is not an easy process with a one-time expense. It will require consistent care year after year and most importantly fall overseeding (September and October are ideal months for overseeding) to replinish the grass lost during the summer months.■

lawnhouse Even our most faithful turf management customers have problems with their lawns dur-ing this time of year. You may recognize some of the follow-ing most asked questions dur-ing July and August:

What are all those little brown dead looking circles all over my lawn?
There is a fungus among us—Brown Patch—and it‟s the reason for those little brown dead looking circles all over your lawn. This fungus thrives in steamy, moist environments that are brought about in our area by afternoon thunder-showers or supplemental wa-tering late in the day. This late afternoon rainfall/watering causes the fungus to spread like wildfire. Brown Patch can be treated both preventatively and curatively, but it is expen-sive and requires three applica-tions of fungicide.
Why is my lawn brown and dead looking?
The answer to this question is our harsh summer climate. Middle Tennessee is directly in the center of the area referred to as the transition zone. The transition zone refers to the northern most growing limits for warm season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, versus the southern most growing limits for cool season grasses, such as Tall Fescue and Ken-tucky Bluegrass. Most home-owners are objectionable to Bermuda grass and Zoysia be-cause they turn brown in the
early winter. Most homeown-ers choose Tall Fescue which is a cool season grass. By defi-nition a “cool season grass” is a turfgrass species adapted to favorable growth during cooler weather (60-75). Cool sea-son grasses may become dor-mant or injured during hot weather. In the dormant state, Tall Fescue looks brown and dead. The grass goes into sur-vival mode where the plant sacrifices shoot growth above ground and focuses all of its energy to maintain life in the root system below ground. Some of the grass will recover in the fall when the heat sub-sides, however a portion of the lawn will die each summer.
So what’s the magic solu-tion?
Unfortunately, there is no „magic solution.‟ However, you can lessen the problems by following these simple steps:
1) Replenish—(September/October) Overseed yearly to replace grass that died during the harsh summer months. Use the best possible Tall Fescue Seed Blend you can find—Not all Fescue is created equal! 2) Fertilize—Timing is critical! Too much nitrogen late in the season can make brown patch fungus worse. 3) Water—Regularly! Lawns need an average of 1″ per week to survive. Mornings are best. 4) Spray—To eliminate weeds
competing with your grass for nutrients and water, and to control diseases like Brown Patch.
Remember, Tall Fescue is the most popular choice because it will give you good results for three (Fall, Winter & Spring) of the four seasons. It will always struggle during our Summer months. This is simply the nature of our Middle Tennessee climate here in the transition zone.
Bottom line is if you are looking for a nice Fescue lawn, it is not an easy process with a one-time expense. It will require consistent care year after year and most importantly fall overseeding (September and October are ideal months for overseeding) to replinish the grass lost during the summer months.■
Gary Claiborne

Smothered and Covered

· December 2, 2009 · 7:10 pm · Lawn care, , , ,

0410310920281season_of_fallen_leaves_tSmothered and covered, like a really good hamburger that clogs up your arteries. Leaves that cover your turf are much the same way. They clog off sunlight, oxygen, and down right smother the grass.

Nobody has time to rake leaves on a daily basis nor is that needed. Simply once a week, or at least every other weekend rake, blow, or even mow the leaves. Remember, having leaves on the ground is going to happen and a few rarely damage anything! However, when they become so thick you can’t even see the grass you have a problem!

So please, enjoy the fall colors and remember the poor turf out there working to survive.

By: Jeff Stokes

How A tree Works

· October 21, 2009 · 9:54 pm · Tree care, , , , , , , , , ,

Trees are much like a Company, each leaf is an employee of the company and each one makes money by means of photosynthesis, in short its making starches and sugars and sending them down to the company. The company in turn directs this energy we’ll call Money to where it’s needed most. There is also another group of employees under ground, these are the roots. Roots cannot live without support of the upper employees and the upper employees can’t live without the roots. These two groups work in a symbiotic relationship with each other. As the leaves are manufacturing sugars and starches and sweating like a horse they call for water and countless other nutrients from the roots. As the roots work profusely gathering up all these nutrients and water for their fellow companions they are calling for starches and sugars.The company (tree) is dealing with all kinds of other issues such as the chemical supply it uses to compartmentalize a wound or cavity. These wound areas harbor the most deadly enemy a tree has other than us humans, (funguses) a fungus will steadily eat away at the tree unless it is walled off by a chemical compound and the healthier a tree the more of this chemical it can make. Also the company is in charge of how much growth it puts on for the season and this is determined by how well the two groups of employees are doing making money. Not much money means not much growth, not to mention the fact that its defenses are low as well, making it more vulnerable for attack, not just by fungus but by insects as well. It’s not hard to see that by removing large numbers of employees on either side of the company can affect a tree dramatically. As in any large company there are slackers (I bet you have worked with a few) and branches that are not operating or growing in the best direction for the long term future of the company. This is one way large companies stay strong, they hire consultants to come in and evaluate the company and its employees and prune out the branches of employees that are slackers and hurting the overall long term growth.
Trees are extremely resilient and are able to tolerate unbelievable living conditions in most cases, although when we see a dead tree, basically what has happened, for what ever the reason, the company has gone bankrupt. Its savings account went empty and trees don’t operate on the welfare program, if you’re a tree you are all on your own.

Ruel Jones, President

Quality Tree Surgery, Inc.

 

 

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