Hot Hot Hot

It can be very hot for all of us and our plants. As much as we love the afternoon rains that seem to be coming by, we need to remember that our lawns and trees still need moisture. I cannot tell you how many times customers will come in and wonder why their grass is dying out? Simple solutions are abundant, first check your sprinkler system. The easiest way to determine if your yard is getting enough water is to take a tuna fish can or a empty cat food can and mark 1/2 inch inside it. Then place it in the middle of your sprinkler zone. Each watering should fill up the can to the 1/2 inch line.

If your watering is adequate then the next thing is to check for cutworms, grubs or fungus. The easiest way to check for the insect issues is to cut a (i.e. /\) triangle out of the lawn with one side left out at the transition zone (where the brown and green meet). Pull up the grass at look at the root zone, if you see grubs or cutworms that is easily taken care of. If you see nothing but our wonderful clay ground, bring in the sample of grass with the soil attached. Then we can help identify the fungus you may have.

If your trees and shrubs have leaves falling off from the middle of the plant and they are green, odds are it is a watering issue (not enough). Please remember that lawn water might go 1-2 inches in the ground but tree and shrub roots can be 8" down. By deep root watering or using a soaker hose you can help stop some of the foliage drop. Basically, the tree has too many leaves to support and not enough water, this soaking about 1-2 times per month will help. If the leaves are burning, don't worry typically new foliage will start growing in 2 weeks with an increase in your water schedule. Of course you can always bring in a sample (but please don't leave it in your car for a day) fresh samples are always best.