RI Landscaper 855RILAWNS

Landscaper Serving Southern Rhode Island Since 2001

💦Lawn Watering Advice💦

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Use this proven, easy-to-follow strategy for giving your lawn the right amount of water, which will give you healthy grass with a deep, strong root system!

Grass needs water for growth and development. In many areas of the world, there is neither sufficient rainfall, nor is it adequately spaced throughout the year to sustain a lawn without supplemental water supplied by irrigation.

 

Test It Out

You may need to water your lawn if you: 

  1. See wilted, curled or folded grass blades
  2. See a color change from vibrant green to dull blue-gray
  3. Step on your grass and it takes more than a minute for your grass to bounce back or if footprints/lawnmower tracks are still visible after a half hour or more

Prep Your Lawn

It’s crucial to properly prep your lawn or it won’t be able to effectively retain water.

  1. To prevent matting, remove thatch early in the season
  2. Aerate in spring, mid-summer or early fall.
  3. Fertilize the soil in spring to add add valuable nutrients
  4. Use a rake to put down 1 inch deep layer of compost on the lawn

Make A Watering Schedule

  1. Water either in the evening or early morning to minimize water lost to evaporation.
  2. If your lawn is subject to fungi, water in the early morning (before sunrise) so excess moisture can evaporate.
  3. Start a watering schedule in time for the growing season, after the soil has partially dried.

Use Proper Equipment

Soaker hoses allow water to penetrate slowly to encourage deeper roots, while sprinkler systems allow you to adjust the amount of water distributed to your lawn at specified times.

  1. Above-ground sprinklers cover large lawns effectively.
  2. Make adjustments so that the water falls only on your lawn or garden and is not wasted on sidewalks, driveways, roads or buildings.
  3.  Adjust the pressure so water can slowly penetrate the soil without puddling or running off.
  4. Check equipment regularly to ensure that all components are operating properly, regardless of the type of sprinkler you have.

Measure Your Water and Time

Most homeowners tend to over-water their lawns and waste water. With one of our core values being sustainability, we realize that water is a valuable resource and needs to be used as efficiently as possible! The amount of water an established lawn requires and receives will help determine drought resistance and its ability to withstand use, both of which are very important.

The healthiest lawns are watered heavily at infrequent intervals – once a week. Running the sprinkler all night will set up your lawn for disease, and frequent, light watering causes the grass to grow shallow roots and will set it up for trouble in hot weather.

Let your lawn completely dry out before watering; most grass can tolerate dry conditions for a reasonable period of time.

  1. Lawns generally need about an inch of water a week to encourage roots to go further into the ground. This makes them more resistant to a dry spell.
    • Use a rain gauge to keep track of rainfall so you know how much water your lawn needs.
  2. Measure your sprinkler output so you can set your watering times properly. You can measure the output of your sprinklers by arranging empty and cleaned tuna cans or cat food cans across your lawn. If you do not have empty cans, several coffee mugs will also work well. Then run the sprinklers for 20 minutes and use a ruler to measure the water depth across the yard. After 20 minutes, add all the depths together from each container in your yard and divide by the total number of containers to obtain an average for the whole yard. Then multiply that number (the total yard measurements over 20 minutes) by three to average your total sprinkler output per hour (60 minutes).
  3. Every 15 minutes, check the depth of penetration in the soil at different places in the irrigation pattern. Use a screwdriver or large spike to determine how dry your lawn is. If it can be pushed in easily, then it’s moist so you can hold off on watering. If it takes a lot of pressure, then the soil is too dry. Only water when it is difficult to push into the ground or is dry at a depth of 4-6 inches. This is a good time to check to see how deep your grass roots are growing as well! If they’re not reaching beyond 2 to 3 inches, your soil is most likely compacted and would benefit from aeration. See more info about aeration here.
  4. Move or adjust the sprinklers to achieve uniform coverage.

Maintaining the health of your outdoor space doesn’t have to be difficult as long as you know the proper lawn care techniques! Following the right watering practices improve the quality of your lawn, provide important environmental benefits, and save you time and money.

HURRICANE SEASON 2019

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June first is upon us and with it comes hurricane season (yes, I was hoping for beach season, too but they go hand in hand). If you’re old enough to remember Hurricane Bob, you remember no power, no shower, no hot food… Ah, memories.

Every year the weatherman tells us to prepare but how many of us actually do? We all wait until it’s upon us and then it’s the mad dash for water, bread, peanut butter and canned goods.

Maybe you’ve prepared in the past only to see the storm go East and into the Atlantic. You figure you’ll cross that bridge when you come to it. If you’ve ever been without power for more than a day, NOW is the time to prepare.

Consider having any tree limbs that might be hanging close to your home trimmed back. Your property can be devastated by any large wind event, especially a hurricane. Take a walk and notice anything that could be affected in a storm. Don’t wait till it’s too late!

Unlike seasons past, we all have cell phones to keep in touch with our loved ones. Do you have a car charger for your phone? Consider purchasing a cheap tablet to download movies onto if the internet is out (both Netflix and Amazon Video have downloadable materials!).

If you have a generator, now is the time to check it to make sure it’s in running order. It won’t start? We have a mechanic on staff that is skilled in equipment repair. Be sure to have plenty of gasoline on hand.

When it comes to provisions, think about what you have on hand, what you really will eat, and how you will cook any food. Why buy peanut butter if you aren’t going to eat it? Do you have a grill that you can use or a camp stove? Do you have a freezer full of meat that is going to go bad if you don’t have a generator?

We’ve been pretty lucky here in Southern New England in the past few years but it only takes one storm to remind us how prepared (or not) we are. Stay safe, and have a great summer!

THE BENEFITS OF CLOVER IN YOUR YARD

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A brief history:

Clover used to be a standard ingredient in grass seed mixes. Before World War II, White Dutch clover was prominent in lawns.But after petrochemical-based weed killers were introduced, these products killed weeds – and clover. Since then, the lawn plant has been looked down on as a weed, when, in fact, it has many benefits for lawns.

Clover, like all legumes, takes nitrogen from the air and through a chemical reaction, deposits it in the ground as an absorbable fertilizer. In lawns, it provides a constant trickle of of fertilizer to itself and surrounding grasses – making the whole lawn more lush, green, and healthy.

Dog owners usually have brown spots in their lawn from from their pet’s urine. Unlike grass, clover is highly resistant to this and helps maintain a uniformly green lawn. You won’t have as many ‘spots’ in your lawn if you have clover.

Clover smells good. A clover-rich yard smells light and fresh when mowed, unlike yards with heavy chemicals.

Clover grows deep roots and needs less water to stay green than grasses. If you see clover patches in lawns in the summer, it is usually green, while the rest of the lawn is brown and dormant. Clover spread throughout a lawn can can make it appear green year round.

If you have never thought about the lack of diversity in grass for lawns, now is the time to do that. Ecologists often view grass as ill-suited for a habitat because it’s simply not diverse. That’s where clover comes in. Its nectar attracts bees and other important insects, such as parasitoid wasps (these wasps prey on harmful bugs). You might think of bees as pesky but they help sustain fruit trees, flowers, vegetables, and other plants. In turn, the variety of plants will increase the diversity of insects and their predators, keeping your lawn’s insects under control. The more diverse a lawn, the better off it is.

Starting to see a pattern? Clover is GOOD for your lawn (and if you’re lucky you just might find a four-leaf clover).

Corn Gluten

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Corn Gluten: The Natural Pre Emergent Herbicide

 

Did you know that corn gluten is an all natural weed deterrent? It’s true! Science has shown that corn gluten is ten percent nitrogen by weight. Nitrogen is one of the most important and vital properties of and “Feed and Grow” material you use on your lawn. Nitrogen optimizes the health of your lawn and if you have a yellowing lawn, you guessed it. It’s probably a lack of nitrogen! Corn gluten has nitrogen in it naturally, making it a sustainable option for weed deterrent on your lawn. This is a great option if you want to avoid harmful chemicals from other lawn applications.

 

There are a few things to know if you are thinking about using corn gluten as a weed preventative. The first thing about using corn gluten instead of other treatments is that the results of corn gluten are cumulative, which means that they get better with each application. It is important to know that corn gluten is a preventative measure, meaning it won’t kill weeds and crabgrass, but it can keep it from germinating in early spring. It is best to put an application of corn gluten on in the spring as well as the fall.

 

Chemicals in other weed preventative top dressings can be dangerous if they come in contact with skin. People and animals can suffer negative effects from herbicides if they come into contact. Not only that, but chemicals from other herbicides can wash away in water systems, polluting the water, and killing aquatic wildlife. Some studies show that the chemicals can even evaporate into the air providing less than desirable air affects, and damaging the quality of the air. For these reasons, it is important to care for your lawn in an environmentally friendly way.

 

Corn gluten can be truly beneficial to your lawn. The nitrogen in corn gluten can be helpful in growing nice green grass. In addition to preventing weeds and crabgrass from germinating it is hands down a more environmentally friendly application for your lawn than many other “Feed and Grow” products. Remember to put down an application in the spring, before weeds germinate, and again in the fall. When considering a sustainable lawn care provider, consider 855-RILAWNS. We will have your lawn looking great in the months to come.

DIY Christmas Foliage Decor

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Reese Moore has a great write up on how to make wreaths with foraged materials. Seen above are 3 different style wreaths plus some foraged garland! (https://www.compostandcava.com/home/2017/12/5/diy-foraged-christmas-wreaths)

 

This holiday season, impress your guests and neighbors with homemade Christmas decor made from the greenery in your yard! At some point, a lot of hard work went into keeping those plants alive so let them work for you now! The holidays are tough enough on our wallets without going to Michael’s and buying a lot of fake greenery to string up. Save some pennies, enjoy the fresh air, and revel in the pride you’ll feel at creating so much beauty. Pinterest is full of incredible DIY decor ideas but let’s face it, most of us are NOT Martha Stewart and the last thing we need is to waste a bunch of time on a Pinterest fail. We thought it would be helpful to consolidate some ideas that utilize common local plants and aren’t impossible to pull off.

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Photo by James Carrier, https://www.sunset.com/home/decorating/how-to-make-christmas-wreath#wreath-garland-entry
 

1. Wreaths

It may seem daunting, but wreaths really are pretty easy to pull together. Easiest of all is to use a wire frame purchased from the store (which you can reuse for years) but you can also make a frame out of a sturdy branch. There is a really easy to follow tutorial here: https://www.sunset.com/garden/how-to-make-a-wreath . After putting it off for years, I finally tried it and now it is a Christmas tradition.

Some great commonly found materials to use are: fir, pine, juniper, holly, box wood, sage, rosemary, bay leaves, ivy, lavender and, of course, mistletoe.

Foraged Additions: Berries, pine cones, leaves,

Materials: wire, a frame, scissors

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2. Garland

With a little wire and patience, you can make beautiful, fresh garland from foraged material. Simply arrange your trimmings and then start securing it with floral wire. Use one piece of wire to give the garland strength, especially important if you intend to hang it as seen in this photo. If you’re decking a railing or mantle, then you can use the wire on individual pieces and secure directly to the structure itself.  Add in ornaments, pine cones, ribbon, lights, etc. but skip the plastic. Your house will smell and look amazing!

Megan Gilger has fantastic easy DIY garland instructions on The Fresh Exchange Blog

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This simple, elegant planter by Pam from the House of Hawthornes blog is ridiculously easy to make.

 

3. Porch/Exterior Planters

It is so simply to add a little holiday spirit to your entry way or porch by pulling together a quick planter. I can’t stress how simple yet striking these can be. All you really need is a decent pot or urn. Fill it with dirt, old potting soil, rocks, sand, or the foam blocks from the store… literally anything to help the material stay in the way you want it to be arranged.

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4. Finishing touches and small details

Honestly, at Christmas I cover just about every surface imaginable with festive decor. If nothing else, gather some pine cones, trimmings, and holly berries and use them to decorate place settings, mantles, windows, etc.; put that Christmas foliage anywhere you see fit!

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Truthfully, it is so simply and rewarding to go outside and collect some materials that are probably destined for the yard refuse pile/bag anyway and decorate for the holidays with it. A few clippings from your pine tree, some pine cones, some holly… you can literally just lay it on your mantle and it will look festive and elegant. It’s really a win win win win: clean your yard, prune your bushes, get some fresh air, save some money, and have beautiful decor to impress guests! To help your homemade foraged goods last longer, you can spray them with an anti-desiccant but it’s not really necessary. I’ve found my live decor to last the entire month of December (we do keep the house pretty cool though). Here are some tips to keep your creations looking fresh. Exterior fixtures are the easiest to keep looking fresh and will require no attention aside from straightening after a strong wind. So get out there, collect some items, and start creating! This new holiday tradition will be enjoyed by the whole family and we hope to see some festive entryways a we finish up for the season!

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