Summer is here... will your landscape survive?

Did you know that during June -October the average amount of rainfall is 3 inches, but the average amount of evaporation is 6 inches, leaving a 3 inch deficit of water on your lawn? 

Here are some tips to help keep your lawn out of the deficit throughout the summer heat.

• Spring, summer and fall, your landscape needs at least 1” of water per week.

• When temperatures consistently exceed 95 degrees, increase to 1.5” per week.

• Water as long as you can without causing excessive runoff.

• Repeat as many times as needed during the week until you get at least 1” of water on the lawn.
  

• Recommendation is to repeat daily until 1” is reached and skip to the first of the next week.

• Use tin cans placed around your lawn while your sprinklers run to determine how long your irrigation should run to get 1” of water.

• If you can get 1” of water down in one watering without runoff, then water just one time per week.

• Daily watering for short periods of time promotes shallow root development and results in a draught and disease prone landscape. Fescue is particularly prone to disease problems if watered daily.

• The key to a great landscape during the summer is deep, infrequent watering.

• The best time to water is predawn, 2:00-7:00 AM. This is when evaporation from sun and wind is at the lowest point. Watering in the evening is not recommended. Allowing your turf to remain wet all night will increase the chance of disease.

• Aerating once per year will improve the movement of moisture into the root zone.

• In areas of hard soil or slopes, set your irrigation to run a short cycle (3-5 minutes) followed right after with a normal cycle. The first cycle will break down the crust on the soil and allow the second watering to soak in.

• Newly planted trees & shrubs may require additional water the first season which is best achieved with deep soaking from a hose once per week. Caution – allow the soil time to dry between watering.

• How do you know if your soil has enough moisture? If you can form a mud pie, it’s too wet. If you can’t get the dirt to stick together at all, it’s too dry. Also, if the grass does not bounce back quickly from foot prints, then it is too dry.

• Remember sandy soils will require more frequent shorter water cycles than clay soils.

• Use mulch, 2-3” deep, around shrubs and trees to cool the soil, retain moisture, and reduce weeds (that will compete for available moisture).

• You do need to allow for the soils to dry some between watering. Damage to plants will occur when the soil stays saturated.

For more information on making sure your landscape survives and thrives this summer, contact WesternLawns at 405.943.4242 or petemoss@westernlawns.com!

WesternLawns has been improving your environment for 25 years! We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary with the limited-edition WesternLawns 25th Anniversary T-shirt! Get yours today at http://www.westernlawns.com/25!

For 25 years, WesternLawns has been improving the environment in which you live, work, and play! To thank our loyal customers, we want to send you to an evening at the Oklahoma City RedHawks! WesternLawns has tickets for our awesome clients to visit any Redhawks home game this season. For more information and to request your tickets visit www.WesternLawns.com/Redhawks. Thanks for 25 great seasons!

WesternLawns Landscape Management from WesternLawns on Vimeo.

WesternLawns customers who subscribe to our Tree & Shrub Care Program have been receiving a Dormant Oil application over the past few weeks. Dormant Oils work by smothering the overwintering eggs of aphids, scale, and spider mites. This important application reduces the need to use harsher pesticides to control unwanted insects during the season. Dormant Oil can only be applied while shrubs are in dormancy. If you are not on the WesternLawns Tree & Shrub Care Program, give us a call (405.943.4242) to schedule an application of Dormant Oils as soon as possible. The application must be made before shrubs and trees start budding this spring. 

Will your lawn and landscape be ready?  

Now is the time to make sure you have a green, weed free lawn this year! Don't delay! Crabgrass and many other weeds are ready to invade your lawn.  WesternLawns complete Lawn Care Applications Program  starts now with the every so important spring pre-emergent, then continues through the season with the proper nutrients and weed control for a great lawn you will love coming home to... without all the effort.  Our program will be formulated specifically for your lawn's needs, whether sunny or shady, you can count on a green, weed free lawn this spring.  

To have the absolute best lawn, you must start WesternLawns Lawn Care Program now.  Call us at 405.943.4242 or visit WesternLawns.com/weedcontrol for more information or to request an estimate! 

A common question this past week at Western Lawns was: "Will my plants survive the cold, snow & ice?" 

Great news, the answer is YES! 

Central Oklahoma's USDA Cold-Hardiness rating is 7a.  This means all plants, in a healthy condition, will be able to withstand temperatures as low as 0 - 5 degrees Fahrenheit.  So, as long as the plant choices you have made for your landscape are rated at least 7a or lower, last week's weather was not a problem. 

Often we are tempted to purchase plant materials with a 7b rating.  7b zone plants will tolerate temperatures only as low as 5 - 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  During many Central Oklahoma winters, 7b plants will survive. But, if you have 7b plants in your landscape, last week's temperatures may result in some plant damage.  It is best to leave 7b plants to the landscapes south of the Ardmore.

Another contributing factor to freeze damage in plants is the amount of soil moisture available to the root zone when there are low temperatures. One of the worse things for a plant is to be bone dry when a cold front moves through. Because the coldest temperatures arrived after the largest snow fall in Oklahoma City history, there was not a treat of damage due to a dry root zone with this storm.  But, a word of caution, any time we have a forecast of cold temperatures without any moisture, please water your landscape on a nice afternoon before the cold front arrives.    

For more information on maintaining a healthy, beautiful landscape give WesternLawns a call at 405.943.4242. 

This time of year we are reminded of the things we are most thankful for: great customers, wonderful employees, a beautiful landscape the Lord created for us to take care of, our health, the men and women who have served and are serving our country, and for a righteous and holy God who loves and takes care of us!

Fall Landscaping

Learn why fall and winter is a great time to landscape!

Fall and winter are the best time of the year for planting trees and shrubs. The cooler weather reduces transplant shock and soil temperatures remain warm enough to allow roots to grow. The result is a much stronger plant next spring when the plant begins putting on new growth. Local nurseries also have new shipments of shrubs available, and soon after the first freeze, freshly dug trees will arrive. 

Now is the time to call WesternLawns to have new plantings installed around your property. Or if you decide to do your own planting at WesternLawns, 405.943.4242 before you get started for help in selecting the proper plants for your setting. For a nominal fee, WesternLawns can develop a master plan for your landscape giving you a master plan for future planting.

If you choose to do your planting this fall, follow these procedures:

If you have aBermuda lawn that has become thin because of lack of light, such as under trees, you need to establish fescue in these areas. If you already have fescue established in areas, you may need to add some seed. Fescue does not spread asBermuda does, requiring at least semi-annual overseeding to remain thick and healthy in our climate.

In more recent years, overseedingBermuda lawns with rye has become a popular way to keep a green lawn year round. Most winters in Oklahoma will allow rye to remain dark green and active through December with a little loss of color and no growth in January and intomid February. Your lawn will become dark green and active again in later February, two months beforeBermuda is active. Once theBermuda becomes fully active in May the rye will die back.

To have success at seeding fescue or rye grasses follow these steps:

Step 1: Preparing the soil: A very important step in the process is having good seed to soil contact. Where your lawn is completely void of any turf, lightly rototill or loosen the soil in the area to a depth of 2". If you are adding seed toan existing turf, even if it isBermuda do not remove the existing turf. It will act as ablanket to hold moisture in until the seed germinates. Just lightlyrake, dethatch, aerate or a combination of all three until you havecreated a way for the seed to come in contact with the soil surface.

Step 2: Applying the seed: When starting with bare ground, apply 10 pounds of fescue seed for every 1,000 square feet. If you have existing fescue, apply 7 pounds offescue per 1,000 square feet. If you are seeding rye overBermuda use 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Once the seed is spread, use a leaf rake to move the seed into the soil. Use a lawnroller to lightly press the seed into contact with the soil.

Step 3: Watering: This is the most important step and most often when people fail. You must keep the seeded area tacky moist at all times during germination, usually 2 weeks. If you allow the seed to dry out between watering, your success rate will dramatically decrease. Water long enough keep the area moist without causing runoff three times daily. Once the seed is up, water every other day until the grass develops maturity.

Step 4: Fertilizing and Mowing: When your new seed is at least 80% germinated, apply 10 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. We recommend a fertilizer with around 20% nitrogen. Mow often enough that you never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Do not apply any herbicides until the lawn has been mowed at least 4 times. 

For more information regarding overseeding your turf or to have a lawn care professional come and overseed your landscape, call Western Lawns at405.943.4242 or email PeteMoss@WesternLawns.com.

Western Lawns… improving your environment through quality landscape services.

• Spring, summer and fall, your landscape needs at least 1” of water per week. When temperatures consistently exceed 95 degrees, increase to 1.5” per week.

• Water as long as you can without causing excessive runoff.

• Repeat as many times as needed during the week until you get at least 1” of water on the lawn. Recommendation is to repeat daily until 1” is reached and skip to the first of the next week.

• Use tin cans placed around your lawn while your sprinklers run to determine how long your irrigation should run to get 1” of water.

• If you can get 1” of water down in one watering without runoff, then water just one time per week.

• Daily watering for short periods of time promotes shallow root development and results in a draught and disease prone landscape. Fescue is particularly prone to disease problems if watered daily.

• The key to a great landscape during the summer is deep, infrequent watering.

• The best time to water is predawn, 2:00-7:00 AM. This is when evaporation from sun and wind is at the lowest point. Watering in the evening is not recommended. Allowing your turf to remain wet all night will increase the chance of disease.

• Aerating once per year will improve the movement of moisture into the root zone.

• In areas of hard soil or slopes, set your irrigation to run a short cycle (3-5 minutes) followed right after with a normal cycle. The first cycle will break down the crust on the soil and allow the second watering to soak in.

• Newly planted trees & shrubs may require additional water the first season which is best achieved with deep soaking from a hose once per week. Caution – allow the soil time to dry between watering.

• How do you know if your soil has enough moisture? If you can form a mud pie, it’s too wet. If you can’t get the dirt to stick together at all, it’s too dry. Also, if the grass does not bounce back quickly from foot prints, then it is too dry.

• Remember sandy soils will require more frequent shorter water cycles than clay soils.

• Use mulch, 2-3” deep, around shrubs and trees to cool the soil, retain moisture, and reduce weeds (that will compete for available moisture).

• You do need to allow for the soils to dry some between watering. Damage to plants will occur when the soil stays saturated.

For more information on watering or other seasonal tips, call 405.943.4242 or email us at PeteMoss@WesternLawns.com.

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Prevent Spring Weeds Now

Why is it important to start a Weed Control and FertilizerProgram on your lawn now? Crabgrass and many other grassy weeds willbegin to germinate when the soil temperature is consistently 55degrees.

To prevent crabgrass, goosegrass and many other grassy weeds apre-emergence herbicide needs to be applied to your lawn between midJanuary and mid March. Pre-emergent herbicides are chemicals that keepweeds from germinating. Timing of the pre-emergent application isimportant because most applications will not control the weed once ithas germinated and emerged. When a weed seed tries to put down roots,the pre-emergent keeps the root from forming, and the seed dies.Pre-emergent herbicides can be either liquid or granular. Follow thelabel directions for appropriate chemical application and watering oryour lawn care technician’s instructions. The application will beineffective if the chemical is not watered into the top ½-1" of soil.For season long weed control, a second pre-emergent application shouldbe applied eight to twelve weeks later. 

Annual grassy weeds complete their life cycle in one growingseason. They only come back each year from seeds they produced theprevious season. A single dormant crabgrass plant before it dies in thefall can produce as many as 5,000 seeds waiting to sprout the nextspring. Without the pre-emergent herbicide, grassy weeds willeventually choke out the desired turf in your lawn. 
Lorne Hall, President of WesternLawns always encourages people to start their Weed Control and Fertilizer applications early!

Sometime before overnight temperatures dip below 30°, most irrigation systems should be winterized to prevent freeze damage. WesternLawnsprovides winterization services for a reasonable fee. If you do notwinterize your irrigation system, a normal freeze can result in damageto the backflow device, which on most systems is located above ground.Replacement of most backflow devices can easily exceed $150 for laborand materials. If your system has an insulated cover or is belowground, winterization will only need to be done prior to extended coldspells.

If you would like to winterize your irrigation system yourself, follow these steps:

1. Slowly close the main shut-off valve, which provides water to the system. The valve is usually located near the water meter or water well.
2. Go to the backflow device. Using a screwdriver, turn all test cocks ¼ a turn. This releases water from inside the backflow. After all water has been released, return test cocks back to the closed position.
3. Position both ball valves in a half-closed/half-open position (45°).
4. Go to the controller and test each station for 1-2 minutes. Then turn the controller to the off position.

Winterizingyour irrigation system becomes a problem if there is a dry, coldwinter. Shrubs, trees, and even turf can become damaged by belowfreezing temperatures when roots are dry. Dry winters are particularlyhard on evergreens. To protect your landscape investment it is best ifyou make sure the landscape receives at least 1" of moisture every 7-14days during the dormant season. If you start your system back up duringthe winter, remember it must be winterized again before freezingtemperatures arrive.

There is a solution! WesternLawnsis now upgrading irrigation systems with freeze protection so that youdo not have to worry about a dry winter causing thousands of dollars inlandscape damage. For around $250-300, we can install heat tape and aninsulated cover on your backflow. This allows you to water during thewinter months without worrying about freeze damage to your backflow.Also, only a few more dollars, a rain and freeze sensor can be added sothat if we do have rain, or if temperatures are below freezing, yoursystem will not run.

For more information or to schedule a your irrigation system’s winterization, call WesternLawns at 405.943.4242 or email petemoss@westernlawns.com.