Seasonal Services We Offer

IA Refines Strategy, Standards

The Irrigation Association has refined its mission statement and strategic initiatives following its July meeting of the Board of Directors. This includes the addition of “standards” as a new strategic initiative, which will focus on establishing product and practice standards that drive efficient irrigation.

Mission Statement:  Promote efficient irrigation technologies, products and services.

Strategic Initiatives:  Education, certification, government/public affairs and standards.  

“At its core, the Irrigation Association is a trade association, so the mission statement was refined to ensure it reflects our industry knowledge and expertise,” said IA President Mike Harrington. He emphasized that the organization’s unifying statement – to ensure water is available for irrigation for future generations – remains the same.

IA’s Board of Directors also updated the organization’s strategic initiatives, defining a new focus on standards.

“Government entities, businesses and the public are becoming increasingly cognizant of water’s value and finite state, so the ability to prove our industry’s efficiency is going to be pivotal in our continued growth,” said Harrington. “Therefore, IA has chosen to add a strategic focus on establishing product and practice standards that drive efficient irrigation.

“Our strategic focus on influencing public policy remains unchanged; because certification and education have increased in importance, the Board felt that each category should stand alone as a strategic initiative.” IA’s marketing/communications efforts will continue to support all initiatives

Ground Cover

 From a purely practical point of view, groundcovers offer alternatives to turf in hard-to-mow sites and reduce the need for watering and other maintenance. Groundcovers conserve moisture, maintain even soil temperatures and stabilize soil in erosion-prone areas.

Groundcovers can create visual pathways to help direct foot traffic and can help link ornamental plants or provide transitions among outdoor spaces. Many groundcovers spread quickly to form dense plantings, which can help to inhibit weeds.

Selection

When selecting groundcovers, consider their spread, height, location, function, foliage texture and color. Since no single species of plant works for every landscape situation, pay attention to soil conditions, light and moisture requirements. Some plants prefer partial shade, while others thrive in deep shade or full sun; a few tolerate a wide variety of light conditions. The most effective selections are chosen with an eye for how plant sizes relate to the intimacy or expanse of particular landscape sites. When groundcover will be used to prevent soil erosion on a steep slope, it should have an extensive root system and vigorous growth habit. Some groundcovers do not withstand excessive foot traffic. Before planting anything, create a walkway through areas intended for pedestrians

 Soil Preparation

A key to successfully establishing groundcovers is proper soil preparation. Before planting, eliminate weeds and turf from the area. For large areas, use a sod-stripping machine to clear turf. For weed control, consider a glyphosate herbicide or soil solarization. The process of solarizing uses the heat of the summer sun to raise soil temperatures high enough to kill harmful organisms and seeds in the ground. Solarize soil by laying strong transparent plastic over cleared and moistened soil. Seal the edges with soil and leave plastic in place for four to six weeks.

Fall cleanup is the time of year that most home owners dread themost.  Cold weather is right around the corner and there are leaves throughout the yard.  No need to worry, we will come in and take care of all your leaves, a final lawn cut will be done, trim back plants or bushes. We will also dethatch your lawn to make sure all the dead

  Spring Cleanup 

 grass and debris is out of your lawn and have your yard ready for the upcoming winter months.During the early spring, we carefully examine your property in preparation for the impending landscape season. All unwanted materials will be removed that have accumulated throughout the winter months. The cleanup also includes cutting back any perennials that were left standing during the winter season within 2-3 inches of thcrown. Spring clean-ups will be done during the month of April, weather permitting. We can   give your winter-weathered landscape a fresh new look.

  Lawn Over Seeding

Many home lawns, especially those 10 years old or older, were established with common type turf grasses which don't meet the needs of today's homeowner. These lawns tend to be more disease and insect prone, take more fertilizer and water, or they just have a plain old "worn out" look. Newer turfgrass varieties have been developed to withstand insects, disease, drought, shady conditions and heavy traffic better. The investment in over seeding pays off by reducing the amount of fertilizer, water and pesticides required. Most importantly, however, is that a renovated lawn looks better. It stays greener and looks healthier!

  Lawn Dethatching

Over time, lawns accumulate thatch. Thatch is a layer of slowly decomposing grass, dead roots, and other yard debris that's picked up by your mower and tossed back onto the grass. Thatch can accumulate even if you sweep or use a mulching mower, however the build up may not be as quick. The accumulation of thatch over time prevents water and other nutrients from getting through to the roots of your lawn. Accumulation of thatch, like the compacted soil, also gives insects a great place to hide.

A light layer of thatch, one-fourth to one-half inches deep, is actually beneficial to your lawn. It protects the soil from changing temperatures and adds to the resilience of the lawn, which means when you step on it, it springs back instead of compacting the soil. However, even too much of a good thing can be damaging. When your thatch becomes too think it acts as a thatch roof would. It repels water and any other nutrient you try to give your lawn. Thick thatch can prevent water from ever reaching the soil, which results in the grass roots growing in the thatch, instead of the soil. Since the water in the thatch evaporates much quicker than that in the soil, your lawn will become susceptible to drying out quicker than if the roots were planted firmly in the soil.

Some grasses produce more thatch than others. For example, lawns composed of creeping grasses will build up thatch quicker than those that are not. Notorious thatch builders include: Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass and Zoysia grass. However, dethatching is not recommended for certain type lawns, such as lawns that consist of St. Augustine grass. Also cool-season grasses such as Bentgrass and Kentucky Bluegrass are excessive thatch producers. If your soil is extremely acidic, then any type of grass can build thatch quicker because the microorganisms that decompose the thatch are less active.

Since the thatch keeps the ground temperatures from changing a lot, insects and diseases thrive in thatch-covered lawns. Think about it. It's warm and moist and cannot be penetrated easily by substances used to control the insects or disease. What better place to live if you're a grub? Another problem with thatch filled lawns is that the mower will not be able to mow evenly. This will cause other problems such as scalping.

To prevent your thatch from getting too thick, dethatching is usually performed every other year. You can tell how much thatch has built up by using an aeration device to remove three plugs of soil. The top layer of the plug that looks kind of like peat is your thatch. If it measures more than one-half inch, it is time to dethatch. It's best to dethatch your lawn just before it begins growing the most vigorous for the season. For most states, this would be in the spring. If you have cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, then fall is the best time to dethatch

  Core Aeration

If you have a lawn that is used frequently, (heavy foot traffic, kids playing, lawn games etc…) you may have a problem with compacted soil. The compacted soil restricts movement of water and air to the roots. The soil tends to compact easier because, unlike garden soil, it is never worked or turned. This is where you need to aerate your lawn, as aerating does to your lawn what tilling does for your garden. Without lawn aeration, grass roots tend to knot into each other instead of growing vertically into the soil. Due to the root's reduced contact with the soil's nutrients, lawn grass becomes vulnerable to predators like worms and insects as well as weeds resembling dandelions or crabgrass. These types of lawns should be aerated twice a year.  For all other lawns, aerating once a year is adequate.

Aeration is a lawn maintenance procedure achieved by using one of two types of tools, cores or spikes. Core aerators have hollow shafts or tines that enter the ground and pull out a core or dirt plug and drop it on the surface. The shaft can be straight or spooned. The core can be collected or left on the turf to breakdown and enrich the soil. Core aerators expose the grass roots to water and nutrients. The holes retain water allowing for less frequent watering. Core aerators also help reduce soil compaction. Less compaction means a healthier root system. The lawn will become more tolerant to heat, drought and traffic as well as more disease resistant.