January 21st, 2009
When your customer approaches you with questions about
growing a hedge as opposed to building a fence in their landscape,
the following are some of the annual’s that you could
recommend. This is a general list, so check for your specific area,
or growing zone first.
Amaranthus Amaranthus spp.
Snowcup Anoda cristata
Prickly poppy Argemone spp.
Sweet wormwood Artemsia annua
Spider flower Cleome hasslerana
Angel’s trumpet Datura metel
Sunflower Helianthus annus
Summer cypress Kochia scoparia
Tree mallow Lavatera trimestris
Castor bean Ricinus communis
Marigold T agetes spp.
Mexican sunflower Tithonia rotundifolia
Tags: Amaranthus, Angel, Angel S Trumpet, Angel Trumpet, Building A Fence, Castor Bean, Growing Zone, Hedges, Landscape, Marigold, Mexican Sunflower, Prickly Poppy, Ricinus Communis, Spider Flower, Spp, Summer Cypress, Sweet Wormwood, Tithonia Rotundifolia, Tree Mallow, Trumpet
Posted in Flowers, Landscaping, Lawn Maintenance | No Comments »
January 12th, 2009
Proper pruning of ornamentals is one way to help keep your customers plants healthy and beautiful and a gardening encyclopedia is a must have for this type of work. The whole point of pruning is to stimulate new growth close to where the pruning cut was made. When pruning branches from a bush, don’t cut the branches so they are even with the rest of the bush, if you do you’ll soon be pruning again. Instead cut the branches back inside of the bush, this will cause fuller growth from inside the bush. Remember when pruning fruit or flowers, you should let the types of plants that you are dealing with determine your pruning schedule. In general, with a plant that blooms before May, you should prune just as soon as the blooms fade, if the plant blooms in the month of May or later in the year, these should be pruned in late February to early March before the start of the new growth in the spring. Early winter and fall is generally a bad time to prune, you will stimulate the plant to put out new growth and the cold weather will only damage it, and this is true for almost all plants. January thru the middle of the summer is a good time to prune plants that are grown only for their green foliage such as hollies and boxwoods.
A small number of shrubs can be rejuvenated by severe pruning. This method consists of cutting the whole plant down to just four to six inches from the ground. Usually only hollies, azaleas and camellias should have this done. With Boxwoods or Junipers, you should transplant them to a different location if possible, and never use this method on them, they do not tolerate it very well. Since crape myrtle trees flower in summer, prune them before new growth begins in the spring. Crape myrtles will tolerate heavy pruning. For a shrub-like crape myrtle, cut it to the ground so many new trunks can sprout. For a tree-like crape myrtle, thin branches for a more open look. Camellias only need pruning to maintain an attractive form. They may not need pruning every year. When you do prune camellias, prune fall and winter bloomers in March and spring bloomers after flowers have faded.
Tags: Azaleas, Bad Time, Boxwoods, Bush, Camellias, Cold Weather, Crape Myrtle Trees, Early Winter, Flower, Foliage, Gardening Encyclopedia, Good Time, Hollies, Ornamental Plants, Ornamentals, Plant Blooms, Random Thoughts, Shrub, Shrubs, Six Inches, Thin Branches, Trunks, Types Of Plants
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
January 10th, 2009
When advertising your Lawn Care Business, be sure to be very precise and upfront about what services and products it is that you offer. After a potential customer reads your ad, if they have to ask if you provide a service or what products it is that you use, then you might want to rewrite your ad. Don’t make the mistake of placing the customer in the position of having to beg for information. Most of them won’t, always remember, there are a lot of other folks that provide the same service that you do, the customer does not have to use you. Always try to give them a reason to want your services.
Tags: Advertising Services, Lawn Care Business, Mistake, Reason, Want Ad
Posted in Lawn Care Business | No Comments »
January 8th, 2009
Its winter and this is the type of information that you
should be thinking about in your spare time.
When your customer asks you a question,
its more impressive if you know the answer
than if you have to go look it up.
Remember, you do this for a living.
Tags: Fertilization, Spare Time, Turfgrasses
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
January 6th, 2009

Its winter so lets refresh our memory
Tags: Memory, Turfgrass
Posted in Misc. | No Comments »
December 26th, 2008
De-thatching – When the clippings/bulk are purposely removed from the lawn so that the grass can receive water more easily and grow better.
Excelsior – Soft wood shavings for stuffing.
Flail Mowers – A type of mower where the blades are on a cylinder (as opposed to a disk with a regular mower,) and the blades rotate from top to bottom.
Floret – One of the small flowers forming the head of a plant.
Frost Heaving – A bulge in the ground or pavement caused by the freezing of moist earth.
Fungicides – Substances that destroy fungi.
Glumes – The husk of grasses.
Grading – To make level or evenly sloping.
Tags: Bulge, Clippings, Excelsior, Flail Mowers, Flowers, Fungi, Fungicides, Glossary, Grass, Grasses, Husk, Moist Earth, Orphan, Paper Source, Pavement, Priority, Props, Signature, Wood Shavings
Posted in Glossary of Lawn Care Terms, Glossary of Lawn Care Terms "D", Glossary of Lawn Care Terms "E", Glossary of Lawn Care Terms "F", Glossary of Lawn Care Terms "G" | No Comments »