Landscaping Tips

Wishing you had more color in your garden?

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:12:42 +0000

It’s not too late to plant heat loving, summer blooming bulbs. By planting bulbs such as Canna, Calla Lily, Dahlia and Gladiolus, you can enjoy the exotic flowers and foliage of the tropics without leaving your own backyard. Most summer-blooming bulbs are tender bulbs, which means in areas with sustained frost, they require lifting from the ground and storage indoors for the winter.

Winter Storage of Tender Bulbs

Tender bulbs are perennials in warm winter areas, but will not survive winters in the North. You can overwinter tender bulbs and enjoy them next year, if proper storage conditions are available and provided. To store summer-flowering bulbs, dig the bulbs when the foliage has withered or turned brown after a light frost. Dry the bulbs for two to three days in an airy, shady place before storing or they will rot. Brush soil from the bulbs and cut off the foliage 1 to 2 inches above the tops of the bulbs. Store bulbs in a dry, cool (50-55º F), well-ventilated area to prevent mold or mildew. Do not store in an air-tight container. Place bulbs in dry peat moss or wood shavings in a brown paper bag, open crate, netted bag or even old pantyhose. Label the bulbs as you store them.

Is your sprinkler system keeping up?

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:11:33 +0000

Is your sprinkler system keeping up in this weather? If you have not adjusted your sprinkler timer for this dry spell you may not be providing your lawn and gardens with enough water. If your lawn has started to brown up or your shrubs are wilting, you will know to increase the run time for the zone covering those areas. It is better to water less frequently, but for a longer duration. This will allow the water to soak deeper into the soil. We recommend watering your lawn 3-4 times per week and plantings 2-3 times per week.

Landscape Maintenance

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Prevention is the key component when maintaining your landscape. Plan on walking through your garden at least once a week to pull weeds, dead head spent flowers or to monitor plant condition. A single weed can mature in a few weeks, often scattering hundreds of seeds for next year’s crop.

Landscape Lighting

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Do you have a landscape lighting system? Be sure to adjust your timers according to the time of year. At the same time it is a good idea to check your fixtures and be sure they are clean and not getting covered by vegetation.

Soil Preparation & Gardens

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Sat, 15 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

When creating new planting beds remember: Great gardens start with great soil! The most important component for successful gardening is proper soil preparation. As a general rule, work into the top 12” of soil, up to 1 cubic yard of topsoil or compost for every 100 square feet. If we provide healthy soil then the result is usually healthy, pest-free plants.

Sprinkler Systems

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Sat, 01 May 2010 05:00:00 +0000

If you start your sprinkler system on your own, be sure to run through each zone and check each head for proper adjustments, and for any damages. Although you may have a rain sensor, it is a good idea to leave your sprinkler timer in the off position until it is dry enough to start watering. Rain sensor may dry out before your lawn actually dries out and you could be wasting water.

Grow Your Own!

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Ever thought about growing your own vegetables? This is the perfect time of year to begin growing vegetable or flower seeds indoors to then transplant them in 4-6 weeks. Lawn aeration in the spring will allow water and nutrients to penetrate and be easily accessed by the turfs roots.

Start Controlling Insects Now

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Dormant oil spray can be applied to control overwintering insects such as scale, mites, galls, aphids, etc, on deciduous an evergreen trees and shrubs . Dormant oil sprays should be applied when the temperature is above 40 degrees F. Early spring is a good time to divide perennials like Daylilies, Iris, Chrysanthemums, and Daisies. The additional plants you create can be moved to a new area of the garden or shared with friends.

Early Spring Pruning

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Prune roses and cut back liriope and ornamental grasses before new growth begins in spring. When you complete your spring clean up and mulching, make sure no light fixtures are covered with mulch. This is a fire hazard as the heat of the lamp will cause the mulch to catch on fire.

Snow Mold

greg@cazillo.com (Administrator) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:34:19 +0000

Snow mold is a fungus. It symptoms consist of roughly circular patches of dead matted grass (at least 3 to 12 inches). It develops in wet, cool weather when the snow cover lasts for several months as ours has this year. Snow mold begins to grow when the grass is covered with snow before the ground has frozen. Snow mold grows under the snow, but may continue after the snow melts. The fungus lives for years in the thatch and soil, but is mostly never detected due to the weather in our area not being conducive to its growth.