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Hewson Landscape Inc. News & Notes
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Message from the President
A Few Measures to Comply with Going Green
From the start up of business in April 1988, our mowing operators (which was Rick and myself) would mulch the grass clippings directly back into the turf, therefore eliminating waste in our landfills. This task is beneficial, as it provides added nutrients to the turf and is still a practice we use today. We are also recycling all our used motor oil from our trucks and equipment. This is used in a waste oil heater that heats the shop. Our latest experiment is using used vegetable oil in our off road tractors instead of diesel fuel.
So far the benefits are worth pursuing-lower cost per gallon, $1.00 per gallon lower compared to the pump, relatively easy to purchase, and the emissions smell like a french fry! Drawbacks are that the temperature for vegetable oil gelling up in the machine during the cold climate is 50 degrees vs 32 degrees with diesel fuel.
At the end of this month the office team is gearing up to travel to the National Green Industry Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Each year this conference gathers over 20,000 individuals associated with the landscape industry- from equipment and material suppliers to top industry experts. I'm looking forward to re-charging my batteries, learning what's new in industry trends, in addition to meeting with other industry peers.
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Pets and Your Lawn
Common Sense Guide to Lawn Care and Pet Safety
Caring for your lawn and following proper turf management practices are essential to a healthy lawn, something that benefits you and your family in a multitude of ways: enjoying leisure activities on the thick, cushioned play surface, increasing property values up to 15 percent and, most important, creating a better environment.
A healthy lawn with thick grass prevents soil erosion, filters contaminants from rain water, and absorbs many types of airborne pollutants, like dust and soot. Grass is also highly efficient at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps clean the air. Lawns create a cooling effect from houses as well. Maintaining healthy lawns requires more than just mowing and watering. Sometimes pests or diseases appear and can ruin a lawn.
It is possible to treat your lawn and keep your pets and family safe. However, because pets enjoy rolling in, sitting on, lying in, and eating grass you must think safety first. Lawn care products are designed and tested for use in a residential environment. Nevertheless, they must be applied according to their directions and certain precautions should be considered to minimize exposure to animals. For starters, correctly determine what kind of insect or weed you are trying to control, and always use the correct control measure or product. The most accurate way to accomplish these measures is to contact a professional with experience and training. After determining the problem, understanding the effective course of treatment is next.
Safety Tips
- Never over-apply or use a product that is not needed.
- Do not apply lawn pest control products on a windy day. The dust or spray will be hard to control.
- Do not apply lawn pest control products when pets or people are in or around the yard. They could be exposed during the application, before the dust has settled or the spray has dried.
- Remove feeding bowls, water dishes, and bird baths before pesticide applications. This ensures that dust or spray will not settle inside of them, or become mixed with food or water.
- Don't empty food bowls in area where the food could become contaminated and eaten, such as the lawn or surrounding areas. Either throw food away or place it inside the house.
- If pets are housed outside, do not apply lawn pest control products in pets houses or directly on bedding.
- Follow manufacture's directions completely.
- If the material is applied as a liquid spray, wait until it is dry or until the following day before allowing your pet or family back onto the lawn. If the applied product is a dry granular material, watering it down is recommended but not necessary.
- Mark the lawn edges with flags to remind yourself and others that lawn care products have been used.
- Always store pesticide products out of the reach of children and pets.
- Consult your veterinarian regarding possible interactions between lawn pest control products and pesticide given to or applied on your pets at the same time to control fleas or other parasites.
The greatest risk of adverse effects to a pet from lawn care products comes from pets consuming a large amount of an improperly diluted or undiluted product, especially from a concentrated product in the original container.
Evaluating Illness
Like people, pets can come down with common illnesses that need medical attention or professional advice. If an illness strikes a pet subsequent to the use of lawn care products, many people assume the product was the cause. If your pet becomes ill, taking it to a licensed veterinarian for assessment is the best course of action. Your veterinarian is responsible for objectively evaluating exposure and attempting to determine whether the illness is due to contact with any chemical(s) used or due to a disease process. Make sure your veterinarian has all the information about the products used, including the product labels.
Remember, the level of risk posed by any chemical depends on it's toxicity and the level of exposure. Lawn care professionals have greater experience choosing, using, and storing products properly. Improper or inappropriate use of lawn or household chemicals by anyone can increase the lever of exposure, which in turn may increase the level if risk posed to your pets or family. |
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How Much Should You Water New Shrubs?
Research from the University of Florida shows that landscape shrubs need much less water than expected to establish a healthy root system.
A plants establishment occurs within the first 20-28 weeks. A six year study looked at the best method of irrigating plant material. The irrigation frequency and volume of water was studied in native and non-native species.
The results noted that there were no differences between native and non-native species for the amount of water required. What did apply was the Florida friendly principle, "take the right plant and put it in the right place." One needs to account for site conditions, maintenance needs, and local climate. Bottom line results - applying large volumes of water can not compensate for infrequent irrigation.
Success results from watering more often, but with less water at each irrigation event. This means less water in the long term, helping plants achieve a proper establishment.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________ THANKS FOR THE KIND WORDS:
A current client, Jared-Galleria of Jewelry was expecting special visitors from Europe, and requested that we fine tune the site, to make it look its best. Jodi Phillips, Customer Service Specialist Property Management Department wrote: "Hi Shelly, The manager at the Jared-Galleria of Jewelry said your guys did a great job and everything looks wonderful. Thanks for taking care of it today!
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We'd Love to Hear from You!
Whether you'd like to discuss your property, inquire about additional services, need a price quote, or just want to stop by and say "Hi," we'd love to hear from you...
601 North Ave., Plainfield, NJ 07060
Office 908-222-3616
Fax 908-222-3617
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