|
News & Notes | |
Hewson Landscape, Inc. |
April 2014
|
|
|
|
|
|
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
We just returned from a visit to Gettysburg, PA. where we attended the Pennsylvania LICA mid winter conference. It was a huge success. We also had time for a few tours. We traversed across the battlefields, and had the opportunity to ride the train in President Lincoln's funeral procession to experience how that took place in history.
Out with the cold and in with the newly sprouting bulbs. Not sad to say good bye to Old Man Winter. Now is the time to assess what havoc the cold and snowy months wreaked on your landscape. Take a look at your mature trees (Oak, Pine,Sycamore, to name a few) to see if any large branches broke off. If so, it's time to prune to a healthy state. Notice if you have water pooling where it never did before. You may be in need of a french drain or swale around your property. And how does the grass look? Moldy from too much snow cover? Need to remedy this, too. Spring cleanups are in order and happening soon. Once again, we are ramping up for a busy spring. Time to get back in and dig in the dirt.
It's still too early to plant any flowers, so hold off until next month. The earth needs to warm up a bit. I'll see you in May.
All the best,
Shelly Hewson
President, Hewson Landscape Inc.
Ps-Sofie (our rescued German Shepherd) has adapted extremely well to her new home. She is definitely a people person, and acts as Queen Bee. She has mastered all her commands, but she is an escape artist, and can't be trusted alone outside until the fenced area is secured! Her birthday is April 26, putting her at 5 years young. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roving into new territory
Marsh Master MM 2LX
Hewson Landscape is ready to tackle any terrain that needs to be maintained. The Marsh Master is an amphibious vehicle that can swim, crawl, and creep through swamps, mud, muck, on dry land or through heavy brush.
Able to transport crews with tools across a pond or a heavy current - this beast can do it with little environmental impact.
Steep bank? Deep ditches? Heavy thickets? NO PROBLEM! With the Marsh Master, no site is unreachable! The brush cutter attachment is perfect for right of way mowing, pipeline maintenance, Phragmites mitigation and even fire fighting.
We are ready to serve Municipal and Government Agencies, Search and Rescue, Utility Companies, Contractors, Surveyors and Environmental Companies.
Contact us TODAY for more information. Check out their YouTube page to see the Marsh Master in action.
|
|
|
 Ode to Earth Day Earth day is Tuesday April twenty second. Celebrate our planet and help sustain it for as long as we can. A global campaign that began in 1970, Earth Day represents a never ending battle to make the world a better, cleaner and healthier place - from the ground up. There are plenty of things we can all do on a daily basis to pitch in.
Here are a few examples to help Mother Earth: Plant trees Or hire someone who can! :) Recycle Toss your plastics, glass, paper and cans into that blue recycling bin and leave it on the curb for pick up. Clean out those empty detergent bottles and make watering cans for those flowers you will be planting soon. OR save empty paper towel rolls and make bird feeders! Install a Rain Garden to help with cleansing our water supply. |
 A Message From Matt
It's FINALLY that time of year "I HOPE"!
What to do now that it is actually spring? First and foremost, clean up the overwinter debris. This is the sequence that I recommend:
1. Get all debris off of your lawn. Roots are active and the turf is starting to wake up. You will see it begin to green up and soon after start to grow to let the sunlight in. Branches, road grit and damaged turf laying on top of good turf will cause mold and restrict new growth.
2. Lightly rake all turf areas and blow over top if you have a commercial grade blower and then place damaged turf back in its place. Tamp it lightly and add soil to the voids.
3. Seed exposed soil and cover it with straw for moisture retention. Water these areas as needed -depending on the weather. There is no rush to irrigate the healthy turf, let the roots seek moisture and grow deeper. Seed any other sparse areas in the turf and rake it in to make contact with the soil.
4. Apply a starter fertilizer.
5. Cut back dead foliage from your perennials. This is also a good time to divide them and even move them to another desired location. It is also a good idea to prune your Rose bushes hard at this time. Inspect woody plants for damage and remove any damaged branches and then thin out the rest of the plant.
6. Fertilize all trees and shrubs.
7. Edge or define your planting beds and tree areas and then apply a top dressing of mulch.
I hope this information is helpful. Have a Happy Spring!
LANDSCAPES AND LAUGHTER...
 | | Rick's New Mower. He saw it at Con Expo. He went all the way to Vegas for this?! |
|
Environmental Benefits of Forestry
When we think of Forestry, usually it is associated with logging trucks taking away from the rain forests or raging forest fires - Areas being stripped of precious resources and leaving wildlife without a home.
In an article by the Society of American Foresters, Forestry is as beneficial and thriving as ever. Did you know that in the United States, 1.7 billion seedlings are planted annually? And that does not include the billions of seedlings that nature takes care of planting.
These seedlings will grow and help Foresters manage areas where water is collected. The trees, along with the soil, aid in water retention. Bacteria even plays a part in helping clean water and prepare it to be used as drinking water.
The success of the forests come largely from the soil. Forest soils are dependent on resource professionals and managers. This management promotes overall forest growth, protects soil productivity and prevents erosion.
The forest that helps create drinking water also makes fresh oxygen. One mature tree absorbs approximately 13 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, acting as a filter. So for every ton of wood in the forest, it removes 1.47 TONS of carbon dioxide and replaces it with 1.07 tons of oxygen. Talk about a breath of fresh air!
Since wood is a renewable resource, Forestry is providing energy efficient products. Some forests are managed specifically for this purpose. The wood is used and can then be recycled and continually reproduced. Whereas, other building materials such as steel, iron and copper can be reused and recycled, but cannot be replaced.
We have all heard about forest fires and seen the devastation they can cause, burning millions of acres effortlessly. Thanks to Forestry, the amount of wildfires has been drastically reduced to about 2 to 5 million acres a year as opposed to 20-50 MILLION! They do this by modifying the forests and removing the "fuels", such as underbrush and some trees.
The forests provide habitats for birds and deer and other wildlife, including endangered species. The open spaces and waterways are enhanced by the Foresters to promote healthy environments for fish to spawn and thrive and wildlife to call home.
Many of the endangered species spend some of their time in family owned forestland. Families own, understand and manage 54% of all the forests in America, creating environmentally friendly vacation spots for the animals.
Forestry also provides the public with beautiful back drops for photography, bird watching, hiking and canoeing. We are also fortunate enough to be able to camp, horseback ride and snow mobile and enjoy all that nature has to offer.
Forests are not just in the middle of no where. They also benefit urban environments. By planting trees around your home, you could reduce energy consumption and cut air conditioning costs. Plus, you are helping absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen.
|
Hello Crabby! Getting back into yard work
Spring fever may be setting in. I think everyone is tired of freezing temperatures and shoveling snow. So on a brighter happier note, we can start thinking about Crab Grass Control.
Did you notice at the end of summer that you had crab grass? The leggy, possibly hairy weed that grows close to the ground? You may have noticed it near the edge of your driveway or encroaching on your sidewalks... Or maybe you are worried that with all the wild weather throughout the winter that you may have a long road ahead in getting your lawn in tip top shape?
Crabgrass is a warm season annual grass that grows best in the heat of the summer in areas that receive full sun. Most lawns are semi dormant at this time and cannot compete with the mighty crab grass. You will see it most often near cement or asphalt, any hard surfaces that get nice and warm. Crabgrass sticks around through the winter as a seed and will begin to emerge mid way through May and won't just go away or die until the first hard frost.
If you had crab grass at the end of the summer and left it alone, you will have it again next month. You have a few options for your plan of attack.
If you know where you had an outbreak of crabgrass at the end of the season last year, you could try a PRE-EMERGENT lawn application. This means it would need to be applied before the seed has time to germinate. Ideally the soil should still be below 50 degrees, with the herbicide applied to an established lawn that is NOT going to be seeded or raked early in the spring. This is to ensure the application will be effective.
You begin to notice crabgrass once the warm weather arrives, towards the end of May. Be sure its crabgrass... It can be identified by noticing it grows very close to the ground, and has "legs" that will stretch out around the base of it, and it can be hairy or smooth.
You can get down and dirty and take the organic approach and simply yank it out by hand. It comes up very easily after a good rain. If you have a larger outbreak and choose to use a chemical application, you will need a POST-EMERGENT control. This will work best if the plant is still young and just getting established, with only 3 or 4 leaves. ACCLAIM (can be found at most retailers) is an excellent option with only a single application being needed.
CAUTION! Always, read the labels! Any chemical is dangerous. Carefully follow the instructions on the bottle, especially if you have little ones or pets that will be running around.
If it is too late and the crab grass has already made its home, it would be better to leave it alone. You could rake out the affected area in early fall and overseed to fill in the spots where the crabgrass took over.
Believe it or not, the best crabgrass control is by maintaining a thick vigorously growing lawn that is mowed no closer than 2.5". Best of luck tackling this weed. |
 | |
Happy Easter!
|
|
Quote of the Month 
VISION
Without Execution
IS
Hallucination...
-Thomas A. Edison
|
|
Stay Connected
 
|
|
|
|
Office 908-222-3616
Fax 908-222-3617
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
