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A Full Service Lawn Care Landscaping and Irrigation Company
OCTOBER 2012 |
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Lawns have begun to recover nicely from the extreme summer heat and stress. September's cooler temperatures, and above average rainfall, has brought about lush, green lawns!
Things to do in October:
* Turn off water to sprinkler systems so they can be winterized.
* Turn off water to outside faucets.
* Drain and store garden hoses.
* Move freezable liquids indoors (pool supplies, cleaners, bug sprays,
etc.) be sure to store away from children, pets and food.
* Cut back perennials and roses that have completed flowering,
hold off on cutting back ornamental grasses and mums until they
are dormant, usually November.
* Remove annual flowers and dispose; do not compost annuals, as they
may harbor diseases and insects which could be spread into other
garden areas.
* Gently remove leaves from newly seeded areas so the new seedlings
don't smother.
* Keep shrub bed planting areas free from leaf and debris accumulation.
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LAWNS
MOWING AND MAINTENANCE
Continue routine mowing. Do not allow lawn to grow too long between mowings. Keep mower blade(s) sharp. Pick up any accumulation of leaves when mowing. If you are using a mulching mower, it is acceptable to mulch a light accumulation of leaves. However, as the leaves become heavier, they should be removed before mowing. Avoid allowing heavy accumulation of leaves on the lawn. They can eventually smother and kill the turf. Begin lowering the cutting height down. Gradually adjust mowing height down to 2 to 2 1/2".
FERTILIZER
Fall is the most critical time to feed lawns and achieve a strong, deep root system. The focus of fertilizing lawns in the fall, is to prepare the turf for winter by promoting deep roots. Apply fertilizer through late November. Most lawn fertilizer programs are designed to apply a certain total amount of Nitrogen per year. Eliminating the last feeding of the year will throw the entire balance of Nitrogen and other nutrients off. Be sure to stay on track with the prescribed plan applications. In addition, late fall fertilizer is designed to slowly provide feeding over the duration of the winter, allowing for early Spring green up. It is ok to fertilize over a light coverage of leaves. Most fall fertilizers are "pearl" shaped, and will roll off the leaves on to the turf. If fertilizer is applied over leaves, hold off on mowing for a day or two so the fertilizer pellets can move off the leaves. It is not necessary to water the fall fertilizers in. Simply carry on with routine maintenance.
WATERING
Continue water newly seeded lawns through mid October. Daily watering of newly seeded areas should continue as weather dictates. Usually two light waterings per day is enough to keep soil moist. Late morning and early afternoon are best. Early morning watering will cool the soil down prematurely, causing the seed to delay, or even stop germinating. Use your best judgement when to stop watering based on weather. Due to recent significant rainfall, watering of established lawns and landscapes can be discontinued now. When you are finished watering for the season, be sure to turn your water off inside so the sprinklers can be winterized.
SPRINKLERS - Time to prepare for winter!
We are still in the process of winterizing sprinkler systems. This service will continue through November. Remember to shut your water off inside, and turn your controller to the "off" position. Also, during the sprinkler winterization service, our technicians will record any repairs or adjustments that might be needed. We will notify you before spring, so we can schedule the needed services. No repairs will be done during the winterizing. Most repairs can be scheduled and performed during the "Spring Start Up". |
 AERATION
Fall is the time to AERATE lawns! Aeration will provide for deeper, stronger roots; relieve compaction; allow water, fertilizer, and air to enter the soil and root zone. If you do not have this very important service scheduled, CALL US TODAY!
LIME Lime is a very important part of your overall lawn fertilizer program. Be sure lime is applied yearly. By raising the pH of the soil, available fertilizer in the soil can be readily used by the plant instead of washing down and away. Lawns will often become greener after a lime application due to this adjustment in pH. SHRUBS AND TREES Now is the time to finalize any trimming of shrubs, as well as pruning trees. If large trees require pruning requiring equipment to drive on your lawn, it might be a good idea to wait until the ground is frozen to avoid possible damage. It is acceptable to prune trees throughout the entire winter. FERTILIZE SHRUBS AND TREES Fall is the best time to fertilize your valuable shrubs and trees. "DEEP ROOT FEEDING" INJECTIONS will provide valuable nutrients and build a strong root system. The nutrients will be saved by the plant for future use as needed, without promoting foliage growth. We often forget that our shrubs and trees need to be fertilized. Once available nutrients in the soil are used, they need to be replenished regularly, otherwise the plants will "starve" and begin to decline. Feeding now will also provide for a stronger plant to sustain the winter! WINTER KILL PROTECTION SPRAY This i mportant spray application, also referred to as "ANTI-DESICCANT SPRAY", will help safeguard plants from "winter kill". When plants lose moisture through their foliage during warm sunny winter days, and the ground is frozen, there is no available moisture to re-supply the plant through the roots. This loss of moisture and drying out is the underlying cause of "winter kill" injury. If the plant is deprived long enough, it will die. The protection spray coats the foliage and stems with a wax like coating to seal in the moisture and preserve the plant. This low cost protection usually costs less than replacing one shrub! To safeguard your landscape, consider ordering a professional application this fall. RECIPE OF THE MONTH...
Pumpkin Walnut Bread with Streusel Filling
Preheat oven to 350F and position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Butter or spray 9x5 loaf pan.
Streusel:
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar(packed)
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
4 Tblsp. Cold Butter
Slight pinch of salt
Bread:
One Stick Melted Butter
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3 cup Milk
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts
12 Whole walnut halves for decorating top of bread.
Streusel preparation: Stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Set aside.
Bread preparation: Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, pumpkin, milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium size bowl. In another mixing bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder. Add chopped nuts. Being careful not to over mix, combine the flour mixture to pumpkin mixture. Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread batter with entire batch of streusel topping. Top streusel with remaining batter. Place the 12 Walnut halves over the surface of the bread.
Bake for approx. 65 to 70 until golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Release bread from pan by using a thin knife release bread from the pan and let cool to room temperature before slicing.
**For a bread with less sugar and calories; Spray pan with cooking spray, substitute Splenda for Granulated sugar(follow conversion chart on package), Skim milk for Regular milk and Wheat flour for White flour.** |
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I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter! We have now added an archive feature on our website to view all previous month's newsletter, or to share with your friends, neighbors and family. To locate these newsletters, click on our website link at the top of this page, then click on the button below "VIEW OUR NEWSLETTER" on our home page.
I invite you to share any tips, hints, information or recipes with us. Please email me your input ( [email protected])
Sincerely,
Gary L. Courchesne
G & H Landscaping, Inc. |
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© Copyright 2012. G & H Landscaping, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact | Phone: 413-532-4888 | Email Us |
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