Hilton Head Landscaper's Corner - Ussery Group Real Estate

Wow, did it get hot!  It’s time to get your irrigation system running on a regular schedule.  In June we had moderate rainfall, but it doesn’t take too many mid 90’s days to dry out your landscape.  All lawns are different when it comes to how much irrigation is enough.  Factors such as, exposure, soil type, grass type and others will determine how much you need to water.  Please contact RS Services if you would like help customizing your summer watering program. 

This spring gave us what I would consider to be very good growing weather.  Adequate rain fall and moderate temperatures proved to be the perfect medicine to help our landscapes recover from a harsh winter.  Now that things are drying out and the humidity is going up we need to be ready for lawn damaging insects and fungus.  Insects tend to attack hot, dry areas in lawns first.  Identifying potential “hot spots” in your lawn and increasing water to those areas will help your chances in fending off an insect infestation.  On the other hand, fungus will thrive in wet areas. 

RS Services recommends at least one insecticide application to all lawns during the summer and a fungicide application to St. Augustine lawns.  July is a great time to get your first insecticide application down.  An early application will work as a preventative rather than a curative.  It is also important to protect your trees and shrubs from the summer heat.  A fresh layer of mulch or pinestraw will help hold in moisture trying to reach the plants roots. 

Chinch bugs … These bugs thrive in hot, dry conditions.  They usually start in the sunny parts of your lawn, near driveways & curbs.  Chinch bugs usually become active during June or July.  Chinch bugs inject a toxin into the grass blades which kills the plant within days.  The lawn will turn yellow first and then progress to brown within a week or two.  Chinch bugs can cause extensive damage to a lawn in 2-4 weeks.  

Lawn Disease … St. Augustine is one of the most beautiful varieties of grass in the Low Country.  Unfortunately, it is also the most prone to develop lawn fungus.  Fungus begins to develop in excessively wet areas, during times of excessive humidity, and in areas with poor air circulation.  Fungus can develop in any type of grass, but is most prominent in St. Augustine.  A few signs to watch for are areas of discoloration, brown circles, spots on the grass blades themselves, or areas of excessive thatch.  Fungus can spread very quickly.  A small area can spread, like the common cold, across your entire lawn.  Fungus can even spread from your neighbor’s lawn.  Fungus is easily controlled with an application of fungicide.  If you have St. Augustine sod, you should have an application of fungicide put down
                                                                                                          
Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans.

We have had what I would consider to be a seasonal spring.  This spring many plants and lawns have recovered from winter damage.  Warm weather, good rainfall, and fertilizer have encouraged our landscapes to become lush again. 

Unfortunately; a few lawns and shrubs have not pulled through.  This is most prominent for lawns and shrubs that may have been weak heading into the winter.  An example would be an area in your lawn that is never quite as lush as other areas.  These weak areas in lawns typically come out of dormancy with little grass.  Usually with fertilizer and warm soil they fill in by now. 

The winter weather we experienced this past year hit these areas especially hard.  If you have an area that is struggling to fill in, it may be time to consider patching in some new sod.  New sod will instantly fix your lawn issues and will blend in with your existing lawn within weeks. 

May brought us spring showers.  It is OK to turn your irrigation system off for a few days after a rainfall.  I recommend not leaving it off for more than a couple of days.  It is beneficial to try to build up some surplus of water in our landscapes.  We all know that eventually it will warm up and dry out.  We are building a more drought tolerant landscape now. 

It’s not too late to make an addition to your landscape.  If you have been considering adding a tree, shrubs, or flowers, please contact us.  Contact me if you would like to personally meet with me on your property to review your landscape.  Thank you for your continued patronage.

Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans. 

Who doesn’t love the spring in the Low Country?  April was beautiful, despite the pollen.  We are moving into more summer like conditions. 

April finished up fairly hot and dry.  Time to get your irrigation set up on a regular schedule.  See our blog on watering tips.  The warmer air temperatures are warming up the soil.  This allows fertilizer to Now that we have the grass growing and the flowers blooming, it’s time to turn our attention to fungus and insects. release and to begin to feed your lawn.  During the month of May a combination of warm weather, adequate water, and fertilizer should encourage your lawn to thicken up and become lush. 

May is a great month to do a preemptive strike on lawn damaging bugs and fungus.  As we move into the summer we will most likely be treating a problem you already have.  This is especially true if your lawn has had a history of insects or fungus.  It is more prone to have problems again and should be treated sooner than later.  Please contact me to discuss a game plan for keeping your lawn pest free this year. 

May continues to be a great month for additions to your landscape.  A new tree, shrub, flowers, sod, let RS Services assist you in getting the landscape that you have always wanted.  Please contact me anytime with questions or to schedule a meeting on your property.  Thank you for your continued patronage.                               

Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans. 

Irrigation is a supplement to mother nature.  Adequate rainfall is what really keeps your landscape looking its best.  Your irrigation needs to be fine tuned to meet the specific needs of your landscape.  All lawns & landscapes are different.  Soil type, grass type, sun exposure, slope, and weather conditions, all play a role in how much, or how little, you need to run your irrigation. 

Another factor is the type of irrigation zones you have.  A rotor zone will need to run longer than a drip zone or pop up sprayer zone.  Rotor irrigation heads pop up and turn at a set radius.  The zone time for these zones needs to be longer than others to provide adequate water at all points throughout the radius. 

Most lawns require an inch to an inch & a half of water per week this time of year.  The following are a few general guidelines to consider when watering your landscape.

1.  Water Early … While the air is still cool.  This will allow water to go down toward roots instead of evaporating.  Try to have     your last zone of irrigation finishing up as the sun is coming up.
 
2.  Avoid Watering at Night … Grass that stays wet all night often falls victim to disease.  Water will tend to set on top of the ground longer at night.  Standing water could produce fungus in your lawn. 

3.  Deep Roots … To encourage deep root development.  Infrequent, deep watering will produce a healthy lawn that can withstand the summer elements.  This could mean zone times of 20 to 50 minutes in some cases.  Soil absorption and the type of irrigation head will determine the correct zone time. 

RS Services provides irrigation repair and expansion.  We can also provide water to your annual flower beds and pots.  Please contact us if you have a specific question or concern about your irrigation. 

First, I hope everyone enjoyed the snow we had last month.  That is something I thought I would never say!  We move on into March with the hope that Spring is just around the corner. 

The Low Country’s landscape has been beaten and bruised over the course of the winter.  Most will recover and be beautiful again.  Some, however; will not.  I feel like some of our more sensitive plant material may not re-emerge or put on new growth.  The continual extreme cold followed by short periods of warm up, then buckets of rain, may have been to much for some plant material. 

At this point we need to have a plan and just hope for the best.  I would recommend waiting to cut away frost damage until the end of March.  This will mean cutting some plants back to virtually nothing.  During the month of April, fertilize all of your plant material with a balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10.  Ensure your plants are getting adequate water and keep your fingers crossed. You will be surprised how some plants will spring back to life. 

Do not be discouraged with plants that have died.  This past winter was extreme and should not be considered normal for our area.  Replant with the plants you like and forget about the crazy weather period that we just went through.  Chances are we will not see another one like it for many years.  

Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans.

What a crazy January!  Extreme cold for much of the month and when it did warm up it rained buckets.  Hopefully we will see a little more seasonal weather in February. 

I’m sure that you have noticed a lot of frost damage in your landscape.  Frost damage to plants is not uncommon in our area.  This year the damage is more widespread and severe.  I do anticipate most of the effected plant material to make a full recovery.  However; because of the length of January’s cold spell I do feel like we will see some plant material not recover in the spring.  We will just have to give all the plants a little extra TLC and wait and see.

We are starting to schedule late winter and early spring lawn applications.  If you are considering pre-emerge weed control or lawn aeration, please contact me.  February is a great month to add new plant material or to transplant existing plant material.  New or transplanted plants will have a chance to establish their roots before top growth begins.  The deep roots will make the plant more draught tolerant once warm weather arrives. 

Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans. 

Happy New Year.  Where has this decade gone?  It seems like just yesterday we were all worried about Y2K.  I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you the best in 2010.  I would like to thank all of our customers for your continued patronage and business referrals.  I do not do any formal advertising.  I rely strictly on word of mouth to grow our business.  So, thank you! 

Winter officially arrived December 21st.  We did have several frosts last month and most of your landscape is now dormant.  I would recommend keeping your irrigation systems turned off.  We had near record rainfall in December and we finished more than a foot above average for rainfall last year.  If you have any questions concerning your irrigation system, please contact me.

January is a great month to begin looking at your landscape and getting a game plan ready for spring.  Evaluating overgrown plant material, deciding if a plant should be heavily pruned, transplanted, or just removed, and thinking about additions that you may like to add to your landscape. 

I also like to think about irrigation and drainage issues this time of year.  Do you have a particular area in your lawn that stays wet or always seems to be dry?  Address these issues now and your   landscape will be ready to thrive in the spring.  Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans. 

What a beautiful November we had.  We had some frost by this time last year and most lawns were completely brown.  While the growth of most of our lawns has slowed, many still have at least some green in them.  Have no fear; your lawn will turn brown this year.  It just takes a couple of cold days and nights to send a lawn into full dormancy.  The good news is we are only four months away from green up. 

Many warm season perennials have held on a little longer than normal this year due to the warm weather.  They will all go dormant soon.  We will begin cutting perennials such as Lantana first, followed by Crape Myrtles and Pampas grass next month. 

Please continue to water your landscape.  Plant roots will continue to search for water through the winter months.  If we do get a period of rain it is fine to turn off your irrigation.  Just make sure your landscape gets watered once every couple of weeks. 

Please contact us if you would like help programming a winter watering schedule.  We continue to plant new trees and shrubs through the winter months.  If you have been considering an addition to your landscape, there is no need to wait until spring.  Plant material installed now can establish roots through the winter months and will be ready to thrive in the spring and summer. 

Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Thank you for your continued patronage through 2009 and we look forward to working with you in 2010.

Summer is officially over.  Cooler overnight temperatures will soon send our landscapes into dormancy.  It seems like yesterday I was telling you what to expect as your landscape came out of dormancy. 

The weekly growth of your lawn has already started to slow down. You will soon notice your lawn losing its color.  This is good.  It is important for a lawn to go dormant naturally and at its own pace.  A fall fertilization with a high amount of nitrogen could cause lawn damage.  I do not care for a brown lawn any more than the next guy.  However; it is what most grass does in this area and it is important for the long term health of the lawn to allow it to go dormant naturally. 

RS Services does not recommend over seeding your lawn.  Most types of grass cannot tolerate over seeding and it will cause severe lawn damage.  While your lawn will be turning brown soon, you can still beautify your property.  Fresh mulch or pinestraw, fall flowers, a new tree or shrub, roof & gutter cleaning, and power washing your house are just a few ways that RS Services can help make your property stand out during the fall and winter.  I would be happy to meet with you to discuss your vision for your property.  Thank you for your continued patronage.    

Summer is coming to an end in the Lowcountry.  While our lawns will soon be turning brown, over the next few months the Lowcountry will be full of fall color.  During September our overnight temperatures will begin to drop.  However; September can produce midsummer daytime heat.  It is important to continue a regular watering schedule through September. 

I know many of you have heard me say the following a million times, but listen up one more time.  The better shape a lawn goes into dormancy, the healthier it will be when it comes out of dormancy in the spring.  This includes adequate moisture, free of lawn damaging insects, and treating lawn fungus. 
Many of you have taken advantage of our lawn treatments throughout the summer.  I would encourage you to have one more round of treatments applied to your lawn.  This would include insecticide for Centipede lawns and insecticide & fungicide for St. Augustine lawns. 

September is a great month to install new plant material, including sod.  Soil temperatures are still high enough for roots to get established and typically we are past extended periods of extreme heat.  Please contact us if you have been considering a new tree or shrub, or to discuss sod replacement.  I would be happy to meet with you on your property to discuss any of your landscape needs prior to dormancy.