reenway Landscaping
Serving North Dallas, Richardson, Plano,
Addison, Garland, Sachse, SW Austin.
We get your outdoors looking great and keep it that way!
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SEASONAL COLOR SLIDE SHOW
Dethatching a Lawn
Annuals or Perennials?
Create Instant Impact for Your Home
Using the Color Wheel
Caladiums: A Shady Topic
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What do you recommend for changing out my seasonal color?
Annual flowers generally provide us with more intense seasonal color for a longer time than other plants. Some last from spring until the first freeze in the winter. Perennial flowers frequently have a shorter blooming period and are often higher maintenance. There are exceptions, but I recommend perennials for more often for the back yard because they sometimes look ragged, especially when they are not in bloom or in the winter. I mostly recommend the lowest maintenance annuals for front yards or other areas that require color change-outs.
My favorites for the warm seasons are begonias, impatiens, coleus, calibrochoa, periwinkle, salvia, and petunia. Their flowers fall cleanly from the plant after fading and require no deadheading (removal by hand). If a customer does not mind deadheading their flowers, I also recommend marigolds, geraniums, zinnias, calendula, and dahlias. Some of my other favorites for the warm season are caladiums, lantana, verbena, ornamental sweet potato vines, and purple fountain grass.
My favorite change-outs for the cool season are pansies, viola, dusty miller, cabbage, and kale. I also recommend chrysanthemums and tulips, even though their blooming period is short. They put on quite a show of color. See all my favorites in the "seasonal color slide show" on the right of your screen.
Choosing the right color combinations is a big part of the fun. See the video on the right of this page, Using The Color Wheel. Then, try this Web site for a great do-it-yourself color selection tool: Web site for http://www.paintquality.com/color/colorwheel.html
How often and how long should I water with my sprinkler system?
I have a rule of thumb for setting your sprinkler system in the DFW Metroplex, but it is only a rough guideline and starting place. Set your automatic sprinkler to ten minutes per section for mister heads and twenty minutes per section for rotary heads. This will give you approximately 1/2 inch of water per irrigation. Then, set your frequency as follows:
- December through February... once a week.
- March through May and September through November... two times a week.
- June through August... three times a week.
Remember the above suggestions are just a rule of thumb. You will need to make adjustments because there are many variables, such as plant species, soil type, sunlight, cloud cover, temperature, wind, humidity, etc. Do not think you can just set your sprinkler and forget it. A rain sensor makes automatic watering easier, but you will still need to make adjustments. Watch the plants for signs that they need water. Water immediately if they are pale or droopy. Turn the sprinkler off for a few days after a soaking rain. Allow the top of the soil dry out a ¼ to ½ inch deep. Do not water if the soil wet to the touch. Whenever possible, leave your sprinkler system in the "Manual" mode and avoid a set schedule. You will get a feel for it after a while. Also, remember that newly planted plants may need to be watered by hand with a water hose to supplement your automatic sprinkler. This is because newly planted plants need water right at the root ball until the roots grow into the surrounding soil. Finally, be sure to have a sprinkler “tune-up” at least once a year to make sure you are getting proper coverage and not wasting water.
I have winter and early spring weeds. How can I get rid of them?
The most overlooked answer to this question is simple. Start mowing frequently in March to get rid of winter and early spring weeds. Some customers say to me, “Merrill, Why should I mow before my grass starts growing? My weeds are growing but not my grass”. The fact is that most winter and early spring weeds are weak weeds and will die if you mow frequently. If you keep cutting the tops off the weeds, they run out of energy and die, roots and all. Don’t let your weeds get big and spread. They not only look unsightly, they will also smother your lawn.
There are two types of winter and early spring weeds, grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds. Most grassy winter weeds are poa anna. They are often brought in by birds. Most broadleaf winter weeds are chickweed or dandelion. Chickweed is easy to spot because it has purple flowers. Dandelions have yellow flowers. *Pre-emergent weed control in early February (*see footnote) is a good partial solution, but a few weeds seeds will still germinate. Broadleaf weed killer will work too, but normally not until April when the weather is not windy and daytime temperatures are above 60 degrees but below 90 degrees. You have a narrow window of time to use broadleaf weed control; usually April to mid-May is best. However, frequent mowing at the right height is still your best defense against these winter weeds. Remember, most winter weeds are weak weeds, and when you mow often, these weeds cannot produce enough energy to sustain the roots. One university study found that mowing at the right height will eliminated 90 percent of the weeds.
Other important tips to prevent weeds are these. First, develop a thick turf with a good fertilizer program, starting in April and continuing through October. You will develop a thick turf that will prevent most weeds from ever germinating next year. Another tip, remember to gradually raise your mower during the season so you turf gets thicker. This will make it harder for weed seeds to ever see the light of day. Also, pay close attention to proper watering. See the question above for watering tips. Next, make sure your lawn has sufficient sunlight. Prune your trees to allow more hours of direct sun. Make sure your trees allow at least 1/3 of the direct sunlight to filter through to the grass. Too much shade weakens the turf and allows weeds to take hold. Finally, aeration of your lawn can do wonders for our hard clay soils. See the next question and answer for more information about aeration. *Footnote: You will need aditional pre-emergent weed control applications if your lawn is infested with summer weeds, such as crabgrass and dallisgrass.
My grass is thin and my soil seems too hard. Can aeration help?
Yes, if your soil is hard and compacted, you may need aeration. Just call me for an evaluation. Year after year, the soil on your lawn gets compressed. Aeration is a great way to improve your lawn because it allows oxygen, nutrients, and water to reach the roots. We aerate lawns with the use a machine that pulls out plugs of soil. These plugs will remain on the lawn and decompose. It is also good to follow the aeration with a light covering of peat moss and a good lawn fertilizer. The peat moss promotes biological activity in the soil which further loosens the soil. Then, the lawn fertilizer will reach to the root zone and quickly stimulate new growth. You will have healthy roots and thicker, more beautiful lawn within weeks.
Lawn Aeration
