Published on Tuesday, April 25, 2017
![Ask Adam! Do it Yourself Soil Testing!]()
Soil problems don’t just affect your soil. The soil in your lawn and gardens can influence the health of the plants you grow. Ensure the health of your soil by performing regular tests. There are a number of soil testing kits available at garden supply stores and nurseries, but believe it or not, there are some reliable tests you can perform yourself using your own two hands, household products, or garden tools. Read on to learn more.
pH Test
Your soil’s pH levels indicate...
Published on Tuesday, September 27, 2016
![Ask Adam! The Benefits of Late Fall Fertilization]()
Late season nitrogen fertilization has been practiced by professionals for some time, but new evidence shows the wisdom of this technique. Late season nitrogen fertilization, sometimes referred to as fall fertilization, has been utilized by turf managers for years. This type of fertility program involves the application of much of the season’s nitrogen during the late season months of September through December.
Late season fertilization has become popular because many of the agronomic ...
Published on Sunday, May 22, 2016
![Ask Adam! Growing Flowers in Outdoor Plant Beds]()
For those of us without a “green thumb”, growing flowers in outdoor plant beds can be intimidating. In practice, however, it can be a lot easier than you’d imagine if you know tricks that professionals use. Start with a small bed and see how easy it can be!
Select a sunny location that is easy to water. Clear a planting bed of grass and weeds by turning the soil and removing as much of the vegetation as possible. Using a weed control product a few days before bed...
Published on Tuesday, March 29, 2016
![Ask Adam! Hiring a Lawn Care or Landscape Professional]()
A well-kept yard and tasteful landscape increases the value of your home and provides a relaxing space to interact with friends and family. A well-maintained landscape around the office buildings and commercial establishments provides a favorable impression to your customers and the community.
With increasing frequency, homeowners and business managers are hiring professional lawn and landscape experts to save time, take away the guesswork, and enhance their investment.
How to hire a...
Published on Thursday, October 29, 2015
![Ask Adam! The Importance of Leaf Cleanup!]()
As the air cools and summer fades, piles of colored leaves start to fall from trees. Your lawn beckons attention before the snow covers it with a blanket of white. Some lawn projects can be simple like raking on a regular basis or mowing with a vacuum bag style tractor system. Raking, or specifically a lack of leaves allows your lawn to capture more sunlight as the deciduous trees lose their green canopy. Increased sunlight can really help shaded and weak areas capture additional energy to...
Published on Tuesday, September 01, 2015
![Ask Adam! Fall is the time for seeding.]()
Fall is the best time to overseed a lawn or repair thin or bare areas. The cool nights and mild, shorter days provide the ideal conditions for seed germination. Seed is better able to retain moisture in these conditions and seedlings will thrive without the extreme heat that occurs in the summer months. When seeding your lawn, the two important items to remember are to make sure and establish a seed-to-soil contact and to water the new seedlings regularly.
Establishing a seed-to-soil contact...
Published on Thursday, July 02, 2015
![Ask Adam! Brown Patch...]()
Brown Patch is a turf type disease that is running rampant in lawns throughout Southern Illinois this year. What appears to be circular, or even irregular shaped, browning spots in your lawn is probably really a fungus that has developed in your turf. It is caused from over-saturation of turf areas and high night-time temperatures and humidity. The 5 days of constant rain from tropical storm “Bill” this mid June, gave lawns the ugly look of these browning spots.
Products such as fungicides...
Published on Monday, May 18, 2015
![Ask Adam! Mosquito Control!]()
There are really only two reasons to control mosquitoes; to avoid nuisance biting, and to preclude the spread of mosquito-borne disease. Everyone recognizes that mosquitoes can be a real nuisance, but most people do not realize the magnitude of the health threat that they represent. Some of the world’s most dreaded diseases are known to be carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. Many countries around the world are ravaged yearly by malaria, yellow fever, and mosquito- borne diseases, but...
Published on Sunday, April 12, 2015
![Ask Adam! Hiring a Lawn Care or Landscape Professional]()
While some of my readers are a do-it-yourself type person, some like to sit back and leave the chore of lawn care, landscape maintenance or gardening to a professional. This month, I’d like to talk about what to look for when hiring a true green industry professional.
First and foremost, hire a lawn care or landscape provider that is properly insured. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 200,000 people are injured each year because of lawn mowers. Operating a lawn mower ...
Published on Sunday, March 22, 2015
![Ask Adam! Spring Cleanup 2015!]()
Now’s the time of year to start prepping your outdoor landscape for Spring. Simple tasks like cutting back dead growth on plants, cutting down ornamental grasses, clearing the lawn of leaves and gumballs and applying a layer of mulch will make your property look cleaner and help with curb appeal.
As a green industry professional, I highly recommend regularly performing a Spring cleanup of your property. Using a sharp pair of pruners or hedge trimmers, cut back all unwanted growth on...
(618) 939-4769
