WesternLawns wants to send you to the Oklahoma City Redhawks

For 25 years, WesternLawns has been improving the environment in which you live, work, and play! To thank our loyal customers, we want to send you to an evening at the Oklahoma City RedHawks! WesternLawns has tickets for our awesome clients to visit any Redhawks home game this season. For more information and to request your tickets visit www.WesternLawns.com/Redhawks. Thanks for 25 great seasons!

Now is the best time to overseed…

Overseeding
There are two great reasons to overseed…

Do you have bare, thinning, or shady areas in your lawn?
Overseed with Fescue this fall to increase the thickness and health of your lawn. Fescue is a shade tolerant turf that thrives in shady areas of Oklahoma lawns. Mid-September through October is the best time to establish Fescue grass from seed.

Do you want a green lawn year round?
Overseed your Bermuda turf with Rye this fall to have a lush, green lawn year round. Rye is a cool season turf grass that stays dark green most of the fall, winter and early spring, while Bermuda is dormant. Mid-September through October is the best time to establish Rye grass from seed.

If you have a Bermuda lawn that has become thin because of lack of light, such as under trees, you need to establish fescue in these areas. If you already have fescue established in areas, you may need to add some seed. Fescue does not spread as Bermuda does, requiring at least semi-annual overseeding to remain thick and healthy in our climate.

In more recent years, overseeding Bermuda lawns with rye has become a popular way to keep a green lawn year round. Most winters in Oklahoma will allow rye to remain dark green and active through December with a little loss of color and no growth in January and into mid February. Your lawn will become dark green and active again in later February, two months before Bermuda is active. Once the Bermuda becomes fully active in May the rye will die back.

To have success at seeding fescue or rye grasses follow these steps:

Step 1: Preparing the soil: A very important step in the process is having good seed to soil contact. Where your lawn is completely void of any turf, lightly rototill or loosen the soil in the area to a depth of 2″. If you are adding seed to an existing turf, even if it is Bermuda do not remove the existing turf. It will act as a blanket to hold moisture in until the seed germinates. Just lightly rake, dethatch, aerate or a combination of all three until you have created a way for the seed to come in contact with the soil surface.

Step 2: Applying the seed: When starting with bare ground, apply 10 pounds of fescue seed for every 1,000 square feet. If you have existing fescue, apply 7 pounds of fescue per 1,000 square feet. If you are seeding rye over Bermuda use 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Once the seed is spread, use a leaf rake to move the seed into the soil. Use a lawn roller to lightly press the seed into contact with the soil.

Step 3: Watering: This is the most important step and most often when people fail. You must keep the seeded area tacky moist at all times during germination, usually 2 weeks. If you allow the seed to dry out between watering, your success rate will dramatically decrease. Water long enough keep the area moist without causing runoff three times daily. Once the seed is up, water every other day until the grass develops maturity.

Step 4: Fertilizing and Mowing: When your new seed is at least 80% germinated, apply 10 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. We recommend a fertilizer with around 20% nitrogen. Mow often enough that you never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Do not apply any herbicides until the lawn has been mowed at least 4 times.

For more information regarding overseeding your turf or to have a lawn care professional come and overseed your landscape, call Western Lawns at 405.943.4242 or email PeteMoss@WesternLawns.com.

Western Lawns… improving your environment through quality landscape services.

Prevent Spring Weeds Now!

One of the largest snow storms in Oklahoma history has melted away and your lawn is deep into a winter nap.  Very soon, your lawn will awake from it’s nap and the shades of brown will turn into the bright green shades of spring.

Will your lawn and landscape be ready?

Now is the time to make sure you have a green, weed free lawn this year! Don’t delay! Crabgrass and many other weeds are ready to invade your lawn.  WesternLawns complete Lawn Care Applications Program  starts now with the every so important spring pre-emergent, then continues through the season with the proper nutrients and weed control for a great lawn you will love coming home to… without all the effort.  Our program will be formulated specifically for your lawn’s needs, whether sunny or shady, you can count on a green, weed free lawn this spring.

To have the absolute best lawn, you must start WesternLawns Lawn Care Program now.  Call us at 405.943.4242 or visit WesternLawns.com/weedcontrol for more information or to request an estimate!

Will my plants survive the cold, snow, and ice?

A common question this past week at Western Lawns was: “Will my plants survive the cold, snow & ice?”

Great news, the answer is YES!

Central Oklahoma’s USDA Cold-Hardiness rating is 7a.  This means all plants, in a healthy condition, will be able to withstand temperatures as low as 0 – 5 degrees Fahrenheit.  So, as long as the plant choices you have made for your landscape are rated at least 7a or lower, last week’s weather was not a problem.

Often we are tempted to purchase plant materials with a 7b rating.  7b zone plants will tolerate temperatures only as low as 5 – 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  During many Central Oklahoma winters, 7b plants will survive. But, if you have 7b plants in your landscape, last week’s temperatures may result in some plant damage.  It is best to leave 7b plants to the landscapes south of the Ardmore.

Another contributing factor to freeze damage in plants is the amount of soil moisture available to the root zone when there are low temperatures. One of the worse things for a plant is to be bone dry when a cold front moves through. Because the coldest temperatures arrived after the largest snow fall in Oklahoma City history, there was not a treat of damage due to a dry root zone with this storm.  But, a word of caution, any time we have a forecast of cold temperatures without any moisture, please water your landscape on a nice afternoon before the cold front arrives.

For more information on maintaining a healthy, beautiful landscape give WesternLawns a call at 405.943.4242.

Fall is a great time to landscape!

Learn why fall and winter is a great time to landscape!

Fall and winter are the best time of the year for planting trees and shrubs. The cooler weather reduces transplant shock and soil temperatures remain warm enough to allow roots to grow. The result is a much stronger plant next spring when the plant begins putting on new growth. Local nurseries also have new shipments of shrubs available, and soon after the first freeze, freshly dug trees will arrive.

Now is the time to call WesternLawns to have new plantings installed around your property. Or if you decide to do your own planting at WesternLawns, 405.943.4242 before you get started for help in selecting the proper plants for your setting. For a nominal fee, WesternLawns can develop a master plan for your landscape giving you a master plan for future planting.

If you choose to do your planting this fall, follow these procedures:

Digging the hole:

Just as deep as the root ball, if there is disturbed soil below the root ball, it will cause settling later. The hole needs to be two-three times wider than the plant.Amending the soil:

Amend the soil you remove by mixing Back to Nature, a composted organic material, with soil. Manure, humalfa, peat moss or your own compost will also work as a soil amendment.Placing the plant:

Before placing the plant in the hole, back fill with some of the amended soil. Place the plant so that the top of the root ball is at or above ground level. If you have tight clay soils, it is always best to raise the plant 1 inch above the existing grade. Because of the clay soil in central Oklahoma, plants often die from being planted too low rather than too high.Back filling:

Gradually refill the hole using your amended soil and add slow release tree and shrub fertilizer as you go. When the hole is almost full, soak the area around the shrub with water to remove any air pockets. Lightly tamp the soil and complete the back filling until the soil is level with the root ball. Mix any leftover amended soil in to the ground around your planting.Watering:

Continue to water the plants twice per week throughout the winter. Remember plants die quicker from freeze damage when they are dry than when they are moist.If you would like to have a professional Landscape Design and Installation, call or email WesternLawns at 405.943.4242 or petemoss@westernlawns.com.

WesternLawns… improving the environment with quality landscape services.

Spring is the time to Aerate!

What is Aeration?

In the context of landscape and lawn maintenance, aerate means “to supply with air.” The process of aeration serves a two-fold purpose: It helps control thatch development and reduces compaction on the surface of the soil.

As lawns age or sustain heavy use from play, sports activities, pets, vehicle traffic and parking, soil compaction can result. Soil compacting forces are most severe in poorly drained or wet sites. Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold air. Roots require oxygen to grow and absorb nutrients and water. Compaction reduces total pore space and the amount of air within the soil. It has a negative impact on nutrient uptake and water infiltration, in addition to being a physical barrier to root growth. This results in poor top growth and lawn deterioration. Aeration reduces soil compation, improves soil structure, reduces thatch, and allows air, nutrients, and water to reach the roots.

The results are a lawn with healthier and deeper roots, resulting in a stronger, more drought tolerant lawn.

When WesternLawns aerates, we leave the cores on the lawn. The cores breakdown as the lawn is watered and mowed. The soil then filters back in the holes creating pockets of loose soil.

For best results, aeration should be performed once per growing season after spring green-up and before the end of July on warm season grasses (Bermuda) and in the fall or spring on cool season grasses (Fescue, Rye).

Aeration relieves soil compaction, improves water and nutrient movement in the soil, increases rooting, and prevents thatch accumulation. Aeration improves the growing conditions for the turfgrass plants and results in a healthier, more vigorous lawn.

For more information on having WesternLawns aerate your lawn, call 405.943.4242 or email us at PeteMoss@WesternLawns.com.

Prevent Spring Weeds Now!

Prevent Spring Weeds Now

Why is it important to start a Weed Control and Fertilizer Program on your lawn now? Crabgrass and many other grassy weeds will begin to germinate when the soil temperature is consistently 55 degrees.

To prevent crabgrass, goosegrass and many other grassy weeds a pre-emergence herbicide needs to be applied to your lawn between mid January and mid March. Pre-emergent herbicides are chemicals that keep weeds from germinating. Timing of the pre-emergent application isimportant because most applications will not control the weed once it has germinated and emerged. When a weed seed tries to put down roots,the pre-emergent keeps the root from forming, and the seed dies.Pre-emergent herbicides can be either liquid or granular. Follow the label directions for appropriate chemical application and watering or  your lawn care technician’s instructions. The application will be ineffective if the chemical is not watered into the top ½-1″ of soil.For season long weed control, a second pre-emergent application should be applied eight to twelve weeks later.

Annual grassy weeds complete their life cycle in one growing season. They only come back each year from seeds they produced the previous season. A single dormant crabgrass plant before it dies in thefall can produce as many as 5,000 seeds waiting to sprout the next spring. Without the pre-emergent herbicide, grassy weeds will eventually choke out the desired turf in your lawn. Lorne Hall, President of WesternLawns always encourages people to start their Weed Control and Fertilizer applications early!

Healthy turf is the best way to control weed populations. Whenyou have a healthy lawn, the weed seed cannot reach the soil surface to germinate, nor will it have enough sun to grow. Fertilizing, proper watering and insect and disease control are the keys to keeping weeds from invading your lawn.WesternLawns has a great 7-step Weed Control & Fertilizer Program designed to keep your lawn green, healthy and weed free.

For more information or to receive a free Lawn Analysis call or email us at 405.943.4242 orpetemoss@westernlawns.com .

Another great resource is Oklahoma State University’s Fact Sheets.

Irrigation System Winterization

Sometime before overnight temperatures dip below 30°, most irrigation systems should be winterized to prevent freeze damage. WesternLawnsprovides winterization services for a reasonable fee. If you do notwinterize your irrigation system, a normal freeze can result in damageto the backflow device, which on most systems is located above ground.Replacement of most backflow devices can easily exceed $150 for laborand materials. If your system has an insulated cover or is belowground, winterization will only need to be done prior to extended coldspells.

If you would like to winterize your irrigation system yourself, follow these steps:

1. Slowly close the main shut-off valve, which provides water to the system. The valve is usually located near the water meter or water well.
2. Go to the backflow device. Using a screwdriver, turn all test cocks ¼ a turn. This releases water from inside the backflow. After all water has been released, return test cocks back to the closed position.
3. Position both ball valves in a half-closed/half-open position (45°).
4. Go to the controller and test each station for 1-2 minutes. Then turn the controller to the off position.

Winterizingyour irrigation system becomes a problem if there is a dry, coldwinter. Shrubs, trees, and even turf can become damaged by belowfreezing temperatures when roots are dry. Dry winters are particularlyhard on evergreens. To protect your landscape investment it is best ifyou make sure the landscape receives at least 1″ of moisture every 7-14days during the dormant season. If you start your system back up duringthe winter, remember it must be winterized again before freezingtemperatures arrive.

There is a solution! WesternLawnsis now upgrading irrigation systems with freeze protection so that youdo not have to worry about a dry winter causing thousands of dollars inlandscape damage. For around $250-300, we can install heat tape and aninsulated cover on your backflow. This allows you to water during thewinter months without worrying about freeze damage to your backflow.Also, only a few more dollars, a rain and freeze sensor can be added sothat if we do have rain, or if temperatures are below freezing, yoursystem will not run.

For more information or to schedule a your irrigation system’s winterization, call WesternLawns at 405.943.4242 or email petemoss@westernlawns.com.

Dormant Oils

WesternLawns customers who subscribe to our Tree & Shrub Care Program have been receiving a Dormant Oil application over the past few weeks. Dormant Oils work by smothering the overwintering eggs of aphids, scale, and spider mites. This important application reduces the need to use harsher pesticides to control unwanted insects during the season. Dormant Oil can only be applied while shrubs are in dormancy.

If you are not on the WesternLawns Tree & Shrub Care Program, give us a call (405.943.4242) to schedule an application of Dormant Oils as soon as possible. The application must be made before shrubs and trees start budding this spring.