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Rusty Thompson My name is Rusty Thompson, and I'm the owner of The Masters Lawn Care. I'll be updating this blog from time to time to give out great information on getting the most our of your lawn and landscaping. Thanks again, and if you have any questions, email me at Rusty@TheMastersLawnCare.com.

Posted by Rusty on January 30th, 2012

During winter many areas in Gainesville can most likely experience extreme cold weather, and possibly freezing temperatures. I'm sure a lot of people will receive frost on their St. Augustine lawns. Cold weather and wind together can cause stress on St. Augustine grass. February Florida St. Augustine grass lawn care can be done, to start preparing for a healthy and vigorous lawn for spring and summer.

The first signs that you have had frost or cold weather stress on your St. Augustine lawn, is you will see the blades turn purple to black, and will most likely eventually become brown. This Does Not mean the roots are dead and you will loose your lawn.  Your lawn should bounce back when warm weather returns. New green growth will replace any discolored blades of grass throughout your Gainesville yard. 

Areas that have crabgrass will surely turn brown but unfortunately the crabgrass has not died off, leaving just the St. Augustine grass by itself. When summer returns crabgrass will be back healthy as can be. If those areas are mostly crabgrass, you might consider replacing it with new sod or grass plugs in the spring. Before laying down sod or planting grass plugs, treat those areas with "Weed Grass Killer" such as "Round-Up" to kill the crabgrass. Remember to watch for over-spraying for the chemical is"Non-Selective ", meaning it will kill everything! Always follow directions on the label. If these areas are large, it can be expensive if you have to replace half your lawn. If the areas are small and in spots, this is a good time to get rid of unwanted grass and weeds.

Also, the thicker your lawn is the better chance it has to choke out crabgrass, if it starts to invade your lawn again.  

The End of February is a good time to begin fertilizing your Gainesville lawn and Gainesville Landscaping, as well. I recommend using a "Slow-Release Granular Fertilizer", to begin growing a green healthy turf with a good foundation for the spring and summer. You can apply a Weed 'n' Feed for St. Augustine grass lawncare at this time to get a jump start on those ugly weeds. But there is a window on when to stop using it. Do Not wait until it is too late, when the temperature is above 80 degrees. Applying a weed 'n' feed when it is too hot for it to be done is not recommended, for the chemicals can burn or kill your lawn. Always follow directions on the label, as with any type of fertilizer you use. If you don't have a lot of weeds, use a "Selective Liquid Weed Killer" for St. Augustine grass to treat the weeds by doingspot weeding. Once again read the label, on proper rate of spraying, and instructions for it's usage.

Follow these helpful tips on February Florida St. Augustine grass lawn care to start your lawn growing with a good foundation. Spring is just around the corner so begin now on having a healthy, lush green lawn you want to have . Plus it will help keep your Gainesville Florida lawn looking great during the summer months.

Posted by Rusty on January 18th, 2012

Have you ever noticed a black residue on the leaves of plants in your Gainesville landscape? This normally is the top identifier if aphids are attacking your landscaping. Aphids, also known as white flies, excrete this black sooty mold that covers the tops of the leaves. If you flip the leaf over, you will normally find the Aphids on the the underside. They look like the picture below.

They look a lot like small grains of rice attached to the underside of the leaf. If it is a bad infestation, you may even see what resembles cobwebs as well. No matter how many you see, if you noticed the blck mold on the top of the leaf, rest assured there are enough to damage your landscaping. 

These creatures are very easy to get rid of if you use a pest control company to treat your Florida lawn. By calling your current company and informing them that you have an aphid infestation, they can let you know if it's included in your lawn care agreement or not. If by any chance, you want to go to battle against the Aphids yourself, here are some tips to hit them where it hurts:

  1. Spray the plant with water. This is not an all out attack on the aphids, just a spray heavy enough to dislodge them. This will be your first step. This alos waters the plant so your next steps don't get soaked into the plant as quickly since it won't be as "thirsty" anymore. 
  2. Don't over fertilize the plant for a few weeks. Aphids like to feed on new growth that come about as a result of applying nitrogen to your lawn and landscape.
  3. Next, you want to take some soap to the aphids. Take a container and add to it two parts water too one part of dish soap. Then take this mixture and spray the aphids, this should take care of them for the moment, but has no residual effect on keeping them away. Alas if this dosen't work you may have to move up to actual pesticides.
  4. Although Pesticides are usually frowned upon being used heavily in Gainesville lawn service, this is a time that it is neccessary to save your landscaping. What we are trying to accomplish is the killing of as few innocent bystanders (beneficial insects) as possible. You must be careful besides killing aphids they could also injure sensitive plants, so read all labels carefully. Insecticidal soaps can also be used against aphids also. If you must resort to the big boys use malathion, Dursban (chlorpyrifos), and Orthene (acephate). For no reason or purpose will you use Sevin to rid yourself of aphids. Why? This does not actually killing aphids, but instead the beneficial insects that feed on them. These products can be found by using a quick search on the internet to view a garden center site or an actual garden center.

​Now that your Aphid-free, you can go back to enjoying your Gainesville lawn all over again!

Posted by Rusty on January 14th, 2012

In the Alachua County area, you will see a tree that is absolutely gorgeous when blooming throughout summer. It is planted quite regularly in Gainesville landscape designs and is quite the head-turner with all of it's bright colors. Unfortunately this tree, as every plant does, has it's strengths and weaknesses. One of the Crape Myrtle's weaknesses is that it is deciduous (loses it's leaves) and is rather boring in the winter months.

Due to it being a particularly boring tree in the colder months without leaves and color, many people that have them in their Gainesville lawn will prune them back every year. The important thing to remember is that it would be better to leave them alone than to prune them improperly. We've all seen over-pruning: where people chop back crape myrtles below the knuckles each and every year. Some in Gainesville even term it "Crape Murder."

When a crape myrtle is pruned back like this, it has 2 effects:

  • Reduces the number of blooms that will be produced during summer.
  • New branches will grow far too long and therefore not be able to support the weight of heavy blooms - particularly when wet. These long branches weep over and often break off during heavy rains.

When a crape myrtle is pruned properly:

  • It will produce twice the number of branches and therefore twice the number blooms as it did during the previous year.
  • The new branches will be strong enough to support blooms.

In the drawing to the right, you see a 4-year old crape myrtle tree as it may appear in late winter, when still in dormancy, and before new growth has begun to emerge. This tree has been properly pruned for 3 years. At the top of the branches you will notice seed pods that formed after last seasons blooms. In studying the diagram more closely you might notice where pruning cuts were made in previous years, and that wherever cuts were made two new branches emerged from beneath the cuts.

The arrow that says '6" stub' indicates where to make cuts when pruning your crape myrtle tree. The rule of thumb is to trace down from the top of a stem (from the seedpods if the tree bloomed), to where that stem meets a branch. Using a pair of sharp bypass or lopper pruners make a cut about 6 to 12 inches or so above the intersection - never below the intersection. Alternatively, you can grab the tip of stem and bend it over, making your cut right at the point where the stem starts to bend. Either way, the stub that is left should be strong enough to support the new branches that emerge just below your cut. Repeat this process until all stems have been cut as is shown on the right side of this diagram.

By using this method of pruning you will be promoting twice as many branches every season - which means a fuller canopy and twice as many blooms. To further "clean up" your crape myrtle tree, you can prune suckers that grew from the trunk base, and twiggy growth that emerged up and along the main trunk(s).

There are, however, times that heavy pruning is helpful for the long-term growth of a crape myrtle. When a tree has been pruned at the same place every year incorrectly and has developed what are known as knuckles (see picture), sometimes it is neccessary to cut under the knuckle to allow completely new growth for that branch. After that, you should prune as described in this article. 

People who have Crapes in their Gainesville lawn must not only make sure to prune the right way, but also at the right time too. Wrong-season pruning would mean cutting them in November and December. Don't let peer pressure by neighbors get to you. If you trim the crapes in the last two months of the year, and we get a warming trend in January or February as Alachua County so often does, the trees might actually start putting on new growth.

That new growth will be highly susceptible to freezing weather should it come on the heals of a warm spell. New growth will also tend to draw the cold right into the plant, causing needless damage to a tree that should be resting in dormancy. So, the best time to trim crapes in is late winter - just prior to new growth emerging. 

If pruned the right way and right time, you'll enjoy one of the most beautiful trees in Gainesville landscaping, and for a long time too. 

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