Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Fertilizing Lawns, Shrubs and Trees
It's spring in Northern Kentucky and it's time to fertilize!!
Beautiful green lawns and healthy looking plants don't just happen, you know. You have to take a certain amount of time to properly care for your yard, and that means regular mowing, watering, pruning and fertilizing. When it comes to fertilizing plants, trees and shrubs, there are numerous methods and techniques that will both feed, nurture and encourage healthy plant and grass growth.
Any growing thing needs a nutritious, well-balanced diet, and that goes for humans as well as plants. Vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the main ingredients that a fertilizer should contain, in different ratios depending on needs and use. What do these chemicals do? Phosphorus encourages strong roots, which are extremely important for young or newly planted greenery of any type. Potassium makes plants and shrubs strong enough to endure harsh winters and less than optimal growing conditions. Nitrogen is essential to life itself. Without it, plants and lawns will die. A healthy plant or lawn that displays deep green color or leaves is rich in nitrogen.
Another important ingredient that any lawn or plant fertilizer should contain is iron. Iron promotes the flow of nutrients into root systems, stems and leaves. Other essential and other micronutrients such as magnesium calcium, zinc, copper and manganese are important to the overall health of a lawn or shrub. Some fertilizers are organic, while others are synthetic, and it's up to individuals which type of fertilizer is chosen for yard needs. Both work well, but some people prefer not to use synthetic chemicals or additives in their fertilizer. If you choose an organic fertilizer, be prepared to fertilizer a little more frequently than if you use a commercial fertilizer.
Lawn fertilizers can be spread using a special spreader that can be rented or purchased from your local home care or gardening center. Some people prefer to hand spread fertilizers, though in doing so, care must be taken not to over spread. Follow directions of packages for watering prior to or after spreading fertilizers for optimal results.
When fertilizing trees and shrubs, it is important for the fertilizer to reach extending root system growth, so place fertilizer from the root or trunk outward, reaching almost to the rim of tree or shrub branch growth. Some tree and shrub fertilizers are available on small stakes that can be placed at intervals around trees and shrubs.
Trees can be fertilized during the fall or winter seasons, and through mid summer. However, fertilizing in early spring is the best choice for most greenery, including lawns. New plant, shrub or trees need to be fertilized at regular intervals during their first five years of growth, so don't ignore their special needs.
Whether you choose commercial or organic fertilizers, choose one that contains ample amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fertilize every spring and fall, and make sure that the specific needs of all your plants, shrubs and trees are met.
Contact Brawley's Landscape today for a free estimate for fertilizing or to meet your lawn care needs this season.
Beautiful green lawns and healthy looking plants don't just happen, you know. You have to take a certain amount of time to properly care for your yard, and that means regular mowing, watering, pruning and fertilizing. When it comes to fertilizing plants, trees and shrubs, there are numerous methods and techniques that will both feed, nurture and encourage healthy plant and grass growth.
Any growing thing needs a nutritious, well-balanced diet, and that goes for humans as well as plants. Vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the main ingredients that a fertilizer should contain, in different ratios depending on needs and use. What do these chemicals do? Phosphorus encourages strong roots, which are extremely important for young or newly planted greenery of any type. Potassium makes plants and shrubs strong enough to endure harsh winters and less than optimal growing conditions. Nitrogen is essential to life itself. Without it, plants and lawns will die. A healthy plant or lawn that displays deep green color or leaves is rich in nitrogen.
Another important ingredient that any lawn or plant fertilizer should contain is iron. Iron promotes the flow of nutrients into root systems, stems and leaves. Other essential and other micronutrients such as magnesium calcium, zinc, copper and manganese are important to the overall health of a lawn or shrub. Some fertilizers are organic, while others are synthetic, and it's up to individuals which type of fertilizer is chosen for yard needs. Both work well, but some people prefer not to use synthetic chemicals or additives in their fertilizer. If you choose an organic fertilizer, be prepared to fertilizer a little more frequently than if you use a commercial fertilizer.
Lawn fertilizers can be spread using a special spreader that can be rented or purchased from your local home care or gardening center. Some people prefer to hand spread fertilizers, though in doing so, care must be taken not to over spread. Follow directions of packages for watering prior to or after spreading fertilizers for optimal results.
When fertilizing trees and shrubs, it is important for the fertilizer to reach extending root system growth, so place fertilizer from the root or trunk outward, reaching almost to the rim of tree or shrub branch growth. Some tree and shrub fertilizers are available on small stakes that can be placed at intervals around trees and shrubs.
Trees can be fertilized during the fall or winter seasons, and through mid summer. However, fertilizing in early spring is the best choice for most greenery, including lawns. New plant, shrub or trees need to be fertilized at regular intervals during their first five years of growth, so don't ignore their special needs.
Whether you choose commercial or organic fertilizers, choose one that contains ample amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fertilize every spring and fall, and make sure that the specific needs of all your plants, shrubs and trees are met.
Contact Brawley's Landscape today for a free estimate for fertilizing or to meet your lawn care needs this season.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Winterizing Your Yard
Let's face it. You can stare at your lawn all you want, but it's not going to winterize itself. Do you really need to do it? Do you really need to rake those leaves and fertilize and pull weeds? You'd rather be inside, watching sports or shopping for the upcoming holidays, but there really is no time like the fall to get your lawn ready for next spring.
Now that your bubble has been burst, where do you start? Start winterizing your lawn by giving it a good mowing and watering. To provide good mulch for your lawn, as well as to save yourself some time picking up leaves, mow the lawn without the bag attachment. This will chop leaves into smaller pieces, which can be left on the surface of the lawn as primo mulch. Worms love the stuff, who will take bits and pieces of the leaves down into the dirt with them before a hard freeze, providing a wealth of nutrients both for lawn roots, and earthworms.
Many people don't realize that natural, organic materials offer lawns the ability to conserve water, offer better drainage and essential minerals and materials that will help to create a greener, healthier lawn come spring.
When it comes to tackling those weeds, fall is the best time to take care of them. Most are in "full bloom", meaning they have grown over the warmer summer months despite your best efforts to stay one step ahead of them. However, in a way, this is a good thing, because now is the best time to spray with weed killers or herbicides. Larger blades or stalks enable more weed killer to absorb down into roots, striking where it counts.
Now that you have the leaves and weeds taken care of, it's time to think about fertilizing. Most people fertilize their lawns twice a year; once in the spring, and once in the fall, before a hard freeze. A good fertilizing in the fall will nourish lawn roots to store extra supplies of foods and nutrients to hold them through the long, cold winter months. Indeed, fertilizing in the fall will not encourage growth during winter months, but will help your lawn to stay greener for a longer period of time.
Now, you don't want to fertilize just any old time. You have to plan it right for optimal benefits. The best time to winterize your lawn is late fall. It is a time when your lawn is still green, but you may not have to mow it any longer as cooler weather sets in. For best results, choose a fertilizer that has the word "winterizer" on the package, or one that is high in nitrogen and potassium, and low in phosphorus.
So hop to it, get the job done, and then you can go inside to enjoy the sports or shop to your heart's content. Better yet, call Brawley’s Landscape and we can do the work for you!!
Now that your bubble has been burst, where do you start? Start winterizing your lawn by giving it a good mowing and watering. To provide good mulch for your lawn, as well as to save yourself some time picking up leaves, mow the lawn without the bag attachment. This will chop leaves into smaller pieces, which can be left on the surface of the lawn as primo mulch. Worms love the stuff, who will take bits and pieces of the leaves down into the dirt with them before a hard freeze, providing a wealth of nutrients both for lawn roots, and earthworms.
Many people don't realize that natural, organic materials offer lawns the ability to conserve water, offer better drainage and essential minerals and materials that will help to create a greener, healthier lawn come spring.
When it comes to tackling those weeds, fall is the best time to take care of them. Most are in "full bloom", meaning they have grown over the warmer summer months despite your best efforts to stay one step ahead of them. However, in a way, this is a good thing, because now is the best time to spray with weed killers or herbicides. Larger blades or stalks enable more weed killer to absorb down into roots, striking where it counts.
Now that you have the leaves and weeds taken care of, it's time to think about fertilizing. Most people fertilize their lawns twice a year; once in the spring, and once in the fall, before a hard freeze. A good fertilizing in the fall will nourish lawn roots to store extra supplies of foods and nutrients to hold them through the long, cold winter months. Indeed, fertilizing in the fall will not encourage growth during winter months, but will help your lawn to stay greener for a longer period of time.
Now, you don't want to fertilize just any old time. You have to plan it right for optimal benefits. The best time to winterize your lawn is late fall. It is a time when your lawn is still green, but you may not have to mow it any longer as cooler weather sets in. For best results, choose a fertilizer that has the word "winterizer" on the package, or one that is high in nitrogen and potassium, and low in phosphorus.
So hop to it, get the job done, and then you can go inside to enjoy the sports or shop to your heart's content. Better yet, call Brawley’s Landscape and we can do the work for you!!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
How Do I Turn My Brown Yard Green?
With the drought in Northern Kentucky there is no doubt that you are dealing with a yard that has turned brown!! With colder weather upon us there is a way to green up your yard in as little as 7-10 days.
The first thing you want to do is aerate your yard or better yet, have someone do it for you. Aerating your yard will loosen compacted soil and will allow fertilizer and water to permeate to the root zone.
The next thing you will want to do is re-seed and fertilize. You can fertilize using chemical or organic fertilizers. A high nitrogen 30-5o is the best. Either one is fine but you might want to go organic as it is safe for children and pet.
Then of course you will need to water your lawn. Be sure not to over water or underwater. With overwatering your yard can get diseases and cause root rot. Underwatering, of course will cause your yard to dry out and die. A handy little trick is to place empty tuna cans around your yard and see how long it takes to fill the cans with 1" of water. This is how long you need to water in a drought condition. Use sprinklers to ensure even distribution. The best time to water your lawn is early in the morning, before the sun comes out or late in the evening just after the sun has set. That way, you'll lose less water to evaporation.
Also make sure that your mower blades are sharp, sharp, sharp and set to your grass height.
Follow these steps and your yard should be back to green in 7-10 days.
If you need any help you can always email us at Brawley's Landscape.
The first thing you want to do is aerate your yard or better yet, have someone do it for you. Aerating your yard will loosen compacted soil and will allow fertilizer and water to permeate to the root zone.
The next thing you will want to do is re-seed and fertilize. You can fertilize using chemical or organic fertilizers. A high nitrogen 30-5o is the best. Either one is fine but you might want to go organic as it is safe for children and pet.
Then of course you will need to water your lawn. Be sure not to over water or underwater. With overwatering your yard can get diseases and cause root rot. Underwatering, of course will cause your yard to dry out and die. A handy little trick is to place empty tuna cans around your yard and see how long it takes to fill the cans with 1" of water. This is how long you need to water in a drought condition. Use sprinklers to ensure even distribution. The best time to water your lawn is early in the morning, before the sun comes out or late in the evening just after the sun has set. That way, you'll lose less water to evaporation.
Also make sure that your mower blades are sharp, sharp, sharp and set to your grass height.
Follow these steps and your yard should be back to green in 7-10 days.
If you need any help you can always email us at Brawley's Landscape.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Northern Kentucky - Greater Cincinnati - Sprinkler System
Given the hot weather this year we will now be offering sprinkler system installation.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Brawley's Landscape Website Is Up
We are pleased to announce that our website is now up and running. Check it out!!
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