Oklahoma's State Tree... the Redbud!

Wow!  Are we not experiencing a wonderful early spring color show this year?  

I love the burst of color new life brings every spring!

The most dynamic of all the spring blooming trees right now is none other than our Oklahoma State Tree, the Redbud!

You have to love some of Oklahoma’s crazy state symbols: 

• Our state floral emblem is Mistletoe.  Really?  Mistletoe is an unwanted parasite that harms trees. 

• Our state vegetable is the Watermelon.  Watermelon?  Watermelon is a vegetable?  Well, come July I’ll be eating a lot of vegetables! 

But, when it comes to a state tree, Oklahoma couldn’t have selected a better tree. 

 There is no better flowering tree than the Redbud, especially the ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud.

Michael Dirr, easily considered America’s leading woody plant expert, wrote in his textbook Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs about Redbuds:

“No equal, no competitor, can be found among small flowering landscape trees – the stage is reserved for this native species.”

 I agree!

Eastern Redbuds are native to the Eastern US from Massachusetts to Florida extending west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.  In the native landscape, you typically see them as understory trees in wooded areas. 

From mid-March to early April, you can’t miss them.  Their pink to lavender flowers brighten the landscape before leaves bud on most trees.  They grow in full sun and partial shade.  They tolerate clay, loam, and sandy soils.  They adapt to a wide range of soil pH as well as soil moisture. 
 
But the native Eastern Redbud has its shortcomings.  During the summer, the leaves are a disappointment in Oklahoma.  The hot winds of July and August leave the native Redbud leaves tattered and bruised. 

 Thankfully, Oklahoma has an answer to the Eastern Redbud – the ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud, Cercis Canadensis var. texensis ‘Oklahoma’. 

The ‘Oklahoma’ Redbud has a deeper purple color bloom and a waxy, thick, dark green, heart-shaped leaf.  The ‘Oklahoma’ is far richer in color in the spring and carries beautiful foliage through the hottest of summers.  In the fall, the leaves turn golden yellow. 
 
‘Oklahoma’ Redbuds can be used in every imaginable landscape application.  They are excellent lawn trees.  They are dynamic in groupings.  And they add interest to landscape beds. 
 
Redbuds grow 15-18’ tall and have a spread of 15’ at maturity.  Their small tree nature tends to produce a low branching, rounded top-growing pattern. 
 
The Redbud rooting pattern can lead to difficulty in transplanting.  When selecting a balled and burlap tree, it is best if the tree is harvested and replanted during the dormant season.  I good size to start with is a 1.5” to 2” caliper tree.  If you are planting a Redbud during the growing season, I would recommend purchasing a container grown tree, as there is less transplant shock. 

A redbud in Oklahoma City that is starting to bud this week.

Other varieties of Redbud include:

• ‘Forest Pansy’ which has a shimmering, reddish-purple leaf.  This Redbud is a real winner in the spring.  But, in the early summer the leaves fade worse than the Eastern Redbud leaves.  If you decide to try this variety, select a place in your landscape where the tree will be shielded from the hot west sun and southern winds.

• ‘Texas Whitebud’ is a white blooming variety of the ‘Oklahoma’.  It also has waxy, dark green leaves through the summer.

• 'Avondale' is a little smaller, reaching only 10-12' in height and width.  It is one of the most profuse flowering redbuds with very showy dark rose-purple flowers.  It also has a glossy, heart-shaped leaf.

• 'Lavender Twist' is a weeping redbud with rosy-pink flowers.  The umbrella branching pattern only reaches 5-6' tall making it a good specimen for a focal point in the landscape.  

• 'Merlot' is a new hybrid with dark foliage similar to the 'forest pansy' but has glossier leaves that take the summer heat similar to the 'Oklahoma' redbud.  

• ‘Rising Sun’ rosy-lavender flowers and traditional heart shaped leaves that turn from yellow to orange maturing to lime green during the summer.  Reaches 8-10’ in height with an 8’ spread.

• ‘Flame Thrower’ a new cultivar, a cross between the Rising Sun and a weeping Redbud, introduced by North Caroline State University.  Individual leaves transition from purple to red to reddish-bronze and finally to yellow-green as they mature. 

For more Redbud varieties, click this link  https://www.monrovia.com/search/?q=redbud. 

‘Rising Sun’

Texas Whitebud

Flame Thrower

‘Rising Sun’

One final reason why I think the Redbud is one of our best trees – 

It blooms only on the old wood! Stop and look at one.  You will notice that the last 6-12” of each branch doesn’t have any blooms.  All of last year’s growth is void of color.  All the color is on the two-year and older wood, occasionally even the trunk will bloom.  Typically trees and shrubs bloom on the end of the branches.  Early blooming plants bloom on the growth from last year, such as azalea.  Summer bloomers, such as the Crape Myrtle, bloom on the new growth from the spring.  The Redbud is unique in only blooming on wood at least one year old.
 
Jim Paluch in his book, Leaving a Legacy, tells the story of seven senior citizens who discover the magic of the Redbud blooming only on old wood.  They were inspired to not spend their later years withering away.  They asked, “If a Redbud can bloom on its old wood, why can’t we?”  The seven men struck out to make a difference in their community during their elder years.
 
 

It’s spring… 

Redbuds are blooming…

Time to get outside…

Take a walk around your neighborhood…

Go on a bike ride…

Take a drive...

Better yet, go on a Redbud Scavenger hunt:

• Find the Redbud with the most dynamic color.

• Find the best Redbud in a landscape planting.

• Find the best Redbud in a native setting. 

Pictures please!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:

A Royal Raindrops Crabapple in a Hall | Stewart customer’s lawn just starting to put on a spring show. When it reaches full bloom it will be covered with pink to red flowers. Foliage emerges with a wine red color and matures with burgundy tones in the summer.

March Lawn & Landscape Tips

March!  March, the month all of us lawn and landscape enthusiasts celebrate spring. 

March, the month being outdoors on your lawn, in your landscape and on your patio returns! 

March, the month full of rollercoaster temperatures!  Ouch, really?  Did we have to go there? 

But it’s true.  All the sunny 65 and over days make the occasional below freezing, winterish night hard to bear. 

Oh, I’m not talking about you and me, I’m talking about your lawn and landscape. 

Tulips are putting on an early show this spring.

One of the hardest things for your lawn and plants is to arrive at the point of buds popping, flowers bursting, and lawns breaking dormancy… and WHAM! another wintry night arrives!

Spring is arriving early this year, much earlier than the last two years.  A few years back we had a warm February, an early spring, followed by a very cool late March with a freeze.  When the freeze arrived many plants and even warm season lawns, with tender young growth, were knocked back.  That year it wasn’t until mid-May before lawns and many plants snapped out of it.

The best spring for your lawn and landscape, and yes for you too, is once we reach the point of buds swelling, green shoots appearing in the lawn, and early spring plants gracing our world with bright colors; the roller coaster temperature swings are more like a kiddy coaster and less like Six Flag’s Texas Giant. 

So, get outside.  Enjoy all the wonderful days.  Do something in your lawn and landscape. Just don’t jump the gun on planting tender annuals just yet.

Here are a few lawn and landscape tasks you should tackle this month:

Spring flowering bulbs, like these daffodils, are already cheering on the arrival of spring.

Daffodils are loving the early spring.

The bright yellow of Forsythia is a show stopper!

Spring Lawn Maintenance – Get the mower out and get started.  It is much easier to remove the winter damaged leaf blades before the turf begins to green-up.  Remember, scalping on the lowest setting isn’t required and isn’t recommended.  Simply mow the lawn at the height you plan to start the mowing season. 

For most Bermuda lawns, the second setting is recommended.  For fescue, start on the second or third notch on your mower. 

We are often asked about dethatching at this time of year. 

What is dethatching?  Dethatching is the removal of excessive thatch that builds up on the soil surface by using a vertical power rake.

But, unless you have a thick layer of ½-1” or more of thatch, dethatching causes more damage to the crown of the plants than it does good.  So, with only a few exceptions, the best method for reducing thatch is an initial spring lawn maintenance followed by aeration after spring green-up.  Unnecessary dethatching and scalping the lawn too low removes the canopy opening the lawn up to disease and weeds.

Need more info on the first mowing of the season? Check out last week’s post. 

If you haven't already, cut your fescue lawn to remove the freeze damaged leaf tips and soon the lawn will return to full color and start growing.

Lawn Maintenance – With so many warm days, soil temperatures reaching into the low 50’s, and the occasional rains, fescue lawns are regaining color every day.  Start your cool season lawn off right by maintaining it at 2 ½ - 3”.  When it starts growing mow frequently enough that you are never removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade per cutting.  So, if you plan to maintain a 3” level, don’t allow the lawn to grow past 4.5” without giving it a trim. 

If you have warm season turf, Bermuda or zoysia, after you cut the lawn for the first time to remove the brown winter damaged leaf blades, most likely you can put off regularly scheduled lawn mowing until April.

Saucer Magnolia is a small deciduous tree with saucer-shaped white, pink or purple blooms in early spring. It makes a great specimen tree from the spectacular spring blooms to its spreading, multi-trucked shape.

Tulips have started blooming...2-3 weeks ahead of normal.

Saucer Magnolia is a spring favorite. 

Headed to Dallas in the next few weeks?  Add the Dallas Arboretum to your places to visit during their spring Dallas Blooms event, now through April 8th.

One of the first shrubs to announce spring is forsythia. Interesting tidbit: when forsythia starts blooming it is an indicator that crabgrass has started germinating. 

Lawn Weed Control – Summer annual weeds begin germinating when soil temperatures consistently reach 55 degrees.  All the above normal temperatures have soil temperatures hanging out around 50 degrees.  Unless we see an extended cold spell, we are on course to see soil temperatues consistently reach 55 degrees by mid-March.   

If you have not applied the first spring pre-emergent yet, please do so by mid-March.  Whether you apply a pre-emergent yourself, or we do it for you, always follow instructions.  Watering is a required step to move the herbicide into the top ½” of soil.

Want to know what crabgrass will do to your lawn this summer if you don’t apply a pre-emergent? 

This is the month landscapes are filled with the bright pinkish-red colors of Redbuds, the Oklahoma State tree

Bed Weed Control – March is an excellent month to apply a plant safe pre-emergent to your landscape plantings.  Use caution in selecting the product to make sure it is safe for your plants.  When possible, select a granular pre-emergent mixed with a fertilizer containing approximately 20% nitrogen. Doing so will give your plants a good spring feeding while preventing weeds at the same time.

Lawn Fertilization – This month is a good time to start fertilizing your cool season lawns.  Use a fertilizer with 25-30% nitrogen.  Cool season lawns need to be feed more in the spring and fall when they are actively growing, and less in the summer. 

If you have a warm season lawn, wait until lawns have greened up to apply the first fertilizer application. 

Hyacinth is one of the first spring blooming bulbs to add splashes of color to the landscape.

Mulch – Spring is a great time to mulch your landscape plantings.  Maintaining a 2” layer of organic mulch will reduce weed population, retain soil moisture, and provide a more consistent soil temperature for plant roots.  I find adding mulch an easier task in the spring when I am cleaning my landscape plantings for the first time. 

Irrigation – It is always important to monitor rainfall and water based on need.  Continue the best practice of watering anytime we go a week without a ½” of rain.  If possible, wait as long as possible to start watering every other day.  You will save both water and money if you water on an as needed basis for the next couple of months.

One sign of how early the spring is this year…Hydrangeas are already budding. As long as we don’t get another hard freeze, this should be spring full of color.

Flowering Quince with bright orange to red flowers is one of the first shrubs to declare spring.

Spring Seasonal Color – Pansies are the toughest winter annual color, but it is common for them to look a little freeze burned after the winter.  With the early spring, as long as the crown was not damaged, they are returning to life and blooming.  The great thing about pansies is they add color to the spring landscape until it is warm enough to plant summer annuals.    

Wait till April to plant impatient, begonia, geranium, etc.  And remember most summer annuals need the warmer soil temperatures of late April or May before they are planted.  If you get in a hurry, you will end up planting your summer annual color twice.  When planting remember most plants prefer well drained, organic soil and would prefer you add compost when planting.

Seeding Fescue – March is the second-best time to overseed fescue. But it comes in a very distant second to seeding in the fall.  Spring seeded fescue will come up very well and look very good till the summer heat arrives - then it fades quickly.  Fescue, being a cool season grass, will not establish a sustainable root system when planted in the spring.  Give your fescue lawn a chance to green up first to get a better feel on the overall condition of the lawn.  If still feel you have bare areas that need to be addressed now, seed this month but still plan on seeding again in the fall.  In most cases waiting till fall to seed is best. Fall seeding allows you to focus on weed prevention and turf development in the spring and turf establishment in the fall when it is best.

Creeping phlox is one of the first perennials to burst with color in the spring.  

Pruning – March is the time to do heavy pruning on your roses.  March is also the best time to make a major reduction in the size of hollies, boxwoods and most broadleaf evergreens.  Before spring growth arrives, you can successfully remove all the foliage back to the central leader if needed.

If you need help with any of your lawn and landscape tasks, or just have a few questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.  

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The First Ritual of Spring

For many lawn enthusiasts the first ritual of spring isn’t seeing their first flowering shrub, it is the first time they fire up their lawn mower.

When February delivers as many spring like days as it has this year, the questions about the first lawn mowing are abundant.    

Let’s cover some of the most common first lawn mowing questions we field:

When is the right time for spring lawn maintenance? 

The best time is between the last week of February and mid-March.  The goal is to do it after the last chance for extended cold weather and before spring green up. 

How low do I need to cut the lawn the first time?

This will be the most often asked question over the next few weeks.

The old rule was to cut the lawn as short as the mower would go.  Homeowners would brag about getting the lawn shorter than their neighbor.  The more dirt exposed, the better. 

But why?   What is the purpose of scalping your lawn to the dirt?  Is that the best thing for your lawn?

The practice of scalping your lawn in the spring on the lowest setting isn’t needed and isn’t beneficial for your lawn.

But there is something you should do every spring – the initial spring lawn maintenance. 

It is common for Fescue to end up over 3” tall. 1.5-2” is a good starting height in the spring.

Spring lawn maintenance is the process of cutting the lawn to the height you plan to start mowing this spring. The purpose is to remove the cold damaged leaf blades allowing the crown, stolons, and rhizomes to grow. It is not good to cut the lawn so short you see dirt.

What is the difference? 

Lawn scalping is setting your mower on the lowest setting, cutting the lawn as short as possible, often exposing some soil in the process.  But, anytime you expose dirt in your lawn you are opening the opportunity for more weeds to germinate.  And, when you scalp as low as possible you run the risk of damaging the plant crown.  Damage to the crown will result in a weaker root system and a stressed lawn through spring and into the early summer. 

Spring Lawn Maintenance is the practice of setting your mower height at or just below the height you plan to start mowing for the season.  This sets the lawn up for you to  gradually increase the cutting height through the spring and summer with your lawn reaching its maximum height during the heat of late summer. If you plan to start your lawn off for the season on the second notch on your mower, then do the initial spring lawn maintenance at the same height.

Often Bermuda lawns end the season at 2-3” tall. Cutting it down to 1” is a good place to start the season.

Warm season turfs, Bermuda and Zoyia, go completely dormant during the winter, so removing the brown leaf blades is necessary.  The leaf blades (grass shoots) are damaged by the winter freezes and do not green back up.  In the spring, the crown, stolon, and tillers will green back up.  So, only leaf blades need to be removed, not the crown or stolon.

Fescue lawn before Spring Lawn Maintenance has removed the freeze damaged grass tips.

Fescue lawn after Spring Lawn Maintenance.

Should I remove the clippings or leave them on the lawn?

Bag the clippings or rake them up after mowing.  Removing the clippings is always a good practice anytime you are removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing whether it is dormant or green.

Fescue lawn 3 weeks after Spring Lawn Maintenance

If I have a cool season lawn (fescue or rye), is spring lawn maintenance needed? 

For the best spring green up, I would recommend mowing the lawn a little shorter than you left it at the end of last season.  Fescue and rye leaf blades often have brown tips from the winter cold.  If you remove the brown leaf tips soon, your lawn will develop better color quickly as soil temperatures warm.

If you have a fescue lawn, in the next couple of weeks cut your lawn a little shorter than you left it in the fall to remove the freeze damaged leaf blades.

Should I dethatch the lawn? 

Dethatching is the process of removing excess thatch.  Thatch is the layer of undecomposed grass clippings that builds up on the soil surface.  When your lawn is healthy and you are mowing often enough, you should not have thatch build up.  This is even true if you do not catch your clippings during the growing season.  But, if you have a layer of more than 1” of thatch, dethatching is recommended.  Use a verti-cutter, also known as a power rake, to remove the thatch before spring green up.  Excessive thatch stops air, nutrients, and water from reaching the root zone and results in a shallow rooted turf. 

Aeration, after spring green up, is also an effective way of removing thatch and has the added benefit of reducing soil compaction.

In most cases, spring lawn maintenance followed by aeration after spring green up will cure thatch problems.  In over 30 years in the lawn and landscape industry, I have only seen a handful of lawns with excessive thatch problems to the point that dethatching was required.

Best Practice for Bermuda Lawns  – Anytime in the next 3 weeks, cut the lawn on your mower’s next to lowest setting and remove the clippings.  Plan to aerate your lawn in April – June to reduce compaction, improve soil structure, and move organic material into the root zone.

Best Practice for Fescue Lawns – In the next 3 weeks, cut your lawn a little lower than you left it in the fall to remove the freeze damaged leaf blades, then be ready to resume weekly mowing in mid-March. 

If you have any questions concerning the practice of spring lawn maintenance vs scalping, send us an email or give us a call. 

Our goal is to help you get your lawn off to its best start this spring.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

When is the Right Time to Apply a Pre-Emergent Herbicide?

The short answer – 

• Before weeds germinate. 

Ok, maybe we need the long answer –

The window for applying the first pre-emergent application is broad. 

• If you have already had your first application, it was done at the right time. 

• If you have not had your first application, you are NOT too late.

Summer annual weeds begin to germinate when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.  Mid-March is the normal time for soil temperatures to reach 55 degrees.  We have seen years when soil temperatures didn’t reach 55 degrees until the last few days of March, which is what happened the last two years.  And, on occasion, we have years when soil temperatures reach the point of summer annual weed germination the first week of March. 

Pre-emergent herbicides create a blanket over a lawn preventing seeds from germinating on the soil surface.  Pre-emergent weed controls are designed to stop weed seeds from germinating.  So, as long as they are applied before weeds germinate, the timing is perfect. 

To be on the safe side, the best practice is to have the first application of pre-emergent herbicides on your lawn by the first week of March.

The warmer than normal temperatures since the first of February have convinced some tulips it is time for spring.

This year, we experienced a colder than normal January with temperatures below normal 21 of 31 days.  Then, the switch got flipped at the start of February with 11 of the 17 days so far this month with temperatures above average. 

Trees, shrubs and even tulips are starting to think spring has arrived. 

And, based on the phone calls to our office this week, the feeling of spring in the air also has many wondering if they missed the opportunity to put down a pre-emergent this year. 

You haven’t.  Soil temperatures are still well below 55 degrees.

The current 3-Day Average Soil Temperature in the Oklahoma City area is 45 degrees, 10 degrees below the temperature required for summer annual weeds to start germinating.

So….  If you have already had your first application, it was done at the right time. 

And, if you have not had your first application, you are not too late! 

Cold spells, like yesterday and today’s morning temps in the 20’s, are very common throughout February.  We can expect soil temperatures to range between the mid-40’s and low 50’s in the next couple of weeks. 

So, when is the right time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent summer annual weeds? 

Anytime in January, February or early March before weeds germinate.

There is one very important factor when it comes to the effectiveness of a pre-emergent no matter when you apply it…. Water! 

A critical factor in the effectiveness of a pre-emergent application is water.

Because crabgrass is an annual grassy weed, without a spring pre-emergent even the best lawns will have crabgrass this summer.

Watering in the application activates the herbicide creating a barrier.  A best practice is to water within 2-3 days of when the application is made.  But, quality herbicides still retain effectiveness as long as they are watered in within 10-14 days.    

Good news this winter… Since early January metro area lawns have benefited from 4 to 5 really good winter rainfalls, just right for moving pre-emergent herbicide into the soil creating a barrier against weed germination.   

There are a lot of factors that go into creating your best lawn, but the most critical at this time of year is the application of the spring pre-emergent before weeds germinate.

One indicator that soil temperatures are warm enough for summer annual weeds to start germinating is bright yellow blooms of forsythia.

Even though we have had plenty of spring like days, forsythia has not started to burst with yellow yet.

Two More Important Weed Control Details:

1.     Pre-emergent herbicides are not designed to control existing weeds in your lawn.  If you have weeds in your lawn now, a post-emergent grassy weed killer or a broadleaf weed killer must be applied.  Weeds commonly present in lawns now are winter annuals best prevented with the fall and early winter pre-emergent applications.  Control now is possible, but the sooner an application is made, the better the results will be.

Best Practice – A clean lawn in January and February is the result of effective fall pre-emergent applications.

The best way to have a weed free lawn in February is to never skip the fall pre-emergent applications.

 2.     The pre-emergent barrier gradually weakens over the season from foot traffic, mowing and periods of heavy rain.  The edges of the lawn are the first to break down.  Additionally, summer annual weeds continue to germinate throughout the season.  It is recommended a second pre-emergent application be made mid-March to early May for season long prevention.

Best Practice – A second pre-emergent application 6-8 weeks after the first application will provide season long prevention of summer annual weeds.

So, when is the right time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide?

If you have received the first application of the season, you did it at the right time.

If you have yet to receive the first application, you perfect…there is still time to prevent summer annual weeds! 

If you have any questions about pre-emergent applications, please give us a call!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn & Landscape

(405)367-3873

Ornamental Grasses – The Single Maintenance Per Year Plant!

Ornamental grasses are a great addition to any landscape.  They are easy to grow.  They are tolerant of most soils.  Once they are established, they don’t require much water.   And, they rarely have insect or disease issues. 

Best of all - they require little maintenance. 

They need trimming only one time per year. 

The rest of the season they need little to no attention.

What is an ornamental grass? 

Most commonly they come in two forms:  medium to tall grasses and groundcovers. 

Groundcovers include Liriope and Mondo Grass.  They are often used as boarders or in mass plantings. Liriope makes a great groundcover in turf areas that are even too shady for fescue.   

Taller grasses can be used as focal point or in mass plantings.  

Ornamental grasses provide texture, color, height, and flower plumes.  They also add interest in the winter as their blades sway in the breeze. 

A few of the more frequently used grasses include Fountain Grass (including the popular Hameln), Japanese Blood Grass, Liriope, Maiden Grass, Mondo Grass, Plume Grass, Mexican Feather Grass, Muhly, and Sweet Flag.

Liriope, commonly know as Monkey Grass, makes a good ground cover. There are several varieties. Purple Explosion produces deep purple spikes in the late summer.

Pink Muhly Grass produces pinkish-purple lacy plumes in the fall.

Liriope is a great solution for areas that are too shady to grow a thick lawn. 

When do ornamental grasses need their once per year trim? 

Anytime now through early March.  The goal is to remove all the dormant top before new shoots start to develop.  If you make a cut on new shoots, the tip will keep a bruised look all season.

I prefer to wait until late winter to cut back ornamental grasses. They add interest to the winter landscape as they sway in the wind.  

Ornamental grasses need to have their dormant foliage removed before new shoots emerge this spring.

Cutting back your ornamental grasses in late winter can be a big task. But, you only have to work on the one time per year. Grasses are nearly maintenance free the rest of the year.  

Tying up the foliage first will make the job and clean-up go quicker.

Liriope and Mondo Grasses typically have freeze burnt leaf blades from winter cold spells and need to be trimmed sometime between now and mid-March.

What height does ornamental grass need to be cut? 

For pampas grasses, remove the dormant foliage to a height of approximately 12”. 

For liriope, trim to a height of 2-3”. 

Mondo Grass, particularly Dwarf Mondo, only needs a once per year trim if most of the foliage has browned.  Most springs you can use hand pruners to clip out what little brown foliage there is on dwarf mondo. 

Another exception to the once per year trim is Mexican Feather Grass.  This ornamental grass performs best if it isn’t trimmed at all.  As the grass matures, small areas will turn brown.  Gently pull the brown areas out anytime they appear. 

Mexican Feather Grass is the one exception to cutting them down in the spring. Instead, remove any brown clumps from the grass during the growing season by gently pulling them out.

What are the best tools for the project? 

For pampas grasses, use either hand hedge shears or power hedge trimmers depending on how thick the grass clumps have become.  To make the job easier, use twine to tie up the foliage before you make your cuts.  

For liriope, you can use your string trimmer, or if the area is large enough, go ahead and use the mower on the highest setting. 

Mexican Feather Grass prefers not to be cut back in the spring.  

Grouping of Mexican Feather Grass planted with Pink Muhly Grass. 

Should I divide my grasses? 

It is not uncommon for pampas grasses to die out in the center of the clump as the grass matures and grows.  Every 3-5 years it is a good idea to divide grasses in the spring.  Using a sharp shovel, simply slice through the grass.  Then replant the clump. 

Liriope can easily be transplanted after it is cut back.  Use a shovel or even a post-hole digger to dig clumps.  Liriope can be invasive.  Therefore, I find I need to dig up liriope that has spread beyond the intended area occasionally.

Dividing and replanting grasses is an inexpensive way to expand your landscape. 

Liriope, also known as Monkey Grass, should have the brown tops removed before new shoots emerge in mid-March.

When you pull back the brown tops of your liriope you will see the plants are still green. Sometime in the next 4 weeks use your string trimmer or mower to remove the brown tops.

When is the best time to plant new ornamental grasses? 

Ornamental grasses can be planted year-round in our region.  The ideal time is spring or fall.  Summer is also good, but they will require more watering until established.

A couple of good information sources for ornamental grasses:

https://www.monrovia.com/shop/by-type/grasses.html

Have more questions about ornamental grasses?  Give us a call.  (405)367-3873.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

A great combination of plants for winter interest is Reg Twig Dogwood and Ornamental Grasses.

February – Will It Deliver An Early Spring or More Winter?

February can go either way. 

Sometimes February feels like winter is never going to end.  Yet, other times February feels like spring with bulbs, shrubs, and trees bursting with color. 

After a cold January, temperatures were below normal 21 of 31 days, February is off to a spring-like start. 

I don’t know about you, but I needed this week with abundant sunshine and above normal temperatures. 

Cold or spring-like, either way, the first of February means we are getting closer to the browns of winter being replaced with the colors of spring!

If we receive a snow this February, take time to find to notice the stark red branches of the Red Twig Dogwood against pure white snow.

With springtime a month away, it is time to shake off your winter break from lawn and landscape activities and get focused on setting up your lawn and landscape for a successful year.  

If you handled some of these tasks on one of the few nice days in January, you are ahead.  But, if not, we are down to a few weeks to get your lawn and landscape ready for the next lawn and landscape season.   

Weed Control – In early January, as weather allowed, we began applying the very important first step of our lawn care program to many of your lawns.  For the best lawn this year, it is critical you have a pre-emergent herbicide applied to your turf to prevent spring and summer weeds before early March.  Many summer weeds germinate when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees, which typically occurs sometime during the first two weeks of March in central Oklahoma.  Soil temperatures are currently in the low 40’s but will reach the critical weed germination point within the next 30-40 days.  Along with applying the first pre-emergent of the year, now is the perfect time to be more aggressive in controlling existing weeds in Bermuda lawns.  If you have a fescue lawn, now is also a good time for pre and post-emergent weed control, but you must read the label and ensure it is safe for fescue before applying.  Never assume that an herbicide is okay on any turf type.

Key Point:  For the best lawn this year your lawn needs a pre-emergent application before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees in early March.

Because crabgrass is fast growing and spreads quickly, it can have a dominant presence in your lawn by May without a spring pre-emergent.

Dormant Oil – Many insects, such as scale, aphids, mites and leaf hoppers, overwinter on trees and shrubs.  Spray with a dormant oil when the temperature is above 40 degrees before the end of the month (before bud break), and you will have less insect issues on your trees and shrubs during the season.  Dormant oil can also reduce some fungal pathogens.  Caution – do not use dormant oils on needle evergreens (juniper, cedar, cypress, etc.). 

Key Point:  Dormant oils will reduce, and possibly eliminate, some insects.

Over the past few seasons Crape Myrtles have been problems with white scale. The first step in gaining control of the insect is a dormant oil treatment. 

The best time to control and prevent weeds is before warm season lawns come out of dormancy.

An application of a dormant oil this month will smother overwintering insects such as aphids.

Assuming February brings us a gradual warm up we are only 30 days away from daffodil blossoms. 

Watering – With over 2 ¼” of rainfall in the last 30 days soil moisture is really good for this time of year.  Most landscapes do not need any additional moisture at this time.  Continue to monitor rainfall and be prepared to water if needed.   If we go 7-10 days without moisture, pick a nice day and give your lawn and landscape a deep soaking.   

Key Point:  Winter plant damage is more likely to occur when plant roots are dry during an extended cold period.

It is a good practice to wrap the trunks of young Maple trees to prevent trunk damage in February and March. Commonly known as southwest injury, it is caused by sap rising on warm days followed by freezing temperatures at night resulting in damage to the bark.

Fescue lawns will return to a rich dark green sometime between the last week of February and the last week of March when soil temperatures and moisture are just right.

Fescue – With a run of over 100 consecutive hours below freezing and a low below zero in January, fescue lawns lost the color they carried through the holidays and are now a freeze-burn, brown color. If there only been just a couple of inches of snow to go with the cold temperatures, fescue would have lost some color but would have maintained an overall green hue. 

One of the most frequent calls we received this week started with “My fescue isn’t looking very good.”   

We could be only three weeks away from seeing spring color!

What can you expect from your fescue in February?  It all depends upon temperatures and moisture. Every year there is a turning point when temperatures rise, there is abundant moisture and almost overnight, fescue lawns regain their rich green color.  A full recovery can happen as early as mid-February or as late as mid-March. 

Key Point:  Hold your judgment on the condition of your fescue lawn for another 4-6 weeks.

Soil Test – If your lawn did not respond as expected to fertilizer last year, you may have a soil problem.  It is a good idea to have your soil tested every three to four years to ensure the soil will continue to yield a healthy landscape. A soil analysis will provide you with the pH and levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  A pH range of 6.0 to 7.5 is acceptable for most plants.

Using a spade take 10-12 samples of soil from the top 6”.  It is best to test turf soil and landscape planting soil separately.  Mix in a bucket and remove roots and debris.  Place about 2 cups of soil in a plastic zip lock bag. Take the sample to your locale Oklahoma County Extension Center. 

The Oklahoma County’s center is located 2500 NE 63rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111.  For a nominal fee they will have the soil tested and send you the results along with recommendations in approximately two weeks.

Or, if you would like us to handle this for you, respond to this email or call (405)367-3873.  We will gather a sample, deliver it to the lab, call you to discuss the findings, and prescribe a soil amendment plan if needed. 

Key Point:  For the best lawn and landscape, have your soil tested every two to three years.

One of the first announcements of spring comes from the bright golden yellow of the forsythia. When will it declare spring this year?  Before the end of February?  Or March?

Last year, forsythia started blooming on February 25.

Tree Pruning – Continue to work on tree pruning with the goal of completing maintenance and restorative pruning before trees’ leaf in March. 

For more information on tree pruning, follow this link to our December 2023 Tree Pruning article: https://www.hallstewart.com/hsblog/2020/12/6/this-winter-more-than-ever-your-trees-need-some-attention?rq=tree

If you planted daffodil bulbs in November or December, this is less than 30 days away!

Lawn Maintenance – Continue to keep leaves and debris removed from the landscape.  Later this month or early in March, cut the lawn for the first time.  It is not necessary to scalp the lawn all the way to the soil.  We recommend cutting the lawn at or just below the height you desire to maintain it at during the spring and early summer. 

Lawn Equipment – If you mow your own lawn, February is a perfect time to get your mower ready for the new season.  I am a firm believer in having your lawn mower professionally serviced every winter. Not only will you have less mower headaches during the season, you also can expect a longer mower life.  Most shops offer a winter tune-up special where they put in a new spark plug, change the oil and filter, replace the air filter if needed, put in fresh fuel with stabilizer, and sharpen the blade. 

Odds are there will be a little more winter yet to come, so enjoy the spring-like days February is delivering right now.

We can’t wait to get to spring with “trees of green, red roses too.” 

Continue to take advantage of every pretty day you can to get your lawn and landscape ready for a wonderful 2024!

If you need help with any of these tasks or have questions, please give us a call.

Lorne Hall

 Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Dallisgrass – The “Address It As Soon As You See It” Weed

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: 

This email may not be suitable for all lawn and landscape lovers.

WARNING:  This week’s post does not contain any pretty lawn and landscape pictures.  Only ugly pictures of dallisgrass infestations.  If you only click on our emails for inspiring pictures, please do not continue.  We promise to return to normal content next week. 

Often the content of our weekly emails is the result of what we are seeing in lawns and landscapes.  This time of year, while doing lawn evaluations for soon to be Hall | Stewart clients, it is common to encounter lawns with dallisgrass issues.

Let’s spend a few minutes learning about this invasive weed and learn why it is so important to “address it as soon as you see it.”

Dallisgrass is a perennial grassy weed that was introduced to the US from Uruguay and Argentina in the 1800’s by A.T. Dallis as a fast-growing forage plant.  Unfortunately, dallisgrass liked the environment a little too well and soon was growing out of control. 

Dallisgrass is a grassy perennial weed that is very noticeable this time of year in dormant bermuda lawns.

How fun would it be to bring to market a plant that is beneficial for generations to come and have it named after you!   Poor A.T., he thought he was helping, but instead of a plant people love named after him, he has a weed with his name that is the catalyst for a lot of foul language.

Dallisgrass is often confused with crabgrass. Crabgrass is an annual, meaning it dies every winter and can be completely prevented with a pre-emergent. While dallisgrass is a perennial, a pre-emergent will prevent the spread of new clumps but repeated post-emergent grassy weed control is required to eradicate existing clumps.

What is Dallisgrass?

Dallisgrass is a coarse textured perennial that grows in an ever-enlarging circular clump and is often confused with crabgrass.  

A perennial is a plant that comes back year after year.  Dallisgrass goes dormant during the winter, but the rhizomes do not die.  In the spring, new growth appears from the roots.

Dallisgrass has short underground rhizomes that gradually grow outward.  It has wide ¼ to ½” leaf blades that grow 4-12” long when not mowed.   

Mature clumps typically have dying centers while the outer edge continues to grow smothering turfgrass as it spreads.

Individual plants increase in size while new clumps start from weed seeds.   

Dallisgrass flourishes in all soils, sandy to clay, but is partial to compacted, wet soils. 

Dallisgrass is a very common problem for lawns throughout the south from coast to coast.

How To Control Dallisgrass

1.     Healthy Turf - As with all weeds, maintaining a healthy, dense turf is the first step.  Good mowing, watering, fertilizing and aeration practices result in a thick turf leaving less area for dallisgrass seeds to come in contract with and germinate.  Thin turf and bare soil areas are an invitation to all weeds, especially dallisgrass.

2.     Pre-Emergent Applications – Although dallisgrass is a perennial, it does produce an abundance of seeds that are spread by wind, animals and lawn equipment.  Pre-emergent applications will not control existing dallisgrass, but it will prevent it from allowing more clumps to develop in your lawn. Seeds germinate in 60-65 degree soil temperatures, a few weeks after crabgrass germinates. 

The second spring pre-emergent application between mid-March to early May is critical in stopping the spread of dallisgrass.

Dallisgrass goes dormant in the winter but the rhizomes stay alive and often keep some green color near the soil surface.

Dallisgrass grows outward smothering turfgrass as it spreads. Over time the center of the weed dies out while the rhizomes continue to spread.

3. Selective Post-Emergent Applications – Grassy weed control products labeled for crabgrass will work on dallisgrass, but repeat applications are required every 2-3 weeks until the rhizomes are completely dead.  MSMA was the go-to product for years, but it is no longer available for home lawn use.  One product labelled for homeowner use is Weed-B-Gone Crabgrass Killer.  Always follow label instructions.  Know your type of turf, and make sure the product is labeled for your turf type.  Licensed lawn care professionals have restricted use herbicides available to use that provide better control of dallisgrass.   

This lawn was overtaken with dallisgrass when we started working on it last spring. The owner agreed to allowing us to use glyphosate early in the growing season to aggressively control dallisgrass resulting large bare areas. Over the summer, most of the areas recovered.  But another year of good turf management practices and this lawn is needed to return the lawn to looking great. Control of dallisgrass and recovery is often a two year process.

4, Non-Selective Post-Emergent Application – The best control of large areas of dallisgrass infestations where there is little to no desirable turfgrass remaining is to treat with glyphosate.  Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it kills everything it comes in contact with.  Repeated applications are still required.  If spot treating clumps of dallisgrass in your lawn, take care not to allow the spray to reach desirable turf.  Once the weed is completely killed, rhizomes included, resodding may be required. 

5. Digging It Out – The most environmentally friendly, but the most time consuming and physically demanding, is to dig out the invasive weeds.  A good step in preventing a dallisgrass outbreak is to dig out small clumps, rhizomes and all, as soon as you see them in your lawn.

Large areas of dallisgrass where little to now desirable turfgrass remains are best completely killed out with a non-selective herbicide and then resodded.

Non-selective herbicides were used in June to control dallisgrass in this lawn. After the dallisgrass was completely controlled, the areas were sodded with Bermuda. 

Dallisgrass grows faster than turfgrass spoiling a well maintained lawn and landscape.

Because dallisgrass is a perennial, persistence is required.  Total eradication of a large area may take more than one season.  Multiple treatments over a two-year period can be expected.

It is one of the more difficult to control weeds homeowners will face and the longer it has been established the harder it is to gain control. 

Address dallisgrass as soon as you see it.  The longer you wait the more invasive it will become.

If you have dallisgrass problems, or if you need help in identifying dallisgrass, please give us a call or respond to this email.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The goal is to have a clean and healthy lawn this summer. It is critical you address dallisgrass as soon as you see it.

Japanese Maples – Year Round Interest

With over 140 hours of the past 7 days below freezing with very little snow cover, our lawns and landscapes look as if they have been left uncovered in the deep freeze and are now suffering from a bad case of freezer burn.

After a long cold week of long johns, heavy coats and gloves, I doubt you are looking for a list of lawn and landscape tasks to accomplish over the next few days.

So, go ahead, pour yourself another cup of coffee, grab a blanket, and head to your comfy chair closest to the fireplace and spend a few minutes dreaming about beautiful landscapes.

Specifically, let’s dream of Japanese Maples – The Aristocrat of the Landscape

Japanese Maples are sure to add bright colors to your fall landscape.

Michael Dirr, author of the Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs textbook, writes: 

“True aristocrats are rare among people and trees, but Japanese Maple is in the first order. 

It is difficult to imagine a garden that could not benefit from one of the many forms of Acer palmatum.

The normal habit is round to broad-rounded, with the branches assuming a layered,

almost stratified architecture similar to Flowering Dogwood. 

Leaves are light green to dark green, to reddish purple. 

Fall color is sensational with rich yellow and reds through the fall. 

The winter silhouette is attractive, providing interest during the off season. 

Landscape uses for the species and its many cultivars are limited only by

the imagination of the gardener.”

Japanese Maples have added spectacular color to the fall landscape this year. Garnet is a graceful small variety with lacy leaves and a weeping growth habit.

A few things everyone needs to know about Japanese Maples:

Site

Japanese Maples grow well from zone 5-8, making them a good choice for Oklahoma City’s zone 7.  They perform best when planted in dappled sun to shade and out of direct afternoon sun.  Shade does have its limits…they need some sun for the best fall foliage color.  During the summer heat, it is common for them to experience some leaf scorch, especially if they receive direct sun.  They prefer well-drained soil and consistent moisture.  During the heat of the year, you can expect them to need extra deep watering the first couple of seasons. But once they are established, they are essentially carefree. 

Monrovia, a leader in the development and growing of landscape plants, refers to “Japanese Maples a statement plant…one of the most compelling plants you can add to your landscape.”

With over 1,000 varieties and cultivars of the Japanese Maples, there has to be one perfect for your landscape.

Tamukeyama Japanese Maple has deep red-purple leaves through the summer and bright red fall foliage. With cascading branches it grows in a mounding shape 10’ fall and 10’ wide.

Coral Bark Japanese Maples have pale green leaves in the summer, Golden yellow fall color, and bright red-coral branches in the winter.

Coral Bark Japanese Maple

Japanese Maples are a staple landscape plant that will add interest to a landscape year round.

A mature Japanese Maple, such as this Bloodgood, will grow in full sun locations where the soil is shaded.

Size & Form

Japanese Maples range from a few feet tall to 25’.  Considered a deciduous small tree or shrub, there are rounded, dwarf, weeping, upright, cascading, single trunk, multi-trunk…. varieties. 

How can you use a Japanese Maple in your landscape? 

You can create a solitary specimen as a spotlight in the landscape.

You can plant them in a group as a grove.  

Or, you can use them in large containers.

Leaves from a Bloodgood Japanese Maple cover the ground with a red carpet as they drop from the tree.

Leaf Shape

Japanese Maple foliage is divided into two types: traditional maple type, 2-5” wide palm-shaped with 5-7 lobes, or delicate and lacy. 

Japanese Maples varieties will have either traditional maple shaped leaves or delicate and lacy leaves like this weeping variety.

Green and red Japanese Maples planted in a group to create a grove.

Bloodgood Japanese Maples make a bold statement in April when their leaves emerge a brilliant red.

Leaf Color

Japanese Maples are among the most wide-range, colorful trees.  The foliage ranges from red, green, orange, deep red-purple and bright red-pink depending on the time of year.  Some leaf out brilliant reds in the spring, change to green in the summer, and finish the year in bright reds, yellows and oranges.  Other varieties start red in the spring, keep a red cast all summer keeping the red color through fall. 

Monrovia’s website is a great place to explore Japanese Maples.

Fun Fact – Fried maple leaves are a very popular snack in Japan.  The city of Minoh is famous for their fired maple leaves.  The leaves are dipped and fried in tempura batter.   

How To Plant A Japanese Maple

1. Dig a hole twice as wide as the tree container and a few inches deeper.

2. Backfill the bottom of the hole with a mixture of the soil from the site and a compost material (Back to Nature or Landscape Grower’s Mix are a couple of favorites).  Tamp firmly the soil in the bottom of the hole.

3. Place the tree in the hole with the top of the root ball approximately 2” higher than the surrounding grade.

4. Back fill halfway with your soil and compost mixture.

5. Lightly tamp down the soil and water well.

6. Finish filling around the tree.

7. Mulch with a 2” layer of a Grade A Cedar Mulch and water well.

Japanese Maples are a great staple plant for every landscape. If you don’t have one, you should consider adding a Japanese Maple to your landscape this year.   

Oh, you have one?  Don’t you think you should add another?

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Winter & Your Landscape

It’s January and the local weather forecasters are warning us about winter weather approaching in the days to come.

What does winter weather mean for your lawn and landscape? 

For young trees and trees with thin bark, wrapping the trunk in the winter will protect the tree from damage due to freezing and thawing temperatures.

If you have perennials or winter annuals such as pansies or kale, winter moisture is critical to their performance going into the spring.

Fescue lawns will retain more color in the winter and rebound quicker in the spring if they are not allowed to become bone dry during the winter.

Newly sodded lawns, due to a shallow root system, can experience freeze damage if the roots are dry during a winter cold spell.

Finally, all newer landscapes, those installed in the last two years require a little more watering attention over the winter.

The goal is to make sure the top few inches of soil is moist well ahead of freezing temperatures.  Roots are still active and providing moisture for the plant.  Once the soil freezes, the roots no longer have the ability to replace moisture lost to transpiration. 

Our rule of thumb is to keep your irrigation operational through the winter, monitor the weather, and be ready to water once every 7-14 days if we have not received a good rainfall.

Biggest Winter Issue – Lack of moisture

Lack of adequate soil moisture is often a major cause of winter damage.  All lawns, shrubs, trees, perennials, and annuals need moisture during the winter.  This is particularly true about evergreens.  Remember, your lawn and landscape are dormant, not dead, and moisture is still important.  

Most winter plant injury occurs when we receive a harsh cold spell while plant root systems are dry.

Winter watering is particularly critical for evergreen shrubs and trees.  Windy days zap the moisture stored in their leaves making them sensitive to winter injury when we receive a harsh cold snap when they are dry.

Windy and cold winter temperatures dry needle and evergreen plants foliage. It is important they have moist soil for the days leading up to extreme winter weather.

Shallow-rooted plants, such as azalea and Japanese maple, are also prone to winter injury when they do not receive regular moisture during dormancy.

Newly planted landscapes need additional water in the winter for the first two years until the roots are established in the native soil.

Current Watering Recommendation:

We received ¼” of rain this week.  If we do not receive at least a ½” of rain early this week, give your lawn and landscape a good deep soaking before the next cold front arrives.

First Step in Avoiding Winter Damage – Select plants that are winter hardy in our area.

Plant cold hardiness is based on the USDA Hardiness Zones.  Central Oklahoma is Zone 7A.  Plants with a 7A rating can withstand temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees.  Northern Oklahoma is Zone 6B, -5 to 0 degrees.  And southern Oklahoma is Zone 7B which can survive temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees.

If you live in central Oklahoma and are tempted to experiment with a plant that grows best in Zone 7B, plant it in a protected area that is shielded from dry winter winds.

Also, when selecting plants, look for plants that perform well in our tighter, clay soils.  A 7A plant that grows best in loose soil may live for years when we have mild winters only to fail when we have a winter of extreme temperatures.

When making plant selections, don’t overlook ones that add winter interest such as Nandina with their bright red berries.

The best weather for your plants during extreme temperatures is a snowfall of 2 or more inches.

Snowfall is moisture!

If we get a ½” rainfall, there is a lot of runoff.  But, when the snow melts, it slowly soaks in.  Every single drop benefits the roots of your turf, flowers, shrubs, and trees.  On average, a 4” snow equals nearly a 1/2” rainfall. 

The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls snow a “poor man’s fertilizer.”

Snow is full of nitrogen.  As snow falls it collects nitrogen that is naturally in the air and distributes it evenly over your lawn and landscape.

Best Weather Condition for Extreme Cold – Snow.

Fresh snow is like a warm blanket when temperatures dip into the teens or lower!

Snowfall is nature’s way of insulating your valuable landscape from cold temperatures.  A fresh snow cover of more than 2” is very beneficial to the landscape by trapping soil warmth below the snow. 

Without snow, soil temperatures fluctuate more, dipping deeper during cold spells.  It is common for soil temperatures to be as much as 10 degrees warmer when there is a snow cover. 

Your landscape is thankful for a blanket of snow to trap the warm soil temperatures around its roots and keep the cold windy temperatures at bay.

A Key to Preventing Winter Damage – Healthy Plants.

Rarely does a healthy plant die due to winter injury.  Plants in poor health are the first to die during cold periods. 

Keep your plants healthy during the growing season and they will be better suited for the winter cold.  Inspect often for insects and disease.  Make sure they are receiving the correct nutrients in the correct amounts.  Practice good watering techniques throughout the growing season. 

The healthier your plants, the better they will do in the extreme temperatures of winter.

One More Great Winter Practice – Mulch.

A fresh 2-3” layer of mulch will provide insulation for your plant roots, retain moisture, and moderate soil temperatures.  

As always, let us know if you have any questions or if we can help you have your best lawn and landscape.

And…stay warm…. after all, it is January.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Merry Christmas!

Christmas…the season of hope!

What are you hoping for this Christmas?  The top item on your wish list?  Time with family and friends?  Joy?  Health?

 

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

Everyone is hoping for something.

But, what happens when the thing you are hoping for does not happen? 

The feeling of hope is replaced with a feeling of disappointment.  When the feeling of disappointment lingers it is easy to find ourselves feeling hopeless.  Hopelessness is the feeling of despair about something.

I don’t like the feelings of disappointment.  I really don’t like the feeling of hopelessness.  We have all been there.  Especially when we have placed our hope in finances, relationships, health, and careers…...

But this is Christmas… the celebration of real hope! 

A hope that does not disappoint! 

A hope that erases hopelessness!

Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Christmas, the celebration of the birth of hope and love for all mankind.

May your entire holiday season be filled with the true hope and love of Christ!

Merry Christmas from your friends at Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

Small Trees in the Landscape

A few times we have posted an article titled Great Landscapes Have Three Levels. In the article, we mention the use of small trees as one of the ways to create three levels. 

Wintertime, with fewer lawn and landscape maintenance activities dominating your time, is the perfect time to evaluate your landscape.  Let’s spend a few minutes learning about the importance of small trees in the landscape.

Reasons For Using Small Trees

Small trees often are the punctuation points of your landscape.  They are the anchor plants that give the landscape balance. 

Small trees are the stars of the landscape with the rest of the landscape playing a supporting role.

Often, they are the first to be placed in the design and commonly the first to be planted. 

• Small trees add height, color, and texture to the landscape.

• They complement the landscape.

• They direct the eye to key features or views.

• Small trees can frame a house or an entry.

• They can be used to create privacy or screen an undesirable view.

• Small trees give the landscape balance.

Small trees are defined as those that have a mature height of 12-30’. 

Small trees are typically multi-stemmed but can be a single trunk plant as well. 

The list of small trees is long.

Here are a few to consider:

Redbud

Redbud – There are many varieties, but the Oklahoma Redbud stands out as a great landscape specimen with vibrant pink-purple flowers on bare branches in the early spring and glossy heart-shaped leaves during the growing season.  15-20’ tall and wide.

Redbud

Redbud

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Japanese Maple

Japanese Maple

Japanese Maple – A favorite small tree for the north or east side of a house.  There are weeping, upright, and spreading varieties.  Varieties with red leaves, purple leaves, green leaves, and yellow leaves.  Their color and texture create interest in any shady to dappled sun area.  10-25’ high and wide.

Japanese Maple

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Saucer Magnolia

Saucer Magnolia – Large saucer-shaped blooms of white, pink, or purple in the early spring on spreading multi-trunk branches.  20’ tall and 20’ wide.

Saucer Magnolia

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Crape Myrtle

Crape Myrtle – Our longest summer blooming plant with so many colors and growth habits to choose from there has to be one just right for any landscape.  12-30’ tall and 10-20’ wide.

Crape Myrtle

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Dogwood

Dogwood – White or pink blooms in the late spring. Great for areas protected from the afternoon sun or as an understory accent tree.  15’-20’ tall and wide.

Dogwood

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Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon – A graceful vase-shaped small tree that adds a tropical look to the landscape.  A mid-summer to fall bloomer available in shades of white, red, pink, lavender, and blue.  15’ tall and 10’ wide.

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Chaste Tree

Chaste Tree – Also known as Vitex, has summer lilac-colored blooms with grayish-green foliage on a broad, spreading multi-trunk frame.  15-20’ tall and wide.

Chaste Tree

Chaste Tree

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Smoke Tree

Smoke Tree - Varieties of purple or yellow foliage with airy smoke-like plumes in the summer.  15’ tall and 10’ wide.

Smoke Tree

Smoke Tree

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Taylor Juniper

Taylor Juniper - Narrow columnar evergreen with bluish-green foliage creating a formal elegant look.  Also, can be used to create screening or privacy.  25-30’ tall and only 3’ wide.

Taylor Juniper

Taylor Juniper

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These are only a few small trees to consider.  The list could go on and on.  

How have you used small trees in your landscape?

What small trees do you have in your landscape?

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Thankful v. Grateful

What?  Is this the weekly Hall | Stewart post?

I realize you read this every week for the latest lawn and landscape information and the title appears off subject today.  It is.  You have my permission to go ahead and hit delete now…you won’t hurt my feelings.

This week, Thanksgiving week, had me pondering the difference between ‘being thankful’ vs ‘being grateful’.

I love this time of year.   I believe Thanksgiving may be the best holiday on the calendar.  It isn’t over-commercialized.  It is simple.  It is a break in our busyness to spend time with friends and family and give thanks.

Tuesday morning, at our Hall | Stewart Weekly Huddle, we asked the question “What are you thankful for this year?”

The responses ranged from: “My wife!” to “My family!” to “Our team!” to “My newborn baby boy!” to “Our great customers who we get to help have their best lawns!” 

However, one team member’s response started me thinking more deeply about thankfulness.  Leo said, “I’m thankful for my changed life, my relationship with my Savior, and a life that is on a totally different trajectory than my old life!”

It started me wondering if that was thankfulness or was that gratefulness. 

Is there a difference?

A Google search started.  Conversations ensued.

Thesaurus.com states that in most cases they are viewed as exact synonyms. 

Dictionary.com says they are close synonyms commonly used to mean the same thing.

Exact?  Close? Or is there a difference?

I think there is a difference between thankful and grateful.

For me, being thankful is an event.  Thankful is when someone does something for you.  A gift.  A helpful hand.  A kind word.  It is an acknowledgment of benefits received.

Grateful is something deeper.  It is something richer. Gratefulness is felt in the soul.  Gratitude comes from the heart.  It goes beyond appreciation to a state of being.

I was very thankful to have another Thanksgiving with my mom whose mind has been fading for the past few years. Rarely does it appear she knows who I am anymore, but nonetheless, I was thankful to be with her on Thursday.  I am grateful for her impact on my life and my family.  She always wanted more for us than she had and encouraged us to achieve far more than we ever thought we could achieve.  I am more than thankful for my mom; I have heartfelt gratitude for her.

Another personal example that has me pondering the difference…

A few weeks ago, a DYI home project took a quick turn for the worse resulting in a Saturday afternoon in the emergency room followed by surgery on Monday to put one of my hands back together.  I am deeply thankful for the Integris Baptist Emergency Department doctors, nurses, and staff who practiced their craft so wonderfully that afternoon.  I am also deeply thankful for a skilled surgeon who had the knowledge and experience to know exactly how to fix my damaged hand.  And, the physical therapist who I am spending, and will be spending, way too much time with over the next few weeks, I am tremendously thankful.

But, it is the deepest heartfelt gratefulness I have for my wife who has so patiently woken up to my early schedule every day for the last 5 weeks to help me get ready and tie my shoes.  I am more than thankful for her; I am grateful she is by my side as I heal.

It is gratefulness I feel that my dad was with me when the accident happened, got me to the hospital quickly, and then returned to finish my project in the days that followed.  It is gratefulness I feel for family and friends who called, texted, prayed and showed up to check on Lori during my surgery. It is gratefulness that I feel for my Hall | Stewart partner and team members who stepped up to cover the workload I couldn’t do with my one un-injured hand.

Grateful is a deeper, stronger, more emotional version of thankful.

Thankful is recognition of a transaction.

Grateful is recognition, an acknowledgment of the difference others make in our lives. 

Seth Godin said it well this week in his Thanksgiving Day post, “The magic of gratitude is that it improves everything it touches.”

Gratitude is a state of being.  A position of gratitude changes your perspective.

What are your thoughts?  Are they the same or is there a difference?

(I promise to return to talking about what we know best – lawns and landscapes!)

May your days be filled with a spirit of gratitude!

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart

(405)367-3873

Your Lawn & Landscape Still Needs Moisture… Even During The Off Season!

As the lawn and landscape season winds down there is one very important never-ending task:  Monitoring the weather to make sure your lawn and landscape is receiving enough moisture.

After last week’s 2.5” of rainfall followed by our first freeze this week, the temptation is to turn the irrigation off and roll up the hoses. But, if your lawn and landscape could talk, they would be encouraging you to not cut off the water just yet and be prepared to give them a drink from time to time through the winter.

Most winter plant injury occurs when we receive a harsh cold spell while plant root systems are dry.

Sure, your lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowers don’t need as much water through the winter, but they do need some.  Your landscape needs at least ½” of moisture every two weeks through the winter.

Current Watering Recommendation:

Give your lawn and landscape a good deep soaking every 4-7 days.

Pansies need moisture through the winter to survive and make a strong spring show.

Make it a part of your routine from now until spring to check soil moisture and rainfall amounts at least once a week.  A great source is the Oklahoma Mesonet.  The Oklahoma Mesonet is a world-class network of environmental monitoring stations that consists of 120 stations throughout Oklahoma.

Use this link to check current soil moisture: https://www.mesonet.org/index.php/weather/map/2-inch_fractional_water_index/soil_moisture

Use this link to see the amount of rainfall in the last week: https://www.mesonet.org/index.php/weather/map/7_day_rainfall_accumulation/rainfall

Throughout the off season take advantage of nice, warm, light wind days

and give your lawn and landscape a good soaking.

Evergreens and fescue require more water attention during the winter.

Japanese maples have shallow roots that are susceptible to drying out during the winter.

Fescue and rye lawns will retain more color over the winter if the soil is moist went temperatures below 30 degrees.

Newly sodded lawns, due to a shallow root system, can experience freeze damage if the roots are dry during a winter cold spell.

Finally, all newer landscapes, those installed in the last two years require a little more watering attention over the winter.

Watering Through the Off Season - Monitor the weather.  Pay attention to the amount of rainfall we are receiving.  Anytime we go a week without a good rain or snow cover, pick a warm day and run your system through a cycle.  If you don’t have an irrigation system, pick an enjoyable day, stretch out the hoses and make sure all plant material receives a good soaking.

Pansies are a great winter annual as long as they aren’t bone dry when a cold front arrives.

A dry, windy and cold winter is hard on needle evergreens. Through a dry winter a good deep soaking every other week will help them survive.

Winter watering is particularly critical for evergreen shrubs and trees.  Windy days zap the moisture stored in their leaves making them sensitive to winter injury when we receive a harsh cold snap when they are dry.

Shallow rooted plants, such as: azalea and Japanese maple are also prone to winter injury when they do not receive regular moisture during dormancy.

Plants with shallow root systems, such as Japanese Maples and Azaleas, respond best if they receive at least 1/2” of moisture every 7-10 days throughout the winter.

If you have perennials or winter annuals such as pansies or kale, winter moisture is critical to their performance going into the spring.

Fescue lawns will retain more color in the winter and rebound quicker in the spring if they are not allowed to become bone dry during the winter.

Evergreens need moisture during to winter to keep their foliage healthy.

Set your azaleas up for a successful spring by making sure they have enough moisture this winter.

Snow cover has two benefits: 1. It provides insulation from very cold temperatures by trapping warm soil temperatures. 2. As the snow melts it acts as a good deep soaking for your lawn and landscape.

Consider Upgrading Your System – If your system doesn’t have a rain/freeze sensor, add one. A rain/freeze sensor allows you the ability to set the controller to run once per week and leave it.  If the temperature is below freezing, or if there has been a recent rain, the sensor will interrupt the scheduled cycle.  The benefit is you won’t have to remember to turn your system off when it is too cold, or it has rained.

Another Upgrade to Consider – Install a Rainbird WiFi Link controller and let us control your system for you.  We will monitor the weather and adjust the system through the winter based on the amount of moisture the area has received.

Remember – Most winter plant injuries occur when we receive a harsh cold spell while plant root systems are dry.

Give us a call, or respond to this email, if we can help you with irrigation solutions.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Fall Fertilizer Needs: Bermuda vs Fescue

One of the great things about Oklahoma is that we live in the transition zone.

What is the transition zone?

The transition zone is an area from northern Kansas to the Oklahoma-Texas border where you can grow both cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses.  The transition zone can experience both hot summers and cold winters, often making it hard to decide between a warm-season lawn (Bermuda or Zoysia) or a cool-season lawn (fescue). 

Why is that a good thing?  Because we can successfully grow both warm season and cool season turfgrasses.

The most common turf in Oklahoma is Bermuda. 

But, fescue, commonly thought of as only a shade grass, continues to increase in popularity as both a turfgrass suitable for shade and for full sun areas as well.   It is now very common to find Bermuda lawns with at least some fescue. 

Also, more and more lawn owners are realizing that fescue is more than a shade grass, it is a cool-season grass that can grow in full sun.

But, that can be a problem.  You have to think very differently about how you care for a fescue lawn versus a Bermuda lawn.  

Problem - Fescue won’t thrive, it will actually struggle to survive if it is fertilized like Bermuda.  And, the same is true for Bermuda.  Fertilize Bermuda like fescue and the result will be a thin, weak lawn.

Fertilizing cool-season lawns versus warm-season lawns requires a paradigm shift. 

While Bermuda is approaching the end of its season, fescue is starting its season.   

Let’s look at the differences.

Bermuda lawns are ending a season and need a low nitrogen, high potassium fertilizer to strengthen roots for the winter.

Spring Dead Spot is a disease that impacts bermuda lawns in the spring as the lawn is coming out of dormancy. One of the catalyst is heavy nitrogen applications in October applied in an effort to keep a warm season lawn green and active late into the fall.

Fall Fertilizer Applications:

Bermuda and Zoysia (Warm Season) –

Warm-season grasses are at the end of their growing season.  In October and November, warm-season lawns don’t require nitrogen.  With shorter days, cooler days, and nights, and the decrease in soil temperature, growth slows, and turf color fades. 

Heavy nitrogen fertilizer during October in an effort to maintain color longer into the fall is harmful for Bermuda and a catalyst for Spring Dead Spot Disease. 

The chances of having Spring Dead Spot Disease next year increases when nitrogen fertilizer is applied to a Bermuda lawn in the last 4-5 weeks before the first freeze, which in central Oklahoma is typically the first week of November. 

So, if you are thinking your Bermuda lawn needs one more shot of nitrogen before the end of the season, don’t do it.  There is a good chance you are doing more harm than good.

Bermuda, a warm season turfgrass,, performs best when fertilized with higher nitrogen during the summer month and low nitrogen fertilizer in the fall.

With cooler night time temperatures and shorter days, Bermuda lawns are slowing down. Resist the urgent to try keep them green and growing with high nitrogen fertilizer this month.

Because bermuda starts to thin out when it receives less than 6 hours of direct sunlight it is common to see lawns with both bermuda and fescue. The problem is you try to fertilize them the same, one will flourish and the other will struggle.

Fescue –

Fall is the beginning of a new season for fescue. 

As temperatures begin to cool in September, fescue lawns start regaining color, thicken, and actively growing.  

For fescue, fall is the same as spring is for Bermuda. 

In April and May, as soil temperatures warm and Bermuda starts to grow, a higher nitrogen fertilizer is important.   Again, fall for fescue is just like spring for Bermuda.  Nitrogen, the first number on the fertilizer bag, helps thicken fescue, encourages new growth, and adds a deep rich color to the lawn. 

Fall fertilizer applications on fescue will result in a healthier, thicker lawn.   And don’t forget, a dense healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds.

A fertilizer application with at least 25% nitrogen to start the fescue growing season is important.

Newly seeded fescue lawns benefit from a fertilizer application anytime within the first 4 weeks after seeding.

The fertilizer differences continue throughout the year.  Between now and next May, fescue performs best if it receives 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. 

Bermuda lawns are at their best when they receive their nitrogen between spring green-up in April and the end of September. 

In early summer, while Bermuda needs high nitrogen fertilizer the only fertilizer needed for fescue is a low nitrogen, high potassium fertilizer to strengthen roots headed into the summer heat, similar to only fertilizer needs of Bermuda heading into the winter cold.

Fescue lawns are start a new season every fall. A high nitrogen fertilizer application now will increase color and turf density.

Fescue can be grown in full sun but it requires a very different fertilizer schedule compared to bermuda.

For a successful, fescue lawn, you have to think backward from a Bermuda lawn.

For a successful Bermuda lawn, you must think backward from a fescue lawn.

You can’t fertilize them both the same way and expect them both to respond the same way.

The Good News –

If you subscribe to Hall | Stewart’s 7-Step Lawn Care Program, whether you have Bermuda, Zoysia, fescue, or a combination of turfgrasses, we will make sure each type is receiving the correct fertilizer based on the current season and growing conditions.  Our program recognizes that warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses have very different fertilization timing and needs.

If you have a overseeded fescue or are planning to this fall, don’t skip a fertilizer application. New seed grows rapidly and needs plenty of nutrition.

A healthy, thick and deep green fescue lawn next spring is easier to achieve with when a lawn receives the correct fall fertilizer applications.

Let’s cover one more misconception about fescue in the fall: 

Myth - If you are seeding fescue in the fall, it should not receive any lawn care applications. 

Not true…

Fact - Fertilizer applications are not only very important for the existing fescue, but it also plays a critical role in the establishment of new seed. 

Yes, if you are seeding you should not apply a pre-emergent herbicide until the seed has come up and the lawn has been mowed 2 or 3 times. 

But, fertilizer anytime within the first 4 weeks of seeding will provide the seed the nourishment it needs as the new seedlings germinate and begin to grow rapidly.

The challenge for lawns with both warm season and cool season turf is they require the exact opposite timing of fertilizer applications for them both to thrive.

Summary:

Bermuda lawns benefit from receiving their last high-nitrogen fertilizer application before the end of September.

Fescue lawns are starting a new season and require a high-nitrogen fertilizer as they regain color, thicken, and grow.

Both are important.

For the best lawn, it is important to know your turf type and fertilize at the correct time of the year.

If you need have questions or need help understanding the fertilizer needs of your lawn, we would love to help.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The 4 Most Common Ways to Fail at Establishing Fescue

Summer is fighting hard to stay around as long as it can.  But I have something to say about that, ”Summer, your days are limited.  You will be replaced by fall’s cooler days very soon!”

Even though warmer than normal temperatures are still in the forecast, it is September and time to visit one of the most important lawn care activities of fall – Overseeding Fescue.

As we discussed on August 6th in Time To Evaluate Your Lawn, there are two approaches to using fescue in your lawn:  fescue in shady areas only or a full fescue lawn. 

After evaluating your lawn if you decided to establish fescue for the first time or if you decided you should add more fescue to your already fescue areas, we don’t want you to fail at overseeding.

Take a few minutes to review the four most common ways to fail at establishing fescue. 

Small, shady areas in your lawn where there is low air movement and shade are prime candidates for annual fall seeding with fescue.

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Fescue the last week of September last fall after overseeding in early September.

Failure to Seed in the Fall

Because fescue is a cool season grass there are two times per year you can plant fescue seed; Fall (September through October) and Spring (March and April). 

But, if you wait until spring to seed fescue, you are seeding at the second-best time and there is an enormous chasm between the establishment of fescue now (the best time) and next spring (the second-best time). 

Spring-seeded fescue will come up great, but it rarely establishes enough root system to make it through the summer heat (fescue’s off-season).  As a younger, weaker plant, spring-seeded fescue is also more susceptible to brown patch disease. 

Fall-seeded fescue has all fall, winter, and spring to establish a root system before enduring the heat of July and August. 

Don’t fail at establishing fescue – seed now, not next spring.

Failure #1 – Seeding fescue in the spring.

Fall seeded fescue is better prepared to withstand the heat of July and August.

Fescue is the best turf grass for areas of your lawn that receive dappled sun. Bermuda needs at least 6 hours per day of direct sun light.

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Failure to Create Good Seed to Soil Contact

Good seed-to-soil contact is important.  If you sow seed over the existing soil without some preparation, the chance of successful seeding is greatly reduced.  Research shows the percentage of germination decreases dramatically when the seed is just sewn on top of the ground.

You will have success if you start by cutting the existing turf short to remove excess grass.  Then loosen the soil to create good seed-to-soil contact. 

Aeration is the best method to loosen the soil and gain good seed-to-soil contact.  Aerating also gives you the extra benefit of improving the soil structure, increasing water absorption, and developing deeper roots.

Give more attention to bare areas and the edges.  Rough up the areas with a rake.  Rototilling isn’t necessary but breaking the surface of the soil in bare areas is needed. 

Heavy aeration is one of the best ways to create good seed to soil contact when seeding. You also get the added benefit of improved soil conditions from aeration.

In areas that are completely bare, spread a thin layer of peat moss over the surface after seeding to increase the seed-to-soil contact. 

• If overseeding an existing fescue area with a good stand of grass, spread seed at a rate of 5-8 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

• If establishing a new fescue lawn, spread seed at a rate of 10-12 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

  Failure #2 – Just spreading the seed over the top of the ground.

The lawn was being maintained at 3”.

This bermuda lawn is being cut short in preparation of overseeding it with fescue for the first time.

Cutting it to 2” will improve the seed to soil contact and increase the success of the first time overseed.

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Failure to Buy a Good Fescue Blend

Fescue was first introduced in the US from Europe in the 1800s as a pasture grass.  Kentucky-31 Tall Fescue was developed in the 1940s as an improved pasture grass and introduced to the home turf market in the 1960s by Pennington Seed. 

All seed grown in Oregon is certified. Buy it when possible.

Look for a fescue blend with at least 3 varieties. Blends contain the best varieties and give you more protection against disease and are more heat and drought tolerant.

Bonus tip - some seed companies have seed that is coated with compounds to stimulate growth.

What is the point of the seed history lesson? 

If you are buying Kentucky-31 Tall Fescue, you are buying an 80-year-old product when there are over 300 improved fescue varieties that offer darker green color, narrower blades, and improved tolerance to heat, cold, drought and disease.  Kentucky-31 is marginally acceptable as a lawn grass that tends to become thin and clumpy. 

Improved fescue varieties  are very heat and drought tolerant and can successfully be grown in full sun.

No matter the name on the bag of the seed, any improved variety will outperform Kentucky-31.

We believe using a blend is best when seeding fescue.  Blends are a combination of two or more varieties within the same species, such as two or more fescues in one mix.  Blends are a combination of the best species, tested over time, for the best shade tolerance and disease resistance. The number one problem with fescue is brown patch disease.  The best blends use fescue varieties that show strong resistance to brown patch.  Also, some blends will contain bluegrass and, or rye for an even more vibrant spring color. 

Failure #3 – Buying cheap seed.  You will get what you are pay for… a low-quality turf for years to come.

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Failure to Keep the Area Tacky Moist Until Seed Germinates

The first three are very important, but the 4th one is critical for success. 

Nothing will hand you a losing hand quicker than not keeping the seed moist.  You can get the first three correct and have complete failure if the seeded area is not kept moist until new grass is visible in the entire area.

Even water distribution is important in keeping the seed tacky moist until it comes up. Check your system. Look for areas where there isn’t complete head to head coverage. The result will be poor germinate around the sprinkler head.

This picture 14 days after seeding demonstrates how critical moisture is to seed germination. The seed in the area where the irrigation does not reach has not germinated at all while the moist areas are nearly fully germinated.

The worst thing you can do is water the seeded area, allow it to dry completely, water again, allow it to dry completely, repeat, repeat, repeat…  After a few times of drying out completely, the seed will no longer be viable. 

For the best success, set your irrigation to run 3 short cycles per day.  Set spray type zones to run 3-5 minutes each time.  Set rotor type zones to run 7-10 minutes each time.  If possible, set the system to run before dawn (4:00 AM), late morning (10:00 AM), and mid-afternoon (4:00 PM). 

You don’t have to have an irrigation system to establish fescue.  You only need to be diligent at watering every morning and every evening. 

Failure #4 – Not keeping the seed tacky moist until it germinates. 

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Fescue can be grown successfully in Oklahoma.  There are examples of great fescue lawns in every neighborhood, and there will be more and more as our environment becomes more and more shady.

Who should overseed this fall?

• If you have areas of your lawn where the Bermuda has thinned because of shade, you should seed this fall.  Bermuda needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for the best performance.  Less than 6 hours of direct sunlight and Bermuda starts to thin.

• If you have fescue areas that have become thin because of brown patch, drought, or insect damage, you should seed this fall.

• If you just want to keep your fescue thick and healthy, you should seed this fall.  Fescue doesn’t spread like Bermuda with runners across the top of the soil.  Fescue spreads through tillering through the soil and putting up new vertical shoots.  Fescue spread is slow and often rare in the transition zone in which we live.  To keep a fescue lawn at its best, adding more seed is common.

• If you want to have a green lawn longer into the fall and earlier in the spring, you should seed this fall.  Fescue is a cool season grass that stays green and active into early December and recovers from the winter in early March.  With a fescue lawn, it is common to have a green lawn for 10 out of 12 months.

Myth: It is difficult to grow fescue.  But, really it isn’t.  Growing fescue does require a different approach to your lawn, but it isn’t difficult when you avoid some of the most common mistakes in establishing fescue. 

Successful fescue lawns are the result of best seeding practices, best cool season turf maintenance practices, and persistence.  But, more importantly, they are a result of different thinking.

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Bonus Reason: Why Fescue Seeding Fails

Applying a fall pre-emergent before seeding in the area.  The same pre-emergent herbicide that prevents weeds will prevent fescue from germinating.  Wait until the new fescue turf has been mowed 2-3 times before putting a pre-emergent on the lawn.

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Special Note:   DO NOT use pre-emergent herbicides now in areas that are going to be seeded this fall.

If you need assistance in establishing a fescue lawn or have questions about fescue, give us a call – (405) 367-3873. 

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

Time for a Summer Landscape Color Check

Wow!  The heat of summer is hanging on! 

How’s your landscape handling the heat?

A good activity for late August is to create a summer landscape journal.  Grab a few minutes and take pictures of your landscape while it is still hot.  Jot down a few notes about plants that are doing well and the ones that are struggling.

Next spring you will be glad to have the information when you make summer landscape plans. Too often we get excited about a plant that looks great in April and May only to have it disappoint when the heat is on in July and August. 

Great landscapes should include plants that add color and interest in every season, even when temperatures are pushing triple digits.

Here are a few things I have noticed doing well in the heat of late July and August:

The limes and red speckled leaves of Coleus make a nice accent to the yellow flower of Marigolds.

Joseph Coat is a great compliment for the reds of Bronze-Leaf Begonias.

Caladiums behind Impatiens is the perfect combination for shady areas of your landscape.

Annual Summer Seasonal Color

Coleus – Planted for the colorful foliage, it is available in both shade and sun varieties and many colors.  Colors range from limey yellow to red with many that have speckled leaves of yellow, green, and red. 

Joseph Coat – This low-growing, bright yellow-green annual is a great border in full to partial-sun areas.  It is also available in a dark red but is not near as dramatic as the brightness of the lighter variety. 

Lantana – You can’t beat lantana in the heat in full sun.  Some of the more common varieties are New Gold, Dallas Red, and Confetti.  Known for having a bushy growth habit, but there are varieties that are more compact and mounding. 

Lantana, one of the best lovers of summer heat, comes in so many colors that there has to be one perfect for your summer landscape.

The dark reds and lime-red of these Coleus varieties make a great combination.

Penta – Another annual plant that thrives in full sun.  Bright clusters of star-shaped flowers in red, pink, and white look great planted behind Joseph Coat.

Periwinkle – An old traditional annual plant that just keeps performing.  Periwinkle thrives in full sun. White with red center is most common, but also is available in vibrant pinks, reds, and violets.

Strawberry Periwinkle, red Penta, Lemon Zest Lantana, Stain Glass Coleus in front of Black-eyed Susan make for a showy mid-summer landscape.

A great combination for shady areas in the heat of summer is Caladiums and Impatiens.

Periwinkle is a summer loving annual that brightens landscapes with vibrant pinks, reds and whites.

Strawberry Periwinkle with a compliment of Black-Eye Susan

Penta will continue to bloom in full sun to partial shade through the hottest days of summer.

The lime color of Joseph Coat is a great compliment to the rosy pink of Strawberry Periwinkle

Angelonia and Sunpatiens both love summer heat and sun.

Sunpatiens – All the color burst you would expect from impatiens, but they love full sun and heat.  They come in a wide range of colors.  Sunpatiens have become one of my favorite summer annual plants.

Angelonia – It is available in whites, pinks, purples, and blues and very often you will find it mixed. Plant in full to partial sun. 

Sunpatiens and Lantana adding color in the summer sun.

Sunpatiens have become a staple for a splash of color in my summer landscape.

Orange Sunpatiens planted with Joseph Coat and yellow Marigolds.

Caladiums – The large colorful leaves make a great show in full or dappled shade.  You will find them in reds, whites, and pinks. Caladiums are great at adding a burst of color to shady areas of the landscape. 

Impatiens – Another old favorite that is hard to beat in the full shade areas of your landscape.  It is available in many colors.

Caladiums and Impatiens combine to add a splash of color in shady areas.

Perennials

Black-eyed Susan – Grows 2-3’ tall with dark green foliage and vibrant golden-yellow daisy type flowers with a dark brown center.  Blooming starts in late June and continues into August.  Their show in the summer heat is second to no other perennial.

Coneflower – A native prairie plant that puts on a great show through the summer.  Each plant will produce several clusters of 2-4” blooms.  They are available in several colors, but the purple varieties are my favorite.

Coneflower add color to the landscape through the hottest times of the summer.

Using the perennial Black-eyed Susan in your landscape will add a splash of yellow through July and into August.

Black-eyed Susans add bold brilliant flowers in mid-summer to our landscapes.

Coneflower is a perennial that blooms in midsummer.

Crape Myrtle, the longest summer blooming plant become more brilliant as the summer gets hotter.

Maybe the hardiest Hydrangea, Limelight, blooms during the heat of midsummer and they do well in full sun. These are planted around a parking lot on the west side of a building.

Shrubs 

Crape Myrtle – I have a tendency to mention them often, but as our longest-blooming summer shrub and/or tree they are a must-have for your landscape.  Varieties come in dwarf (2-4’), semi-dwarf (up to 8’), and standard (up to 25’).  Colors range from white, pink, purple, and red.  It seems that the hotter the summer, the more brilliant their blooms. 

Limelight Hydrangea – A very hardy hydrangea with unique mid-summer white blooms and a slight hint of green.  They look great planted in mass, as a hedge or as a single specimen.  Also, they do well planted in full sun. 

Bobo Hydrangeas and Black-eyed Susan both thrive in the summer heat.

Hardy Hibiscus – A spectacular summer bloomer that will quickly make a dramatic impact to any landscape.  Look for newer varieties as they have larger flowers.  For most flowers, they need full sun.  They are a great addition to a perennial garden or in front of an evergreen hedge.

Rose of Sharon – An old fashion shrub that deserves to be used more for flowers that appear from July through late summer.  It grows in all soils and does well in hot locations.  Blooms range from dark pink to lavender to white. 

Rose of Sharon is an easy to grow plant that blooms July through last summer.

The large flowers of Hardy Hibiscus are an eye catcher throughout the summer.

Vines 

Trumpet Vine – A favorite is the ‘Madame Galen’ variety. Trumpet-shaped salmon-red flowers throughout the summer for an extra-long blooming season.  Great for covering up fences and climbing arbors.  

Madame Galen Trumpet Vine have an extra long summer blooming season.

Visit public gardens during the hottest times of the summer to see what is doing great in their landscapes for fresh ideas.  The Myriad Gardens, Will Rogers Horticulture Gardens, and OSU’s Botanical Garden are just a few in the area.

Also, don’t be shy.  Stop at that house with the best summer color in your neighborhood and ask what they are growing!

What is putting on a show this summer in your landscape? 

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

The Myriad Garden is a great to visit for landscape ideas. Many of the plants are well marked.

Good Mowing Practices Make a Big Difference!

Great lawns are the result of well-timed lawn care applications, perfect weather conditions, and proper maintenance practices. 

Unfortunately, the impact of good mowing practices is often overlooked. 

When it comes to a great lawn, mowing practices are more important than the fertilizer you use, the weed control applications that are made, and the amount of water used.

 

Getting mowing right comes down to three critical practices: mowing height, mowing frequency, and managing the clippings. 

Mowing Height

Grasses adapt well to various mowing heights, but there is a direct relationship between mowing height and a healthy turf.  As the height of the grass is increased, the root system increases.  As the height is lowered, the root system decreases.  A taller turf yields a healthier root system and a lawn that will withstand more stress.  As the height and density increase, there is less room available for weeds to germinate and grow. 

Optimal cutting heights vary based on the type of grass and the time of year.  All turf grass should start the season low and gradually increase in height over the course of the summer. The goal is to have your lawn at its thickest and tallest height during the heat of summer. 

Fescue is at its best when it is cut between 2.5” to 3.5”. 

Bermuda is best maintained between 1.5” to 2.5”, but Tiff Type Bermuda should be maintained shorter, .5” to 1.5”.

Areas of shade need to be mowed at the maximum height.  The increase in leaf space will allow the plant the best possible chance to survive in the lower light.

A best lawn maintenance practice is to not remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade when mowing.

Currently I’m trying to maintain my fescue lawn at 3”.  

Yesterday with the fescue reaching over 4” it was time to cut it back to 3”.

Mowing Frequency

Probably the biggest hindrance to having a great lawn is mowing on a schedule, not on need.  Most people mow their lawns once a week during the growing season. We all understand why.  We are busy and our only opportunity to mow is on our day off.  Or, you may have a landscape management company that mows the lawn once per week. 

But, for the absolute best lawn, mow based on the 1/3 rule rather than a set schedule.  For example:  If you desire to maintain your fescue at 3”, you should never let your lawn grow over 4.5”.  If you want to keep your Bermuda lawn at 2”, then you need to mow before it exceeds 3”, not just because it’s Saturday and you always mow on Saturday.

Whenever you remove more than 1/3 of the grass in a single mowing, you are cutting below the plant leaf and into the stem.  If you see yellow or brown areas after you mow, you are cutting more than 1/3.

Turf grass research shows when you cut into the stems the plant responds by using nutrients stored in the root system to regenerate leaves.  This reduces the strength, health, and density of the root system and results in a weaker turf.

What should you do when your lawn becomes too tall, and you need to cut off 50% or more to get back to the desired height?  Cut 1/3 off, wait a couple of days and then cut another 1/3 off.  Repeat until you reclaim the height you desire.

There is no doubt that frequent mowing at a uniform height, whether short or tall, is one of the most important aspects of having a great lawn.

Mowing with a mulching mower will return valuable clippings to the lawn. Grass clippings are mostly water and nitrogen.

Managing the Clippings

When you are able to mow frequently using the 1/3 rule, I recommend not catching the clippings.  Turf grass leaves are 80-90% water and nitrogen.  Grass clippings decompose very quickly and add nutrients back to the turf. 

Not bagging your clippings is a major step in improving your lawn’s quality.

When you bag your clippings, you throw a little of your fertilizer away every time you cut the lawn. 

Most years, I bag my fescue lawn a couple of times per year, the first time each spring and September when I cut the lawn short in preparation for overseeding.  So far this season, I have managed to dodge the rain interruptions, stay on my typical 4-to-5-day mowing habit and my mower’s grass bag has remained in the garage since the first cut of the season.

A common belief is that when you don’t bag your clippings you are increasing thatch buildup.  As long as you are only cutting the leaves and not the stems, thatch will not become a problem. 

Mulch mowing will not only return nutrients to your lawn, it will also return moisture. This picture was taken late July 2022 during a heat wave and drought. At this point the lawn was being watered deeply every 4 days, cut at 3”, and mulch mowed.

Alternating your mowing pattern will not only reduce compaction, but it will add a professional look to your lawn.

Two Important Bonus Practices:

1.     Mower blades should always be kept sharp.  Dull blades bruise the leaf resulting in frayed leaves and a duller lawn appearance. 

2.     Vary your mowing pattern throughout the season to reduce soil compaction.  Changing your mowing pattern will also improve turf appearance.  I recommend rotating through at least three different mowing patterns.  For example:  mow parallel to the street, the next time mow at a 45-degree angle, followed by mowing perpendicular to the street or at the opposite 45-degree angle. 

Changing the mowing pattern will reduce soil compaction and improve turf appearance.

Lawn mowing is the most time-consuming landscape practice. 

It has to be performed more frequently than fertilizing, weed control, bed weeding, shrub trimming, and flower planting.

It is easy to allow mowing to become just another task that has to be done.  But, a well, properly maintained lawn is well worth the time and effort. 

Nothing adds more curb appeal to a property than a well-groomed lawn.

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873

PS - The abundance of rain coupled with the warm night-time temperatures of July, Brown Patch is a Fescue lawn's biggest challenge currently.  If you have Fescue, click this link and take a minute to learn more.